WOW: Welcome, Kristin, thank you for stopping by The Muffin to talk to us about The International Women's Writing Guild, and your upcoming August conference. First, tell us a little about IWWG and your role with the organization.
Kristin: Thank you for the invitation! The International Women's Writing Guild was founded in 1976 to provide women an outlet in which to express and develop themselves through writing, as well as a way to connect with and support each other. You can read more about our history at http://iwwg.org/who-we-are.
I went to my first IWWG Summer Conference a couple years ago as an attendee and was amazed by the experience. There is something magical that happens in those intensive days surrounded by talented, creative, welcoming artists. After that conference, I knew I wanted to be part of this organization. Now, I am the membership and media director and right-hand to our executive director, Cynthia Fritts Stillwell, who is a tireless champion of the creative arts and a savvy businesswoman. She has some exciting plans for the guild, and I'm honored to be part of the process.
WOW: Okay, so on to the conference taking place in Madison, New Jersey in August! Who's the perfect attendee for this conference?
Kristin: Any woman who has a story to tell. And any writer who wants to further her creative and/or business skills. I love that this conference draws a rich diversity of writers from all genres, levels of experience, and walks of life. What brings us all together is our need to express ourselves, the desire to expand our world, and push ourselves to grow and evolve into better writers and women.
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| Summer conf. site |
Kristin: There are three main 1.5-hour workshops each day: two in the morning after breakfast and one after lunch. For the last session of the day, attendees choose from informal breakout sessions that dip into art, craft, or business. Evening programs and social networking follow dinner. On Saturday (August 10), there will be a book fair featuring our member authors; and for those ready to pitch their books to agents and publishers, they can do so in a one-on-one setting. We have a diverse group of agents who are enthusiastic about listening to the various pitches our attendees will deliver.
We understand that writers want to actually WRITE during a conference! Whether during writing exercises in workshops or in their own time, our attendees leave our event with a substantial amount of juicy writing.
WOW: Sounds like an awesome and perfect schedule! Who are your instructors?
Kristin: This year, we have a mix of our long-time instructors and instructors who are new to our members. They are award-winning writers and performers, professors and international speakers, and businesswomen and entrepreneurs. We are truly thrilled with our team! These women have created such exciting workshops that cover fiction, creative nonfiction, business, oral presentation, memoir, and everything in-between. You can find out more about our instructors at http://iwwg.org/2013-sum-conf-bios.
WOW: Great! Your theme is "ReImagine the Magic." How will this help a writer and her career? Will it help all writers, regardless of genre?
Kristin: In our theme, “magic” refers to that intangible effect I was mentioning earlier that happens while at our summer conference. This magical experience stays with our attendee long after she leaves, reminding her of all she learned, experienced, and accomplished during those few days. The magic becomes a part of her and inspires her to keep writing.
We want our attendees to feel empowered to re-imagine their idea of themselves, of their writing...what they can be. The journey keeps going, and we encourage women writers of all levels and genres to “ReImagine the Magic” within themselves.
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| Drew University |
Kristin: All of our summer conference information--instructor bios, workshop descriptions, pricing, and registration--is available at http://iwwg.org/2013-summer-conference . We offer full packages (with or without housing) and commuter day rates. The deadline for housing is July 1st.
WOW: Thanks for all the details! Anything else you want to add?
Kristin: As with all of our conferences, IWWG members enjoy a discounted rate. If you're not already a member, you can join before you register for our summer conference and receive the member pricing! To learn more about the benefits of membership, and to join IWWG, visit http://iwwg.org/become-member.
WOW: Thank you, Kristin. We really appreciate your time telling our readers about this wonderful opportunity! Muffin readers,
3 comments:
Margo--It sounds like it will be a great conference. Sadly, my traveling this summer has already taken place. The rest of my summer is going to be filled with work (around the house and preparing for some professional development), reading and writing.
However, I can think of and imagine what is going on...from afar...when the conference is taking place.
Sioux: Thanks for reading the interview! IWWG sounds like a great organization, doesn't it? :)
Great interview ladies! The conference sounds fantastic, and those pictures are gorgeous! I love what Kristin about the conference--that writers actually write and leave with a substantial amount of juicy writing. :)
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