LDStorymakers Conference Day One: A First-Timer’s POV

Arrival

Hillary and I arrived at the Provo Marriott on Friday morning, relieved to find a parking space on the top level of the parking garage. The rain was steady and that particular level was exposed to the elements, but even sloshing through several deep puddles in sandals couldn’t dampen my excitement. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

As soon as we entered the front lobby, we could feel the energy surging through the hotel. Hillary and I made our way to registration through a crowd of faces; some were familiar and greeted with an ecstatic “Hi!”; others were unfamiliar, though they wouldn’t remain that way for long.

Welcome and Introduction

I was amazed at how packed the ballroom was as I made my way to the table where Hillary was waiting for me. We flipped through the binders discovered in the handy green bags provided for us, marking the classes we wanted to take and reading syllabuses.

While we waited for the conference to begin, Hillary and I traded cards with the other ladies on our table. We all introduced ourselves and I realized that sitting next to Hillary was Paulette Inman from Pendragon’s Book Binding. I had seen Paulette’s work when Karen Hoover brought a book Paulette had made for her to the podcast recording in April. I made my first book purchase of the day- an adorable fairy-tale themed book I intend to use as my youngest daughter’s journal once her baby journal is full.

Once the conference began, first-timers at the conference were asked to raise their hands. I was blown away by how many people were there for the very first time. So many newbies, just like me and Hillary, ready to learn and be inspired. I knew I was going to have a great time at the conference, but the video they played during the introduction confirmed that these people were my kind of people.

The Classes

A few more comments and then we were off, a mass of students intent on getting a seat in the classes we most want to attend. For Hillary, Sheila and I, that first class was Heather (H.B.) Moore‘s How to Avoid the Common Mistakes of a Novice Writer. This was the ideal class with which to begin, setting the stage for everything else I was to learn that day.

I sat next to Sarah M. Eden in Janette Rallison‘s class on self-editing (major cool moment for me). I learned that I over-use the word “as.” I think I better double check this entry before I post it.

I already knew that authors can be the best manipulators when it comes to their readers. I learned in Jeff Savage‘s class, Villainous: Creating Characters We Love to Hate, that writing an excellent bad guy is one area in which an author’s skill at manipulating their readers’ feelings can really shine.

I finished up my first day of classes with Krista Marino and The First Five Pages. This class was beneficial to me both as a potential author and as a book reviewer. I hadn’t fully realized just how important those first five pages of a book are, not just in getting a publisher’s attention, but the reader’s attention as well. Of course there’s the hook that snags the reader, but what amazed me in the examples Krista shared was how much information, and how many unanswered questions, can be packed into those first five pages.

Keynote

After classes had finished for the day, everyone gathered in the ballroom once again to listen to Dave Wolverton‘s keynote address. The amount of knowledge and experience Dave has is impressive, but even more than that is his willingness to share those things with everyone around him. His speech was encouraging and motivating.

Hanging Out

After a delicious dinner, Hillary and I headed over to the south hall to chat with old friends and make some new ones. We recorded our first set of interviews that will be available in upcoming posts. The first day of my first LDStorymakers Conference was done, and it was awesome.