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A Blogger Goes to a Writer’s Conference

    When a blogger goes to a writer’s conference, she finds herself immersed in authors of literature and MFAs; students of writing who consider words with terrific care. Most read more deeply, thoughtfully, and widely than she does. They pour over paragraphs and deconstruct sentences and consider the how and why of the comma vs. the semi-colon.

    When asked what authors inspire them, they list off writers like thread off a bobbin. They’ve read those authors more deeply, widely, and thoughtfully than she has. They quote with ease. She quotes with Google. Piles of books make up her headboard, yet regardless of osmosis, her brain can’t remember names or titles or even sketches of plotlines. She reads like she eats–without regard to serving size, much too quickly due to intense deliciousness, and often too late at night.

    In her keynote, Cheryl Strayed gives this piece of advice: 

    Surrender to your own mediocrity.

    These five words hit the blogger and swell inside her like marshmallows in a microwave. Her chest puffs up as large as the built-in pecs in her son’s Spiderman costume. She thinks of her archives; for years she’s written and written and written. She’s forced herself to hit publish–wincing along the way. She’s offered up her hours and heart and finite energy not just to her own words, but also in the service of her community of fellow bloggers reading and reading and reading and commenting commenting commenting. She doesn’t just surrender to her mediocrity, she champions it and puts it on the internet’s refrigerator door for all to see.

    She’s written. She writes. She’ll keep writing.

    The Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth, Washington
    ***

    Thank you to Theo and Scott for an incredible retreat. Thank you to Writer.ly for making it possible for me to attend. Thank you Sleeping Lady Resort for beautiful accommodations that provided the relaxation and rejuvenation I desperately needed. Thank you Cascade Mountains for your glory.

    Theo Pauline Nestor, thank you for the gift to any manuscript of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.

    Thank you Ariel Gore for giving me permission to put down the thesaurus and write like I talk.

    Cheryl Strayed, thank you for sharing the wisdom of your experience so generously, for “Write to eliminate the why in why is this author writing this book,” and for suggesting my kids might look fondly upon my writing about them someday.

    Thank you Candace Walsh for planting the seed of using my passion for a potential project.

    Thank you to Suzanne Finnamore for sharing your practical tips for structure, and especially for your vulnerability and humor.

    Thank you all for your incredible books. Your names are now part of my bobbin thread–just as soon as I can find the end here somewhere.

    0 thoughts on “A Blogger Goes to a Writer’s Conference”

    4. erin margolin

      You are anything but mediocre. Not that you were implying as much…I think I corner the market on that one, anyway.

      😉

      glad you had such an inspirational journey!

    6. injaynesworld

      Ann, I had read about that retreat and wished somehow “Scotty” could have “beamed me up” to Washington. I’m so happy you got to attend and thank you for writing about it. I relate so much to your experience and am sure I would have felt much the same way. If I could have a do-over in life it would be to have gotten one of those prized MFAs in creative writing. Maybe then I would feel like a “legitimate” writer. Even with a highly-successful TV-writing career behind me, I still feel like someday I’m going to be revealed as a fraud. And yet, still I write…

      Big hugs, my friend. Keep on keepin’ on. 🙂

    9. SouthMainMuse

      It’s so funny I read this after just starting to reread Sol Stein’s On Writing. The first chapter is about clarity and rewriting and never being satisfied. I couldn’t help but think — where does blogging fit into this? I love the quote from the speaker. Sometimes (heck most of the time) I need to just press “publish” and move on. Great observations, Ann. And Stein’s book is awesome, btw. Either for the nonfiction or fiction writer.

    11. Wendi

      Love the read like you eat analogy.

      Love that you had a wonderful experience.

      Love that someone felt they should correct your grammar. (Pour you.)

      The mediocre shall inherit the earth.

      xo

    12. Becky

      Dude. You met Cheryl Strayed. LOVED “Wild”. I’m so glad you had a great time. You deserved it so! and p.s. like someone said above, you are the opposite of mediocrity.

    13. The Empress

      This.

      All of this.

      Surrender to who we are, and accept it at that.

      Always strive to learn more, if that’s what we want, but realize it’s okay to stay who we are in the process.

      How I’d love to go.

      And Cheryl Strayed? I have long been in love with her way of life, her words, her service to audience.

      She is not out to impress, she is just there to lend us her well worn map, saying “i hope it helps you, even if just a little bit, that’s something, right?”

      So happy you went, Ann, and thank you for sharing what swelled like the pecs in your son’s spiderman costume.

      And, for the record, I’m with that dude that says put down the thesaurus (I call him that dude b/c I can’t remember names, either… )

    15. The Bearded Iris

      Uh, yuh…got news for you lady, you are a writer. Bobbin threads and puffy marshmallows and refrigerator doors. You painted an incredible picture with your words here and I loved every second of it. Sounds like a great conference!

    16. Anonymous

      So glad you got to go! What a great experience it must have been. And so renewing. I am envious! Molly

    21. Jenn Marshall

      I was the lucky one who got to chew your ear off the most. I am thankful that you submitted to the contest, won, and then made it happen and booked a flight last-minute so that you could be there. It was so awesome to meet you in person and to share my story with you. You ROCK! xoxo

    26. anymommy

      Arg. You were so close. Relatively. And we didn’t get to see each other. Porous. (Get it, “poor us” used so incorrectly it’s kind of funny. No. Only to me.)