Do this - and thank yourself later

It had been an AGE since I'd been to a live event of any kind - music, comedy or a community talk (my bad) - and last week's Winter Writers Roundtable at my local library reminded me exactly what I'd been missing..

The Roundtable was part of a series of three live engagements featuring fabulous and diverse authors, and it turned out it was EXACTLY the sort of creative injection I needed.

Here are three reasons you should go to your next local author event.

Courtesy of Alpine Libraries and Alpine Shire Council

1. You learn things you won't find in books.

Obvious, right? But it's easy to forget that this is the heart of being a writer. It's important to be reminded by published authors themselves that they each went through the doubt, the messy bits, the criticism, the working and reworking of multiple drafts and that they, too, were once in the same place you are now.

Plus, the 'humanness' of it all is a lovely place to sit for a while.

2. You will look back on your notes and use them as fuel.

I always take notes because there's always at least one idea, quote, or piece of advice that sticks with me long after the event is over.

Author and former ABC journalist Michael Brissenden, spruiking his new crime fiction, Dusk, talked about delivering a story in a way that gives his readers 'space and agency' - a fair departure from his work in political reporting, and a clear transition he had to make in his writing style.

Suzanne Leal, launching her fourth work of fiction, The Watchful Wife, did a deep dive into the idea of moral complexity and spoke at length about how this informed her characters and framed the stories she told.

She told us "silence can be a real superpower", and it sticks with me each time I re-read my notes from that day.

What little gem from a seasoned writer might spark something in your own writing?

3. Questions yield gold!

Some of the best conversations happen during the Q&A, and you might walk even away with advice that's exactly what you needed to hear. So ... don't be afraid to put your hand up!

Zahid Gamieldien let us know that he rates fellowships and competitions at the top of his list for getting recognised in the publishing industry, followed by surrounding yourself with the 'right people', in the form of editors, agents and the like.

Zahid's novel 'All the Missing Children' is visceral and foreboding and, in a quiet moment while signing my copy, he told me about the importance of publishers feeling it was commercial enough, despite its literary DNA.

Hearing authors talk openly about their process, challenges, and successes gives insights that usually don't make it into any other forum.

Libraries put on so many fantastic events, and they're a great way to support authors while investing in your own growth as a writer ... or reader.

If you see such an event coming up near you, do yourself a favour and go along.

~

A footnote: I finally got the last of my novel's third draft over the line! Done. Finito! Toast made. And now the document for Draft 4 is sitting open on my laptop. Stay tuned!

More stuff from me lives over at Substack: https://substack.com/@klairejohnston

Writers Roundtable authors mentioned here:

Michael Brissenden: https://www.michaelbrissenden.com/

Suzanne Leal: https://substack.com/@suzannelealauthor

Zahid Gamieldien: https://zahidgamieldien.com/