Unfortunately, parenting 6 kids in a far-off country on missionary support presents too many obstacles for me to plan on going every year. To the cost of the conference, I have to add about $1,000 for a plane ticket and the immeasurable cost of leaving my wife alone with all the kids for over a week. I can’t say it’s worth it yet.

Maybe this is just a lack of confidence, but I’m not sure I’m yet at a level with my writing where attending a conference would actually be helpful.

Or is it something that’s helpful regardless?

Last year, I went to my first conference, The Muse Online Writer’s Conference. It’s free, and takes place on the internet, so I don’t have to worry about taking time off for travel (though I did end up taking a few days off from class, so that I could get more out of the conference). I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I didn’t have a live, physical conference to compare it to, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

There were several authors teaching a variety of subjects, and dealing with several genres, along with some editors and publishing houses with their own forums. The online chat and forum workshops covered a lot of information - it was really hard for me to choose which workshops to focus on - I wanted to take most of them. I learned a lot from the conference, and I’m definitely doing it again this year. I hope to be able to make it to another conference this year as well (at least once I have a job to pay for it), but it was a great experience, and it encouraged me to continue my pursuit of writing.

Now if I could just finish editing my manuscript…

Being a prison chaplain I try to encourage people not to break in to anything. But I’m prepared to make an exception now and then.

My own take on conferences is that you meet people who are unobtainable elsewhere. This is my own experience, although there’s probably a bit more serendipity in my story than in Randy’s.

Go to Google Earth and look for Condobolin, NSW. Australia. That little town in the middle of nowhere is where I spent my first fifteen years. Nothing happens there unless you make it happen. From there I went to live in a boy’s home. A bunch of toxic teenagers thrown together, it’s like waiting to see who lights the fuse first.

Many years later and I have a first novel about a boy in a school for toxic teenagers. He’s dealing with some heavy stuff. I reckon it’s a good story.

My wife and I go looking for somewhere to spend a long weekend and we find that Condobolin has a writer’s festival. How it happened to be out there in the middle of nowhere is beyond me, but we sign up.

Special guest for the weekend is one of Australia’s most prolific children’s and YA authors. We meet at dinner the first evening and she offers to read my manuscript overnight. She likes it, but it needs work and she takes on the role of mentoring me. Her time at the conference is funded by a government arts grant and there’s money built in for extras like mentoring. The book starts to blossom as I follow her advice.

The next year the conference doesn’t happen because the energetic community development officer has moved to greener pastures. But with the enthusiasm of my mentor I continue to submit the manuscript until a publisher picks it up.

The conference not only brought me into contact with somebody I would never meet in normal life, and who sifted a good story out of my writing, it also gave me confidence in my own work.

I’ve come to see that if an established author is on faculty at a conference it is because he/she is willing to take part in the struggles of beginning writers. That in itself is enough to spur somebody on. We should not let such a resource escape us.

I am going with two proposals and trepidation. I’ve never put my children on display before, and that is how I feel about putting my novels out there for strangers to judge. However, I know that is part of the process toward writing adulthood.

I appreciate Kim’s encouragement that it is an opportunity to meet industry people whom I would otherwise never meet. Because if I am realistic with myself, I will never get my work in front of anyone just sitting at home at my desk.

As for the cost, I plan to think of it as what I would pay for the chance to talk about my work with someone who can move it forward toward publication. When I consider it from that angle, it becomes very cost effective. I would pay two or three hundred dollars for the chance to meet an agent/editor.

If I may, Richard, I’m going to take your comment and make it my mantra for the next couple of weeks: Conferences are my friends. Conferences are my friends.

Conferences are worth your while regardless of your writing expertise. Meeting editors and other writers is only part of it. Most provide classes and/or workshops to help you improve your writing.

If you don’t feel your writing is up to par, don’t worry about it. Still meet with editors, because at the very least they can give you pointers. Make friends with other writers, because they are either where you are in your writing career or have been there and can help you grow.

But the classes alone can be worth the price of admission.

This year I’m attending the Christian Writers Guild conference in Colorado Springs for the fourth time. As usual I hope to wow an editor or two, but I’m mostly looking forward to reconnecting with friends and (insert a little terror here) Jerry Jenkins (co-author of the “Left Behind” series) critiquing the first two pages of my novel in his “Thick Skinned Critique” workshop. Gulp.

But I wanted to say that I love hearing your stories about how your books came about. I’m currently reading John Olson’s vampire book, Shade, and really enjoying it. And the reason I picked it up was because I heard the back story about it.

I’m going to four writers’ conferences this year, Big Sur YA(run by the Andrea Brown Agency), two that are included in the Nevada SCBWI Mentoring Program which I got into the second year running, and SCBWI at Asilomar. I’ve met and will see great friends at all four of these. My gut sense is that publishing will happen when I’m ready unless the whole business collapses. I don’t fret about it like I did the first year because, while I’d love an audience, I’m so focused on being a master novel writer that publishing is just not in my brain’s upper register anymore.

There is a political problem with the arts in America that I know personally and deeply. You have to “pay to play”. I’ve been a professional performing artist for 30 years, frustrated about not being able to afford to pursue my art like my trust fund colleagues. So I KNOW the pain of not being able to afford these conferences where the social and business side of writing happens. It’s unfortunate for America because then mostly the rich or well-off voices get heard. The economic range of voices are lost to us as a people. There are exceptions, of course, and writing is way easier to get one’s work out there than the performing arts which is one reason I switched careers from playwriting to novel writing. My two political cents.

