Tomorrow I’m off to the New England SCBWI conference! YAY! It’s my first conference in over a year, so I’m very much looking forward to it…but it is also my first weekend away from The Boy, so it’ll be hard to leave. We’ll both be fine, though. (That’s what I keep telling myself anyway!)
I’ve been going to SCBWI conferences for quite a few years now and have gathered a plethora of great tips. I’ll certainly be sharing my favorite nuggets about this conference, but in the meantime, here are some highlights from past conferences I’ve attended.
- Take the time and make the space for your writing dreams. ~Laurie Halse Anderson
- A vital aspect to nurturing talent is to accept and validate your need to create. Honor, cherish, and celebrate it. ~Laurie Halse Anderson
- There are no secure boxes. Do whatever you want to do, and do it wildly, purely, uncensored, even regrettable. Do it as hard as you can. ~Donna Jo Napoli
- Never give up because you might be on the one yard line, and you just don’t know it. ~Donna Gephart
- Books take us away from home, so we can actually see our home. ~M.T. Anderson
- Human beings need stories; we always have and we always will. ~Gennifer Choldenko
- As artists, we need to fill ourselves up to flowing and give it all back. ~E.B. Lewis
- In a roller-coaster ride you know exactly where you’re going, end up where you began, and you can a buy a ticket to go on again and have almost the same exact experience; it’s thrilling, but it’s not a journey. A journey takes you where you’ve never been before; it’s pretty scary and the dangers are real. ~Sandy Asher
- All stories are based in truth somewhere. Pay attention to those stories and write them down. ~Judy Schachner
- Use your very guts to spill out your very best. ~Susan Patron
Enjoy your weekend, everyone. With the likes of Nova Ren Suma, Kate Messner, Sharon Creech, and many other authors, agents, and editors presenting at the conference, I know I will have an awesome weekend.
Have lots of fun!
Thanks!
The first weekend away form The Boy… Oh, boy!
It seems more daunting than it feels right now, Katie. I remember this well. I’m happy you are taking the time to re-charge in what is a really nurturing environment.
Thanks for the reassurance, Mirka. In my head I know it’s fine, but my heart does hurt a bit at having to leave. But, it is definitely time to refill the well.
Great tips!
Have a wonderful time at the conference. Hope you get a lot of inspiration and make some connections.
Thanks, Ann. I’m very much looking forward to catching up with some old writing buddies and meeting some new ones. 🙂
What great advice! Thanks for sharing and have fun at the conference!
Thanks, Mary! Had a great time…actually met one of your critique partners…small world!
Great tips, Katie, except from that Donna Gephart person. 🙂
Can’t wait to read the blog post you create AFTER your wonderful experience at the conference. Have a blast and refill your well!
That Donna Gephart person is a wily one!
Wonderful conference…feeling energetic and exhausted all in one.
What great comments you’ve shared, Katie. I especiallly like “Never give up because you might be on the one yard line, and you just don’t know it.” ~Donna Gephart Excellent.
As to leaving “The Boy,” who I assume to be a small child or baby, you’re doing said child a favor. Our job as parents is to help our kids to grow up to be independent capable adults. They only learn that as we step back. Whether it’s dad or grandparents keeping him, the message is “I know you can handle this.” Kids internalize that message and believe they can handle whatever. Not to mention the gift you’re giving the caretaker of really neat time with “The Boy.” Have fun at your conference. We really need these recharging times.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Marsha. I’m happy to report The Boy and I both did wonderful one our own. He had lots of fun Daddy time, and Mommy got lots of good grow-up writerly time. 🙂
Have fun!
Thanks, Katie! It was a fun and awesome time.
Have an awesome time! Looking forward to your highlights when you get back!
Thanks, Meradeth! Hoping to get all the inspirational highlights up later this week.
I’ll be there tomorrow (Saturday)! I’ll keep an eye out for you amid the madness!
So thrilled to have caught each other on Saturday, Anna. I hope you had as awesome a time as I had!
I’ve been to the Los Angeles SCBWI conference a couple of times, but never to the New England one. You’ll have a blast! Can’t wait to hear your words of wisdom when you return!
Thanks, K.L. I’ve been to the L.A. one twice…would love to get back to it, but it’s all the way across the country for me and makes for an expensive trip. Gems from this past weekend’s conference posting tomorrow.