What a weekend. Fully one year since our 2020 ground conference we transitioned to a cloud event and got to see so many invaluable members of our community, it was a bit overwhelming. By all accounts exceeding expectations that we could emulate our traditional events so successfully online, Wes, Rick, Linda and I could not be more grateful. With any luck, come September, we’ll not have to do another this way again. If so, however, at least we know we can.
Thank you to all those who placed their trust in the SCWC, our wonderful workshop leaders, and advance readers. Thank you to our excellent special guest speakers: Dennis K. Crosby (Death’s Legacy), Isla Morley (The Last Blue), and Joy Lazendorfer (Right Back Where We Started From). Good job. While their keynotes were open to the public, for those who missed them, click on the below images to view their talks, minus Q&A conversation which followed.
Lost in the excitement was our remembering to give out awards, other than for the Topic Award. With it the rules are simple: Write a piece in any form you wish of no more than 250 words based on the one-word topic announced Friday night. The topic for SD35 was “Doohickey.” Here’s the winning entry
SCWC*35 Award Recipient
OUTSTANDING TOPIC STORY
[untitled]
by
Beverly Siddons
of Corona, CA
Dylan relaxed near the firepit of the roof-top gathering spot while scanning the area for potential company. His eyes settled on the voluptuous woman sitting at the bar, her long legs pretzeled around the stool upon which she perched. He sipped his cocktail while studying her appealing curves. As if his body had a mind of its own, he arose and sauntered toward the woman stopping directly behind her, close enough to catch a whiff of her perfume. He imagined running his fingers through the wavy tresses of her auburn hair and felt his long-neglected desire growing.
Lost in his twilight dream, he began to lean toward her. His body nearly touched her back but at the same time she leaned away from him into the surface of the wooden bar. He paused as she crooked her finger beckoning the bartender. Wiping the counter in front of her, he said, “What can Ah getchya?”
Dylan held his breath waiting for her to speak. “Hey, Darlin’. You’re a man. What’s that thingy called? You know that whatchamacallit in front of a man that kinda goes up and down?”
Dylan offered his assistance. “Could you mean this firm piece of muscular flesh pressing against your back?”
Without turning around, she said, “Goodness, no. Not that little thingy. I mean that doohickey that bobs up and down in a guy’s neck.”
“Oh, that would be the Adam’s Apple.” With that he returned to his seat. Deflated.
###
Congratulations, Bev!
Dates for San Diego 36 are Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 18-20, 2022. Limited to 175 writers, discounted pre-registration opens August 1. Up next, our annual Fall event in Irvine takes place September 17-19, 2021. Discounted pre-registration opens March 1st. Limited to 150 writers, full details can be found here.
That’s all for this round. Until next time, have a good poke and be sure to get your vaccine.
—Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
