7 Quick Reasons why Writers Should Attend SXSW…
I wrote this post for Zyzzyva
Writers have been coming to SXSWi since its earliest days. Science fiction novelist Bruce Sterling has given a closing day presentation for nearly a decade. Jonathan Zittrain, Steven Berlin Johnson, and Clay Shirky have all promoted books there. And I was fortunate to introduce Malcolm Gladwell before his Blink keynote in 2006.
And yet even when lubricated with breakfast tacos and Shiner Bock, South by Southwest Interactive intimidates even the most outgoing, least literary among us. It’s big, loud, forward-thinking, and impatient with tradition, characteristics few writers affix to themselves. It is also not friendly to Luddites or slow adopters. Do you know what a “hashtag” is? Does not knowing bring you pride? If so you’ll find few kinsman here.
You should still go. I’ve attended the last 11 years and few events (perhaps BookExpo America and the invention of Twitter) have been as valuable to my own writing endeavors as South by Southwest Interactive. I may be on the louder, impatient side myself, an ESTP disposed to hosting parties rather than crafting prose. But hang on to your doubts for a second and allow me to break down why I’d like to see more of my literary colleagues at SXSWi next spring.
Reader interactions
6 Replies to “7 Quick Reasons why Writers Should Attend SXSW…”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thanks for the post mate,i will come back again for sure.
Thanks for the post mate,i will come back again for sure.
Dank u voor sharing.maybe zul je net als de MBT VERKOOPPUNTEN.Have een mooie dag!
Dank u voor sharing.maybe zul je net als de MBT VERKOOPPUNTEN.Have een mooie dag!
Making the trip to attend a seminar such as this one sometimes involves a lot of hassle. People need to interrupt their regular routines, find a hotel, spend money on gas or airfare. However, they gain significantly by going.
As you pointed out, it gives significant exposure to writers and can give a push to someone’s career. We don’t reach our goals by doing the same things every day. While consistency is important, doing something we don’t ordinarily do can help push us forward.
Making the trip to attend a seminar such as this one sometimes involves a lot of hassle. People need to interrupt their regular routines, find a hotel, spend money on gas or airfare. However, they gain significantly by going.
As you pointed out, it gives significant exposure to writers and can give a push to someone’s career. We don’t reach our goals by doing the same things every day. While consistency is important, doing something we don’t ordinarily do can help push us forward.