>Have an adventure
Posted: August 12, 2009 Filed under: Lauren Kessler, Willamette Writers, William Powers Leave a comment »>At last weekend’s Willamette Writers conference, a workshop by William Powers got my mind buzzing. Powers, who has published books and sold articles on his travel adventures to places like the Washington Post, the International Herald Tribune, New York Times and National Public Radio, basically sends himself on an adventure and then writes about it. His “Freewheelin’ Liberia” piece, written from his experiences as a relief worker in that African country, was selected for the 2010 Best Travel Writing anthology.
It also led to a book, The Blue Clay People.
From his work in Bolivia, he wrote two books, Whispering in the Giant’s Ear and Kusasu and the Tree of Life, as well as articles and commentaries. His latest book, Living Off the Grid, is based on his experience living in a primitive cabin in North Carolina.
In his three-hour workshop, he showed us how one idea can lead to many articles, as well as books, talks, radio commentaries, and more. We should write about whatever we are most interested in, he says. Passion for our subjects will give our writing the power to soar above the competition.
What kind of adventure can you send yourself on? You may not be able to go to another country, but there are adventures to be had wherever you are. What if you took your two left feet to a dance class? What if you volunteered at the local food bank? Or at a nursing home? Oregon author Lauren Kessler, who directs the creative nonfiction program at the University of Oregon, worked at an Alzheimer’s facility and wrote a wonderful book called Dancing with Rose. Maybe something happening in your own life offers plenty to write about without having to leave town.
How does Powers do all this? Stay tuned for the next Freelancing for Newspapers blog posting, where I’ll share some of his suggestions for cutting through everything else to make more time to write.
Meanwhile, what do you want to write about?
>Conference exhaustion
Posted: August 6, 2007 Filed under: Willamette Writers, writers conferences 1 Comment »>I spent the last four days at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon. I did some critiquing, taught a workshop, sold and signed books, took classes and networked. By Sunday afternoon, I found myself outside on a bench between pots of posies and roses thinking if I heard another word about marketing, cover letters, platforms or anything like that, I would run screaming from the building. Not that it wasn’t a good conference. I came away with new contacts, new friends, new ideas I can’t wait to put into action, four new books to read, a commemorative coffee mug, and a pile of dirty clothes.
Conferences are held all over the country, especially during the summer. They have different themes and personalities. This particular one emphasizes pitching books and screenplays to editors and agents. All weekend, it’s pitch, pitch, pitch, with nervous writers of all ages clutching their manuscripts and looking pale or delirious, depending on where they’re at in the pitch schedule. Other conferences focus more on writing or on poetry, short stories or articles. Writers looking to learn about their craft or jump-start a sluggish muse should look into attending at least one conference. They aren’t cheap. Between lodging and conference fees, you might spend a thousand dollars. Seriously. But it might be an important investment in your career. Look at www.writersdigest.com or google “writers conferences” and you’ll find plenty to choose from.
Of course, if you’d rather just stay home and write, do it. All the conferences in the world won’t make you a writer. You have to write.
Anyone want to share conference experiences?
Sue
>Challenge Number 3: What can you review?
Posted: July 7, 2007 Filed under: Freelancing for Newspapers challenge, reviews, Willamette Writers 2 Comments »>Greetings:
I’ll be teaching a class on reviews at the Willamette Writers conference next month. I know the answer to this, and it’s in my Freelancing for Newspapers book, but you get extra points if you can answer this challenge without looking it up. Here’s the question: Besides books, what else can you write and publish reviews about? For even more extra credit, where would you publish these reviews?
Sue
