Conferences Big and Small

by Fran McNabb

Most professions have conferences to bring people of the same interests together. Writers are no different. In fact, writer groups might offer more in the way of conferences and retreats than some professions. Is there a conference in your future?

I attended my first writers’ conference in 2002. I was a newbie member of Romance Writers of America and a want-to-be-published author. This conference held in New Orleans was a national conference for RWA and a biggie for someone who had never been to one. I was like a kid in a candy

store. I wanted to attend every workshop offered, starting bright and early in the morning and running well into the night. Needless to say, I realized attendees really needed to make choices. Sleep had to come sometimes.

From that huge conference of over 2,000 in attendance, I went on to be conference chair of Silken Sands, a much smaller conference on the Gulf Coast with my local RWA chapter, and I loved, loved, loved putting it on. I met some of the most wonderful people in the industry and today I still run into some of them. In fact, recently I attended The Magic of Books, a really small local conference, but even with its intimate attendance, I reconnected with several old friends, and, of course, met some new ones. 

My point in today’s blog post is that no matter where an author attends a conference or how big the conference might be, conferences are a tremendous asset. By sharing experiences during breaks or sitting in instructional workshops, there is no better place to learn the craft of writing and publishing, and learning the craft is what every author needs. I have two degrees in English, but I learned how to write for publication and the etiquette of the publishing process through others more knowledgeable than I.

Authors are sharing individuals. If you haven’t been to a conference lately, maybe it’s time to find one. It doesn’t have to be a big one. If you have an interest, there is a conference for you from smaller more personal functions to national one put on by ACFW, Mystery Writers, RWA and other big organizations.

If you have a favorite conference, I’d love for you to put a link in the comment section. I'm sure others will find it helpful. It's not too early to plan your conference schedule for 2017.

I’ll start:

The Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, March 22-25, 2017, is small, personal retreat on a serene setting in south Alabama. A discount for early-bird registration is being offered until Jan 1. Check it out at http://bluelakecwr.com/

 

FRAN MCNABB writes sweet romances for Montlake Publishing and for The Wild Rose Press. She also has two Indie Published books. She loves to hear from readers at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net or at her website www.FranMcNabb.com