I've gained two things this weekend. Experience, and something close to an ear infection.
But holy mackerels! Everything was worth it! It was held at a Hilton Hotel so at first this small-town girl felt a little overwhelmed. But it wasn't long before she was excitedly going up and down the fancy elevator (with a clear wall!) and slightly blushing when the other attendant asked her age.
In fact, my mom said I was less scared than her. But, as fate (or divine intervention I'd like to think) would have it, three people we knew were there, including my next-door neighbor. As my relieved mother said when she picked me up that day, "You're being watched over Doll."
I think she knows about the elevators. About a big city and about her silly daughter who insists on jumping onto certain rollercoasters without so much as knocking over the height limit sign. And so three others were sent there as well. Earthly parents are truly in cahoots with the Heavenly ones I've decided.
As for the height the limit, I was the second-to-youngest there. The youngest was a girl I know who is sixteen. There were a couple of ladies who looked about college aged and then everyone else there were mothers and grandmothers. (I found out there that it was technically a women's association that hosted it. There were a handful of men there. And once it got to the topic of Jane Austen I deemed them very brave souls.)
But that was all fine by me. Since the conference was Latter-Day Saint based, they were all so nice and I felt I had entered a crowd of new friends. Not to mention the topics they would get on. Characters, plot lines, other books they'd read, new ideas, different ways to word things--these people were nerds! Just like me!
The classes were awesome! Though I had a cold and my ears were still plugged from the trip down, I found myself so lost in their topics that I would forget about that all. I will admit that there was one class I found myself a little grumpy in, but for the most part, it was great! I actually know the physics of a story now! I didn't even know a story had physics before. And that's a science I get.
I learned about how to catch a reader's attention on the first page I learned about how to write a romance (Basically, don't write Twilight. That's what they told me. Ask me later, I'll explain it), about how to write historical fiction, family history, freelancing, convincing characters, you name it! I even learned how to not over-describe someone frowning.
Life skills also came with all the art stuff though. For example, don't sign up to meet with an agent if you're only on chapter two of your story. And if you do anyways, answer their questions intelligently. That way you don't have to feel like a flat amateur the rest of the conference every time you see them again. And especially when they're the award-winning Lisa Mangum.
I even learned how important it is to tell people thanks. After classes, people would line up to ask the speaker questions. It was really fun to wait in those lines and then, once it was my turn, simply smile and say "Thanks!"
I never thought such an act could actually surprise someone so much.
Also, if paparazzi is an issue, I definitely want to be an author. I sat by two and didn't even know it until later that day! I hated it and loved it at the same time because then I had this perspective that anyone in class could be a professional author. I could be sitting by anyone.
And, of course, there was the reminder that late nights and early mornings don't do much for a cold and aching ears.
One of my favorite parts though, was when my mom and I got to talk. I was staying and my aunt and uncle's house so she'd drop me off and pick me up everyday. I was always so excited to see her car out there so I could run from that big, fancy hotel, into a small place I knew, and tell her everything. And that time we got while she drove was the type that always provides for those lessons you carry with you the rest of your life. The ones you refer to when teaching your own kids and, on those rough occasions, when your simply teaching yourself.
I guess what I'm saying is that it was so worth it! What I gained you really can't put much of a price on. Courage to do something different, time with my dearest of dear mother, and a humongous burst of direction, inspiration, and vigor to develop my talent.
I entered the beginning of my story into a contest and didn't win. But the judges, being the awesome people they are, took the time to sincerely critique each one. There were three different papers by three different judges. I got to the last one--the one that seemed to be the harshest--and after reading through all the corrections I needed to make, came across a line that sent me reeling,
"We need more books like this in the world."
In life, you may be critiqued by the great master of our trade, but its because He knows what He's talking about! He does it sincerely and out of love. He sees your amazing potential and knows, without a doubt, that you can reach it.
He needs someone like you in this world.
But holy mackerels! Everything was worth it! It was held at a Hilton Hotel so at first this small-town girl felt a little overwhelmed. But it wasn't long before she was excitedly going up and down the fancy elevator (with a clear wall!) and slightly blushing when the other attendant asked her age.
In fact, my mom said I was less scared than her. But, as fate (or divine intervention I'd like to think) would have it, three people we knew were there, including my next-door neighbor. As my relieved mother said when she picked me up that day, "You're being watched over Doll."
I think she knows about the elevators. About a big city and about her silly daughter who insists on jumping onto certain rollercoasters without so much as knocking over the height limit sign. And so three others were sent there as well. Earthly parents are truly in cahoots with the Heavenly ones I've decided.
As for the height the limit, I was the second-to-youngest there. The youngest was a girl I know who is sixteen. There were a couple of ladies who looked about college aged and then everyone else there were mothers and grandmothers. (I found out there that it was technically a women's association that hosted it. There were a handful of men there. And once it got to the topic of Jane Austen I deemed them very brave souls.)
But that was all fine by me. Since the conference was Latter-Day Saint based, they were all so nice and I felt I had entered a crowd of new friends. Not to mention the topics they would get on. Characters, plot lines, other books they'd read, new ideas, different ways to word things--these people were nerds! Just like me!
The classes were awesome! Though I had a cold and my ears were still plugged from the trip down, I found myself so lost in their topics that I would forget about that all. I will admit that there was one class I found myself a little grumpy in, but for the most part, it was great! I actually know the physics of a story now! I didn't even know a story had physics before. And that's a science I get.
I learned about how to catch a reader's attention on the first page I learned about how to write a romance (Basically, don't write Twilight. That's what they told me. Ask me later, I'll explain it), about how to write historical fiction, family history, freelancing, convincing characters, you name it! I even learned how to not over-describe someone frowning.
Life skills also came with all the art stuff though. For example, don't sign up to meet with an agent if you're only on chapter two of your story. And if you do anyways, answer their questions intelligently. That way you don't have to feel like a flat amateur the rest of the conference every time you see them again. And especially when they're the award-winning Lisa Mangum.
I even learned how important it is to tell people thanks. After classes, people would line up to ask the speaker questions. It was really fun to wait in those lines and then, once it was my turn, simply smile and say "Thanks!"
I never thought such an act could actually surprise someone so much.
Also, if paparazzi is an issue, I definitely want to be an author. I sat by two and didn't even know it until later that day! I hated it and loved it at the same time because then I had this perspective that anyone in class could be a professional author. I could be sitting by anyone.
And, of course, there was the reminder that late nights and early mornings don't do much for a cold and aching ears.
One of my favorite parts though, was when my mom and I got to talk. I was staying and my aunt and uncle's house so she'd drop me off and pick me up everyday. I was always so excited to see her car out there so I could run from that big, fancy hotel, into a small place I knew, and tell her everything. And that time we got while she drove was the type that always provides for those lessons you carry with you the rest of your life. The ones you refer to when teaching your own kids and, on those rough occasions, when your simply teaching yourself.
I guess what I'm saying is that it was so worth it! What I gained you really can't put much of a price on. Courage to do something different, time with my dearest of dear mother, and a humongous burst of direction, inspiration, and vigor to develop my talent.
I entered the beginning of my story into a contest and didn't win. But the judges, being the awesome people they are, took the time to sincerely critique each one. There were three different papers by three different judges. I got to the last one--the one that seemed to be the harshest--and after reading through all the corrections I needed to make, came across a line that sent me reeling,
"We need more books like this in the world."
In life, you may be critiqued by the great master of our trade, but its because He knows what He's talking about! He does it sincerely and out of love. He sees your amazing potential and knows, without a doubt, that you can reach it.
He needs someone like you in this world.
