I put down my paintbrush and picked up the pen. Today was the first day of the Cape Cod Writers Center Annual Summer Conference held at the Craigville Conference Center. This is my second year attending and it’s what I describe as day camp for adults. I love the fact that you don’t ever have to have written a thing to attend. There’s so much to learn and so many new and interesting people to meet, taking any course is a wonderful experience.
This year I am taking Writing for Children by best selling author of the Clementine books, Sara Penneypacker. My class is at 10:15 – perfect time. I get there (in the pouring rain that did not let up all day) in plenty of time to register and walk up the hill in the drizzle to my class. I find a wonderful seat next to a table, off to the side of the room. I have coffee and all kinds of paraphernalia and I don’t dare sit among the row of chairs because I know I’ll spill the coffee. I think I’m safe in my corner when here comes the teacher with her notebook of handouts. She asks if I’m going to sit there for class and would I please hand these out when she signals me to do so. Now my coffee is next to the class handouts. I don’t trust myself. I place it on the window sill. Still don’t trust myself, so I drink it quickly.
The class was wonderful. We learned about why humans read stories. Humans are curious and want suspense and mystery. Humans are hedonistic and read for pleasure. Humans are tribal and have a need to feel connected. Humans seek self-understanding in stories that reveal humanity and shows readers who they are. Humans are wired for a story – one that has voice and shows confidence. It was a new way to think and consider books as a writer, not as a reader.
The class ended with each of us sharing who we were and why we were there. My classmates are extremely interesting people – from the elderly woman who told us she doesn’t have many more years to live and wants to write a story to leave her grandchildren to the nature scientist that has been asked to mix fact with a fictional story for fifth graders, and all of us retired teachers in between, who after teaching writing for umpteen years using children’s literature, it’s now our turn to write it.
After class I went to hear people pitch their books, followed by a long lunch with my writer friend Shirley. Stayed and had dinner with many more interesting people, after which we all attended the evening keynote speakers. One was an editor from Kennsington publishing company and it was so interesting to hear about the writing process from the editor’s point of view. Next was neuroscientist Lisa Genova author of Still Alice and Left Neglected. Both books on the NY Times bestseller list. I read them both, loved them, and thoroughly enjoyed hearing her share the back story of how they came to be from a scientist who never intended to write anything. They are both emotionally charged fiction, built on the scientific facts of Alzheimer’s and left neglect brain diseases.
All together a very good first day. Sometimes we need to move out of that which it is we do everyday, and almost like a 5 day vacation, walk in a different world. Be influenced by new and fascinating people. Take in and process new information. Summer camp does that to children and adults alike. If there’s one near you, I highly recommend it.
And so, as another day goes by, I go to bed looking forward to what tomorrow will bring, and …I have written.
I look forward to hearing about the rest of your workshop. Sounds really exciting, stimulating and invigorating…also exhausting in its own good way.