It's Up To Me

by C. LaRene Hall

The end of last month many writers attended the annual LDS StoryMakers Writers Conference. This was the fifth time I had attended and it was as good as ever. The theme this year was Success Is Within You. This tells me what I accomplish or achieve in my writing depends on what I’m willing to give. It’s all up to me.

They presented so much material the first time I attended, that I was overwhelmed. I honestly didn’t know where to start. Since then, I’ve learned a little bit and the bewildered and puzzled feelings have left. Now, I know that not every workshop is for me. Every person needs something different. All of us have distinct goals in our writing, and are at various stages in life. What I’m looking to get out of a writing conference will not be what someone else needs.

In five years, I’ve acquired many acquaintances, and I have to admit that one of the reasons I wanted to attend was to see these friends. Networking is a good thing when you are trying to break into the field of writing. You never know which friend might have a good idea for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed the class taught by Julie Wright titled, Frankenstein: Using All the Parts to Create Something that Breathes. I had no idea what I was getting into, but the title was intriguing, and I knew I would learn something worthwhile.

I went away from that class knowing that things written from my heart are not wasted, and I don’t have to be like every other writer. In fact, different is good. Thank you, Julie, for teaching
such an excellent class.

We wannabe authors who attended this writer’s conference are grateful for those who took the time to prepare and teach us. I, for one, certainly appreciate their hard work and look forward to attending this event again.