Thank You, She Wrote 🐦⬛✨
Five meals, ten workshops, five keynote speakers (I missed one), three pitch meetings, two themed outfits (thanks to Juniper & Oak Consignments!), and one fabulously misjudged big box store-smoked fish meal for breakfast: another Surrey International Writers’ Conference (SiWC) has come to a sparkling close!
Every year, the SiWC helps hundreds of writers learn how to better murder the (fictional) darlings of their hearts, just in time for Hallowe’en. 🎃
The word of the day is “zonked,” but for now, here are three lessons on conference survival gleaned from this year’s great good times:
Take care of your physical needs. If late-night karaoke is what will feed your soul, then do it! Otherwise, a timely evening Irish exit can ensure a decent night’s sleep. Eat when you’re hungry, remember to occasionally drink some water, go for a walk. Maybe avoid heels, unless they also keep your soul/soles on the level.
Networking is just being nice to people. Smile, ask people about themselves, offer to help someone… that’s all it really takes, and then you’ll at least have a few people who might actually send e-mails to that writer account you set up! 😄
Don’t feel bad about having your conference, your way. Different people have different needs, including yourself from year to year. This time I mostly tried to target my weaknesses with workshops and made sure to have a pitch meeting every day; then on the last day I decided to go to two sessions for pure enjoyment, and one of them ended up being the best workshop I’ve ever attended, at any conference, in any field. (Darren Groth, if you’re wondering.) It was the last one, too. Amazing!
I’ll rustle up a longer and much less serious list once I’ve rested, digested and moved into our new house - another major source of gratitude (and fatigue).
Thank you so much to everyone who made an unforgettable SiWC weekend, including the staff at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford for such friendly and warm service!
🌙🕸️
#SiWC24 #thisdaywewrite