Camden. In spite of its small size, well known for major forums, festivals and events of national stature and acclaim. The Maine Literary Festival, only three years old, from its inception has shown all the hallmarks of such celebrated gatherings as Pop!Tech and the Camden Conference, drawing people from the farthest corners of the country.
How do I know this? I’ve attended every year. The festival provides many opportunities for “chatter and gather,” both before and after the presentations. Just pop the question: Where are you from? The answers are surprising.
OK, enough about those people. Let’s talk about me.
This year’s “New Voices” multi-cultural theme is convergent with an historical fiction project that has consumed the past decade of my life: a four book, four family saga tracing the interconnected American lives of African, German, Native and English characters from the 1600s through the 20th Century. Hey, it keeps me off the streets and at home, where my children can properly supervise me. They’ve done an awfully good job, I might add.
But now that I have plunked down $350 of wampum for the Writer’s Workshop, I might have to mortgage the wood pile to attend the festival proper. (Or I’ll be the kid with the candy bar and flashlight, sneaking in through the side door to sit in the front row.)
But worth it, well worth it. I attended the first MLF workshop given in 2007, which gave me the necessary tools to organize my book(s) for market. From this workshop, I got a strong, focused referral, resulting in an exclusive first read from a major NY agent whom I never would have met were it not for what I learned.
Um, not published yet; it’s a tougher publishing market out there than ever. But I was encouraged mightily from the experience.
Let’s be honest, here. What most writers crave, after slogging along in the lonely wilderness cave of the writing life, is company and attention. Unless they are entirely jaded from book tours and lugging that huge advance to the bank
Only sunlight runs a close second.
And, attention, $350 worth of the finest kind, is exactly what you will get at the workshop. Not only from major NY agents and editors, but from fellow writers, a treasure of company in its own right. That’s what that is.
From that 2007 workshop, a local WRITER’S BLOCK PARTY was formed – a social gathering of local writers, agents, editors, illustrators and book jacket designers who meet socially at my home to talk about All Things Writing. If you have an interest in attending, email me at mainespring@aol.com.
If you go, look for me at the workshop. That’s me – the one resembling a Blind Mexican Cave Catfish, with the QWERTY tattoo on her forehead.
Terri Mackenzie
Rockport, ME
September 24, 2009 at 2:38 am |
Hi, Terri!! I am delighted you will return to the Workshop and join 29 other talented area writers who aspire to capture the attention of New York editors and agents and sell their fiction, memoir, or non-fiction works. I want to remind all those who attend the workshop that the registration fee includes the events of the 2009 Maine Literary Festival on Novebmer 7, beginning at 6:30 PM–please be early or on time as we wil begin promptly!!). So, no one who has paid for the Workshop needs to hock the famlily jewels to attend the Festival portion of the weekend on Saturday evening–it already is part of the registration fee. OK?!! The workshop is now sold out, but if anyone wishes to be on the waiting list, perchance a change, please do not hesitate to let me know.
The evening of November 7 contains a rich, full and exciting array of authors, poets and presentors, and is NOT to be missed. Take a look at our wonderufl line-up and buy your ticket now to Cross Cultural Experience, Literature of New Voices in America.