Tuesday, December 4, 2007

As I think back on the NCWN Fall Conference, I think it was a mixture of learning the craft of writing and helping those who are ready to find agents, publishers for that book they want to get out there. Nancy Sales Cash said it seemed more of a conference for learning how to write, but to me, it seemed geared toward all serious writers who want to be published someday. I have noticed many writers get to a point where they have had something published, and then think they know all they need to know about writing. I never tire of learning and always glean something from a workshop with a good teacher.



In my newsletter from the Tennessee Mountain Writers Ms Penners asks what were you doing ten years ago with your writing. I had been a member of the NCWN for two years and I had won a first place in one poetry contest and third place in another. I had four poems in magazines and I was beside myself with joy. Before joining the NCWN I had only published one article in a newspaper and I had edited two newsletters. I had no one to share my writing and didn't know if I had written anything anyone else wanted to read. For me, having a community of writers changed my life. I decided not to settle for hiding my poems and stories away in my desk drawers and file cabinets anymore.

My first Fall Conference was in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn. I was in awe of all the accomplished writers, authors of books, and names I knew from book covers. But that event was such a special thing and a special time for me, that I knew I'd go back when I had another chance. I hope all our Netwest writers will go to big conferences when you have the opportunity. The writers I've met have been warm and giving people who share their difficulties and their successes. I think the NCWN is a terrific organization and Netwest is the most special part of it.

3 comments:

  1. I lean toward the thinking of Nancy Sales Cash. One reaches a point in his writing that he seeks much more information on marketing and much less on writing. After say 20 years of productive work, an author has established a style, and needs only to keep up with the minor changes in punctuation and grammar. For example, there have been two more coordinating conjuctions added to the original five. An apostrophe is no longer used in terms like "the 1960s". Introductory prepositions if short are no longer followed by a comma. A comma may be used in place of a semicolon when joining two independent clauses in the absence of a coordinating conjuction if the sentence is short and the meaning clear. Etc. Readers at publishing houses look for these minor changes and will reject a good manuscript after reading just a couple of pages if it becomes apparent that the writer is not current in these areas. Bryan Aleksich, Horse Shoe, North Carolina

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  2. I painstakingly typed up a long comment and hit the submit icon then looked to see if was printed on the home page or anywhere else. Found nothing.
    It might be that you are getting comments that are not being posted for whatever reason

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  3. I learned something new tonight. I found where I go to moderate my comments. Sorry you had trouble and I hope to clarify that in my next post.

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