Most were woman, age ranged from 20 - 80 years. Different background, different experiences, different jobs, different lifestyles.
Some were published, some just starting out. many like me were somewhere on the way, still trying to decide which route to take- self publishing or traditional, but all linked by the power of story.
One weekend and three hundred people shared a dream. How many more attend similar conferences and festivals throughout the year? How many more never attend? There are so many of us. we are not as alone as we feel.
I was nervous before arriving, and nervous again in between talks. I found empty spaces to stand or sit. Often near another quiet person. One of us would have the guts to say 'Hi, what genre do you write?' or 'Did you find that interesting?' Suddenly we were swapping writing experiences, ideas and problems.
Everybody had something in common here, I was not alone. many confessed to being unnerved by the number of people around them.
The conversations anywhere else would have had people being taken away -
How many people have you killed?
Are you a plotter?
Do your characters talk to you?
How many stories do you hold in your head?
Are there dragons in your world?
What magic do you use?
We all had problems to overcome, nerves about agents to settle, and truths to face, there are many people travelling the same road as me,
Meeting other writers regularly is not possible for me because of my physical isolation of living in a quiet area of France, but I had different experiences to share - websites, online writing communities, places to find readers, podcasts and free writing courses.
Where ever we are in the world it is possible to link with other writers.
I have kept in contact with a few people I exchanged emails with, it is nice to share how we are progressing after the festival.
The end of my weekend is not the end of my experience - this festival opened my eyes to the huge task I have ahead. Daunting, challenging, but possible.
The blog does not end here either- I have more to share.
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