The Sheepish Scribe

Last week was amazing. I had no idea what to expect at my first writer's conference. I chose Maranatha's conference for two reasons. It's Christian based and it's close to home. Close is relative, but a six hour drive isn't too bad. I met people from as far away as Ethiopia and as close as Lansing, Michigan.

Every morning began with praise songs and a Bible study. Every evening was a devotional for writers. In between was enough information and advice to sink a Great Lakes Freighter. We began at 8:00am and wrapped up about 9:00pm. We heard from some of the "big dogs" in the industry; authors, publishers, editors, agents and those who wore many hats.

While not part of my original plan, I did meet with an editor who expressed interest in my book idea. He gave me his business card and invited me to contact him when I have the manuscript written. You could have knocked me over with a feather. That was beyond my wildest expectation. While it's no commitment of any kind, I've heard receiving this type of invitation called "the golden arrow" in the industry. I'm excited, scared and more than a little determined.

The week ended with another high note as my personal essay, "Wool: The Dirty Little Secret" was chosen first place it's division of the writing contest. The judge for this contest was the editor of The Saturday Evening Post. Talk about an ego boost! But at the same time, it was a very humbling moment. This was the first writing contest I've ever entered and so... where do I go from here? This gives me a lot to live up to and, hopefully, will sustain me when the rejection slips crowd my mailbox.