Diane McCormick attended HippoCamp 2017 (and you can read about her huge success story in this post!), and this year, she’s returning as a breakout session speaker. She’ll talk about the art of interviewing, something many creative nonfiction writers may be interested in whether researching a specific topic or digging into their own lives.
HM: Tell us a little about your involvement in HippoCamp this year. What are you most excited to share during this session?
DM: Interactive and fun breakout. Answer a question or share an experience, and get a reward. Bring a question you’ve always wanted to ask someone, and it could be chosen for a discussion on how to approach it.
Why do you love true stories?
Because they break hearts and uplift, shatter and restore, conceal and reveal. And if they don’t go the way we like, they challenge writers to dig deep in the craft toolbox for storytelling solutions.
What made you decided to submit a proposal and, ultimately, participate in HippoCamp as a speaker?
Even deeply personal CNF is enriched by other perspectives. Cultivating curiosity about others in your life can reveal astounding surprises and details that make a story more readable. Like any skill, interviewing can be more productive with a few learned techniques, and I wanted to share.
Attendees can learn more about you on our speaker’s page, of course, but there’s more to you than that bio! Share a fun fact with us, something we may be surprised to know.
I love opera, but don’t ask me to sing. I can carry a tune pretty well, but I ain’t no Renee Fleming.
Aside from preparing for HippoCamp 2018 (of course!), what are you working on? Any upcoming projects you can share?
Coming September 2018, “Well-Behaved Taverns Seldom Make History: Pennsylvania pubs where rabble-rousers and rum-runners stirred up revolutions.”
Pitched to Sunbury Press at the 2017 HippoCamp Pitch Sessions and contract signed within two weeks! I’ve been simultaneously walking on air and grinding away for the past year. Find it at www.mdianemccormick.com.
Since you’ll also be attending the conference, what are you most looking forward to learning or doing when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat?”
The freelance panel will be interesting. I’ve been at it for 13 years, but there’s always more to learn. And Melanie Brooks’ “Isn’t it their story, too?” aligns nicely with my breakout topic. And, looking forward to Allison Williams’ breakout. She was terrific last year and I’m sure will be equally engaging this year!
We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. What are you looking forward to about your visit or, since you’ve been here before, what would you recommend?
Knitters and weavers, make the short pilgrimage to Flying Fibers (www.flyingfibers.com) in Landisville. Heaven all bundled in skeins.
Does the P on the Philadelphia Phillies’ cap stand for “Philadelphia” or “Phillies”?
That one keeps me up at night.
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Thank you for sharing, Diane. And a BIG congratulations on your new book.
And, reader, register to reserve your place today.
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