writing wednesdays: the plan for san antone

Writing Wednesdays

This is likely to bore most of you, but with a trip on the agenda tomorrow and a day filled with running as I ready to depart from five children for five days, my writing energy is pretty much spent, and the upcoming adventure is about all I can manage to focus on presently. Soon, there will be more. Til then, I’m pasting a lineup of the conference activities so you can “follow along.” Though I will only be staying here one of the nights, the conference will take place at the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel. Sounds exotic, no? The other nights I’ll be hanging in the evenings with my aunts Jeannine and Merita. I’m looking forward to that. They are longtime Texans; in other words, North Dakota traitors. But that’s okay, because it means I get to visit them and that I must ride in a plane to do so.(I am careful not to say ride on a plane, because my kids conjure up very strange images of me riding on top of the plane, hair blowing in the wind, barely hanging on, when I say it that way.)

Alright, all. I’ll look forward to “seeing” you soon from the Lone Star State! If you are taking a peek this week, please stop by and leave me a comment so I know you’re visiting and can say Hi.

Toodles, and peace…

2009 NFPW Conference Schedule:

Thursday, Sept. 10:

(Organization meetings)

Lunch

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Leadership Meeting
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. – General Membership Meeting
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Opening Reception (Entertainment – Country music, line dancing)
7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Stop the Presses/Manny Mendoza and Mark Birnbaum

Friday, Sept. 11

Breakfast
8 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Morning Session: Welcome from Mayor of San Antonio and greetings from Sen. Judith Zaffarini, Texas Legislature
Speaker: Heloise

10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Workshops
B is for Blogging – Nattie Hartsock and Jennifer Hill Robenalt, owners, B is for Blog
Writing a Successful First Novel – John Pipkin, author
Plan B After a Buyout: Sex Appeal – Judge Janice Law, Houston judge and author

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Workshops
Making a Living in Fiction – Jodi Thomas, author
Reporting Today – Kym Fox, Texas State University
Using Social Media to Your Professional Advantage – Larry Brill, Brill Communications

12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Lunch Speaker Sarah Bird, You Know You’re a Writer If. . .

2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Workshops
Writing a Book Proposal – Suzy Spencer, author, true crime books
T is for Twittering – Nattie Hartsock and Jennifer Hill Robenalt
Journalism in the Age of Obama – Bob Ray Sanders, Fort Worth Star Telegram

3:30 – 4:30 Workshops
Following Your Dream – Jodi Thomas
Working with a Literary Agent – Jim Hornfisher, author and literary agent
New Media – Monica Maecle, Editor, Businesswire

2-5 p.m. Authors’ Book Signing
2-5 p.m. Tech Petting Zoo (Reps from Dell, Apple, Radio Shack)
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Education Fund Board Meeting
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. State Membership Directors Meeting
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tips on Winning and Running a Contest
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. COA Directors Meeting
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – COA rehearsal

6 p.m. – Reception
7 – 10 p.m. COA Dinner – No Speaker Entertainment –

Saturday, Sept. 12

Breakfast

8 – 9:45 a.m. Morning Session – Panel on the Future of Journalism: Fred Zipp, Austin American Statesman, Bob Rivard, San Antonio Express News, Mitch Land, Chair, Mayborn School of Journalism, University of North Texas
Invitation to Illinois conference

9:45 – 11 a.m. NFPW Board and Committee Directors meeting

10 – 11 a.m. Workshops
Open Meetings, Open Records – James C. Ho, Solicitor General of Texas
Writing Networks – Cyndi Hughes, ED, Writers League of Texas
Ethnics: Do We Still Have Any? – Marg Carpenter

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Workshops
Literary Publishing/Trends in Short Fiction – Melanie Moore, ED, Badgerdog Press
Nonfiction – Mike Cox
Love in the Age of Twitter Pat Love

12:30 – 2:15 p.m. High School Journalism Luncheon Kids Speaking UP

2:30 – 3:30 Workshops
Getting Organized – Betty Packard
Journalism Tools for Fiction Writing – Diane Fanning
Going Back to Journalism 101 — Heloise

3:30 – 4:30 Conference Directors Meeting
3:30 – 5 p.m. – Authors Book Signing

5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Reception
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Awards Banquet