One Writer's Journey

The long-awaited trip to Mount Hermon is over. It was wonderful, it was exhausting, it was a journey that I will always remember. Every year is different and precious in its own way. And yet, in the midst of all the excitement--meeting with editors, learning from talented writers, wondering when I'll get a chance to sleep--I've finally realized what is most important.

The people.

I spend so much time, between my day job as an editor and my night job as an aspiring novelist, behind the flat-world screen of a computer, that I sometimes wonder if I'm as fictional as my characters. Let me take that back. I really do think my characters are more real than I am. They have a life. (I am smiling as I write this.) They constantly interact with the rest of the world. I, on the other hand, constantly withdraw from the world in order to create my version of art.

So when I get to meet other writers and editors face-to-face I feel like a kid during recess.

This year I took a few photos of the people who inspire me. There were many more people at the conference that I didn't get to take pictures of, probably because of my closet shyness. That and my secret fear that I'm invisible. But for today, I'll go with the theory that I am, in fact, visible, and that I really did get to meet these people. These wonderful, exciting, talented people.

I miss them already.


The conference began when I met all of my roommates: Catherine Madera, Julie Garmon, and B.J. Taylor. B.J. and I have been in a writer's group together for about five years. We've also attended the Yosemite Writer's Conference, ACW Conference, Orange County Christian Writer's Fellowship conference, and SDSU Writer's Conference together.


This was the first year I served as a mentor for first-timers at Mount Hermon. Rhonda Pringle was one of my "buddies" and we got the opportunity to discuss things like pitches, submissions and critiques.


One of the members of my writer's group, Andrea Verde, attended Mount Hermon for the first time this year.


This was Lindsay Culbert's first writer's conference and we hung out together quite a bit. In between walking in the woods and attending classes, we often chatted in the central lounge. The woman in the background is Tosca Lee.


Everybody needs a best buddy who will make them laugh and who will always understand the perils of invisibility. For me, that buddy is Tracey Higley.


I can't wait until Katie Vorreiter's books get published, because I want the rest of the world to get to meet her. Anybody who can make me laugh in less than a minute deserves an award. Katie, I think I owe you about 600 awards already.


For me, every conference has a handful of super-stars who also happen to be super-nice. John Olson is one of those super-talented, super-great guys. Here he is signing a book for one of my fellow Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers, Carla Stewart.


What would the blogging universe be without fellow bloggers who love science fiction and fantasy? It would be a black, empty void. Lifeless and dull. I met Becky Miller [A Christian Worldview of Fiction] at Mount Hermon last year and we've become close friends since then. But this was the first time I got to meet Marcus Goodyear [The High Calling].


Always one of my favorite people to hang out with, partly because he has a great sense of humor, and partly because he always has the inside scoop on what's going on in the publishing industry, is Steve Laube. Maybe that's why a large group of us gathered every night in the central lounge, laughing and telling stories until long after midnight.


This is only a tiny glimpse of the gathering that formed in central lounge in the evenings. When the normal folk rested, we partied. Among those who often stayed out later than they should were John Olson, Randy Ingermanson and Camy Tang.

Mount Hermon 2008 is over. Mount Hermon 2009 stands on the horizon, masked in shadow, full of promise. It is an event that marks my progress as a writer. I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to be a blessing to beginning writers, just like some of these people have been a blessing to me.

Always and forever, I pray that the journey that leads me up the mountain is also a journey that leads me nearer to the God I love.

Countdown to Mount Hermon

Sixteen days and counting. Am I ready? Not exactly. I have my portable hair dryer, two completed manuscripts, and the beginning pages of a third. Is my pitch ready yet?

Oh, no.

I’m talking about Mount Hermon, my favorite writer’s conference. For me it straddles the fence, somewhere in between the relaxation of a mountain retreat and the trauma of a dozen back-to-back job interviews. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the life of a true artist. You have to be willing to continually lay yourself out on the examining table, if you want your artwork to be healthy, if you want your skill to grow.

But, ouch. It isn’t always fun. Especially for those writers who have the tender disposition of an introvert. Especially when it’s your word picture that’s being analyzed.

How do you survive a writer’s conference, especially a big conference where you can get lost in the crowd? What do you do if it’s your very first time?

Tips for Newbies:
1. Be honest. Everybody has a first time. Let the people at lunch or dinner know you’ve never been there before. Ask them what classes they recommend, what speakers they like best. Ask what they are writing. Get to know the people God puts in your path. They might just become lifelong buddies.

2. Take a break. You won’t be able to attend every class or workshop. Give yourself the option to sleep late one morning or to skip a class and go for a walk in the woods.

3. Realize that you probably won’t sell your manuscript right away. You might not sell it this conference or the next conference or the one after that. If you want to be a writer you will probably need to write several complete books before the first one sells. In the meantime, you will be meeting people, making friends, and continuing to improve your writing.