I've been attending NESCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators--New England) conferences since 2008. The first two years I
attended in Nashua, and I commuted. I dropped my daughter with my
parents and only spent the days on site.
In 2010 and
2011, in Fitchburg, even though it's close to home, I convinced my
husband that since FOUR of us would be sharing a room, it would be worth
it. That I'd get more out of the conference by spending the night. And
he believed me. After the first year of conference, I volunteered--first
at the registration table, then as a handler.
This
year, was my sixth conference. The second in Springfield. Two years ago,
Joyce Shor Johnson asked me if I'd like to co-chair with her. Having
had conference experience (I chaired the NACA New England--aka National
Association for Campus Activities--in 2000), I was interested. I came
home from Fitchburg that year with a big question. Did I really want to
co-chair this conference?
Well, most of you reading
this know the answer. Yes. I did. We hosted Grace Lin, Sharon Creech,
Kate Messner, Jo Knowles, Hazel Mitchell, and countless other amazing
and talented authors and illustrators. We hobnobbed with agents Jennifer
Laughran, Brooks Sherman, Linda Epstein and Lauren MacLeod (and more).
Editors Melissa Miller, Allison Weiss, Adah Nuchi, and Taryn Albright
graced our conference.
How does it really get better than this???
Well it did.
I spent
ten minutes chatting with agent Brooks Sherman outside the Ballroom.
Sharon Creech said my name (OMG and she followed me on twitter!!). Joyce
and I spent an hour gossiping with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, I ate
dinner with Jennifer Laughran, Lauren MacLeod, Brooks Sherman, Sarah Albee,
Nova Ren Suma, Taryn Albright, and Linda Epstein...and actually managed
not to freeze in the headlights. I mean can you imagine??? I got a
chance to see twitter friends for the first time in person. Someone
called me fashion plate (and if you know me, you know how unlikely that
is!).
The process for NESCBWI is that you spend a year
shadowing, then you're co-chair, then you're director. So I'm gearing
up this coming year to direct in 2014. I've already got some ideas. If
you've got some, send them to me at nescbwi14@gmail.com.
Six years and a few months ago, I didn't know this organization existed. How did I ever survive without it?
I've been procrastinating writing this post, because I don't think I can begin to do justice to the awesomeness that was SCBWI - New England this year. As the co-director, the conference went by in a frenetic blur, but people tell me the workshops were awesome, the agents and editors were amazing, the volunteers were kick-ass...I'm so grateful to Joyce Johnson for choosing me as her co-director. Save the date for next year--May 2-4, 2014 in Springfield...FYI, call for proposals will be out in early July.
Some highlights:
Jonathon Arnston came all the way from Michigan.
And Taryn Albright came all the way from Kentucky.
And Sharon Creech was one of our keynote speakers (w/ Joyce Johnson, my amazing co-director).
And I got to meet twitter friends in real life (@kiperoo and @MonicaYAWriting aka Kip Wilson and Monica Ropal).
And I went to Nova Ren Suma's workshop on first chapters and met some awesome new writer friends. (And Nova is as wonderful as you would think she is!)
And my friend Ansha had her first signing.
And I'm so excited that NEXT year we'll be working together on the 2014 conference.
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