UnCon 2023: When Good Chaos and Good Magic Collide
By Kim Bullock | November 27, 2023 |
Imagine a ballroom filled with 120 writers. Many have met at past UnCons, retreats, or other events, but others are connected only through social media, comments on the Writer Unboxed blog or, perhaps, a past attendee. Some are New York Times bestsellers. Some are indie authors. Some have multiple manuscripts tucked away and could wallpaper a room with rejections. Some are so blocked and discouraged that it’s impossible to finish their manuscript, let alone submit it. Some are wide-eyed and plugging away at their very first novel. One is better known as a literary agent.
Now imagine these writers haunting Salem’s Derby Wharf neighborhood for five days in early November; sharing rooms at the Salem Waterfront Hotel, pulling tables together at pubs, touring the Peabody Essex Museum, buying spells or talismans for creativity and focus, walking in tightly knit clumps down the same narrow, historic streets where Nathaniel Hawthorne once strolled. They traverse between the hotel and the House of the Seven Gables to attend lectures on voice, character development, and how to rescue a sagging middle.
Notebooks are filled. Laptop batteries scream for more juice. Brains explode.
In true UnCon tradition, classes on how to snag an agent or whether to self-publish are conspicuously absent from the schedule. There are no anxiety-riddled pitch sessions. No one jockeys for position to pigeonhole Donald Maass or anyone else at the hotel bar. Want to chat? Meet in the ballroom after that bar has closed. Pour a scotch from one of the many bottles on the center table. Pull up a chair. Relax.
We are all just writers here.
The Writer Unboxed Un-Conference is always, well, unboxed. An experiment. A risk. It might have been an utter disaster in 2014, after the unexpected passing of Writer Bob, or in 2016, on an election night that left most of us shell-shocked. It wasn’t, though, in large part because Therese Walsh has an uncanny ability to attract the type of people who check their egos at the door and open their arms (figuratively and literally) to everyone.
Magic, and not of the witchy variety, has occurred in Salem, Massachusetts four times now.
Magical Moments at UnCon 2023 (Beyond the Sessions)
Sharing the Prize
Kristin South won the WU Scholarship prize this year. My mouth literally hung open while Therese Walsh read these opening lines of Kristin’s amazing essay: My ancestor was a witch, hanged in the town square some forty years before Salem. Goodwife Bassett’s crimes included pointedly observing that the local elders didn’t allow non- Puritans to vote and ‘holding her head full high.’
Then we learned that Kristin, upon learning she had won, asked Therese if there was another writer who had come close, someone who also would be attending the conference, with whom she might share her prize. Lisa Bodenheim fit that bill. The two women, holding their heads full high, shared the glory.
Sandwiched by Therese Fowler and Therese Walsh
That Keynote Speech
Right on the heels of Kristin’s gesture–the epitome of UnCon spirit–and Therese Walsh’s provoking speech on the power of chaos to propel character, story, and even your life as a writer forward, we had Therese Anne Fowler’s keynote address.
For those of you who don’t know, “the other Therese” is the New York Times bestselling author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, which was adapted for television starring Christina Ricci. Therese is no slouch in the literary world.
When she got behind the lectern that night, though, she spoke to all of us, no matter our genre or level of success. Her speech wasn’t the expected writerly pep talk. It was personal, vulnerable, raw, and something I heard people raving about for days. After swiping away more than a few tears, I itched to get back to my manuscript.
Those Roommates
Many attendees returning to Salem experienced ‘happy accidents’ in regard to past roommates and stuck with what worked. Oddly enough, I don’t remember having met Lisa Cohen at UnCon 2014, and my only interaction with her at UnCon 2016 was me admiring her gorgeous dragonfly tattoo minutes before catching my cab back to the airport. After having been randomly paired up at a retreat in Vermont, we’ve roomed together ever since. Marianna Martin joined us for UnCons 2019 and 2023, completing our perfect trio. We may be different ages, come from different backgrounds, and write in different genres, but I’m convinced we share one neurodivergent brain. When you find others who nod sympathetically when you say ‘I couldn’t sleep last night because my clothes were touching me’ or ‘I didn’t say anything at dinner because there were four conversations happening at once and all I heard was noise,’ you hold tight to that tribe!
Writers Lifting Up Other Writers
With no barriers between presenters and attendees, UnCon features a culture of community, not competition. Those writers with more experience, success, and connections reach out a lifeline to help those who are “almost there.” Manuscripts are exchanged for beta reads. Encouragement is given to those in query hell, or submission hell, or the sophomore slump, or those who are blocked halfway through their very first story. I even heard one tale of a writer talking up someone else’s manuscript to a certain literary agent.