If 10K hrs is the goal, I’m still in the first few K, but I’m thrilled about the journey ahead.

I’m fearless when it comes to talking to people–that’s what comes of living in isolation in Cataldo, Idaho (famed for being saluted in the “corn patch” of Buck Owens’ TV show “HeeHaw.” Hard to beat a reputation like that.)

I’ve looked at Mt. Hermon for several years, am looking at the ACFW Denver conference, but the next one I go to will be to pitch my novel. Yeeeeeeeehhhhhaaaaaaa!

I’m not afraid of rejection. I’d like to modestly point out that I’ve been rejected by both an art show and an editor in the same day. Heck, my dog took second place in his class at the dog show.

He was the only dog in the ring.

What I put into the conference is what I come away with. I attend with an intense desire to learn. I come home with a lifetime of lessons.

Okay, time for a little shameless promotion (I hope I don’t get in trouble). I just happen to coordinate a buddy program for first timer’s. If any of you plan to attend Mount Hermon this year and are going for the first time please e-mail me (jeanettehanscome@sbcglobal.net). I’d be happy to assign you to a conference veteran who can answer you pre-conference questions. If you HAVE attended before and plan to return this year then consider being a buddy to a first-timer. For more information on how it works just e-mail me.

Thanks for the great post Randy!

Jeanette

I’m hoping to attend the ACFW conf in Sept this year, too. I met you at the ACFW in Dallas two years ago, along with your buddy, John. I gotta say, that was the highlight of that conference, following you and John around like you had candy in your pockets. (Some might call it stalking, but the English language is full of much better words.) At that conference, John told me all about Shade, then I had to wait nearly two years to get my hands on a copy! Bottom line: it was a ton of money, but I loved every minute of it and I met a ton of great people. Thanks for being a part of that.

Money, or the lack thereof, is a problem for me too. I’ve taken to selling our leftovers on Ebay and Craigslist for tuition funds. Time away from the family is a hardship, but my hubby and kids are in this gig with me—we make it work.

At conferences I’ve been affirmed, encouraged and educated. I’ve seen what the writing life looks like first hand and what it takes to succeed. I’ve learned that writers are regular people too.

Most importantly though, I’m now surrounded by a group of people who get it. They get me, what I’m doing, and why. They get how to encourage me and keep me on track. There’s no way to put a dollar value on that.

Next up for me is the Christian Writers Seminar. James Scott Bell is the keynote and Randy’s buddy John Olson is teaching the Advanced Fiction track. I can’t wait! You can check out the website at http://www.christianwriter.org. There’s also a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=51075156021

I’ll be at Mt Hermon again too, and have my eye on the annual SCBWI conference in August. I’d love to see you there!

For the conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwIt9u0G9zc

For the mentoring opportunity prior to the conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0e4iMoN8Ko

Last year I met Bryan Davis in the Teen Track class he taught, and I also made an appointment to talk to him. He left with my first few chapters. He was releasing a new book right after the conference, so he wasn’t able to read all I gave him, but he did read the first several pages and emailed me with comments. He told me I had “talent and real potential.” That was a super boost to my confidence!

I wasn’t able to have any official appointments with big-time editors, but I did ask gobs of questions during and after classes with agents and editors. None of them led me to a book deal (not that I was ready for that back then anyway), but it sure helped me get over my nervousness. They’re people, just like us, and much easier to talk to than I expected.

I’m more prepared this year, having spent the last year editing my novel and tweaking my hook. Since I’m part-time, I still can’t make an official appointment with an agent or editor, but the FCWC allows submissions of partials to two editors. I am taking advantage of that, which I could not do last year (because I had registered too late). I’ve already mailed the partials. I’m trying, really trying, to not chew my nails to nubs right now.

I’m also looking forward to taking a class on marketing. I probably won’t hear a word of it, though, as I’m sure I’ll be too star-struck by the teacher :).

Like Randy mentioned, while there, I made contacts - not with editors, but with another columnist (a rare breed, numbering somewhere in the single digits) and we have encouraged each other and proofed each other’s work, etc., etc.

I’m still writing columns, freelanceing nonfiction, and working on my fiction. However, this year’s nonfiction event in my life is my daughter’$ wedding. And even though I had hoped for another Mt. Hermon experience, when $he $aid, “I do,” it tran$lated into “Mom i$n’t going to the conference.” But there’s always next year. And this blog.

Thanks, Randy.

If you feel your writing is not up to par, then that’s THE reason to head to a writer’s conference. That’s what a conference is for! You take workshops to help you improve your writing and you meet friends who are in the same boat as you … they are writers. People who are not writers can’t begin to relate.

I met the people in my writer’s group at a conference. We’ve been together since 2003 and if it weren’t for them and our mentor, I would have given up writing.

So, what are you waiting for? Get thee to a writer’s conference!!

As a side note, I read Oxygen a couple years ago, and that’s when I realized science fiction can be Christian based and still be good! Haven’t read the sequel yet but it’s on my list. Great job and thanks for sharing your journey.

One of my fellow attendees (who slept in his car during the conference–a true starving writer!) is coming out with his first book in May, mainly due to the conference. He has one of the most awesome book trailers out there–check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwYPiQDnYu8