…and every story is fascinating.
That’s my take-home from the National Writers’ Conference, which I attended in Melbourne two weekends ago.
Part of the two-week-long Emerging Writers’ Festival, it provides a forum for writers to share their experiences and ideas. Izzy Roberts-Orr, the Artistic Director, incorporates diverse writing styles (magazines, journalism, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, spoken word performance … and the list goes on) in print and digital media … and anything in between.
The National Writers’ Conference is a welcoming place for people whose vision I share. It’s heartwarming to see how people can become more aligned to their inner selves through putting their work out there, because they are following their dreams and writing from the heart. Their individual ideas and innovations are being tested in wider spheres, and by and large it’s a validating experience.
I love this conference because it gives me an opportunity to mix with people who, like me, love to write and create. I was inspired by others’ stories, whether I was listening to established artists talk about their craft, or talking to other neophyte writers about the books we’re all composing in our heads, which have yet to see the light of day. Through the industry stalls I found some wonderful resources that can help me on my writing path, although I must be patient as I don’t have sufficient time in my life to make practical use of them all yet: something to look forward to as the rhythms of my life will inevitably alter…
I found the personal stories of individuals’ books nothing short of fascinating! When I consider that everybody brings their own life experience to their writing, and everyone’s life experience is different, this is hardly surprising. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging to see the wealth of creativity that feeds conferences like these, and I truly hope that all the unique stories I heard get written, then are brought into the wider world through publication, because they are fully deserving of exposure. They’re stories that will reward, inform and entertain readers…and I, for one, am looking forward to reading them.
It was a little challenging to fit a full weekend conference into my busy worklife, but I’m so glad I did as I came away refreshed and renewed. Thank you so much, Izzy, for putting together a fabulous program again, and I am already looking forward to next year!
The National Writers’ Conference section of the Emerging Writers’ Festival Facebook page is here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/EmergingWritersFestival/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155551111086272
Annabel Harz: Author and Artist 