Congratulations, Therese Walsh, on another unforgettable event. I’m sure many of us are already looking forward to 2025.
Write On!
Did you attend the 2023 Writer Unboxed Unconference (or any of the earlier ones)? What were your magical moments?
The Good Witch
Kim (she/her) has an M.A. in English from Iowa State University. She writes mainly historical fiction, though has also contributed non-fiction articles to historical and Arts and Crafts publications in both the United States and Canada. She has just finished The Oak Lovers, a novel based on the rather colorful life of her great-grandfather, landscape painter Carl Ahrens.
[coffee]
Kim, you perfectly captured the magic that was the 2023 Writer Unboxed Un-Conference. Julie and I described it as a creative awakening. Our brains sizzled from all of the knowledge and tips shared during the week. From our morning walks, to the fellowship, the excellent presenters, the dinners, and the sights and sounds of Salem, it was truly an immersive creative experience. Thank you for all you do to assist in keeping Writer Unboxed functioning at a high level. It was great to see you again.
Thank you, Chris! It was great to see you and Julie there. It’s always such a rush to be there, and hard to come back to the reality of home.
Hey Kim, You’re so right, that UnCon is always magical. This year was no exception, but each one summons its own unique spell. I had several highlights (not least of which was Season of the Witch, the hazy pale ale formerly on tap in the Waterfront’s bar, and elsewhere around town). But the moment that stands out in my mind was the night you reference in the ballroom, after the bar had closed, with the tasting of the whiskeys. The camaraderie, the laughter–it’s like a foundational repair and bolstering of the structure of my writing life, to have demonstrated how “not alone” we are and must remain in order to continue to strive at a high level at our chosen pursuit.
Great seeing you (although it hadn’t been so long this time). Thanks for being a part of UnCon’s magic, my friend.
Living in a creative wasteland like I do, it is always so refreshing to be surrounded by people who get the writing compulsion, who offer encouragement or a shoulder to cry on. I feel alone in it so much of the time and don’t know how I’d get by without knowing my Writer Unboxed friends are only a text away. It was great to see you again, too! Congratulations on the new release. I’ll need to stock up for my little library! (For those who don’t know, Vaughn’s first book, The Severing Son, is the most popular book in my library. I’ve put copies out about ten times and they are always claimed within 48 hours. Never returned.)
❣️Good Chaos: Soulfood x Brainfood = Imagination UnBound🎶Creativity Unleashed
Absolutely!
With many thanks and gratitude for the scholarship gift and for this generous Unboxed community. What I saw and heard (yup, wide-eyed writer here on first novel) at UnCon was a wonderful exploration of in-person community. (Whisky tasting? So sorry I missed that!) It was great to meet and talk with people in person. I’m taptaptapping away on my story again on free mornings. Thank you all again for this opportunity.
Lisa, this is an amazing group full of writers who pay-it-forward and help people out because they have been helped before. I’m always floored by the kindness and generosity of this community.
Amazing recap, Kim. There were so many magic moments I can’t even count them all. But my favorite was my first look around the ballroom and realizing my tribe was back together. XOXO
That was something, wasn’t it? I feared it would never happen again after COVID. Speaking of which, I haven’t heard reports of anyone having gotten sick. I had the one morning of not feeling well there, but I know what caused that,
Lovely post, Kim, enhancing my regret at being unable to attend. In a profession that requires so much solitude, the ability to connect to a community such as this one is the rarest of gifts, and one to be cherished. Well done, Unboxers.
We missed you, David!
A great comment, David, about not being able to attend the conference. Solitude in your profession. It’s also solitude for novice writers. Not knowing which community to join that will be helpful. So far, Writers Unboxed has been my go to for information and support. Unboxed contributor, Dave King, was my first editor. Comments from others helpful. Writing historical fiction has been a challenge with more research than I ever anticipated. I chose to self- publish the debut book and will do the same for the sequel. I have contracted independent professionals for the self-publishing process. If you know of any further support, or specific agents for historical fiction writers, please let me know. The few that I searched out were not taking any new clients. Not a sought after genre. 📚🎶 Christine
Regrettably, I have no specific agents to recommend, but there are several historical fiction writers in the WU community who I think would be amenable to contact. (Don’t ask me to name them off my head–I’m at the stage of life where memory is a distant memory.)
