A week in the life of a writer at the 2005 Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
Melinda Palacio -- July 1, 2005
The last day of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference is always bittersweet. I like to linger until the last moment when there's no one left to say goodbye to.
On Friday, June 24, I had much to celebrate considering that both Ink Byte editors, Melinda Palacio and Steve Beisner, won honorable mentions at the awards brunch the last day of the conference. And two other members of my local writing group, Karen Finel and Susan Chiavelli, also won awards in non-fiction and poetry. Winning an award at the conference doesn't mean you'll get published or that an agent will call you to seal a book deal; however, it is a thrilling surprise to know that your work received some recognition.
Avery Faeth
This year's first prize winner in fiction went to 19-year-old Avery Faeth who wrote a short story about the bond between two sisters and how one of the sisters never gives up hope of seeing her missing sibling again. The story brought tears and cheers to Catherine Ryan Hyde's workshop and to the room at the awards brunch. See below for a complete listing of the 2005 winners.
Mary Conrad
Agent's sign-up
Mary's (Marcia's?) helpers
The week got off to a hectic start. Continuing the tradition of "Mary's Little Helpers," I registered and greeted familiar faces for six hours -- and received a little help from my co-editor.
There was much confusion with the optional sign up for agents day. The slots filled up quickly and a few people were disappointed about not being able to have their 15 minutes with an agent. Diner in the garden went smoothly. We were blessed with a week of unusually great weather for a Santa Barbara summer. The town's proverbial "June Gloom" evaporated into the mountains.
Ernie (Humor), Wendy (Chick Lit)
Sid Stebel (Advanced Fiction)
The most cherished part of the conference are the morning and afternoon workshops. I like to find one or two workshops to spend the week in. In the morning workshop, Sid Stebel pointed out how many capable writers "will do anything" to avoid telling their story.
I find that listening to a good story that works is like hearing a new song that you like -- it stays with you and you'll remember it long after the conference. When a story doesn't work, it clunks and pains your ears. But it sure is a great learning experience to hear the fixes offered by the workshop leaders.
The first three days can be grueling, especially if you try to attend every single workshop, speaker, social event, and pirate workshop. After all, everyone requires some sleep!
The evening speakers weren't as well attended as in years past -- and there were some amazing speakers, including Pico Iyer, who talked about how it's possible to write about a place you've never visited; Jane Smiley, who showed her writing about writing is as good as her novels; and Ron McLarty, who communicated his love for the craft: his world turned around when Stephen King discovered an audio version of his unpublished book.
Ray Bradbury
The tribute to Ray Bradbury was heartfelt, including the informal tributes from people standing in the audience. But the sound system was a problem -- I wondered how much Ray could hear -- and it was obvious that he couldn't see his admirers in the darkened hall through the bright lights shining in his eyes.
On Thursday, the second to last day of the conference, Fanny Flag received the SBWC Founders Award. Her lively speech taught me that deadlines don't matter much if you're famous. She said she held the record for a manuscript that was 11 years late.
As much as the conference is about writing, marketing and publishing, it's also a venue for building a community and sense of family. The bonding between like-minded writers occurs at the pirate workshops, which sometimes end at three or four o'clock in the morning. This year, I chose to sleep and skipped the pirate workshops, but those that persisted were well rewarded.
Talent... not bad for writers!
For those who aren't night owls, there's one last chance to let your guard down and make a fool of yourself: the Annual Talent Show. This year's show was missing a key ingredient, Yvonne Nelson Perry, writer, workshop leader and talent scout extraordinaire. Yvonne has always had an uncanny ability to find someone's special talent -- even if they don't know how to sing or act in a silly skit. The change in venue (to a real stage, which separated the "performers" from the "audience") made things a little less intimate than in years past, and Yvonne's absence was felt by all, The show did produce more entertainment than could be imagined, as well as the normal share of belly laughs.
Barnaby Conrad
The conference ended
with an emotional farewell to Mary and Barnaby Conrad, who have turned
over the operation of the conference to Marcia Meier. As Barnaby said,
the most obscene word
that can be spoken at the writers conference is "goodbye;"
Marcia Meier added, "that's goodbye until next year."
2005 SBWC Contest Winners
Worst First Sentence
First Place – Frank Newton
Honorable Mention – Jeffrey Rubin
Honorable Mention – Christine MacConnell
1000–word contests
Fiction
First Place – Lorelei Armstrong
Honorable Mention – Melinda Palacio
Nonfiction
First Place – Tommie Spear
Honorable Mention – Karen Finell
Poetry
First Place – Louise Borad Gerber
Honorable Mention – Fran Davis
Workshop Genre Awards
Biography
First Place – Becky Browder
Honorable Mention – Dawn Moore
Sci–Fi Horror/ Fantasy
First Place – Steve Kenton
Honorable Mention – Vicki Beck
Women's Fiction
First Place – Natalie E. Scott
Honorable Mention – Judith Braun Whitmore
Right Brain
First Place – Colette Freedman
Honorable Mention – Jill Molina
Screenwriting
First Place – Susan Keller
Honorable Mention – Michael Raffanello
Mystery
First Place – Kathryn Haines
Honorable Mention – Nicole Archambeau
Juvenile/Children's Lit
First Place – Darren Sardelli
Honorable Mention – Maureen Seifert
Poetry
First Place – Lisa Meckel
Honorable Mention – Susan Chiavelli
Humor
First Place – Edward Allen Brown
Honorable Mention – Jill Nelson Gruberth
Nonfiction
First Place – Dawn Downey
Honorable Mention – Jennifer Gay Summers
Honorable Mention – Lance Rennka
Honorable Mention – J.D. Blair
Fiction
First Place – Avery Faeth
Honorable Mention – Laurie Richards
Honorable Mention – Steve Beisner
Honorable Mention – Nancy Klann
Honorable Mention – Jesse Krenzel