My First Writer's Conference


             My very first writer’s conference was the Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference in San Francisco.  I had written my first book and wanted the world to know about it. Being married with four children, I had never been on a vacation by myself, across the country, to a destination where I knew no one at all.  I guess you could say I was a little nervous.

               First stop after check in into the hotel was the Faith, Hope and Love Chapter meeting.  There I met Debra Clopton, Linda Goodnight, and Janet Tronstad. In the short time between the meeting and the start of the RWA Conference, I had the opportunity to take a impromptu sightseeing tour of San Francisco with these wonderful women.  Through it, I also experience the open arms of the writing community.  And there in a conference surrounded by thousands of writers, I no longer felt alone.

               I learned more than I ever thought possible. I met authors who up until then were just a name on the cover of a book.  But most of all, I walked away with a fire in my gut and a desire to start another book.  A conference can be a scary thing, but the bonds you make with the writing community are immeasurable.

               Share a memory of your first writer’s conference.


1 comment:

  1. First writer's conference: I went to a national conference, but it was a smaller one, here in the Springs. I just wanted to dip my toe in. I woke up the second day with a fever -- and I went anyway because, hey! I had paid for this conference and didn't want to miss any of it. That day was a blur. I do remember the last day -- ending in prayer and committing to pray for the person on our left and the person on our right. One of those people was Steve Laube (of all people).

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