live-composer-page-builder domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home1/c375526/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114I attended my first writing conference last year. Oh, I\u2019ve been going to DragonCon\u2019s writing track for years, so I figured I\u2019d pretty much heard everything I needed about writing. I was going for the chance to pitch my book to an agent or editor. Maybe I\u2019d pick up a couple of new ideas, but I was paying for that face-time.<\/p>\n
Boy, was I wrong.<\/p>\n
I did meet a lot of agents and editors \u2013 and other authors, who are not only great people to talk with, but can help you connect with even more agents, authors, and editors. I did pitch my ideas, and even got positive results from all of them.<\/p>\n
But I also learned more than just a couple of new ideas. We had lectures like \u201cTreating Your Story\u2019s Setting as a Main Character\u201d and \u201cCrafting a Gripping Opening\u201d and \u201cWorld Building 101.\u201d We wrote, and we critiqued each other\u2019s work. We shared ideas and websites and contact information.<\/p>\n
We had classes on social media, and on publicizing yourself and your books. I think I learned more in one day than I\u2019d learned in two years of playing around on Facebook. My Facebook author page \u2013 and I learned to set up a separate page for that instead of using my personal page \u2013 went from a few friends to over 3,000 in around six months, and it\u2019s still growing.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve never attended a writing conference, save up the funds and go! You\u2019ll learn a lot more than you think you will, plus you\u2019ll meet all those people who will play an important role in your career later on. The contacts you make now can only help you in the future.<\/p>\n
Plus, it\u2019s just a whole lot of fun.<\/p>\n
What’s the best conference you’ve ever attended — or the one you’ve always dreamed of attending?<\/p>\n