Learn what makes writers
tick at Get Lit at the Beach
L
Love to read? Thinking about writing the
great American novel? Then clear your calen-
dar April 8 through April 10 — Tolovana Arts
&RORQ\SUHVHQWVWKH¿IWKDQQXDO*HW/LWDWWKH
%HDFK$*DWKHULQJIRU5HDGHUV
7KHHYHQWRIIHUVELEOLRSKLOHVDXQLTXH
RSSRUWXQLW\WRUXEHOERZVZLWKIRXUIDQWDVWLF
authors: Terry Brooks, Jess Walter, Jonathan
(YLVRQDQG(OL]DEHWK(QJVWURP
Bestselling author — and part-time Can-
non Beach resident — Brooks says the event’s
URRWVOLHLQDFRQYHUVDWLRQKHIRUPHU&DQQRQ
%HDFK %RRN &RPSDQ\ RZQHU 9DOHULH 5\DQ
DQGIRUPHU&DQQRQ%HDFK0D\RU0LNH0RU
JDQRQFHKDG
“Cannon Beach is about
WKHDUWVZLWKORWVRIDUWIHV
WLYDOV´KHVD\V³:HWKRXJKW
WKHUHVKRXOGEHVRPHNLQGRI
OLWHUDU\HYHQW´
And why not? Brooks
says Cannon Beach is a read-
ers town, making it a logical
VHWWLQJ IRU VXFK D JDWKHULQJ
The word has certainly got-
ten out and attendees have
FRPH IURP DOO DURXQG WKH
FRXQWU\DQGWKHZRUOG
7KH WKUXVW RI *HW /LW DW WKH %HDFK OLHV LQ
PDNLQJ DXWKRUV DFFHVVLEOH 5DWKHU WKDQ FRQ
centrating on a particular genre in a workshop
setting, the weekend encourages attendees to
interact with writers in events that are largely
LQIRUPDOVXFKDVDUHFHSWLRQDEDQTXHWUHDG
LQJVDQGDIUHHSDQHOGLVFXVVLRQ
%URRNVOLNHVWKHGHSDUWXUHIURPWKHIRUPDW
KH¶VVHHQDWPDQ\RWKHUOLWHUDU\HYHQWV
³:H GRQ¶W RIIHU ZULWLQJ FUDIW FODVVHV LW¶V
GLIIHUHQW WKDQ DQ\WKLQJ HOVH´ KH VD\V ³,W¶V D
FKDQFHWROHDUQZKDWPDNHVZULWHUVWLFN´
Brooks calls the weekend “completely im-
mersive,” adding that attendees and authors
DOLNHEHQH¿WIURPWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WRLQWHUPLQ
JOH
Because the literary community is rath-
HU FORVHNQLW %URRNV VD\V KH PDNHV D ORW RI
phone calls to round up panelists each year,
JHQHUDOO\QHWWLQJIRXURU¿YH
“That’s how it’s done in the writing com-
PXQLW\´ KH VD\V ³)ULHQGV ZKR DUH ZULWHUV
VWD\LQWRXFKDQG,FDOOLQIDYRUVHYHU\\HDU´
&RQVLGHULQJ WKH ORFDWLRQ LW RIWHQ GRHVQ¶W
WDNHPXFKFRQYLQFLQJ
Walter, the weekend’s keynote speaker, is
IDPLOLDU ZLWK %URRNV¶ UHFUXLWLQJ VNLOOV ³7KH
inimitable Terry Brooks has been trying to get
PHWRFRPHWR&DQQRQ%HDFKIRUDIHZ\HDUV´
KH VD\V +H QRWHV WKDW FRPLQJ WR WKH HYHQW
DOORZVKLPWREULQJKLVIDPLO\VRPHWKLQJKH
UDUHO\JHWVWRGRRQVSHDNLQJWRXUV
,W¶V KDUG WR WDON DERXW *HW /LW ZLWKRXW UH
PHPEHULQJ WKH ODWH 9DOHULH 5\DQ RQH RI WKH
HYHQW¶VGULYLQJIRUFHV
³9DOHULH ZDV D IRUFH RI QDWXUH DQG KHU
NQRZOHGJHRIDXWKRUVZDVLQYDOXDEOH´%URRNV
VD\V+HDGGVWKDWWKHHYHQWKDVDOORZHGKLP
WRPHHWDXWKRUVKH¶GQHYHUKHDUGRIDQGQRZ
DGPLUHVOLNH-LP/\QFKDQG:LOO\9ODXWLQ
Walter agrees, remembering the impor-
WDQFHRI5\DQDQGKHUERRNVWRUH
³2QH RI WKH ¿UVW HYHQWV
, HYHU GLG DV DQ DXWKRU ZDV
Submitted photos
IRU WKH JUHDW 9DOHULH 5\DQ´ Author Terry Brooks will appear at Get Lit.
