A Zen Blogging Exercise, Inspired by #LA10SCBWI: What's your One Word?

So one of the fun things that happens at the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators Summer Conference that I attended (and blogged and got to be a last-minute addition to the faculty for as well!) was the parade of words.

The first morning of the conference, all the speakers get to line up and introduce themselves to the more than 1,100 attendees, and share the one word they want people to associate with them for the four days of the conference. It was a parade of luminaries in the field of Children's literature, but it was also a parade of mantras. Focus words. Mission statements, boiled down to one word.

Sure, some people teamed up and got in a phrase, but mainly, it was an exercise in Extreme Editing.

How succinct could you be?


SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver started everyone off with "Showtime!"

Editor Bonnie Bader, who was leading a workshop on beginnings, said, "Start!"

Agent Ken Wright shared that he was "Thrilled - as in thrilled to be here."

One faculty member cracked the room up with his word, "Cocktails!"

Author Kathleen Duey inspired us with, "Stretch!"

Publisher Jennifer Hunt, "Kid-Friendly!"

Author Ellen Hopkins, "Banned!"

Editor Nick Eliopulos, "Break The Rules!"

It was so much fun, and we learned a lot from those single (Okay, Nick, 3!) words.

And then a tweet yesterday inspired me to ask all of you,

RT @kimwayans: RT @bookgal77 #la10scbwi What's your 1 word?

Mine would be "Empower!"

And I know that's really a statement of my mission, and the theme of my "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?" blog (to empower GLBTQ Teens and their Allies) as well as the theme of this Zen of Blogging blog (to empower other bloggers). Empowerment is a theme in pretty much everything I write. And even what I facebook and tweet!

So, me, and @kimwayans, and @bookgal77 want to know, What's your 1 word?

If you were in a parade of words at a conference for what you do, what would you say?

Go ahead and share your word in comments!

And now that you have that word, look at your blog... Does it resonate? Does it make sense?

I think it should. Unless of course, your word was 'cocktails'... Though even that could make sense, if that was the passion you blogged about!

Whatever word you come up with, thanks for playing along!

Namaste,
Lee