Recap of Montana Festival of the Book
I was so happy and grateful to be part of the 2018 Montana Book Festival in Missoula! I had two panels, both on Saturday.
The first one focused on Writing and Publishing for Young Adults and Children where I met many amazing ladies who'd written both fiction and non-fiction, ranging from pictures books to YA novels. While I don't consider The Falling Dawn to be a young adult, part of the book is written from the protagonist's perspective as a young girl who must rapidly mature to deal with the struggles that come her way. The discussion was fun and lively, ranging from writing techniques to time management to the state of the industry as a whole. The moderator worked at the Missoula Public Library and his enthusiasm saturated the room.
The second panel was a reading and Q&A about "Science Fiction." While I read from The Falling Dawn, I did mention my new post-apocalyptic book that should be coming out sometime in 2019. The other three panelists were great, making me want to read their books! The Q&A consisted of inspiration, time management, and where the love or interest in science fiction originated.
Beyond my panels, I attended many discussions and readings that sparked conversation and insight. "Decolonizing the Myth of Cowboys & Indians" hit on sensitivity in writing, especially a writer's ethics in portraying different cultures. "Portraying Different Cultures" had a similar line of thought, but also encouraged the idea that a writer's job was to also break barriers and take risks. "The Synthetic Age" evaluated the consequences of the technology humans currently have and how it can be used to mitigate problems of our own making, philosophically asking if we have the right to use this power that can change the world. A discussion of the anthology Hearth contemplated the idea of home and fulfillment, wherever it may be found. The readings were powerful, even if the writers seemed a bit standoffish at the end. I can see it being difficult to speak on the meaning of home--whether it be a person long-lost, a home destroyed, or just places that are endangered due to climate change.
"Writing & Money" went through the financial side of publishing. I was glad they had a financial advisor to go through terminology. It actually got a little scary thinking about all that--especially when you're suppose to be saving 10-15% for retirement out of every paycheck, you pay nearly half of what you make into taxes, and then you have to actually make a living on top of it. Handy tips included making yourself a business and assigning yourself an employee ID number. But damn, how anyone does it full-time, on their own, without the help of a partner/family gets props.
But one of the best things was the Book Trivia the last day of the festival. We won second place! Les Quizerables lost to Donde Esta La Biblioteca by ONE POINT, but it was a glorious fight, with ties nearly the whole game and great questions. Prizes were top notch, and we definitely enjoyed our bacon salted caramels with beer at Dram Shop afterwards, then spend out hard-earned Library bucks at the Used Book Section.
All in all, a fantastic weekend and a unique event to Missoula. I'm glad I was able to participate and attend. Books were sold at both locations (huzzah!) and I donated one to the Missoula Public Library.
