by CJ Myerly, @mdippedinink
I’m a mom, introvert, and author, and the idea of attending conference both thrilled me and terrified me. As my first conference approached, I was a basket case, wondering if I should even bother attending. I’d heard about countless benefits, but as a mom I couldn’t fathom time away from my kids. As an introvert, I feared stilted conversation. As an author, I feared I wasn’t good enough to be among industry professionals.
However, God did not give us a spirit of fear. And braving the world of writing and publication requires fully relying on Him. We have to shut out the negative voices and seek His will for our lives. As writers, we’ve heard countless times how important writing conferences can be. Actually stepping out on faith that God has something there for us, isn’t always an easy task.
And yet, I came away from that conference with innumerable blessings. I want to share a few of the blessings that I didn’t expect for those of you who may be wavering about attending a conference.
Friends. You hear about the importance of networking, but I found something much deeper. I was in a room full of Christians who write. Everyone there understood the time required to write a book. Everyone understood the hurdles we faced. There were times when conversation didn’t flow, but most of the time, it did. Everyone encouraged each other. I made connections with other authors and returned home with a full heart.
Faculty. I didn’t use this conference to pitch my project. Instead, I focused on learning and connecting. However, the faculty—authors, agents, and editors—weren’t nearly as scary as I anticipated. In fact, they legitimately wanted to know about our projects, even if we weren’t ready for publication.
Feedback. There were multiple avenues to receive feedback. We could submit manuscripts in advance, practices pitches on friends and industry professionals, and brainstorm ideas with other writers. By the time I boarded the plane to head home, I knew my strengths and weaknesses. I had a slew of ideas to further hone my craft.
Focus. The feedback I received helped me to set reachable goals. Before conference, I told my husband how frustrated I was because I knew I needed to hone my craft but wasn’t sure what my weaknesses were. I needed direction, which I got in spades.
The Lord worked in my heart, giving me everything I needed to move forward. Now, one drawback I didn’t expect—fatigue. My mind had been stretched. I’d stepped miles out of my comfort zone. Add in jetlag, and I was toast. I couldn’t write or think about writing for about a week. I spent the week with my loved ones and caught up on rest. I wouldn’t advise scheduling much into your first week home, if possible.
If you’re not sure whether to attend a conference, don’t let fear hold you back from the potential blessings God has in store for you.
CJ Myerly lives in Texas with her husband and two children. She balances her passions of teaching and writing by homeschooling during the day and writing contemporary romance while her family sleeps at night. She hates clutter, loves organization, and has a love-hate relationship with technology. CJ is an active member of the ACFW and My Book Therapy. She was a 2017 Genesis semi-finalist in the contemporary category and a 2017 First Impressions finalist in the romance category. She blogs about books, motherhood, and homeschooling at http://cjmyerly.com/. To connect with her, find her on Facebook or Twitter.