What a wonderful conference!
I have posted a much, MUCH longer recap over at the SCBWI MD/DE/WV regional As The Eraser Burns Blog, but I wanted to hit my personal highlights here.
First off, Chris Crutcher. Loved him.
Usually, I get very intimidated around big name authors, but he was completely approachable, down-to-earth, and a total joy to listen to. He also gave me wonderful advice on writing about your painful past that I have placed in my back pocket to use one day when I’m brave enough to tackle the topic of eating disorders. I really appreciated that. Lovely man, lovely presenter!
Floyd Cooper. Again. Loved him.
He was a total sweetie who had us on the edge of our seats as he created this … upside down and sideways in about 5 minutes!!
Seriously? Are you kidding me? Who DOES that! Amazing, amazing, amazing. And one of my favorite moments from the conference was when it was given as a door prize. EVERYBODY wanted Floyd’s art, (I, personally, would have tackled your grandmother with no regrets for it,) but we were so happy when a lady who’s been a fan of his for twenty years won. She was tickled pink!
Laura Whitaker, Associate Editor at Bloomsburg Children’s Books. Again. Loved her.
Her fabulously informative presentation on “Dating 101: What Makes YOU Desirable to an Editor” was the spanking my lackadaisical social media platform desperately needed. Really. It was just what I needed to hear, just when I needed to hear it.
I’ll admit it. For the past year, I’ve been buried underneath a rock, concentrating on writing, happy in my little introverted, anti-social media world, thinking it would be enough if I just wrote a fantastic book.
But guess what?
It’s not.
Laura inspired me to take a good look at myself, my career, my goals, and to ask, “Do I want to be a well-rounded professional in this busines or what?”
The answer is … I do. And now, here I am. Blogging again with the resolve to post at least twice a week. And you know what? It feels good, being back in the game.
So many, many thanks to Chris, Floyd, Laura, and all the other amazing presenters who have given me a much-needed boost of inspiration, motivation, and determination this past weekend! It’s very appreciated. 🙂
