Conference Hopping

Upon retirement from teaching I set aside some money to go to a variety of writing conferences.  I have been working on novels, but I thought it would also be interesting to investigate some other types of writing-short story, articles, and not poetry.  I already know poetry is not a genre for me.  By visiting other conferences and becoming familiar with other writing groups and authors, I hoped to see what types of writing appealed. 

I have done that. 

But I also have had an experience that showed me what I do not want to do and the kind of writer I will NOT be.

An old-fashioned snob.

I have done enough writing at this point to know that each writer has to find their own techniques and practices to produce their craft.  Some use typewriters or desktop computers or laptops or voice recorders or fancy new writing programs or there are few who still write their novels out long-hand.  Some writers embrace Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media.  And when it comes to publishing there are the agent-led traditionalists, there are the staunch self-publishers, and there are a growing groups of those who do a combination of both.  I support differences in styles and practices.

And there are those who are published, while I am not, that think they know what writing and publishing is in today's market.  And some of them are wrong.  The industry is changing and changing quickly and previously published writers, as well as those in the pre-published category, need to pay attention to what the writing market really is today and not what they want it to be.  If they don't they will be left behind.  Good writing is important and in a perfect writer's world it will be published and successful, but our world isn't perfect. 

Writers should take a good look around and find a path that works for them.  I don't think they will see it if they choose to put their head in the sand.  The world looks a lot brighter with your head up and looking around at all it has to offer.

School Start Thoughts

School started today and I didn't.

I am not quite certain how I feel about this.  I have been starting school each year for forty-three of my forty-eight years of life.  I know retiring at this time was the right decision for me and I am happy about it.


I have been in a setting where good schools act as a community.  Overall this is a good thing, but being a teacher takes so much of your life that at the end you aren't simply leaving a career, you are changing your lifestyle.  Drastically. This is probably true for many retirees.

Oh God, am I a "retiree"?  It sounds so much like the end.  I am going with "Leisure Enhanced Lifestyle Embracer."

I am blessed to have great friends who won't forget me nor will I forget them.  I do realize things will change.  I still will worry about my educator friends. Will the year be good for them?  Who is going to break up chick fights and tell all the girls to pull up the tops of their shirts and pull down the bottoms hems of their shorts?  Will teachers still feel comfortable using my old classroom as the shortcut to the library?  Most importantly, who is going to drive to lunch on workdays, now that my van isn't there?

Next week the students will come to school and I think I will feel unsettled about this too.  One gift I always gave myself was the joy the students brought to my life. I will still see my students, but I won't get to meet a whole new group each year.  That will be different.

I know that being a teacher of some sort isn't going completely disappear from my life.  It can't.  Teaching is a part of me.  And I think it will always be one of the best parts.

For now I am off to write.