To this day, I still marvel at the uncharacteristic nerve I mustered to attend my very first writers’ conference, nearly three-and-a-half decades ago. In those pre-internet-access-in-every-home days, it must have been the trusty Writers’ Market Guide that alerted me to this opportunity to take a serious step forward despite a quivering stomach and an overwhelming sense that I had no idea what I was doing. But I signed up anyway, applied for a scholarship, and received it!
I drove nearly three hours to an unfamiliar city to attend a gathering of people among whom I would surely know no one, to absorb information about a subject that although dear to me, was an arena in which I’d only begun to dabble. Despite road construction that had me circling a college campus with seemingly no way to get to the set of buildings I needed. I finally arrived in the correct parking lot, a million red flags waving in confirmation that I was in way over my head. But it was too late to back out now.
I will never, ever forget my utter dismay at the warm yet very
pointed and blunt greeting that apparently was part of the conference curriculum.
“Hi, what do you write?”
No one had ever asked me that. Certainly not perfect
strangers. Not even the people who knew me, who were privy to my interest in
writing. The three-day adventure overflowed with new, out-of-my-comfort-zone
experiences that not only fueled my desire to write but also bolstered my
confidence in approaching new endeavors. And 1000% sold me on the value of
writers gathering under the same roof to encourage, support, and inspire one
another as well as push, prod, and take a firm stand against excuses. Because who
but another writer can begin to fathom that burning desire to put words to paper
(or screen!) in an order, tone, voice that brings stories and characters and
truth to life?
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A treasured conference memory from 2013 |
Many years and conference experiences later find me as “sold” as ever on the value of writers experiencing treasured times of learning and fellowship together. I plan to attend at least one conference this year in person—the first since the summer of 2019. Below, find links and dates for the top three closest contenders. Who knows? Maybe I’ll attend all three!
- Kentucky Christian Writers Conference -- June 16-18 -- a hybrid event (in person OR virtual) -- Elizabethtown Community College, Elizabethtown, KY
- Midwest Writers Workshop -- July 14-16 -- a hybrid event (in person OR virtual) -- Ball State Alumni Center, Muncie, IN
- Taylor University's Professional Writers' Conference -- July 29-30 w/Advanced & Teen Track beginning July 28 -- Taylor University Campus -- Upland, IN
Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.
As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com.
What an inspiring post! Thank you! I'm planning to attend ACFW's conference in St. Louis, and I hope, at least one more this year. After reading this, I'm stoked!
ReplyDeleteWriting this post really put me in the mood! Let the planning begin!
ReplyDelete