Photo by: N.L. Belardes
One Bakersfield Woman's Blog to Mankind
Monday, August 28, 2006
A Great Literary Weekend…
Last Thursday afternoon NL and I headed north on Highway 99 leaving Bakersfield, ‘Life as it should be’ behind. We were headed to the Yosemite Writer’s Conference to represent Noveltown, Bakersfield writers, and our own writing dreams. Along the way we passed agriculture farmland, dairies, familiar valley landscapes and California Central Valley towns like Delano, Visalia, Tulare, and Fresno. I made NL make a pit stop at the Tulare Outlet Mall where we found a few 70% off finds at the Calvin Klein store. Oh how I love a good sale!
Soon we were on our way north again… our destination Yosemite, our mission should we choose to accept, a great literary weekend.
I knew it would be a great literary weekend when conference director, Cindy Wathen relieved everyone’s fears in her opening remarks. “The most asked question I received from everyone was: What do I wear? I just have to say, you all did great! Everyone looks great!”
Yosemite Conference Director, Cindy Wathen
The room laughed as I looked down at my new 70% off Calvin Klein find I was wearing even though I had packed a suitcase full of clothes. Why is it that we are never comfortable with our image and its direct correlation to how others perceive us? As if a new pair of pants would make me look more like a real writer…
And a great literary weekend it was surpassing all my expectations… as I had great conversations with writers, publishers and pirates, was accused of being Goth, heard great stories and made new friends. I learned about the world of publishing and its commercialism, that the Mystery Suspense genre is huge, Literary Agents are scary and that there are rules you have to follow in order to get published.
I attended some very good workshops by Bonnie Hearn Hill on Point of View for Fiction Writers and Advanced Tips for Fiction Writers. Not only is Bonnie a great writer but also she has a razor sharp wit that had everyone in stitches. Even though my novel falls into the Women’s Fiction category I expanded my writing possibilities by attending workshops on Writing for Hollywood, Writing the Region: Travel Writing and Beyond and Children’s Markets. There was so much to learn, I had trouble keeping up while taking notes.
Author, Bonnie Hearn Hill
I learned that I knew more about blogging than most of the writers attending the conference, and that NL and I are using our voices in Bakersfield and our region.
I learned how dependent I am on technology as I went three days without cell phone reception, text messaging and without a computer, only checking my email briefly since NL was blogging the conference with my laptop. He was the online reporter for the Yosemite Writer's conference. By the time I got home, I needed a technology fix really bad, I spent the rest of Sunday evening on the computer.
I was inspired to persevere, to never give up, by T. Jefferson Parker’s keynote speech when he spoke of writing the same book over and over again for five years straight, the contradicting rejection letters he received for that same book and then finally getting it published, only to sell his second book idea by scribbling three names on a napkin and having no clue what the story was about. He sold the napkin. Today he is a successful author with fourteen published books. I was inspired to work really hard to finish my novel…
Author, Keynote Speaker, T. Jefferson Parker
I had two emotional moments at the conference… The first when I met my sponsors for my scholarship. Roxene Lee and Karene Conlin were two of the sweetest women I’ve ever met, and they were more excited for my writing than I am at times. “Killing Cinderella, I love that title!” One of them said as I told them about my novel and the type of fiction I write.
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Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship Sponsors: Roxene Lee and Karene Conlin
The second emotional moment was during the announcement of the contest winners. My heart leaped into my throat and tears sprang to my eyes when Connie L. Fulmer, a writer I had met the first day and who had previously visited my blog before meeting, won the fiction novel category.
Novelist, Connie L. Fulmer
Oh did I mention there was more shopping at the conference? Two of my favorite kinds of shopping… books, books, and more books and wearable custom art jewelry. I bought four books and received three free books! Giving someone like me free books is like giving me a mental orgasm, I just love books! And custom art that I can wear which is writer related, I had to have that.
In the end as in the beginning it was Cindy Wathen that summed up a great literary weekend for me when she asked me about my conference experience and what I’m writing. “We need more women’s fiction!” She said about my story Killing Cinderella. And then she made the experience surreal… “Oh! You won something!”
“I won something?” I asked.
“Yeah you won a Heyday book in the raffle.”
“I never win anything in raffles, this is so cool.”
My Heyday raffle win: Dream Songs and Ceremony: Reflections on Traditional California Indian Dance
Last Thursday afternoon NL and I headed north on Highway 99 leaving Bakersfield, ‘Life as it should be’ behind. We were headed to the Yosemite Writer’s Conference to represent Noveltown, Bakersfield writers, and our own writing dreams. Along the way we passed agriculture farmland, dairies, familiar valley landscapes and California Central Valley towns like Delano, Visalia, Tulare, and Fresno. I made NL make a pit stop at the Tulare Outlet Mall where we found a few 70% off finds at the Calvin Klein store. Oh how I love a good sale!
