Yesterday I attended a Ventura/Santa Barbara SCBWI Workshop in Bakersfield, "Finding and Capturing an Agent", with guest speaker Erin Murphy. As usual, Ms. Murphy was very personable and shared her terrific insights on being an agent. I love speakers who make you feel like you're sitting at the kitchen table (or Starbucks), chatting over a cup of coffee--and Ms. Murphy does just that.
The other great thing about the day was the "connection factor" that comes with attending writing events. I love meeting new members, putting faces with my cyber-friends (via our listserve) and of course, seeing my old friends. This is just as valuable to me as any other part of the day. I wanted to jump up and cheer when Ms. Murphy complimented my friends' writing and I loved seeing the faces of people when they heard her say positive things about their work. There's nothing like being validated, especially in this business. It's simply uplifting!
