Day One of the Wisconsin Writers Association 2026 Conference is in the books!
This morning, after a bleary breakfast of oatmeal, berries, and citrus, I loaded my trunk, checked my packing list one last time, and sailed to Manitowac in my four wheeled dinghy along a highway wading in Lake Michigan fog.
I've heard with conferences it's important to arrive with a plan. I couldn't make up my mind whether to show up as a writer or as an editor. At last, because I am both, I figured: why not be both and see how it goes?
I debarked in a state of nerves and anticipation. The former melted with the fog; the latter bloomed into delight as I joined a posse of writers for the first event of the day. This was a literal "poem walking" seminar with Wisconsin poet Katrina Serwe. She supplied us with inspirational chapbooks bound with ribbons, led us to the lakefront, and exhorted us to write up a bank of sensory impressions while we walked. She noted we were following in the footsteps of esteemed writers such as Basho, William Wordsworth, and Mary Oliver. Even without that cachet, walking, being in nature, and contemplative conversations are three of my favorite things, so to get all of them at once was the perfect way to begin my conference experience and start connecting with others.
After that earthy, transcendent stroll, I had some downtime at the venue. I took an early lunch; along with food, I dined on deep connection with kindred lettered souls. Then, a why-I-love-life moment: I looked up from my table and it took a moment to process that one of my editing clients was standing there smiling at me. I hadn't known he'd signed up for the conference, too! We compared notes and intentions. I said I hoped to hear what Catherine Stover had to say, and he told me he'd once taken a writing class with her. More serendipity! I know firsthand how good of a writer he has become, so I was all the more excited to hear from Catherine.
She led an exercise-rich discussion on ways memoirists can improve their prose to elevate their stories. I often help writers with their memoirs, so I am always eager to glean fresh tips and insights. My favorite takeaway, though, was an observation Catherine made at the start: that everything in memoir starts with the question.
This validated one of my own craft convictions. I often say that our strongest writing comes not from a place of certainty but one of curiosity and eagerness to discover ... This is as especially important attitude to cultivate when we look inward, because we don't know what's in there as well as we think we do.
Another great takeaway from Catherine: the more important something is in the story, the more specificity it merits. The way I phrase this: attention is signal, and a story can't all be signal. Attention needs to be proportional to importance.
More recap and more conference to come, but I must sleep. See you tomorrow!
Ultreia et suseia!
