Critter Alley

Critter Alley

Sunday, July 17, 2016

A Extraordinary Day

Yesterday I attended the All Write Conference in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with several members of my critique group, Donna, Sarah, Jane, Marcia, Doyle, Les, and Janet. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this talented group.

My absence gave Winston the chance for his first road trip. Son and DIL took him with them to Perryville, where he assisted by barking at any people who came to view the house they are trying to sell. Winston is great at unwanted snoopervision.

I'm king of everybody's castle!



















Attending the conference was well worth the two hour drive. The speakers were excellent, hearing comments from panelists about "the slush pile" made me rethink some things, and the food was scrumptious.

Talking to fellow writers is always a special treat. My friend, Sioux, won a prize for best elevator pitch. I won't repeat it here (this blog is G-rated), but it sure caught the eye of the agent who heard it. Fellow critique members Jane, Marcia, and Janet all won prizes in writing contests. I got lucky and won first place in the essay contest. What a thrill!

Meanwhile several of my buddies and I pitched novels to agents and/or publishing companies. Each writer got five minutes to "sell" their novel. I pitched to an agent and a publisher, and must admit my hands were sweating both times. What a relief when they each said they liked the idea and wanted me to send the manuscript for them to read. Of course, that's not a guarantee of anything, but at least I did it. Now I want a T-shirt that says: I Survived My First Pitch Session.

All in all, an extraordinary day.

Even my sweet little grand-baby had fun on Saturday. He went with mommy and daddy on his first boat ride.

Little Chubs has quite a beach body, doesn't he?



















Surveying the lake with Daddy.



















What a great day we had! Hope your Saturday turned out to be just as special.

10 comments:

A Tonl said...

COncats on the pitch success - and GO Winston!!

Donna Volkenannt said...

Congratulations! Love the photos!
It was a long day but lots of fun!

Donna Volkenannt said...

The conference was a blast! It was fun sharing time with you and others from our writing circle.
The photos are great. Love the swimsuit! You are truly blessed.

Saku said...

Definitely a wonderful day for you, Winston, and the grandson! Good luck with the writing - I'm very impressed.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Pat--"Snoopervision"? I love it. And the idea that he's the king of everybody's castle is hilarious (and so true when it comes to a well-loved dog).

Congratulations. The St. Louis group did well with the attention they snagged. Your book will be published (and not by you) soon, because it's an interesting story from a very interesting perspective.

Val said...

Congrats on your Essay Contest win, the request for your manuscript, and on surviving your pitch!

Linda O'Connell said...

Congratulations on your won! Your fur baby is cute, but that baby with the abs is precious.

BECKY said...

I would've liked to have attended that conference, but just couldn't. So glad you did so well, Pat! And WOW, your manuscript has awesome possibilities! I'm so happy for you!

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

Big congratulations! Excited for you! And thanks for the pics of Winston and the little guy. Always a boost. :)

Mary Horner said...

Glad you had a great time. I wanted to go but couldn't. Thanks for sharing!