When people tell me the book is dead, I sneer. Then I shudder a bit. I love books and because I have an MFA, I’m something of a snob when it comes to what is and isn’t good writing. But with all the competition for eyes, on and off line, those of us who love books worry. Still, a girls’ got to read. There may be plenty of images to lure us to the computer, but when it comes right down to it, it comes down to the word, according to the panelists for Writing, Better. More specifically, it comes down to the story. For those of us who love getting lost in the stacks, there is something inherently comforting in that.

Panelists included Greg Storey Principal/Creative Dir, Airbag Industries LLC, Bronwyn Jones from Apple Computer, Happy cog editor Erin Kissane, and Ethan Marcotte of Vertua Studios. Each defended the art (yes, the art) of writing for the Web. Collectively, there was agreement that there is a casualness to Web writing, but that does not mean sloppy. It means figuring out who your audience is. Finding your voice and honing it, editing it, find your way of telling and being true to it – stuff learned from good writing teachers from grade school to graduate school.

Supposedly, somewhere under all the day parties, free booze, shmoozing and all-round, get-out fun of SXSW, there's some industry panels (remember them? They're the reason your company sprung for all those airline tickets here in the first place?)

So heading up the extensive selection of experts that have been so lovingly gathered together was The Real Story Behind Snakes On A Plane. For those of you still waiting on your photo badge, here's the quick skinny on what you missed at 2007's first panel:

Line of the Day: "User-generated content. Can we come up with a better name for that sometime over the next week?" - Corey Denis of internet music geniuses, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance.

Buzz word of the Day: Crowdsourcing - when creative types can get audience response to their work before they're done, and alter the final product appropriately.

What -was- the real story behind Snakes on a Plane?: Great web buzz, but New Line took too long to release the actual film.

Best Moment of Audience Participation: When moderator Alex Williams of Splashcast got everyone to do the SoaP cheer. "Give me an S. Give me an S. Give me an S. Put 'em together, what have you got? Ssssssssssss ..."