Thank you for your comment, David. I’ll watch for the historical writers on WU. At my age I should have a distant memory. 🙄 But, fortunately ☺️ it hasn’t happened yet.
I had mad love for this particular conference; all the lights turned on and blinked YES.
That we dodged covid is a testament to the magic of Salem and UnCon. As the person voted Most Likely to Hug Everyone, I had been worried about that. Guess I can remove the crystals from the UnCon altar now. ;-)
Thanks for a great recap, Kim.
I have heard zero reports of COVID from the conference. I masked up on the plane and if it was crowded in the airports, but did not at the conference. I did try to sit on the fringes of the room when I could. (I was recently vaxxed.) You hugged a lot more people, though!
We also avoided other disasters/disruptions. Thank you so much for the insane amount of work this would have taken to put together again. You should be super proud!
I regrettably, again, missed the UnCon (Nathaniel Hawthorne didn’t return my call when I asked about staying at his place), but that was a lovey recap, Kim. Thank you.
Thank you, Tom! Hope you can make it to the next one. They are an unforgettable experience.
Loved your comment about perfect roomies, Kim (here’s looking at you Becky). I’ll also mention perfect companions for the ride to and from Logan (thanks, Kim, Heather and Vaughn). Those were just samples of the amazing generosity from everyone sharing experiences with once-were-strangers-now-friends-and-colleagues at Uncon
I seriously think I share a brain with Lisa and Marianna. We are the Neurospicy Triplets. It was great to share a ride to Salem with you. That could not have worked out more perfectly, timing wise!
Sorry I missed the whiskey tasting. What a great week and a great recap of the magic/chaos!
Carol – the bar closed super early there. A loss for the hotel, surely, since a large group of writers can consume a lot. Some of the scotch was out-of-this-world amazing!
As he often does, David Corbett gets it just right: we do what we do in isolation, and that’s what adds so much meaning to opportunities to be with our tribe of other writers. Back in the day, I went to quite a number of conferences, none more congenial and welcoming than the Unconference. Thank you, and thank you again!
Therese has recreated that magic at every conference!
This year’s UnCon filled my well in so many ways. Kim, I feel absurdly lucky to have you and Lisa as my repeat roomies. The whole week was packed with too many special moments to count, and I cannot wait for next time. Many thanks to Therese–what a community!
I feel incredibly lucky, too. I wish I didn’t live over a thousand miles away!
Present circumstances prevented me from being there, but it’s lovely to hear that the Uncon magic continued. As you said, Kim, that’s no accident. Therese puts a ton of creative and goddess-like energy into making it a special experience, and the community rises to the occasion, putting egos aside in the pursuit of a higher purpose.
We missed you, Jan!
Aww, that’s lovely to hear! xox Rest assured the feeling is mutual!
Now I truly regret missing UnCon! And me with a witchy book that released this year. Conferences are the best for all the reasons stated. Not to hasten the future, but I’m looking forward to 2025!
I think we all are, Barb. Hope you can make it next time.
I discovered Writer Unboxed at the very start of the long isolation of 2020, and you all quickly became my tribe. (My coven?) To get to meet so many of you in person–and to be on the receiving end of such generosity with your time, your advice, your ideas, and yes, your prize–both humbled me and gave me the huge surge of hope that I have needed. I am still riding high. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am so glad to hear about all of this, Kristin! Sorry the tail end of the trip had a bit of a snag at the airport. So sorry that my brain chose that moment to completely blank on a name because I knew you were our scholarship winner and know a lot about hot pharaohs!
This is such a great community, and a little birdy told me you’ll soon be writing for US, too! Congratulations, and I can’t wait to read your posts.
That little birdy was not lying. I am thrilled and terrified in equal measure. Thank you for a warm welcome! As for the airport, that was entirely on me. I’m so glad you were able to contact Kathryn before she drove off to Pennsylvania with my phone in her back seat!
Having never attended a writers conference before, I am glad this was my first. I met so many wonderful welcoming people, one of whom helped solved my villain dilemma (thank you Artemis Crow). Also can’t wait for 2025! Thank you Therese and everyone who helped make this event happen. And thank you Kim for describing it so well: good chaos/good magic.
Glad to hear you had a great time, Marcy. Artemis is wonderful! Hope to see you in 2025.
What a wonderful accounting of a wonderful week. <3 <3 <3
Also: please send me that photo of you, me, and Teri!
Will do, on the photo!
A big highlight of this conference for me was…meeting YOU!
Sounds like a great time was had by all. I was sorry to have to miss it. Fingers crossed for the next one!
2025 we hope!