 |
| Melinda Palacio and conference director Grace Rachow circa 2003 |
Today is the first day in June and that means it's time for
the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. This year mark's the SBWC's 46th
anniversary. I've been attending the conference in some form, either as
participant or volunteer (this year as a workshop leader), for the past sixteen
years. Where I once was a frightened newbie, intimidated by all the writers and
instructors, I am now an old-timer who has learned all about the business of
being a published author.
My first year, I sat in on Barnaby Conrad's class. Barnaby,
along with Mary Conrad, founded the conference. He was an excellent teacher who
talked about the most important ingredients of being a writer: writing and
transformation. He made sure everyone remembered that writers write; it's as
simple as that. He also told everyone that he guaranteed they would not leave
the same after a week at the conference. The latter required a leap of faith,
but it was true: a week at the conference changed me and gave me the confidence
I needed to declare myself a writer and go on to become an award-winning,
published author, poet, speaker and teacher.
 |
| SBWC founders Barnaby and Mary Conrad |
When I arrived at the conference, I had an idea for a novel,
but no clue as to how to go about writing an entire book. I wrote short
lifestyle pieces for newspapers and magazines, not books. I can laugh now at
how long it took me to figure out how to navigate a conference that offered so
much in one week. There are classes on every genre every day, evening and day
speakers, special workshops, and after-hours workshops, known as pirate
workshops. One year a woman showed up in full pirate regalia, she was sure
changed and perhaps a little embarrassed when she found out there would be no
swashbuckling or speech beginning with ARG.
By my third year, I figured out how to absorb all of the
offerings at the conference. I became a volunteer. I loved returning to the
community each summer. I won first prize in poetry and an honorable mention in
fiction and have been on the new book panel. I've published a novel, Ocotillo Dreams, about immigration in Arizona, a chapbook Folsom Lockdown, and two
poetry collections: How Fire Is a Story, Waiting and Bird Forgiveness, my new poetry which will be available next week. This
year, I will present my new book at the conference and participate in a
mixed-genre panel, as well as co-teach a workshop with Lida Sideris, Writing Through
the Fear, a subject I'm quite knowledgeable in since I started off as a fearful
writer.
Thank you Santa Barbara Writers Conference for a rich career
in writing, inspiring aspiring writers to persist with their dreams. There's still
time to sign up for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, make an appointment
with an agent or editor, or choose a day to attend. Barnaby Conrad, Ray
Bradbury, and some of the regulars who started the conference may no longer be
with us, but their generous spirits continue to grace the conference. Take a
week off, hone your craft and be forever changed for the best. This year's
conference is June 17-22.
 |
| The cover of my new poetry book, Bird Forgiveness, has original artwork by Sylvia Santamaria. |
No comments:
Post a Comment