Author Jess Walter will be the keynote speaker Saturday evening.
KHVD\V³,QGHSHQGHQWERRN
stores are not just relevant to
P\ ZRUN WKH\ DUH WKH OLIH
EORRGRIOLWHUDU\¿FWLRQ´
7KLV\HDUV¶HYHQWZLOOIHD
ture a theme: authors having
WKHLUERRNVDGDSWHGIRUWHOH
YLVLRQRUPRYLHV
(DFK RI WKH SDQHOLVWV KDV
H[SHULHQFH ZLWK WKDW VLGH RI SXEOLVKLQJ (YL
VRQ¶V³7KH)XQGDPHQWDOVRI&DUHJLYLQJ´ZDV
PDGH LQWR D PRYLH DQG VKRZQ DW 6XQGDQFH
%URRNV¶³6KDQQDUD&KURQLFOHV´LVDQ079VH
ULHV(QJVWURP¶V³&DQG\ODQG´ZDVPDGHLQWRD
PRYLH VWDUULQJ *DU\ %XVH\:DOWHU¶V ³)LQDQ
FLDO/LYHVRI3RHWV´KDVKDGWDONVRIDPRYLH
VWDUULQJ-DFN%ODFN
%URRNVVD\VWKDWZKLOHWKDWLVJUHDWIRUERRN
sales and bragging rights, he cautions that au- Elizabeth Engstrom is author of 14 books.
Jonathan Evison will be a featured author at Get Lit at the Beach.
WKRUVVKRXOGQ¶WVHWWKDWDVDFDUHHUSLQQDFOH
³:ULWLQJLVWKHSLQQDFOH´KHVD\V
%URRNV DGGV WKDW WKH UHDOLW\ RI PRVW ¿OP
For information on the event, or to register, visit www.tolovanaartscolony.org
adaptations is that authors retain little con-
WURORYHUWKHSURFHVV
³$ IULHQG RI PLQH WROG PH WKDW KDYLQJ
\RXUERRNDGDSWHGIRU79RUWKHPRYLHVLV
like having a child kidnapped by a cult,” he
VD\VODXJKLQJ
And what advice do these authors pass
on to would-be writers?
³%H SDWLHQW %H EROG %H KXPEOH %H
FRQ¿GHQW*HWRYHU\RXUVHOI'RQ¶WJLYHLQ
WR MHDORXV\ FRPPHUFLDO SUHVVXUH RU IHDU´
:DOWHUVD\V³9ROXQWHHUGRFKDULW\ZRUN²
IRU *RG¶V VDNH EH D GHFHQW KXPDQ EHLQJ
VISUAL ARTS • LITERATURE • THEATER • MUSIC & MORE
And whatever you do, don’t ever take ad-
YLFHIURPDXWKRUV´
Story by DAN HAAG
This years’ event will
feature a theme:
authors having their
books adapted for
television or movies.
the arts
April 7, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 9