The Anhinga Flies Again
Writers' Studio Continues
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Photo by Albert Isaac
Co-directors of the Anhinga Writers' Studio. Back: Bev Browning. Front, left to right in back: Diana Tonnessen and Mary Anna Evans.
For more than a decade, the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Writing the Region conference has offered educational and networking opportunities for wordsmiths at all levels of expertise. When the writing conference was orphaned, three members of the faculty took action. Gainesville writers -- Diana Tonnessen, Bev Browning and Mary Anna Evans -- have taken the reins, continuing a writing conference for novice and professional alike.
Last year, the Anhinga Writers' Studio was held at the Gainesville Hilton. People came to the conference from as far away as Delaware."We are thrilled to have you with us," Browning told the audience. "It's a lonely business, and you are my tribe. I'm proud to have you here, on whatever level."
"You need other people who understand what you do," Tonnessen added. "We need support of other people."In their opening presentation, the three women offered advice and information on everything from their own personal quirks (Browning can only start work on the half-hour) to breaking writer's block (Tonnessen tricks her brain into thinking she is not really writing, merely taking notes).
"It is easier to edit bad work then to write good work," Tonnessen said.
Last year, novelist Charlain Harris was invited to the conference to talk about her life as a writer. Harris is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, the basis for the HBO series "True Blood." A book signing followed, with a line of 200+ fans extending nearly the entire length of the Hilton front corridor.
Each day was filled with workshops and opportunities for writers to rub elbows with other authors, editors and agents. Even Harris, who has seen much success with her southern vampire books, attended some of the classes.
"You're never too big to stop learning new things," Harris said, sitting with notepad in hand for one of Evans' workshops.
Her fans packed the room to hear a "Conversation with Charlaine Harris." Among the many things Harris revealed was the importance of supporting other writers.
"It's a tough industry," Harris said. "There's no reason for us to make it tougher."
A lively question and answer period followed, as Harris shared stories of her life and thanked her many fans.
"They have made me who I am and I love them," Harris said.
The Anhinga Writing Studio is now a non-profit, headed up by Tonnessen, Browning and Evans, whose mission it is to help writers network and hone their skills. Tonnessen is an award-winning feature writer, book author and the associate editor of "Gainesville Magazine." She has been involved in the conference since 2001.
Evans is an award-winning author of the Faye Longchamp series of archaeological mysteries, including the Benjamin Franklin Award-winning "Artifacts," "Relics" and her latest in the series, "Floodgates."
Browning is an editor, freelance writer and ghostwriter, with more than 100 titles under her belt.
Recently, the three gathered around the dining room table at Evans' home to talk about the upcoming Anhinga writers' conference.
"We are at [conference] number 14," Browning said. "The second under the banner of Anhinga."
"In these writing workshops you get people who are so eager and are so happy to be there," Tonnessen said. "They just want to soak in everything that you can share with them."
"We call them the early career writers," Browning said.
The three women recounted what it was like directing last year's conference, following traditions established by the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings conference in addition to introducing some new things.
"But doing it the way we did, in a new venue, it was kind of like being shot out of a cannon," Browning said.
"Like dropping out of an airplane," Evans added.
"That's exactly what it felt like," Browning continued. "A breathless moment. But it was really a lot of fun. The wonderful thing about a writers' conference is that the person teaching and the person in the audience can be of equal level. So the exchange of information is really exciting and it's really a lot of fun."Writing can be very isolating and the conference offers opportunities for writers to come and be with their friends, network and get their batteries recharged.
"It's really nice to have somebody in your profession that you can go to, formally or informally, for that input and exchange of information," Browning said.
People can bring their families to enjoy the local venues while writers attend the conference. In the evening, participants can take a shuttle around Gainesville to see the sites and sample cuisine. Coupons will be available as well. This years' conference also offers a salon event, giving participants an opportunity to mingle.
"We want people to get to know each other, pitch each other, and exchange numbers," Browning said. "And just enjoy themselves."
"We want to build community," Evans said.
The conference offers individualized instructional tracts for fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Writers can sign up for as many or as few as they want.
"We are judicious with the use of free time," Browning said. "We want to make sure they get their money's worth."
Among the many presenters at this year's conference are publisher George Hirsch and self-published author Peter Bowerman; two men who represent very different aspects of the publishing world.
"We have a hugely interesting combination, two of the most passionate people," Browning said. "We are going to get this wonderful old-school gentleman from the traditional end of publishing, acknowledging the transition, and then a younger man who is standing in the middle of the transition and pushing it. And it is going to be really interesting."
The Anhinga Writers' Studio offers a conference for writers of all ages. All the women agreed that Seniors may find particular interest in the memoir-writing workshop.
"People get to the later stage of their lives and maybe they are not going to have careers [as writers] but they have stories to tell and a legacy they want to leave." Browning said. "And that's where this conference becomes valuable."
"We do have a strong specialty in memoir," Evans added. "Everybody has a story."
"We also have the capacity to gentle an aspiring writer," Browning said, "someone who just wants to find a voice and put that stuff down on paper."
The conference also offers writers a chance to get feedback from professionals.
"I think in order for a writer to grow, that person has to be open to submitting their work to somebody and trusting that whatever they do with it is probably for the betterment of the story and not to take it personally," Tonnessen said. "We all have to go through it. I still get critiqued. So we do a lot of that at our conference and that's something you don't get at some other conferences. There is an intimacy with this conference, and a trusting, caring environment. We don't browbeat people."
"Our instructors are hired not only because they are top-drawer writers but because they are able to teach," Browning said. "We hire people with credentials in two realms: good educators and good writers."
And what other advice do these women offer aspiring writers?
"Run!" Evans exclaimed as all three women erupted in laughter.
"Run to our conference," Tonnessen added with a laugh. §
