OWFI 45! Revive! Strive! Thrive!
So, why this theme for the 2013 conference? Well, it rhymes. And look at all those exclamation points! How fun is that? For all those people who've asked me over the years why I don't write poetry, you now have your answer.
When conference chair, Jan Morrill, and I discussed the upcoming conference, we threw out all kinds of theme names: Write On, Write Now, Holy Smoking Ink Balls, The Write Way, Slaughtering Those Pesky LY Words, etc. After a couple cups of coffee, our ideas didn't get any better. So, we backtracked and discussed what we wanted the attendees to gain from the 2013 conference.
We reviewed our list of speakers and realized that we have folks who could inspire authors to spark and/or regain their creativity. There are times when as writers we begin to question our abilities, second guess every sentence and fret over our storylines. I can't tell you how many times I've been 70,000 words into a novel and stop dead in my tracks, smothered in doubt. Fortunately, I have wonderful friends who kick me in the backside and get me going again. Sometimes, though, you need to hear the same message from a different messenger. We need to gain confidence in our talents and REVIVE our creativity.
There are speakers on the 2013 faculty who will help you hone your craft. We have several speakers who are leaders in their genres: Jodi Thomas, Ron Fortier, Rob M. Davis, Jordan Dane, Lauri Owen. These speakers will show you the ins and outs of those genres and help you STRIVE for excellence.
It is our hope that you'll take the information you gain from the 2013 conference, apply it to your writing and your careers will THRIVE! Thriving is awesome, don't you think? Wouldn't it be awesome if the 2014 Famous Author Banquet took 4 hours?? Okay, maybe not, but it would be incredible to have hundreds of published authors to celebrate each year.
If you have suggestions, comments or ideas for the conference, please don't hesitate to contact me. pstith216@gmail.com
The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for September 9 at 2 PM at the Norman Embassy Suites and Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
