4 Things to Remember

I was a speaker at the Writer’s Digest Conference at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC this past weekend. In addition to offering my workshop and signing copies of my book, WRITING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I networked, attended panel discussions, and listened to other writers’ talks. The three days, while not exactly Color War, were exhilarating. I loved connecting to my workshop attendees. We spoke throughout the weekend. I gave them tip sheets. I took home tips myself.

Author, Dani Shapiro, the Friday night keynote speaker, talked about the inner censor we all have. How can we say certain things? What about the family? How scary it feels to be so exposed. Part of a writer’s job, she reminded everyone, is to have courage. Courage to get beyond that, to face the blank page or computer screen and to get it out. Between Friday night and my Saturday morning workshop, I changed what I intended to say, and got into self-revelation, giving ourselves permission to be our truest selves, and sending our internal and external naysayers on sabbatical.

Author, Harlan Coben, the second keynote, shared his rules on Saturday night. Elmore Leonard’s 10th rule of good writing figured in: Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip. (If you want the other 9, click here.)

Coben then got beyond writing: Don’t be a Douche bag, he said. The great writers he knows and the people he chooses to hang out with, are not.

A speaker on blogging said it is best to post frequently and keep the posts short. I’m gonna try to post every Tuesday without skips, maybe a second day each week, too, and keep it short. Bye!

Love ‘N Stuff,

Nancy

ps. How do you feel about more frequent, shorter posts? Courage? Douche bags?