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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Conference Recap


Wow, I sure love writer’s conferences. This was a big deal for me because I was pitching my novel for the first time. It was a great experience (I may blog about my thoughts on pitching later on).
Why do I go to conferences?
I go to learn, but really most of the information can be found on-line or from wise critique partners.
Yet it is different. A conference is the one place where things are explained clearly and all in one place. It is interactive, meaning you can go up to the presenter after the class and ask questions, get clarification.
Plus, there are other writers at conferences.
Writers are my most favorite type of people. I love their imaginations and how much they adore books. I love the jokes writers make because they know words. I love the hushed awe that overcomes them over a well-worded sentence.
Writer’s conferences are the best place to meet other writers and we need other writers.
They are the critique partners that help your books be better. They are the shoulders to cry on when rejections come. You can bounce ideas off them without them thinking you are totally insane. They are the people who allow you to critique their books (even if you secretly just want to critique their stuff to read an awesome story before anyone else). Fellow writers are the ones who follow your blog. The friends you make at writer’s conferences are the ones who buy your books even though they’ve already read it because they remember when you were struggling through the first draft and have seen how awesome story has grown. They’re the ones who tweet about your book and share it with their friends. They’re the ones who write awesome books that you are dying share with the world.
A writer would be nothing without friends and a writer’s conference is the perfect place to find them.

17 comments:

  1. Wasn't it a great conference? So good to see you again.

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  2. I feel so left out over here in the UK! Seems like everyone was at the same conference over the weekend, and had an amazing time connecting with other writers! :D

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  3. It was a great conference! I enjoyed putting namesvtomfaces from ai. I only went to the Saturday classes, but I learned so much.

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  4. It was good to see you there. I agree with all your sentiments.

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  5. It sounds like you had a great time at the writer's conference. I loved going to the few I've been to. There are few better places to be than in a room with writers. :)

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  6. Sounds like a great time, the interaction would surely be fun.

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  7. I think you're right that you can learn the same info online. Conference's allow you to focus a few days on your writing. Learning, networking, pitching. It helps you to remember that you are serious about this and helps me to refocus.
    It was good to see you Jessica!

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  8. it does sound fun and educational to say the least!

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  9. Hmm....does one have to be a writer to visit here? I am just a "lowly" blogger!

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    1. Goodness no. I love getting visits from everyone and really enjoy your visits. Besides, there is no "lowly" blogger. Only "awesome" blogger.

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  10. Well-said! I would love to attend a conference someday.

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  11. Conference do a lot to rejuvenate the writerly soul. Do glad you had a great experience.

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  12. Sounds like you had a great time. Conferences are a great way to connect with fellow writers and get awesome writing tips. I'm already looking forward to attending SCBWI Summer conference in August. :)
    Happy weekend!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  13. I've never been to a conference before, but hope to make the leap one day. (Well, okay, maybe more of a hobble than a leap.) What would be most thrilling about the experience for me would be the idea of being in the midst of other like-minded people, who've had life-long affairs with the written word, and who think it's perfectly normal to forget to eat because you're in the middle of writing (or reading) a great scene.

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  14. You said that so well that I'll refrain from my typical wiseguy remarks. I'd like to go to a conference one day, but only if they have bagels and coffee.
    Nuts. I couldn't help myself.

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  15. Conferences are fun. The best way to learn is connecting with other writers. Glad you had a good time.

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