Storymarkers Conference

A year ago in Gillette, WY, I was still in my writing duldrums- I wrote, but I wrote soley for me. I’m a little bit of a novel hoarder. I have several already written, tucked away, and forgotten about. (I don’t want to submit any of them because I am no longer familiar with them and my style has evolved since they were conceived. If one were to be published, I couldn’t in good faith say it represents my abilities today. So they sit, waiting for some posthumous unveiling the likes of A Long Fatal Love Chase, by Louisa May Alcott.) 

I received a phone call from a friend in Soda Springs, Idaho. A fellow writer, we’ll her Heather Chapman, (because that’s her name and she is awesome and I adore her) we had kept in touch over the years since she had moved away.  We like to talk about writing and I was so excited to watch (from afar) as she started writing in ernest and finding success in publishing.

“Registration for Storymakers is ending soon!”

“Nnnnnn,” I waffled.

Ok, Storymakers sounded great and I had recently met one of the instructors and amazing writers, Jennifer A. Nielsen, at the library I worked at, but a writers conference?  It would  be filled with eager, shiny, wannabe writers (and well established ones as well) all who had a dream! I didn’t know if I would fit in with them- did I even have a dream? (Publication terrifies me folks- The idea of being “done” with a book? Letting it slip from my hands into the public eye- no longer mine to tweak and mold and change if I want? For it to belong to the reader?  eeek!) I didn’t know if I could afford the conference- I didn’t know if I would fit in-  then Heather said the magic words that sealed the deal.

“There are only 24 spots left.”

I have a terrible weakness for BOGO sales, Free Gift with Purchase, and fire sales. It was decided with the support of my wonderful husband that I would go to Utah and attend Storymakers Conference 2018.

You guys, if you are considering attending this year, (Registration opens January 23!!) I highly reccomend you take that leap of faith. It was an amazing conference! I met and connected with so many people from all genres who were working- WORKING it.

In the years I spent on the sidelines- a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing in my pocket, (and the student debt that goes with it) it seemed to me like everyone was writing a novel. I’m being vulernable here when I admit that it kind of hurt my pride. There is a weird “gifted” student mentality  (I have a kid who is alot like me in this mentality and his teachers say it’s because he’s gifted) that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing better than anyone else.  So the fact that so many people had novels they had written made me feel like it wasn’t a special enough goal. (I guess I can be petty… I get that about myself.)

Storymakers CHANGED that. Storymakers made me realize that yes we were all wanted it- but there was enough room for everyone in that dream. There are more stories than can ever be told and a million and one ways to tell the same story. My story is unique to anyone elses and there is a market for them. There are enough readers to go around! Someone acheiving success doesn’t take away from my own. I feel silly now admitting that I once feared that. Seeing all the men and women (I’ll be honest, it seemed like WAAAY more women) attending classes, sharing experience, asking the good questions; it lit a fire in me. It made me want it again. It was like being in college again, remember when I said I loved it because people understood me? This is my tribe! If you haven’t checked them out I invite you to do so!