by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

A friend I’ve met via social media recently posted something like this: I’m thinking of going to a writers conference. I don’t have anything to pitch, but I’m still thinking of going for some other reasons.

 And then she listed why she was thinking of going to the conference, and asked what people thought.

And yes, I chimed in with a comment.

Short answer: Yes, go to the conference.

And today I’m sharing my longer answer.

Even if you don’t have a manuscript to pitch to editor or agents, there are lots of other reasons to go to a writers conference. even if you don’t have a manuscript to pitch to editors or agents. You can attend a conference to:

1. Be with your people. Writers “get” other writers. We love words. We love story. We love brainstorming. We love our imaginary characters like they’re real people. It’s encouraging to sit in a room filled with other creatives whose passions align with yours. After attending a conference, I leave with new friends that I stay in touch with, thanks to social media. 
2. Have fun. Yep, you read those two words correctly: Go to a conference and have fun.
   1.  Take a workshop because the title and description intrigue you. Maybe the topic is different from your normal area of interest, or you’ve never heard that specific instructor speak before. 
   2. Skip a session or two. You don’t have to attend every single session listed in the conference brochure. Take a nap. Or consider arriving a day early so you have time to see the city. 
   3. Make a new friend. If you meet someone new and they invite you to meet for coffee, say yes. (Reread bullet #1.)
   4. Be an encourager. Bring chocolate or fun quotes to share with others. 
3. Consider your options. Sometimes we find ourselves in transition. We’re not sure what book to write next. Or we’re pondering a career change of some sort. Two years ago, I switched from writing contemporary romance to writing women’s fiction. You don’t attend a conference only when everything seems settled in your writing life. If you’re mulling over options, go to a conference and prayerfully listen. Something may be said by a keynote speaker or during a panel discussion or while you’re having breakfast with (both old and new) friends that brings you clarity or encouragement. 

Moments We Forget  by Beth K. Vogt

Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine.

Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again.

Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released in May 2018. Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, releases May 2019. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.