Write Stuff 2008: A writer is born

Ever since getting involved with the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group in 2001, I have volunteered to help out with their annual Write Stuff  conference in one capacity or another. I love the energy of this event. It's just big enough to attract great presenting authors, and just small enough so that you can build relationships with other attendees. Each year, my favorite part of the conference is watching the conferees arrive—so many familiar faces, eager to learn of the riches the weekend will hold for them.

A highlight in the sea of this year's faces was Fritz, a client of my editing business, writing-partner.com. I met Fritz, a man I'd guess was nearing retirement age, a year ago when he attended one of my library talks. (The library talks are a pre-conference series I'd designed in 2005, when funding cuts to Pennsylvania's libraries had put a damper on their ability to offer special programs. I figured our writers could offer area libraries a variety of free programs on topics related to the publication process while promoting our organization and the Write Stuff conference.) Fritz was not a writer—he was a man with an amazing story to tell whose memoir was being assembled by someone else. 

I left that talk with the first 50 pages of his story tucked under my arm, a check in my pocket, and a request to assess its commercial potential. Encouraged by my enthusiasm and his budding knowledge of the publishing world, this year he attended several talks—including one I gave at the Boyertown Community Library, "Polish Your Writing for Publication: 13 Self-Editing Tips & Tricks." Riveting title right? One only a writer could love.

The next time I saw Fritz was seven weeks later, at the Write Stuff conference.

"Kathryn," he called out, his face lit up like an amusement park ride. "I have to tell you—I am having so much fun writing! I've gone through my manuscript and applied all of the self-editing tips you shared with us and—well—it's like magic! Suddenly, it reads so much better!"

It was a real kick for me to see my enthusiasm for the self-editing process mirrored in his face. I do find satisfaction in first draft work—how could I not, when a big batch of words now covers pages that were previously blank? But to me, the true excitement of writing comes in shaping subsequent drafts, when through careful weaving of word choice and syntax and rhythm and punctuation and the voice that results from these variables, the prose gains enough strength to carry the story that had been hidden within.

Fritz has discovered that love of craft. And in doing so, a writer is born.