The Storytellers’ Summit

I walked into the newsroom today ready to write.

Ready to make words sing and dance and twist and shout.
Ready to meet new people and hand out business cards at restaurants, hair salons and to strangers on benches.
Ready to write and edit until the grammar is immaculate, the cadence is beautiful, the rhythm is perfect.

Ready to weave stories from daily encounters and a lifetime of stored memories.

This newfound dose of confidence and excitement is a product of this past weekend’s Storyteller’s Summit, sponsored by UF’s College of Journalism and Communications.

I heard enough advice for a lifetime.
Or a weekend. After all, journalism is both a craft and an art, which means learning never ends.

I met Rick Bragg, who first enchanted me three years ago with his stories in Somebody Told Me.

I heard Michael Connelly talk about his childhood and his role in the development of an upcoming movie based on one of his novels.

I heard the language artist Roy Peter Clark give his tips on writing well.

And I was inspired by Lane DeGregory’s tenacity and creativity.

I’ll be writing all about the speakers and the workshops soon.