Word on Word

The James River Writers conference was a smashing success! Many thanks to Jason Tesauro, Ginny Pye, the Library of Virginia, volunteers, organizers, soiree hosts, agents, editors, panelists, moderators, and all who helped make it great! Although finally only writing is writing, talking about the craft, hearing the stories of how stories came to be, and simply hanging out with folks whose passion is the word is inspiring and invigorating. In the ups and downs of this business that some do pursue for the business of it all but most for love of the written word, the poem finely wrought, the tale that grabs and holds, the novel take on a nonfiction subject, it's good to be reminded that each book is unique and the whole process innately subjective. Another's success is to be celebrated as much as one's own. This isn't, as Katherine Neville pointed out, a zero-sum game. How great to have an opportunity to be with others sharing the experiences and products of our solitude.