I'm attending a writer's conference this weekend. It's in Birmingham so rather than stay onsite, I'm commuting. This conference leans toward fiction, but the ideas shared at these events are always useful. There are always things I discover that's worth the price of admission.
The more I learn about writing, the more I realize I don't know squat about the craft. Some people are born story tellers. Others must learn the craft. Telling a good story is almost like telling a good joke. It can't be too long, and it can't be too short. And, timing is everything.
I also learn when attending conferences is that there are always people much further down the path and people who haven't taken the first step. This much I know – Everyone has an idea for a great novel, but these ideas don't write themselves. It takes hours staring at a blinking cursor before any story comes to life.
I'll end with a picture. It has nothing to do with writing fiction...unless you imagine a bride in her wedding dress with a champaign glass gripped in her hand, leaps into a raging river :)
The more I learn about writing, the more I realize I don't know squat about the craft. Some people are born story tellers. Others must learn the craft. Telling a good story is almost like telling a good joke. It can't be too long, and it can't be too short. And, timing is everything.
I also learn when attending conferences is that there are always people much further down the path and people who haven't taken the first step. This much I know – Everyone has an idea for a great novel, but these ideas don't write themselves. It takes hours staring at a blinking cursor before any story comes to life.
I'll end with a picture. It has nothing to do with writing fiction...unless you imagine a bride in her wedding dress with a champaign glass gripped in her hand, leaps into a raging river :)
Enjoy the conference and the champagne. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Conferencing.
ReplyDeleteLove the balloon - but I am a balloon tragic.
Who has no novel in me.
You made me chuckle. Have a great rest of your writing conference Rick.
ReplyDeleteJoy
There is so much I need to know and would one day love to attend such a conference. Once one does get their 'feet wet', WE LEARN we don't know very much. Telling the story is fun, telling it so some one will really listen is REAL.
ReplyDeleteLove the picture. One of my dreams is riding in a hot air balloon. They are beautiful just floating along. I do hope the lady is stopped before she jumped
As far as I can tell, life is a continual process of learning. We'll never know it all. You've quite an imagination and the will to learn. Good qualities to have for sure.
ReplyDeleteI hope the conference is exciting for you and that you can put into practice what you learn. Every book start with a thought.
ReplyDeleteHappy writing. Hugs, Julia
"There are always things I discover that's worth the price of admission."
ReplyDeleteI think Tony Robbins once said the same thing! (... going to hear every so-called motivational speaker, in his early days' quest to become a Great coach himself.)
The balloon, bride with a champagne glass, and the raging river sounds like the premise of a good story.
ReplyDeleteHot air balloon rides are wonderful; so is your story telling!
ReplyDeleteWe always have room to learn more, the conference sounds like just the place for every writer to learn something new, enjoy it Rick.
ReplyDeleteI never get tired of seeing hot air balloons.
ReplyDeleteI like seeing hot air balloons but I am scared of open heights and that means I am too scared to go in one
ReplyDelete