GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WRITING CONFERENCE

Just one short week from today, on May 17^th, we will be holding our 4^th Annual Writers Conference.  I’m really excited about this.  A lot of prayer and preparation have gone into this, and we are anticipating a bounty of practical and instructive information for each of us.  We each know that we will get out of an activity exactly what we are willing to put into it.  So, as a former teacher, I have some suggestions:

1. Come ready to hear what the speakers have to share with us.  Their depth of knowledge is born of years of writing experience, rejection, and determination. Listen with your ears and with your heart.  You will likely hear something that resonates in you. 

2. Write it down.  We will be hearing a lot of things, so if something resonates within you, write it down.  You will find a journal and a pen in your Goodie Bag so you will be all set. You may get inspirations for a blog post or a story or a poem. You might see an interaction unfold around you that you want to record in writing.  You may have something scratching at your brain begging for attention … write it down so you can tell yourself you will remember it and deal with it later.  It will free your mind to focus. 

3. Identify action points and wisdom-gems.  As with any conference, you will probably walk away with copious notes.  If your notes resemble mine in any way, then there may be arrows and things written sideways, circled and starred.  Maybe a quote someone used was meaningful and you captured it.  A wisdom-gem.  Possibly someone else suggested, ”Write for at least 15 minutes a day, at the same place and time.”  And you said, “AHA! There is a piece I’ve left out of my writing process.”  So you intend to implement this right away.  Put a star by this.  Color code it. Do something so you don’t forget it. Wisdom-gems can shape how you think and action points bring you to the place of application.

4. Make connections.  This is a social event as well as a writing conference, because who can go to a conference and not interact with others?  If you came with a friend, great. Sit and chat with them but don’t miss the opportunities to meet new people too.  Make it a goal to meet and remember at least three new people. It is important to make connections with others. A shared experience like this conference is a great place to connect.  Get email addresses and maybe phone numbers and stay in contact. 

5. Post-conference review. After the conference, go back over your notes. List your action points on your task list or your to-do list.  Intentionally create personal growth opportunities from what you learned and took the time to write down.  Evaluate how it works for you.

Looking forward to seeing you there!  Keep Reading, Keep Writing.