New Adventures for Writers

 

Today is the last day of February, our shortest month of the year. The gate to spring is beginning to slowly open as March arrives. How about resolving to do something different in March? Say yes to new adventures. That's what today's photo quote tells us. Why not put a little spice into your writing life? How can you do this?

If you've never attended a conference or workshop, make plans to try one sometime this year. Do a little research to see what might be offered in your local area, or somewhere not too far away. Or be really adventurous and go to a place you've never been before to take in a conference. I promise you will come home inspired to write and perhaps having a few new writing life friends.

If you're a poet, try writing prose for a new adventure. If you're a fiction writer, make an attempt at penning a personal essay, or a short memoir piece. If you only write essays, give poetry a try. No guarantee that you'll love trying to write in a new genre, but it's possible that you will. If you are a romance writer, give sci-fi a try, or mystery. It's not what you are going to write, but the fact that you are willing to say yes to a new adventure. 

Never entered a writing contest? Why not try one now? Take time to research writing contests and choose one that seems to fit your writing--memoir, poetry, fiction and others. Make it an adventure. There is no guarantee that you will end up a winner, but you've tried something new. And you might be willing to try more contests. And you might win something!

Maybe you've always wanted to write a novel, but you've never had the courage to give it a try. Say yes to this kind of new adventure. There is no guarantee here that you will be a raging success, but you will have tried something new, and most likely, will have some learning experiences, too. Most writers will tell you that their first novel was not very good, but to be a novelist, you have to write that first one. 

Trying something new will give you a real boost. You might also suddenly have a lot of respect for writers who write regularly in the genre you are trying out as your adventure. Getting out of the same old, same old venue can be exhilarating. Say yes to new adventures in March 2022. 

Conference Time

It's nearly time for me to go to the Fourth and Final WAC Conference held in a beautiful state park just outside Washington DC. The conference is sponsored by writersandcritters, my online critique group. We're an international group for women only. They're tough critiquers sometimes but they sure do know how to polish a submission someone sends in until it shines enough to be sent to an editor. Our online friendships were cemented forever with the first conference.

The picture below is of Jennie and Molly, both form Atlanta, relaxing in our shared cabin after some intense conference presentations. The decks on our cabins look out onto the Potomac River. It's a wooded area but the river is there for all to enjoy through the trees. An occasional deer trots by, as well. It's a perfect spot to do some writing, learn something at the 2 1/2 days of presentations by seasoned writers, and drink in some of nature's best offerings.



Just so you know it's not all play and no work, here's another picture of a conference meeting. All those writers look like everyone else, don't they? Someone you'd pass by in the grocery store aisle. Only differnce is while they shop, they are probably mentally working on a story.



Here's one of me giving a presentation on blogging at the last conference. This time, I'm going to talk about anthologies.


I'll be gone from Tuesday through Sunday next week. Looking forward to seeing old friends, making a few new ones and learning a lot while having a good time. I'll be posting on the blog each morning, as usual, it the wi-fi system works out.

The big confere3nces have big name presenters, but a small conference like ours offers every bit as much, and in some respects, even more. If you haven't attended a writers conference of any kind, make it a 2012 goal. Go to one, and you'll want to try others.