The Grubbie Guide to Writing Contests, Conferences, and Residencies: A Recap
I have so much to do today (the penultimate day of my vacation). But I’m so pumped from Grub Street’s “The Muse and the Marketplace” conference that I have to spend some time sharing the experience with you.
I don’t know how they do it, but Grub somehow makes this conference even better every year. I’ll try to write a more comprehensive (or at least, sweeping) recap for you in time for Wednesday’s “Work-in-Progress” post here on Practicing Writing. For now, I’ll just summarize the panel that I moderated yesterday: “The Grubbie Guide to Writing Contests, Conferences, and Residencies,” which featured my super-accomplished co-panelists Sheri Joseph and Douglas Trevor.
I can do this only because the amazing Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) was live-tweeting from the conference, and our panel was lucky enough to draw him in. I’ll share with you Porter’s tweets, and supply a few annotations. (Look especially for the cited handout, which I’ll embed within this post.)
Our general approach in this session was this: We began with self-introductions, in which we talked described ways in which contests, conferences, and residencies had helped shape our own writing lives. Then we moved into some “Do’s & Don’ts,” in which we shared advice on selecting opportunities, application tips, and suggestions for making the most of opportunities won (especially residencies). And then we turned to Q&A.
Hope that you enjoy!
#Muse2013 Now: A @grubwriters Guide to Conferences & Residencies with @sheri_joseph @erikadreifus & Douglas Trevor
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences & Residencies @erikadreifus speaks of programs like Iowa & @grubwriters that don’t require qualifying submissions.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
[Here, I was talking about conferences that have meant a lot to my writing life: the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and The Muse itself. My point was that when we’re talking about conferences, it’s not “Bread Loaf of bust.” Doug helpfully elaborated on the bigger point, which is that conferences vary in focus and offerings. Some are designed to help generate new work, some focus on helping you revise existing work, some help you connect with agents and editors. And there can be overlap in conference purposes.]
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies: @sheri_joseph defines residency — you apply. In some cases you pay your way.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies: @erikadreifus “Residencies” in this case are not MFA residencies. These are retreats, colonies.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies @sheri_joseph: In applying, take yourself seriously. “Sound like you know what you’re about.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies @sheri_joseph: Most colonies will give you between two and eight weeks, not more.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies @sheri_joseph: By writing the first day, she “settles in” right away and is able to get more done.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
[Both Sheri and Doug had terrific advice on what to do once you’ve won a residency and how to make the most of your time there.]
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies @sheri_joseph: “If you’re a novelist in a novel, don’t waste time on things you can do elsewhere.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Conferences/Residencies – Douglas Trevor: You want to know what you plan to accomplish. Break it down to every day of your stay.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Residencies – Douglas Trevor: It can help if you can apply in a seemingly objective way about how you’ll use the residency.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Residencies – Douglas Trevor found that a surprising amount of 100 pages he wrote in a residency didn’t change. (Good material)
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Residencies – Douglas Trevor: “Think about what your book is about, what you intend to do. Other books like yours.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests – Douglas Trevor: Look up who has won in the past. Ask them if it was good for their career. How did publication go?
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests – Douglas Trevor: If you don’t know the journal running a contest, look it up. Find out who you’re submitting to.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests – @erikadreifus mentions the @awpwriter page as useful as a resource for listings. (She has a handout.)
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
[I pointed out that not all of AWP’s resources are available to non-members. But as for the handout – which was designed to allow us to focus the session on application tips and advice on making the most of one’s residency time and other opportunities by pointing attendees to websites where it’s easy to find relevant lists and databases for individual research – HERE IT IS!]
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies – ErikaDreifus: Don’t wait to the last minute (esp. if you have to ask for letters of recommendation).
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies – ErikaDreifus: Make sure people you ask for recommendations from know clearly what you’re applying to.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies – ErikaDreifus: “Double-space your writing sample and don’t exceed the number of pages requested.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies – ErikaDreifus: “When you have good work, send it out. Do remember how subjective the process is.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies – Douglas Trevor on the differences a pre-selection cmtecan have with the views of a “celebrity judge.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies @sheri_joseph “I am very opposed to short story contests that charge you money…very little payoff.”
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests Residencies @erikadreifus “I’ll announce @glimmertrain‘s submission period” but won’t promote entry-fee contests.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
#Muse2013 Contests, Residencies: @erikadreifus recommends @khncenter as a great experience in supporting writers.
— Porter Anderson (@Porter_Anderson) May 5, 2013
Great session, Erika! Thanks!
Great to meet you, Wendy!