Writers Conference

I have enjoyed this dark, drizzly day. It was just what we needed for the gardens to catch their breath, soak their roots and suck up all that good rainwater. I think I needed it too, a break from relentless sunshine and the weekend's heat.

The West Virginia Writers Conference is over, and I am wishing that 1) it lasted longer, and 2) that I could take the time to reflect on all the many good things that happened during the two days I had with fellow writers. The conference continued on Sunday but I had to make do with just Friday and Saturday as there was just too much pressing stuff on my plate.

For me the best part of such events is getting to see people I have not seen all year. There were new faces too, and I made some new friends this weekend, always a gift. I attended what was basically a full-day poetry workshop with poet Laura Treacy Bentley on Friday. Laura is widely published in the US and in Ireland, and has published both poetry books and novels. We met to discuss poems, then broke for a few hours, during which we were to write a poem to bring back to the next session. Talk about pressure! I snuck in some time for a poetry reading session and read a few of my poems there, then I had to get serious and write.

Writing poetry under a deadline isn't easy. If you write you know that the inspiration, the words, the feeling just isn't always available on command. Especially if you want to write something good. I was with an incredibly talented group of people in this workshop so the bar was high--for all of us. Finally an idea crowded out all of the rest, insisting on being addressed.

Then it was back to the group to read (gulp) what I'd written and to listen and offer suggestions on the others' poems. I got good feedback for mine, a valuable thing. The cap to all this was that later that evening we were to read our new poems during an open mic session in front of the whole conference. Pressure, pressure. It went well, and I have a good poem that has been worked over now to the point that it needs only a little more work.

That was Friday. Saturday I went to a session on writing children's book based on historical facts, given by the award-winning children's author Anna Egan Smucker. I love her work, and came away with good, concrete suggestions, and I hope I will be able to apply them to a children's book I have been working on for over a year, off and on. After this workshop it was more poetry and prose reading sessions, and one on writing ekphrastic poetry (poems based on works of art). The focus here was music, and it was intriguing to see how differently we were inspired by various pieces.

I went home after that for a nap and to pick up Larry. We returned to the conference for the evening performance featuring storyteller and WV Poet Laureate Marc Harshman and professor and old-time musician Doug Van Gundy (who, incidentally, walked away with $250,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2010 or thereabouts). Fiddle music and poetry--a great combination. Then it was time for a late-night gathering to just talk, laugh and catch up with people I hadn't had a chance to talk to. We left after midnight to drive home and crash.

A good, good time. I wish I could do it more often. Maybe I need to start looking for other opportunities.

Yesterday was booth restocking day at our Marietta booth (pics later) and for the next few days my focus is on getting my summer library program ready to hit the road. So writing will have to wait until things settle down again--and probably after garden time too.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.