Each year I take stock. Where have I been? Where am I going? Am I on the right path?
As a result each year I attend the Hawaii Writers Retreat and Conference.
In 13 days the amazing and talented HOLLY KENNEDY arrives and in 14 days we will be seated across from each other (we aren't allowed to sit next to each other because we can't shut up) and will be working on the craft of fiction writing with Jackie Mitchard and Karin Slaughter.
The focus will be on suspense and although we don't write thrillers the components of a thriller can create a compulsive read and I want my readers to not be able to set down my book...I want them to carry it with them to restaurants...to work...to the bathroom...I want them to bug their life partner by reading my novel until 3 am because they want to find out what happens.
I enjoy working with other writers. There are times they ask me why I'm there...if I'm published already why do I work on my writing and I give them this answer:
I will ALWAYS work on my writing. Publishing is happy circumstance but is not the end of my path...I still strive to be able to write stories that will be in print two years...five years...ten years or more down the road.
So I will be sitting in a room with other writers, my ego left at the door (although I will hear it hammering and yelling on the other side)...
Today's question?
Your 15 pages have been sent in...Why are we provoked to fiddle with them? Why can't we leave them alone. Why must we switch sentences around? And why do we only NOW find those stupid grammar and spelling mistakes?
Inquiring minds want to know...
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8 comments:
Isn't that Murphy's Law at work. Anything that can go wrong will...I might add to that...only AFTER you've submitted your pages and can't take them back anymore! It happened to me. Makes you appear human and your fellow writers will thank you for that. Have fun.
My fav is when I do Their for there and you're for your and visa versa...
GRRRRRR!
Man do I wish I was going to be there. One of these days ...
ditto travis
Gorgeous photo patricia!
See you there, Pat.
This retreat/conference is always the best way to recharge one's writing batteries :)
It's a great habit to do a compass check once a year, 'am I still on the right course?' in so many areas. I wonder if Tooloose thinks of that and stays ahead of the trends, and if zombies have met the space-monkeys yet?
And those typos? My own most common failure is from and form - and even though aware of it, it STILL slips through - when will they develop an intelligent spell-check that looks for correctly spelled but incorrect words?
Have a wonderful and replenishing conference. (jealous, jealous, jealous...in a good way)
Have a great conference, you naughty thing...and what about TOOLOUSE!!
Yoda said he thinks you should throw him off the pier.
Well, humble you, Pat. Published or not, we always have room to improve our writing skill. Each year you attend the Hawaii Writers Retreat and Conference, and each year I reread "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers".
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