Face the Page - Conferences

CONFERENCE REPORTS
ThrillerFest
Colorado Gold
Surrey
Historical Novel Society

Coming soon:
Maui
SCWBI
RWA National

Conferences

books | workshops | online resources | crit groups

Writing is a solitary profession. That’s why it’s so important to get out there and commune with other writers, so that you feel part of a larger community. It’s very easy to hole yourself up in your den, hunched over the keyboard, muttering to yourself and pasting plot charts on the wall. Getting out and being around other writers will air out that den, inspire your writing, and remind you that you are not alone in your struggles as a writer.

One of the best ways to commune with other writers is to attend a conference. I try to attend one at least once a year. Besides the benefit of being around other writers, it also gives you the chance to hone your craft, network, and pitch your stories to agents and editors. I met my agent at a conference. You can, too.

If you have the chance to attend a conference, even a small local conference held in your hometown, go. It is a wonderful opportunity to get outside yourself and connect with other writers. And I always, always, leave a conference feeling fired up to write. For that alone, it’s worth the price of admission.

~Nicole

To Go or Not to Go,
that is the question
Well, there are other questions of course, such as the basics of airfare, hotel accomodations and the registration fee. But you might also consider what you want to get out of a conference. One of the big draws is the chance to meet an agent/editor face to face and pitch your book and hopefully get a request for a partial or maybe a full. But there are other reasons you might consider going to a conference even before you have a finished manuscript to shop around.

Natalie Goldberg says in The Essential Writer's Notebook—"Make contact with other writers. Go to workshops to meet people. Don't stay isolated. Make an effort to seek out people who love writing and make friends with them. It helps to confirm your writing life."

If you've never been to a conference, put that on your list of things to do to further your career. There are excellent international conferences as well as low-cost local workshops. There are conferences for all genres and conferences all over the country and the world. If you know of a conference you'd like to see included here, feel free to email the info and the link so we can include it.

If you're interested in finding a conference near you, start at ShawGuides to Writers Conference and Workshops.
~Barb