For writers, being rejected can be hard enough. Being rejected 400 times can be devastating, but for writer Isabelle Maynard 400 rejections were stepping stones for her success. She has proven that no matter the number of rejections, getting published is possible.
     Maynard did not start her writing career until the age of 50 and now twenty-plus years later she’s published short stories, a drama “The Act” and a book “China Dreams: Growing Up Jewish In China.”
     She is just one of the many diverse women writers who presented at the WOW! Conference on March 8 at Skyline College.
     Maynard was joined by Gail Tsukiyama, devorah major and Katharine Harer in the first of two panel discussions followed by workshops. “Women On Writing” was the main focus of the first panel. They discussed the different hardships of getting published, types of work they’ve published and what they do when writers block hits.
     Tsukiyama said that sometimes a writer needs to get away from the laptop and go to a movie, for either inspiration or leisure. The main point all of these women were conveying was that writers should not feel pressured to write, they should do it when they are inspired.
     Many struggling writers have been inspired by this group of women coming from all walks of life. All the women read pieces of their published work to the audience of 250 plus men and women.
     The second panel, “Writing in Three Dimensions,” offered a discussion on filmmaking and writing films. The film “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” was shown and discussed by director and co-writer Tiffany Shlain, co-writer Maya Draisin, and Therese Wilson, vice president of external affairs, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate.
     The film was about pro-choice and how the government is trying to make it harder for women to have a choice on abortion. All of the women on this panel discussed the importance of their film and asked the audience if they understood the symbolic images in the film such as hangers used as tools when abortion was an illegal.
     In both of these panels, the audience was able to ask any questions regarding writing, getting published, and how to get concepts for making films.
     All of these women were more than happy to answer questions and seemed delighted that the audience was trying to get involved.
     At the end of the conference there was a reception in the Gallery Theater that offered food and interaction with some of the speakers.