As I am now home from the 20Booksto50k conference, I am still experiencing the Vegas hangover that comes with going to writing conferences (not the one that includes alcohol… Which I did NOT engage in. 😉 haha). Good writing conferences. What makes a good writing conference is first and foremost the people that attend it.
They are my extended tribe.
Hard workers.
Go getters.
Selfless.
There’s a dynamic were you’ve never met each other before, but because you wear the same lanyard, it’s nothing to sit and share a meal with them, or a conversation in the elevator, or the back of an Uber, as if you’ve been friends your whole life. It’s because you already know that they GET you before you even ask each other what your name is, or genre, or where you’re from.
Next, a good conference consists of speakers that leave you pumped up. They provide content, perspective, and insight that allows you to look at things in a whole new light. They are the kind of speakers that have me scrawling notes into my notebook, but the waterfall of information is more than I can keep up with. In addition to writing the notes, I mark down a plan for my business, and my story crafting. I leave the conference with a roadmap of tools to bring my knowledge, inspiration, and drive to the next level.
This conference was special, because I got to have my writing partner in crime (and fellow Wordwraith), J. R. Frontera with me. We were able to listen to the same talks in the same room, and gather entirely different insights from them, which helped both of us gain a higher perspective. On the opposite end of that, we were able to relate and connection with each other because of a mutual understanding that we are on the same page with our enthusiasm for the craft, and for our businesses as a whole. Also, it was just fun getting to hang out with one of my closest friends.
This writing conference took place in Las Vegas, a city I had actually never been to before. It lived up to it’s expectations: a city that never sleeps, a city where you can easily lose track of time, and money. A city with so much sensory overload, and people, and alcohol. It’s definitely not my scene, in a sense where I don’t like to stay out too late, nor am I a party animal, but there were still so many things to see and do. Apart from being at the conference in our hotel, we went out in groups for amazing dinners. I also got to stop at the Mob Museum, which was the prior courtroom that deliberated the fates of many Mob bosses. As a thriller writer, my senses were tingling and the gears in my head were turning. It was great fun.
Attending writing conferences are an important part of being an Author. It’s part of the job. For all the reasons above, and many more, you cannot expand your craft without expanding your network.
I’m so fortunate to be a part of this amazing Indie community, and I can’t wait to apply the souvenirs of knowledge I took home with me, as well as see my extended tribe at the next event- whenever that may be.
❤ Kristin Helling & the Wordwraiths
Wordwraith Books 