Writing Conferences, Friends and Learning

Have you ever paused long enough to consider the number of friends and acquaintances you've made while on your writing journey? Thanks to social media, writing groups, and conferences, I can not begin to total the number of friends I've made as I've moved from a true newbie writer to where I am today. 

Some, of course, continue to be acquaintances while others are definitely in the friend category. Yes, even many who I know only online, never having met in person. One of the best ways to gain writer friends is to attend a writing conference. 

There are writing conferences all over the country and abroad. Some have huge numbers of attendees while others are quite small, and quite a few in-between. The big conferences have big name presenters--successful writers who you will look at with awe. Can you learn from them? Of course, you can. The smaller conferences have lesser known presenters but they are almost always people from whom you can learn more about your craft. They may also be more approachable if you want to ask questions or have a conversation after the presentation. 

I'm a proponent of small conferences. Maybe that is because I have attended several and have also been a presenter. I like the overall personal feeling of a small conference. When I refer to 'small,' I'm considering 100 or so, give or take on either side of that number. 

My online writing group is holding their conference next week in a state park in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. Twenty minutes from the airport and you suddenly find yourself in a cabin in the woods on the banks of the Potomac River. Our numbers usually run in the 20s. This is a women's international group, so it is nearly all women, with a few husbands who come to do the go-fer work. How do we get presenters for the workshops? Various attendees conduct them. The people who are the poetry writers naturally give us some knowledge of that field. The novelists are happy to share their thoughts, too. We've had a few guest presenters, often people who live nearby and are known to one of the attendees. Once, we had an editor of a travel website who talked about 'sense of place.' It was a fabulous presentation. 

This conference has been held several times, 18 months to 2 years apart. It takes a lot of planning on our moderator's part, but others are willing to pitch in and help with the planning. Each time the conference has been held, the list of attendees differs. Some come to every conference, others are there for the first time. Some try to make them all but have to miss for various reasons. I will not be able to attend this year and it saddens me more than I care to admit. We have been online friends, but once we have spent time together at a conference, we're friends forever. 

Besides the friendship factor of a small conference, I can honestly say that I come home with a tremendous amount of knowledge and an equal amount of inspiration. Inspiration to write is one of the best parts of any conference, large or small. It's like getting a booster shot. 

If big, crowded sessions aren't for you, do consider finding a smaller conference to attend. Many state organizations have smaller meetings. I'm thinking primarily of states with sparser populations. In California, a state writers conference could be huge. I imagine they have multiple conferences in different areas of the state rather than one big one. 

Do a bit of research online to see what conferences might appeal to you. The bigger they are, the more costly they will be. Those who plan the meeting have to pay big bucks to get the big name speakers, and that cost is passed on to you. Ones closer to where you live are going to cost less for transportation. My conference in VA means I have to fly when I go, so that is an added expense. Our weekly cost includes our cabin and our food for the duration of the conference. 

One of the conferences I hear about often with high praise is for Highlights, the children's magazine. It's held in New York state on a lake. If you write for children, it would be one to consider.I beleive they even offer scholarships for some attendees. Do a search online for the type of conference you are interested in. Compare them and give one a try.  Remember that, if you make enough money writing to pay taxes, then you can write off the cost of a conference. That can help. 

Whatever kind of conference you attend, you will see old friends and make new ones. I can almost guarantee that.