Conferences – It’s All Good

If there’s one thing I love more than writing classes, it’s writing conferences. There is no end of good that can result from attending one! Do I sound overly optimistic? Probably because I am the kind of person who looks for the good in anything. So I generally end up finding it.

The first writers conference I attended was the first annual Glorieta Christian Writers Conference in 1997. I went with two other first-timers and the three of us freaked out together. We learned so much about what expectations are and are not realistic! LOL! But even with the low point of bursting into tears seconds after leaving my first editor appointment, it was an amazing learning experience. I learned about the different publishing houses and what they buy and how they buy it. I learned about the craft of writing, and that my business networking experience was a huge asset in publishing as well.

The last writers conference I went to was the 2008 Romance Writers of America National Conference. By then, I was a pro. I researched which agents and editors were the ones I wanted to meet, and I went to their workshops. I gave out business cards right and left – with stickers on the back also advertising that I was looking for online class instructors for my chapter. I went to the classes at every session and printed out the handouts beforehand. I even bought the CDs of the recordings of every single workshop (and have listened to most of them, many more than once!).

In the last ten years I’ve not only attended a lot of conferences, I’ve put on a few myself. And I’ve taught at a lot, too. I cannot overemphasize the importance of meeting people in your field, being friendly, offering to “give” something when you can as well as being willing to “ask” for something. I personally find trying new methods to be the best way to find methods that work best for you. But give yourself a time limit on how long you’ll try something new before you decide if it works for you.

That first conference I’d been writing Christian romances just because I knew a lot of Christians and I liked the romance in my own marriage. Beyond that, I had no idea what I was doing. Turns out Christian romances don’t have the things I, a Christian, have in my regular life like occasional cussing, occasional drinking, etc. I tried writing regular romances and that worked better for me – so long as they were fairly sweet!

After this last conference I heard a couple times that Love Inspired was looking for new authors. I decided to try again, picturing one of my somewhat conservative friends as the heroine. It worked much better – but was still not inspiring me. After a couple months of trying to get my heart into a story that I really liked but didn’t love, I decided I needed to go back to the story of my heart. That’s probably the most important lesson I’ve learned.

I’ve also learned quite a few ways to plot a book, to develop characters, to get the first draft down, and to polish the final draft. In being willing to try new ways, I’ve created my own best way to write a book. I’m still willing to learn – and that’s sooo important – but I also know myself and what works for me well enough to know when to stick to my own way.

The costs of going to a conference are high, I know. I try not to think about what last year’s RWA conference cost me! But there are all kinds of choices. Find out what is happening in your area, or an area you can drive to. Look into cities where you have family or friends you can stay with if necessary. Look for one-day conferences, book fairs, and other events where writers are gathering and sharing information. I’ve heard there is even an “online conference”! Do an Internet search and see what you can find. Do you have event planning skills? Create your own writers conference and invite local published authors to be the speakers.

Like with the books and the online classes – everything in moderation. I wouldn’t suggest you go to four conferences a year! LOL! In today’s economy, that’s probably not an option, but do try to save up your money and go to a least one every year or two. You’ll find it a great boost to your self-esteem, and a real boost to your writing!