The Big Dance, the national ACFW Conference of
2018, has taken its place in history. Much as I would’ve loved it, I didn’t
get to attend for a variety of reasons. However the writing world is filled
with conferences and retreats—Christian, secular, romance writers, children’s
writers, state and regional gatherings. All have something good to offer—an
opportunity to learn the craft, gather information on trends, and rub shoulders
with agents, editors, and writers. Each event has its own distinct flavor.
Annually, I budget a specific amount to attend a conference somewhere. So this year, for the first
time, I went to the Breathe Conference at Cornerstone University in Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Beautiful campus dressed in glorious fall colors! The
conference lasted two days and was chock full of breakout sessions. There were
so many good ones to choose from that I’ll order several recorded sessions that
I missed.
Here’s what I got out of my weekend.
1. Spiritual
refreshment. From Marvin Williams’s Sunday sermon to Jocelyn Green’s
keynote speeches, The Word infused every speaker’s message. What a blessing!
2. Specific
feedback on my work. Knowing my WIP isn’t ready for prime time, I made a
couple of one-on-one appointments with editors and asked, “If these first pages
of a novel crossed your desk, what would be your reasons for rejecting it?”
Now, that’s not as negative as it sounds since other editors have responded to
queries telling me the writing is excellent,
but the story “doesn’t grab me.” The
conference was an opportunity to find out exactly where I was losing the
reader. Now I know what to work on.
3.
Friendships nurtured. Karen, my online critique buddy also attended the
conference. Members of our group, The Scriblerians, hail from as far west as
Arizona, as far north as Minnesota, as far south as Texas and Louisiana, and
beyond the border to Canada. We cherish every chance we get to meet up in
person. Karen's purpose in attending the conference was a little different from mine. She was seeking information to build up and finesse her platform, so
she concentrated on offerings about newsletters, podcasts, and the like.
Conferences can cost as little as ninety-nine
dollars for a weekend (check out Taylor University’s workshop in August) or run
into a couple thousand dollars depending on length, venue, and faculty. ACFW
even has a free at-home conference
that offers sessions concurrently with the live conference.
No matter which meeting you decide would work best
for you, go for it. You won’t be sorry. By joining with others in this
industry, you become a better writer. As Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron.”
Linda Sammaritan writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids
ages ten to fourteen. She is currently working on a middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own
experiences growing up with a deaf sister.
Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until
school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe
age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing
passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her students
and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft. She still visits the school
and teaches creative writing workshops.
Where Linda can be found on the web: www.lindasammaritan.com
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