Power of the Pen Summary

Summary of The Power of the Pen Writers Conference, April 20-21, 2007, at FVTC
submitted by Jessica Collins


The Fire Within-An Evening with Ellen Kort

Elen Kort used the image of fire as a basis of her talk on Friday night, April 20th. She explained her own ritual for burning a candle throughout her writing time. This unique habit creates a start/stop ritual for the practice of writing. In her writing, Ellen also practices “spilling,” or free association writing where the fire burns hot. She expressed the necessity of using the fire while it’s hot and getting these ideas into form before the ideas dissipate. The practice of consistent “spilling” is also important to keep the coals burning.

Developing and Presenting Powerful Poetry-John Lehman

John Lehman spoke about the importance of the basic elements of poetry. As I listened, I became aware that these simple ideas can somehow be forgotten when writing, and returning to them made me aware of how I could be more deliberate with them. The tools are movement (rhythm, structure, flow), drama (heightened reality, tension), and meaning (leave something to interpretation).

Be Published More Quickly-John Lehman

The keynotes for this discussion were the importance of networking and persistence. It really makes a difference if you attend groups such as the writer’s club, go to book signings, and sign up for conferences to build new relationships and skills. You never know what sort of connections you can make with those around you. Persistence is also key. There’s no need to beat yourself up when you receive rejection notices. Simply slip your manuscripts in a new envelope and send them off to another publisher.