A Different Conference Experience
Terry Odell
If all has gone well, when you’re reading this, I should have had my first cataract surgery yesterday, so forgive me if I don’t respond to comments. Surgery went very well, so I’m back at the computer.
I attended the Flathead River Writers Conference, where I had the pleasure of meeting fellow TKZ blogger, Debbie Burke. In her post yesterday, she said I’d have pictures to share, so here are a few to start.
Middle Ford of the Flathead River flowing through Glacier National Park
Lake McDonald
I’ll stick in a few more throughout the post.
This was a very different kind of conference for me. My decision to attend was to get away for a few days, meet some new people, and, most importantly, recharge the batteries. I’ve always attended genre-based conferences, and most have been much larger. This one (under 100 attendees) didn’t hit my overload button. Also, to fulfill the battery recharging goal, I arrived two days prior to the opening session. Debbie was generous enough to play tour guide, so I got to see a lot of the area. Including, I must add, places Debbie used in her books. An added perk: she knows where the best rest stops are.
A few highlights for me from the sessions. (Let me point out, this was not a ‘business networking venture’ for me.) John Gilstrap swears that all of the business takes place at the bar. He’d have been disappointed here, because the conference hotel didn’t have a bar. Or a restaurant.
Trail in Glacier Park
McDonald Falls
One of the “speakers” Dr. Erika Putnam, a chiropractor/yoga instructor, had everyone participating in stretches and poses designed to counteract the “all day in front of a keyboard” neck, shoulder, and back stiffness. Another was the Montana Poet Laureate, Chris La Tray, a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, who gave poignant yet very entertaining talks.
Another highlight was when the two agents in attendance, Zach Honey and Julie Stevenson did cold reads of the first page of anonymously submitted manuscripts. (Sound familiar?) The submissions were read aloud by conference staff, although the agents had hard copies so they could read along.
Honey focuses on representing thrillers, and Stevenson wants literary fiction. Most of the submissions leaned toward the literary end of the spectrum, and I was left cold. I could hear JSB saying “Nothing’s Happening!” Pretty Prose doesn’t do it for me. Their comments were kept short and superficial, but there were one or two submissions they thought they’d want to see more of. I’m sure those authors were thrilled.
Totem at Lake McDonald Lodge
Author Mark Sullivan’s talk on day one about his path to success was interesting, but it was his talk on day two that gave me my biggest takeaway. He spoke of the connection between the body and the mind. He suggested that if you’re having trouble finding the emotional center of your character, picture what that character’s body position would be, then get into it yourself. Something to try, for sure.
He did something else I’ve never seen at any other conferences, which was to lead the group in a meditation session. Sue Coletta talked about breathing, and we did similar exercises. He also addressed something that resonated with me. “Too much to do” anxiety. Sullivan pointed out there’s no point in getting upset about something that happened in the past. It’s over and done. Likewise, you can’t fret about what’s in the future. You can only live in the “now.” Do one thing at a time, and wipe out the rest. Looking at a ‘to do’ list of 20 items is daunting. Don’t think about the 20, deal with the one.
This suggestion came in handy when I arrived home and considered everything I had to do. There were the household tasks, the ‘catch up’ tasks, and the ‘get everything done before my cataract surgery’ tasks. Instead of freaking out, I was able to focus on one thing at a time, and the usual knotted stomach wasn’t an issue.
He left us with these words: The universe is in a state of expansion. If you’re in a state of retraction, you’re fighting the universe. Don’t get involved with yourself.
Playing with Textures – Glacier Park
What about you, TKZers? Do you ever need to get away and do something a little different? Was it worth it?
Available Now
Deadly Relations.
Nothing Ever Happens in Mapleton … Until it Does
Gordon Hepler, Mapleton, Colorado’s Police Chief, is called away from a quiet Sunday with his wife to an emergency situation at the home he’s planning to sell. A man has chained himself to the front porch, threatening to set off an explosive.
Terry Odell is an award-winning author of Mystery and Romantic Suspense, although she prefers to think of them all as “Mysteries with Relationships.”
I trust your cataract surgery went well. It sounds like you and Debbie had a wonderful experience at the writers con. Pretty cool about cold-read submissions by the two agents. I would have loved to seen/heard that.
Thanks, Vera. Things seem to be going well. The cold reads panel was definitely something worth hearing, even if you’re not submitting. Those opening pages have to hook readers, too.
Terry, hope your cataract surgery is as successful as mine was! Being able to see is a game-changer.
TKZers, I can pinch-hit for Terry if you have questions or comments.
Thanks for being around, Debbie. I’m able to see well enough to function, so I’m here for TKZ comments. I’ll be doing this again in 2 weeks, and I’m hoping things go as well.
Great news, Terry! Thanks for the update.
Great post, Terry. Glad to hear the surgery went well.
Your pictures are wonderful. I especially like McDonald Falls.
The conference sounds intriguing. Something to put on my maybe list for next year.
