SIWC 2009 - the aftermath, Nanowrimo and other such writerly things =>

Okay, so due to a certain subject in school *cough Physics 11 cough* I have been unable to post as much as I wish. But I'm here now and here it goes.

The Surrey International Writer's Conference was unbelievable and once again surpassed any of my high expectations. In fact, if it's possible, it was even better than I remember it being last year. Probably because I got to go all 3 days and go Thursday afternoon for Donald Mass's "Writing the Irresistible Novel". That, along with every workshop I went to see through out the course of the conference, was brilliant! Donald Mass's master class really resonated with me more than anything though. Probably because of the point I was at in the process of writing my latest manuscript Auburn Queen. I am finished my rough first draft and I'm in the middle of making larger changes. Moving, cutting, and adding scenes and chapters mostly. When my friend Sophia and I arrived at 3:30 Thursday afternoon I was stuck. It had been a little over a year since I began Auburn Queen (I remember because it was right before SIWC 2008) and I hadn't written anything else for that long because I can only work one big project at a time. I was out of ideas and resistant to working on the ones that were staring me in the face. But after three hours listening to the genius that is Donald Mass I had a fresh perspective, a new character to save and a new character to kill, lots of questions to ask myself about my manuscript and EVEN the answers to some of those questions (gasp I know!). The conference was off to a good start. Friday was just as brilliant (although standing on stage receiving my Young Writer's Scholarship Award with Sophia was a little awkward I'm just not used to having peoples attention on me. Plus, coffee likes to spill where it's not supposed to, like all over our awards right before the ceremony. => Thanks to Lisa Rector-Mass's quick thinking it all worked out and we walked up on stage replacements in hand ). Saturday and Sunday I volunteered which turned out to be just as awesome as attending the conference itself. I still got to sit in on a couple of the key workshops I wished to see and when i wasn't in a workshop I was helping were I could and meeting people. My most surreal moment came Saturday. Robert Dugoni, one of the writers speaking at the conference, walked by and recognized me. I'd been to two of his workshops, one Friday one Saturday, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. It was kind of him to take the time to say high to someone like me, and when one of the other volunteers told him I'd placed 3rd in Lisa Rector's scholarship he even congratulated me saying he wished he'd started when he was my age. It felt great. All in all SIWC is always the highlight of my year, and every time I go I learn more in a couple of days than I could in a classroom in a year. I want to end my segment on SIWC by congratulating Sophia Ma, a close friend of mine who won the Lisa Rector scholarship for the second time in a row this year, and Lin who Sophia and I met for the first time at the conference and who placed an impressive second. Finally, thank you to KC for the link to my blog on the SIWC website:    http://www.siwc.ca/

Another little tidbit...

NANOWRIMO

This international month of novel writing begins today. It is my second year taking part but I did not make it to 50 thousand words in November 2008 so we will have to see if I do better this month. for those of you who don't know what it is nanowrimo occurs every November and  your goal is to write a 50 000 word novel (or 1667 words a day) by the time you hit midnight on November 30th. if you want more info check out this link:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

happy writing!

SIWC 2009

Yes, it's almost that time again! I attended the Surry International Writer's Conference for the first time last year and found it invaluable on my way to becoming a writer. I am ecstatic to be going back again this year and for anyone who has not gone yet or isn't sure I fully encourage you to go. No matter what your age or level of experience it is an amazing conference that is well worth the money spent on it. For me, being 15 when I went last year, the whole thing was a huge learning experience. It gave me a chance to experience what it was like for people who are actually writers on a day to day basis and it made me realise that this can in fact happen. If I work hard it is not an impossible goal. It also gave me advice that has forever improved the state of my writing. It's strange, I can't believe it's almost been a year since I last went. The moment my friend and I left last year we said we wished it was time for next years already and it looks like we're finally getting our wish.

Incredible LUCK! - the ups and ups and ups of the SIWC!!

I have had the BEST weekend at SIWC I got back late last night and could hardly get to sleep I was SO excited :). I have never been to a conference before and had the pleasure and honour of meeting so many other writers. I am also pleased to have had the honour of meeting a surprising amound of editors and agents and I have to admit...that is what I am most excited about!! So what came out of this weekend you ask??

1. Lisa Rector a high class editor residing in New York (with freaking awsome clothes I want her Bue Jacket!) has become close to several of the young writers there. We plan to stay in touch and she answered many of our questions about to publishing world. She also introduced us to many of the people you see listed below (but not all).

2. I have Donald Masse's card and his book "Writing the Breakout Novel" (which with a spectacular show of stupidity I left behind yesterday. Luckily my friend is going today as well and is going to pick it up for me).-thankyou Lisa :)

3. I have the card of someone else called Eileen Reppenhagen who wants to interview me for a book on young people and money-sweet!

4. I have the card of the senior editor at Tor Susan Chang and a request for my latest manuscript which I pitched to her at the conference. Also I heard of a program through them called Young Readers that could be very helpful.

5. I have the card of an agent called Verna Dreisbach who has requested a sample of my work and is actively looking for young people to publish (her buisness is just getting started so if this works out it could be a much easier way of breaking in I am very excited!!!!!!) - thankyou Lisa :)

6. A vague new idea for a story in a genre I don't usually deal with has come to me after attending the workshop called 'using your personal life as a starting point for fiction'. Hopefully that will work out.

CONGRADULATIONS TO SOPHIA MA WHO IS NOW OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED IN AN ANTHOLOGY THAT VERNA DREISBACH IS CREATING!

so...if you went to the SWIC conference how did you find it? Who did you meet, who did you pitch too? Tell me everything! :) And if you didn't go tell me if you plan to go next year or just how your writing is going in general-wish me luck!

Masque

I got a ride home on Saturday so I am getting to go to masque!! This is awsome but it also means I need to figure out a costume and FAST! (any suggestions??) stress beginning to set in just a little as I rush to finish my novel and write my pitch etc. Got to waste tomorrow doing homeowrk which sucks because I could be writing but whatever. Oh and does anyone know what you wear to a conference?? This is my first one.

-counting the days!!!!!!

SIWC!!!

I am so excited, I am oficially going to the SIWC or "surry international writers conference" it's going to be so awsome!! I am going a a young writer on the friday (only $5o!) and I am volunteering on the Saturday though I still get to listen in on like tons of different workshops and stuff because I scored the position workshop monitor! I also get to do some running and helping people make masques for the masquerade that night. I wish I could go to the masquerade but I think my parents will probably want to take me home before the end (12:30 am saturday morning). The other thing that is GREAT is because I came fifth in the world wide 'Lisa Rector Young Writers Scholarship' she knows me. She is a very important person at the conference and has agreed to look over my work personally with me for which I am extremely greatful! I can hardly wait!!
If any writers out there would like to go the website is siwc.ca , I know SO hard to remember right! lol. You can register online or mail in your papers and money.

OOOOOHHH and one last thing. My rangers group is planning on attending our first co-ed camp. Rainbucket. That should be interesting! -more info. coming soon ( rainbucket.ca ).