Back in April I attended a statewide writers conference (The NC Writers’ Network Spring Conference to be exact). I was invited by a friend, and it was my very first conference. As firsts go this was a great experience, and I look forward to attending more conferences in the future. From the keynote speaker to the individual writing sessions and feedback sessions, I learned quite a bit. I’ve narrowed down my takeaways to four things I learned. I hope it will encourage you to seek out opportunities to branch out as well.

Craft Development

I want to grow as a writer, and I learned a lot about craft at this conference. Travis Mulhauser, author of Sweet Girl, taught on dialogue in the first session. I consider myself decent at dialogue, but taking this class really helped broaden my scope, as well as my TBR list. The importance of reading great books cannot be overstated. We went through several texts with different dialogue styles and discussed the impact of each. I thoroughly enjoyed Travis’s teaching style, and his advice helped me work through some of the problem areas I see in my own dialogue.

Self-Promotion

One of my weakest points as a writer involves the nonwriting aspect. Marketing. Ugh. But my session with Charlie Lovett, a NYT bestselling author, was as informative as it was terrifying. The class focused on how to prepare for presenting your book and gave me a much needed nudge. At some point, I’m going to need to get up in front of a group of strangers and talk about my book.

Charlie broke down author branding in a digestible way, and I feel a lot less confused and a tiny bit more confident after having taken his class. I still have a lot to digest, but I have some time before I reach this stage. Mapping out the level of work required to be successful was eye opening. Finishing the final draft doesn’t mean the work is finished. Self-promotion is critical. I am not great at this. But after attending this conference, I believe I can at least become adequate at this, especially if I keep looking for opportunities to practice.

The Strength of Community

Networking is important for writers, especially if you want to get your story read by people outside your family. But having a community of writers who support you, and that you can support in turn, is a joy all by itself. I made new writing friends and connections, and I passed out a few business cards.

I also got to peek behind the curtain a bit by hearing from some of the published, established writers who were presenting or teaching. Our keynote speaker Carole Boston Weatherford, an award winning children’s author, spoke very candidly about her experiences in publication. It’s encouraging to know that the walls I keep running into aren’t just because I’m inept. Every writer goes through hurdles and issues with finding the right avenue, the right agent, the right opportunity for successful publication.

So much of my time as a writer is spent in isolation. It’s good to have a community where I can find solidarity, support, and opportunities I might not otherwise have.

Self-Confidence

At the end of the conference, writers were given an opportunity to read some of their work or have their work critiqued by a panel of editors. I jumped in on both opportunities, and though my work didn’t make it to the panel, I did get the chance to read.

Public speaking is an old nemesis of mine, but after two years of slumming it at home, and no guarantee that this moment would happen again, I decided to go for it. I read from one of my manuscripts-in-progress for five minutes. My heart was in my throat the entire time, but I managed to do it without throwing up or tripping (Pitch Perfect nightmares). I even got a few compliments, though us writers are always overthinking and can rarely accept those at face value.

But I did it. And if I did it once, then what’s stopping me from doing it again? Book tours are a tiny bit less intimidating now. And thanks to that opportunity for personal growth, I gained more self-confidence.

I’m really glad I attended this conference, and I encourage anyone who’s interested in publication to do the same. Whether it’s a local event or a bigger venue, give yourself opportunities to branch out, develop your craft, learn how to self-promote, engage in community, and grow in self-confidence.

That’s my Write or Die Advice. Happy Conferencing.