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And my question is, how do you make the most out of a writers conference? Because I know it's a great opportunity to go and network with people, connect with writers, establish yourself as a writer and learn from other writers and authors and take questions and ask questions. But believe it or not, I am an introvert. I'm a sociable introvert. I'm not shy. I'm just calculated
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:59
We're not online, we're not on zoom. We're in the space of human beings. And people still have social anxiety, I think, because they're always holding their phones and clutching their phones and looking down. They don't kind of look up. But I have a tendency to put my phone in my bag when I'm online waiting for coffee or an elevator or an escalator or walking and eating food or something. I make myself available for serendipity to happen, and it usually happens
My biggest piece of advice for you is, especially at your first conference, don't think too much about how this conference is your opportunity to become, I think you said, established as a writer or to become famous, et cetera. That's not something that happens in one week or even in one year. And when it does happen, it very often happens through the meaningful relationships that we've made, because we have something in common with another writer, with an editor, with a teacher
Khalid Hanif
@theElvnth_Our · 2:21
It helps to hone your dreams and almost like a nice sounding wall for your instincts and spirit to bounce things off of. So perhaps you can be cognizant of that as you listen and experience and as you hear the stories and maybe even share some of your own. Yeah, stay open. Just stay open. Stay diligent and vigilant looking and absorbing as much as you can
Anisah Khan
@Anisah_Writes · 4:49
I recognized her because I emailed her about an internship I applied and also a poem I applied, I submitted for the, uhr, chat book. And I actually made a connection. I was like, oh, wow. It was that simple. I just said hey. I remember she was walking towards me doing something else. And I said, hey, did you know anything about the submission for the chat book? That was going on the competition? And we started having a conversation
Anisah Khan
@Anisah_Writes · 4:35
Look at it again. Right. So I thought I've always been pursuing writing by myself, and after taking these creative writing classes and being in workshops and being friends with writer friends, there's, like, this huge difference. I'm actually getting constructive feedback, and my writing has gone better than it was before. And so you're totally right about creating relationships. That's something I'm trying to do. I think I did make one today
Anisah Khan
@Anisah_Writes · 4:59
And so throughout my professor for my fine arts class, literate Performance and Creation of Literature, he was reading poems from his books that he published. He has published eleven poetry books. And as soon as he was doing the Q and A, someone asked such a question that was quite profound and intriguing to him
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 0:20
It's so nice to hear this advice. Katharine so much of it rang true for me, and it's such a beautiful exchange between somebody who has been doing this for so many years and Nisah, who's just starting out. It really warmed my heart. So I'm happy that both of you connected around this. Thanks so much
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