“Do you ever need to get away and do something a little different? Was it worth it?”: I like activities that inspire creativity. I’m heading out tomorrow for a weekend woodturning conference. I haven’t attended one for four years. Time to catch up.
I hope your healing is uneventful and quick, and your vision is full of color and allows you to drive at night.
Woo-Hoo, Steve! 🙂
Thanks, Steve — enjoy your conference. It’s nice to do “something else” now and then. Glad you liked the pictures. I was attempting to use the built-in ND filter to allow a longer exposure to soften the water, but I haven’t mastered that technique yet. Too many settings to deal with.
Hope your cataract surgery in two weeks goes well, too! I am so glad I had mine done–no more glasses!! The conference sounds like something I will need once I meet my Nov 1 deadline. And the photos are gorgeous. I particularly like the one about textures. And the steam. And, well, all of them.
I opted for distance vision correction, and not monovision because I need the depth perception up here, so I’ll be using readers. Not an issue for me. My cousin had the multi-focal lenses implanted, but our insurance doesn’t cover those.
And glad you enjoyed the pictures.
I’m so glad that your first cataract surgery went well, Terry. Thanks for sharing your conference experience. Mark Sullivan’s advice resonates with me. It’s too easy to live in the past, or at least keep mentally time traveling back to it, or to worry about the future when all we truly have is the now. The same for what we can control—namely, what goes on between our ears and what actions we take. Lovely photos, too!
Once a year I get away to the Rainforest writers retreat, which is held at Lake Quinault in Washington State’s magnificent Olympic Rainforest and spend five days with a group of writers, writing, taking workshops, long walks, and spending time with like minded folks. Something different from my day to day that echoes throughout the year.
Thanks, Dale. One of my critique partners and I are giving serious thought to a retreat in the northeast next spring. It’s good to get away, and it doesn’t always have to be one’s primary “job” focus. Maybe even better if it’s not, depending on where you are in the current project.
Glad your cataract surgery went well, Terry. The conference sounds like it was a good experience and your photos capture the majesty of that gorgeous part of the country.
“Looking at a ‘to do’ list of 20 items is daunting. Don’t think about the 20, deal with the one.” This is excellent advice that I learned when I ran my first marathon. I was told not to think of running 26.2 miles because it seems like an impossible task. But run (run/walk in my case) each mile as its own race. That simple advice applies to so much in life.
Same goes for writing, Kay. The thought of getting 80,000 words written seems daunting (especially at the 30K mark for me), but writing a scene is a less anxiety-provoking. And the entire writing career is a marathon, not a sprint.
As the mother of a triathlete who did an IronMan, I know she has learned to pace herself. When I told my mom what an IronMan consisted of– the swim, the bike, and the run, she said, “All in ONE DAY!!” Yep.
Good news about the eyeballs, Terry! Been there, done that, never been sorry.
I’m trying something new next April. I’ve been invited to teach a workshop at the Northwest Christian Writers Association’s annual conference.
Jeepers! Can you say Skeered?
Congrats on being invited. You’ll be great, Deb!
Sounds like a great conference, Terry. More importantly, a well-needed respite. With the holidays approaching, anxiety levels are on the rise. I combat the to-do list blues with silent contemplation, deep breathing, and guided meditation/self-hypnosis. Staying in the present moment is a must. And I never forget to enjoy the sunrise, sunset, moon, and stars.
Love the photos!
I found the breathing exercises very helpful when I got back from my surgery and thought about all the things I had to do. Likewise, at the clinic, waiting for my turn in the OR. They crank them through there. Nurse said about 48 a day. The actual procedure is about 10 minutes. The rest is prep and waiting for the eye to numb and dilate, IV setup, pre and post op instructions.
Used to work for an eye doc, Terry, back in the late ‘80s. The procedure has improved and streamlined so much. Glad that we can enjoy those upgrades, right?
🥳
Good to know. Thanks. My 87-year-old father-in-law needs cataract surgery. He just had a heart valve replaced, but the eye worries him more. Go figure.
Thanks for sharing the pics from Glacier. I got to realize my childhood dream of finally getting to visit Glacier back in 2018. Hope I’ll get to go back again one day.
I hope you get there, too, BK. I’d love to go again. There’s so much to see, and we only had part of one day. And the road to the top was closed halfway up, so missed that experience.
Great to see you, Terry, and I’m glad you enjoyed the getaway. For years, the conference was held at the local community college, but the price rose so the board chose a downtown hotel, and I liked the change. While it doesn’t currently have a bar and restaurant, both are close by — although as you know, that rainy Saturday made the one-block walk to the downtown bookstore a mad, wet dash!
Great to see you, too. I mentioned the bar (or lack thereof) because Mr. Gilstrap always says that’s where everything happens. Debbie and I found a liquor store and I bought a bottle for me. Despite the hotel’s lack of an eating/libating venue, the rooms had fridges and microwaves.