Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray changed the way I read. Now, I linger in the language of the writer. Sometimes, I ponder the presence of particular words. Occasionally, I try techniques that tantalize readers. Craft stops the reader in their tracks as they mentally note, “Now that was cool!” Wondrous Words made me notice craft which pushed me to use craft intentionally.
Last fall I submitted a proposal to present a session on recognizing craft. Plus I wanted to share a strategy for organizing craft that I learned from Mary Helen Gensch at the All-Write conference. My proposal was accepted. That explains why I had a Speaker ribbon on my name tag (some readers have such sharp eyes).
Saturday morning (final day of the conference) was my scheduled time. The week before I was notified that fifty-four were registered for my session. Yikes, that’s a lot of minds to engage for seventy-five minutes!
Snow began dancing it’s way into the morning. As the flakes twirled and whirled, attendees began the hustle to their cars. The morning keynote population had dwindled from previous days. I wondered if any would attend my session, which followed the keynote.
As I busied myself with setting up my materials, people drifted in, choosing spots at tables closer to the door for a quick escape. The tables began to fill. By the time I started, there were about forty-ish listeners.
Soon, it was time to retrieve the books I spread out on the tables. Several thanked me for my information. So all in all, it was a success.
The snow continued to fall. The masses continued to exit. There were only three of us attending the final session. How disappointing for those presenters! You just can’t count on February weather to cooperate.
elsie tries writing 