Steve Mooser & Lin Oliver: 40th Anniversary Conference Opening Remarks

SCBWI Steve Mooser opens the conference talking about starting SCBWI 40 years ago and encourages attendees to be friendly and meet other conference-goers, as you are sure to make lifelong writing friends as he has.

Lin Oliver gives stats on attendees:

• 1,342 people are attending the event--the most ever!
• More than 150 men are attending--also the most ever
• 42% of attendees are published
• There are attendees from 49 states (get on it South Dakota!)
• Attendees are here from 20 countries

Lin reitterates: Don't be afraid to reach out and talk to other conference-goers.

Now for the faculty parade. They are all introducing themselves using a sentence with the word "40" in it. Here a few examples:

• 40 perfect pages.
• 40 is the new 30.
• It took me 40 hours to get here.
• I was on the far side of 40 when I published my first book--it's never too late for success.
• Moses wandered the desert for 40 year looking for the promised land--this is it!
• An editor's work week is not 40 hours.
• In 40 years the Kindle will probably be what the victrola is today.

(Oh--and Richard Peck is here as a surprise guest.)