Soon we were on our way north again… our destination Yosemite, our mission should we choose to accept, a great literary weekend.
I knew it would be a great literary weekend when conference director, Cindy Wathen relieved everyone’s fears in her opening remarks. “The most asked question I received from everyone was: What do I wear? I just have to say, you all did great! Everyone looks great!”
Yosemite Conference Director, Cindy Wathen
The room laughed as I looked down at my new 70% off Calvin Klein find I was wearing even though I had packed a suitcase full of clothes. Why is it that we are never comfortable with our image and its direct correlation to how others perceive us? As if a new pair of pants would make me look more like a real writer…
And a great literary weekend it was surpassing all my expectations… as I had great conversations with writers, publishers and pirates, was accused of being Goth, heard great stories and made new friends. I learned about the world of publishing and its commercialism, that the Mystery Suspense genre is huge, Literary Agents are scary and that there are rules you have to follow in order to get published.
I attended some very good workshops by Bonnie Hearn Hill on Point of View for Fiction Writers and Advanced Tips for Fiction Writers. Not only is Bonnie a great writer but also she has a razor sharp wit that had everyone in stitches. Even though my novel falls into the Women’s Fiction category I expanded my writing possibilities by attending workshops on Writing for Hollywood, Writing the Region: Travel Writing and Beyond and Children’s Markets. There was so much to learn, I had trouble keeping up while taking notes.
Author, Bonnie Hearn Hill
I learned that I knew more about blogging than most of the writers attending the conference, and that NL and I are using our voices in Bakersfield and our region.
I learned how dependent I am on technology as I went three days without cell phone reception, text messaging and without a computer, only checking my email briefly since NL was blogging the conference with my laptop. He was the online reporter for the Yosemite Writer's conference. By the time I got home, I needed a technology fix really bad, I spent the rest of Sunday evening on the computer.
I was inspired to persevere, to never give up, by T. Jefferson Parker’s keynote speech when he spoke of writing the same book over and over again for five years straight, the contradicting rejection letters he received for that same book and then finally getting it published, only to sell his second book idea by scribbling three names on a napkin and having no clue what the story was about. He sold the napkin. Today he is a successful author with fourteen published books. I was inspired to work really hard to finish my novel…
Author, Keynote Speaker, T. Jefferson Parker
I had two emotional moments at the conference… The first when I met my sponsors for my scholarship. Roxene Lee and Karene Conlin were two of the sweetest women I’ve ever met, and they were more excited for my writing than I am at times. “Killing Cinderella, I love that title!” One of them said as I told them about my novel and the type of fiction I write.
Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship Sponsors: Roxene Lee and Karene Conlin
The second emotional moment was during the announcement of the contest winners. My heart leaped into my throat and tears sprang to my eyes when Connie L. Fulmer, a writer I had met the first day and who had previously visited my blog before meeting, won the fiction novel category.
Novelist, Connie L. Fulmer
Oh did I mention there was more shopping at the conference? Two of my favorite kinds of shopping… books, books, and more books and wearable custom art jewelry. I bought four books and received three free books! Giving someone like me free books is like giving me a mental orgasm, I just love books! And custom art that I can wear which is writer related, I had to have that.
In the end as in the beginning it was Cindy Wathen that summed up a great literary weekend for me when she asked me about my conference experience and what I’m writing. “We need more women’s fiction!” She said about my story Killing Cinderella. And then she made the experience surreal… “Oh! You won something!”
“I won something?” I asked.
“Yeah you won a Heyday book in the raffle.”
“I never win anything in raffles, this is so cool.”
My Heyday raffle win: Dream Songs and Ceremony: Reflections on Traditional California Indian Dance
Along the way we passed agriculture farmland, dairies, familiar valley landscapes and California Central Valley towns like Delano, Visalia, Tulare, and Fresno.
Hey... good 'ol McFarland doesn't even get a mention? Or did you blink as you were driving by and didn't even realized you passed my hometown? hehe
yeah... you gave delano a shout out! sounds like you had a great, eventful weekend!
McDonalds or McFarmmmmland. You choose...
Yes, there were many folks into the typewriter jewelry. I found it fascinating to think such technology could get ripped up and parceled out for such big bucks.
Yes, there were emotional moments... like when the fire alarm went off and I was trying to take a nap!
Great blog! We were in the bar when the fire alarm went off. It was emotional, all right. We didn't want to leave our drinks, so we waited it out and yelled louder at each other.
agriculture farmland, dairies, ah, You're right, nl... the shout out was there all along. :) McFarland is all about agriculture and dairies. Which I guess is a good thing but damn it stinks. Still, a good little town to grow up in.
What a great weekend it was. Super fab to meet you guys there.