http://fictionwritersreview.com/essays/awp-hope-takes-flight-in-the-basement-of-the-hilton fiction matters Tue, 22 May 2012 13:51:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 http://fictionwritersreview.com/essays/awp-hope-takes-flight-in-the-basement-of-the-hilton/comment-page-1#comment-16385 Fiction Writers Review » Blog Archive » Perseverance Triumphs Over Despair At AWP Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:02:04 +0000 http://fictionwritersreview.com/?p=2420#comment-16385 [...] Editor’s note: At AWP 2012, which just wrapped up in Chicago, we were thrilled to hear this wonderful story from one of our contributors, Sarah Van Arsdale, and are delighted to share it with you. It’s a reminder of what conferences are really about: fostering community to buoy a writer’s spirit, helping you hang in there through those the hard months years when it feels like you’re going nowhere. 2009, Chicago. Attended AWP with the single-minded purpose of finding a publisher for my novel; my agent had tried like hell, and failed to place it. Barely made it to a single panel or reading, too busy shuffling booth to booth, then retreating to hotel room to collapse in a heap of despair. Within twenty-four hours of returning home, had sent copies of manuscript to everyone who’d expressed even the slightest interest. [...] [...] Editor’s note: At AWP 2012, which just wrapped up in Chicago, we were thrilled to hear this wonderful story from one of our contributors, Sarah Van Arsdale, and are delighted to share it with you. It’s a reminder of what conferences are really about: fostering community to buoy a writer’s spirit, helping you hang in there through those the hard months years when it feels like you’re going nowhere. 2009, Chicago. Attended AWP with the single-minded purpose of finding a publisher for my novel; my agent had tried like hell, and failed to place it. Barely made it to a single panel or reading, too busy shuffling booth to booth, then retreating to hotel room to collapse in a heap of despair. Within twenty-four hours of returning home, had sent copies of manuscript to everyone who’d expressed even the slightest interest. [...]

]]> http://fictionwritersreview.com/essays/awp-hope-takes-flight-in-the-basement-of-the-hilton/comment-page-1#comment-1495 gwen Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:20:22 +0000 http://fictionwritersreview.com/?p=2420#comment-1495 That's the first flutter of hope I've felt in a very long time! Thanks for sharing this. That’s the first flutter of hope I’ve felt in a very long time! Thanks for sharing this.

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