Day 2

Annie (anniedaze.blogspot.com) and I went to the second day -of the North Wildwood Beach Writers Conference. Well she was there first I was sort of late and she well, REMINDED me it was my idea to get there early and network. Sorry. I did pay the ULTIMATE price . She picked out seats in the (i kid you not ) front row! I think the last time I sat in the front row was a Roberta Flack concert at Penn State, oh and a Star Wars Movie in the theater. -Both were awesome. This was ok. I moved us right before the last speaker of the conference, to a table in the back where we both could stretch and take notes on self publishing -the last topic. HA

Today the first speaker actually had us introduce ourselves and where we were from and a little brag if we wanted to -it was nice and again i asked myself what am I doing with these people? But it was strange the group started to open up after that and talk a little more.

The second speaker was our writers group facilitator, Dr. Sue Jacobson. She spoke on memoir writing.We just love her and the group (which was now about 40 -50 people) seemed very receptive and interested. She invited local writers to join our group and encouraged out of town writers to form their own local writers group. She even gave her Phone number along with her email address. That was a nice touch. Sue spoke to Annie and I from the podium and asked us to tell about the Avalon Library Writers group and what we were writing. At least I think that was what she asked -Annie went first -I sort of had a deer in the headlights moment -smile. Afterwards people actually came up and talked to me and introduced themselves and asked about the writers group. Annie said people approached her also.

For lunch we walked the boards -the three of us -down to Macks Pizza (ah I had ah salad- yeah -ok) we gathered a couple of people from the conference who walked along with us and ate lunch with us. That was when the best part came -networking and sharing stories and meeting other writers. Very prolific and published writers and even they were impressed with Annie's two books. I am such a novice when it comes to these people. Why am I here?

At this point I am getting more out of Annie and Sue and the people I am meeting than the conference. It is interesting, but I think I am not the audience the conference wanted to reach. I find my thoughts drifting, only to be lured back in by the speakers reference to something that triggers another mind drift. Why in the world am I sitting on these hard chairs? Oh yea for the information and the last speaker on self publishing.

The last speaker -self publishing -couldn't make it -sent a very nice substitute speaker on the history of publishing.
I left. Annie came with me.
Dinner was at 7pm -it was 4:15. We walked the boards. Talked about the conference. Annie was not feeling well and skipped the dinner and keynote speaker. I dropped in for a little visit with my cousin Dave in the Crest.

Dinner -I was 15 min early and almost everyone was there -the conference room had been cleared already. I sat with about six others. We introduced ourselves and talked about what we wrote -ah -now this is what I had been looking for from the first day. Dinner was good. But I wish the menu had been announced -I would have asked for the chicken to be served without the sauce. I paid for it, so I ate it and enjoyed it! LOL I talked about my blog and found a woman and her husband and friend, from exit 100 on the parkway, that had been to Rocking Horse Dude ranch. What a HOOT! They loved it also!

The keynote speaker was a Vivian Grey who wrote a book :"Moe Berg, The Spy behind Home Plate". She was excellent. Ok, so I still don't know why I am here -but I am having an interesting time and so humbled by all the awesome passion these writers have for their craft.. I don't mean just the speakers, but the conference members as well.

After dinner the winners were announced for the short story and poem entry. The winner was from our table. A woman who joined us after dinner. She was asked if she would like to read her story. It was a sensory description of her trip to the Great Wall of China. It was WOW!
It was good. It was like being able to reach out and absorb her memory of the trip. I could hear it, feel it and smell it.

I now know why I was at this conference. It all came together in this one point in time, After this one reading of a short story by a woman whose name I never even wrote down, Angela something. It all became clear. I may never write a book or even publish. I truthfully don't care.

I was here to be inspired.

Because I know I am a creative writer.
And that is exactly who I want to be, now that I am all grownup.