The Maui Writers Conference last week was...

Delightful - A full 10 days in an environment of bright and shiny, creative thinkers from hundreds of walks of life, not to mention sweetly-scented air and ocean all around, made for a multisensory feast of an exeperience. It was also extremely...

Fruitful - Two literary agents and one editor are interested in seeing two book proposals. Two other agents are willing for me to stay in touch on behalf of clients who have books coming up themselves. And one editor was tolerably encouraging of the idea that I might hang up a shingle as agent in the new year, and call him with a couple of pitches. "If you think you have an eye for recognizing talent, that's a gift that separates regular agents from agents I want to work with." Excellent!

For those of you who'd love to 'piggyback' on this immersion experience, I'd be delighted to share an infusion. If you'd like to know more about:

- the big picture of the publishing world as I've been learning it the last several months...
- the little picture of the players in that world (what do they wear, eat, read?) after 'living' with them for a week...
- what's occuring with the 'new media' revolution and what it means...
- the distinctions between publishing and self-publishing, and...
- which projects I'll put on the mainstream publishing track - which ones I'll self-publish, and why...

Of course, post-conference life is terribly interrupted now, by design. And I'm grateful. Like a big trunk full of toys collected over the years, sometimes you have to dump all the pieces of your life on the ground in a mess in order to decide what to play with next.

Interrupting life this way means it will be impossible to put all the toys back the way they were before. What a perfect relief!

On a personal note, two things:

Snorkelling and swimming has freed me from residual body-fear. 10 weeks after my surgery and that's a good thing. Yes, I am smiling!

Well actually make that grinning from ear to ear because my hubby Mike had an even more incredible time than I did at the conference. Of the 3 tracks at the event, Mike took part in the most intensive - Screenwriting with Director Michael Palmieri (Chico's Angels, Michael P is on the right, my hubby at left), featuring Bobby Moresco (Crash), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) and others. Among 29 attendees in the group, only two wrote in the romantic comedy genre - you know that genre where the movies are either fabulous (When Harry Met Sally, French Kiss) or really really horrible (names omitted to protect the innocent)?

Well, my Mike took the screenwriting track's prize for best screenplay. Even better, his writing met with - in his words - "laughs basically right on cue, pages in a row" which had him the ultimate Cloud 9. Then, an agent asked if he had a manager and invited him to take next steps.

Let's just say that with a free ticket to next year's conference, $1000 in prize money, massive validation and a ton of new questions (Will we move to LA as hinted would be wise? Of all the new ideas, which screenplay will Mike tackle next? Is this really real, pinch me/us/him!)....... this is life - perfectly interrupted - for us at this moment.

With that...perhaps a little of this energy can be turned around to good use for you. That is after all, the point right? Will you join us for an energized fall? Why do I think you have a ruckus you're itching to create, underneath your skin? Or maybe its something you're spinning, silky and smooth?

I think of Fall as such a great non-new-year non-cliche time for refreshment and renewal...a counter-culture overachiever's fantasy. So while no one else has noticed the January 1st that's looming yet - what will you do with your life and business next? Will you solidify the road you are on? Will you try something new? What will feel good and feed you energy? What will you whittle away?

I'm looking forward to reading whatever's useful to you to share, and hearing you on the Open House call, once again, registration details above. More Maui stories to come...

Use the player below to listen to the recording of this call or click the link below the player to download the mp3:

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