November 2007

Recently I attended the Surrey International Writer’s Convention in BC. I have to confess a friend had to needle me to go, as I had never heard of it. I was always focused on writer’s venues in the USA.

Boy was I missing out. They had a great program, award winning authors, and four star agents in attendance. Not to mention it was laid back and offered numerous opportunities for aspiring writers (like myself) to interact with published authors and agents.

Here are a few of my favorite programs. The SiWC Idol Panel. Sort of like the old “Gong” show on TV. You get to anonymously submit 2-3 pages of your work. A presenter reads the submissions one at a time, and the panel of agents can raise their hands at any moment to stop the reading. Then the panel comment on why they rejected the piece. Most entries never got past the first few sentences. When a piece did work, the panel explained why it grabbed their attention. This exercise is brutally honest because it demonstrates in real time, that a writer has to make the opening pitch of their story count. A few entries made it all the way through. The writer, to loud applause, had to stand up, identify themselves, and they were assured an instant appointment with the agents who were interested in their work. On more than one occasion there was good natured haggling between agents as to which one of them got the writer first!

I also loved the Blue Pencil Appointments. You could bring 2-3 pages of your work and sit down with a published author and have them read, make suggestions or edits directly on your paper, or just answer any question you might have. I was lucky to have Joan Johnston . She was wonderfully gracious and gave me useful help.

Another conference highlight was the Genre Lunch. Tables had printed signs designating which genre could sit there. So if you were writing Young Adult or say Murder Mystery, you chose a seat and waited with baited breath to see which author and agent were going to join your table. During lunch you had the opportunity to chat and ask any burning questions you were sitting on. This was a great way to interact with professionals in the industry.

Since this was an International Conference of Writers I was delighted to meet and listen to writers from different countries and cultures. I encourage any aspiring writer to attend this conference.

PS The hotel was reasonably priced and the food was excellent. The dessert bar was yummy . . . needless to say I had seconds.

PSS Did I mention I met with several agents who asked for samples of my work, and have my fingers and toes crossed xixixixixixix