Writing Conferences

I just spent the most wonderful weekend with a bunch of great people - writers - at the annual NETWO (North East Texas Writers Organization) spring conference. There was a Friday afternoon workshop then time to get to know each other.  Several of us sat up chatting after everyone else called it a night which was very nice.

Saturday was filled with sessions by an agent, an editor, a PR guy (excellent info) and several authors.  I had a nice but very quick meeting with an editor from Berkley and met some really nice writers.  And while I wasn't ready to come home, I'm even more excited about my WIP.

So, the point of this you ask?

You need to go to a writer's conference.  Yes, you do and here's several reasons why.

Meeting other writers - I'm made quite a few friends from conferences.
Meeting agents, editors and other industry professions in a relaxing setting - they really aren't scary. :-)
Learning about craft or  the business aspect of writing - this year's PR session was GREAT!!!
Networking - getting to know others in the business is always a good thing.
Pitching to agent or editor - this often gets you a request for more and is a step in the door.

And, most importantly...

Recharging your creative self - sometimes life isn't nice and stomps on our creativity.  Writer's conferences are a great way to recharge.

It's not to late to find a nearby conference for this year so check out Shaw Guides.  They don't list them all but it's a nice place to start.  You can search by state, month, season and several other things.

Also, do the Google thing.  Your state and writer's conferences should get you some hits.

I encourage each of you to commit to attending at least one conference this year.  You won't regret it.

Writing Conferences

First, I confess.  I love attending writing conferences.  Big ones, little ones, not so big ones.  Doesn't matter, I love 'em all.  Writing conferences combine two of my favorite things - chatting with writers and learning more about writing.  They're like mini vacations except when I get home, I want to write and put all that new knowledge to use.

Even if you are just starting out, I encourage you to find a nearby writer's conference and attend.  While you may not be ready to pitch to an agent or editor, you'll learn a lot and meet some great writers. 

Here's a few tips to make your conference experience the best it can be.

Know what you want to get from attending.  Do you want to pitch your book, attend the workshops or just network?

Study the scheduled classes/workshops and decide which you most want to attend.  This saves you from having to decide at the last minute between two workshops.

Pitching to an agent or editor?  Then be sure to research that person and find out what they are looking for.  Pitching a horror novel to a romance agent is waste of time.

Listen as much as possible.  But don't take everything as fact. 

Don't sit on the sidelines.   Take part in things.  Chat with the speakers and other authors.  If you see someone that looks lost, befriend them and have fun together.

Collect business cards and make notes of important information on the backside for later.

To find a conference near you, check out Shaw Guides.  You can also google your state with the words writing conferences.

Cool Stuff

Wordle - Very cool way to spend some time. The above is a Wordle I did from a short story.  You just enter the text, play with the options some and there you go.  One writer also uses it for idea generation.  She puts in poems and such and looks for interesting word combinations.
AutoCrit - I love this.  Sign up for their free revising course by email and at the end, they'll send you a code for a discount off the price.  Give the free version a try.  Last time I checked, you could imput up to 800 words and run them up to 5 times a day.  It checks for repeated words and phrases and sentence length in the free version. 

Book Trailer Workshop - learn how to make book trailers and videos.  This is a free workshop.  I don't know much about it but I plan to check it out.

Jubilee Jambalaya Writer's Conference - Got this in the mail Friday.  If you're near Houma Louisiana on April 10th, then you might want to check this out.  I've been there twice and it's a very nice conference.  This year they have a St. Martin's editor, a publicist and an agent.  This is a really reasonable conference and well put together.

No Energy Vampires Allowed - I've got to find the book mentioned and read it but this article gives some really nice tips on maintaining positive energy in your life.

Glass Woman Writer's Contest - Don't forget this women writer only contest.  Deadline is Mar. 21.

Writer's Workshop & Conference

Pen to Press  is a week long intensive workshop in New Orleans in May of this year.  There's days of one on one instruction then a time to pitch to agents and an editor or two.  I'll be there with  my mystery novel.  Let me know if you decide to join us.  We'll do lunch.:-)

NETWO Conference   This is a really nice day and a half conference.  They'll have two NY agents and and editor from Berkley this year.  This one is in April at a lakeside campground.  I've attended the last two years and love it.