 |
Diana Rowland at the 2006 L. Ron Hubbard Presents
Writers of the Future Awards Ceremony in San
Diego, CA
|
Diana
Rowland, one-time street cop, detective and currently
a forensics investigator, has lived a life most people
only get to write about. But now, she's writing about
what most people only dream of, and as a result she's
one of the first place quarterly winners in the Writers
of the Future Contest. Her winning story, "Schroedinger's
Hummingbird," is a haunting tale of one woman's
desperate attempt to alter time in order to save someone
she loves—only "time" turns out to be
a formidable adversary.
Diana
recently spent a week at the Writers of the Future workshop,
culminating in a gala awards ceremony at the San Diego
Air & Space Museum. On returning home to Louisiana,
she had these words to share:
"I
just want to say that this past week has definitely
been one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Not only
was it a really great chance to meet other writers who
are at about the same level as I am, but it was a chance
to meet renowned authors who are light years ahead of
me in talent and success. And not only did I get to
meet them, but I got to actually converse with them,
get to know them as real people and learn their secrets
(as well as the super-secret handshake that is the key
to publishing!).
"My winning story was the first entry I'd ever
made to the contest, and I'm kicking myself for not
having entered it years ago. I learned SO much in just
one week that it's going to take me weeks more just
to assimilate it all—I'm glad I took good notes!
The whole focus of this workshop—that we're already
professional writers and just need that extra push—is
one that can't be found anywhere else, in any other
workshop. I also have to say that having some of the
giants in the field come up to me and tell me how much
they liked my story was something that I will never
forget, and something that will definitely keep me writing.
"And, of course, then there was the book signing.
As I told my husband afterwards, 'Okay, that was the
coolest thing I've ever done, and now I have to go write
more books so that I can do it some more!' In fact,
before we left San Diego I came up with an idea for
a novel, and my husband and I spent much of the time
that we were waiting for our homebound flight brainstorming
the plot out.
"This contest is the real deal. It's the best and
biggest chance that an up-and-coming writer has to break
in. And on top of it, you get a really nifty award ceremony
and a gorgeous book! (I mean, really, how many times
does the average person get the chance to go to a full-tilt
formal event? Especially as an honoree!)
"Thanks again for a fantastic week. I hope to come
back in a few years as a judge."
Visit
the new Writers and Illustrators of the Future winners
at booksigning events happening in your area throughout
September and October. Check upcoming Writers of the
Future newsletters for more information on monthly events.
| Date |
Store |
Location |
Winner |
| Sep.
15 11:00AM |
Hill
Post Exchange |
Hill
AFB, Ogden, UT
|
Eric
James Stone, Robert Defendi, Kathleen Dolton |
Sep.
21 11:30AM |
Snow
College
Bookstore |
Ephraim,
UT |
Eric
James Stone, Robert Defendi |
Sep.
23
2:00PM |
Barnes
& Noble |
Mandeville,
LA |
Diana
Rowland |
Oct.
7
1:00PM |
B.
Dalton |
York,
PA |
Michail
Velichanski |
Oct.
19
12:00PM |
OSU
Bookstore |
Corvallis,
OR |
Blake
Hutchins |
Oct.
20
11:30AM |
Barnes
& Noble |
Rochester,
NY |
David
Sakmyster |
Oct.
21
11:00AM |
Waldenbooks |
Roseburg,
OR |
Blake
Hutchins |
Oct.
27
6:00PM |
Waldenbooks |
York,
PA |
Michail
Velichanski |
Oct.
28
12:00PM |
Barnes
& Noble |
Bellevue,
WA |
Nathan
Taylor |
