Wonder Writer Meets Her Match, Squares Up Against the Best in the Business

The big news out of Titletown this weekend? The Green Bay Packers 2017 draft picks. What about the big news out of Untitled Town this weekend?

Never heard of Untitled Town? It’s a first-time event in which readers and writers congregated for three days of homage to the written word.

The Untitled Town Book and Author Festival incorporated more than 70 events in 7 different locations in downtown Green Bay. At writing workshops, panel discussions, and readings I found solidarity with others who truly love words.

The presenters were generous in dispensing nuggets of wisdom about their writing. Here are a few gems I packed away:

1. No finished work is done until someone else reads it.
2. Writers are divided into two categories: Plotters, who plan carefully, and Pantsers, who write by the seat of their pants.
3. Readers are seeking a “rabbit hole” — an escape from their jobs, their kids, and their dirty dishes.
4. Writing is a process. Stories don’t just pop out full-borne. They need to be massaged over time.
5. Two things are critical to improve your writing: Read a lot, and write a lot.

I call myself Wonder Writer, but I think I met my match this weekend!

These writing professionals are fervently dedicated to their craft. After all, it can be a years-long journey from the first word written to the date a novel is published.

When I consider this daunting scenario, I’m thankful I spend my days crafting 250-500 words at a pop in the form of website content, blog articles, news releases and the like.

I walked away from the conference inspired, yes, but even more so, I felt proud of my role as a storyteller (minuscule as it is) in a vast and diverse writing industry. For this, I thank the creators of #UntitledTown. Can’t wait for next year!

Author: Joan Koehne

Once a mild-mannered reporter and editor, Joan Koehne has taken on the persona of her alter ego, Wonder Writer, saving the world one word at a time. In 2017 she went up, up and away to launch a writing services business, Writer to the Rescue, a division of Packerland Websites. A 2017 college graduate, Joan earned highest honors and the Marketing Student of the Year award.