Pros and Cons of Writing Conventions

Later today, I'm leaving for our Kansas Authors Convention, held in Wichita this year. The lineup of speakers from morning to late afternoon on Saturday looks terrific. I'll be on a panel of four bloggers at 9 a.m. that day. We'll each present a short bio of our blogging life, then have a Q & A session.

Saturday evening, a banquet and keynote speaker will round out our day. Awards will be given for best cover design, best published book, best published poetry book, best history book, and best children's book. On Sunday, there will be some business meetings and a few more workshops, then lunch and the awards presented from our annual writing contest. I entered a few things, so I'll be paying close attention.

Besides all the opportunities for learning, I'll be able to spend time with writer friends I've made over the 20 years I've belonged to the Kansas Authors Club. I wish we didn't have the word 'Club' there because it sounds like all we do is have tea and cookies and maybe an occasional speaker. Far from it! Our 7 districts meet at different times throughout the year and around our state. We maintain a website and a Facebook page, and lots of us email back and forth about this and that.

We'll all be doing some 'active listening' this weekend. We'll listen and talk and trade stories about our writing life. Those who have published books this year will have them on display, and for sale, in our Book Room.

I try to attend this convention each year. I come home inspired to write each time. It's my habit to keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas as they pop up in the various workshops.

Like most things, there are pros and cons to attending writing conventions and/or conferences. A partial list for each is below.

Pros: 

• Connecting with other writers, sometimes editors and agents (depending on the size of the convention)
• An opportunity to hear speakers from your own area and from distant places, as well
• A place to become inspired to write
• Immersing yourself for 2 or 3 days in a world of writers
• A place to market your own published book(s)
• A place to sell your published book(s)
• A place to find help for your writing problems

Cons:

• Can be expensive figuring registration, transportation, hotel and some meals on your own
• Can be intimidating if it is a very large convention/conference
• The workshops might not be geared to your special interest writing field
• If you're an introvert or a very shy person, it might be a bit overwhelming
• You can feel like an outsider if there are groups of old friends conversing all around you, leaving you on your own
• Getting away for 2, 3 or more days might be difficult

I'm looking forward to our convention this weekend. There are a great many writing conferences/conventions throughout our country and even abroad. You can use your favorite search engine to find ones near you. I would urge you to check to see if your state has an annual convention. Start there and move on to others if you enjoyed that one. Some are geared to all kinds of writing while others zero in on only one kind of writing--mystery, romance, sports and many more. Whichever one you choose, be an active listener.