10 Tips for a 1st-Time Conferee

by Ane Mulligan, @AneMulligan

Someone recently said they were about to go to their first ACFW conference and they asked for advice. As a conference veteran—I've attended close to two dozen—I offer the following:

1. Don't be terrified. I promise you'll love it. Look for names you recognize. Don't be embarrassed to look at name tags. ACFW gives you Zone (regional) stickers to add to your name tag to help recognize other zone members. If you've been active on their e-loop, you'll likely recognize names. Look for your favorite authors.

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First Time Writers Conference Jitters

by Cindy Sproles, @CindyDevoted

Learning curves. They’re a pain in the . . . well, you know. No one likes having to learn something new. We’re comfortable in our space just the way it is. When you unload your suitcase and stare at the hotel, it’s easy to ask that burning question: What have I done?

Your conference director and faculty have things coordinated, organized, and ready to go. You, on the other hand, feel the butterflies. As you walk through the halls of the conference venue pods of folks gather hugging, laughing, and sharing their writing adventures. Do you even fit in this world?

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Four Things to do Once Conference is Through

This past weekend, many of my writing friends gathered in Nashville for the annual American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. After four days of craft classes, agent/editor appointments and connecting with old and new friends, most are waking up at home today ready to attack their WIP with renewed vigor.

Not likely! Their brains are mush from all the information they’ve heard over the last several days yet they’re dying to use it in their own writing. But I have some suggestions—four to be exact.

1) Rest
Getting some rest is most likely not your top priority after returning home after a conference but it should be. Consider this: since the moment you decided to go, you’ve been hard at work. Whether it’s writing or rewriting your sample chapters, designing your business cards, combing over the conference schedule and picking out the perfect classes, making up one sheets—you’ve put a great deal of time and effort into those four days. During the conference, you’re involved in an intense study of the craft.

Now it’s time to rest. Everything you’ve learned will still be there after a couple of good days of rest. So sleep. Watch a movie. Spend time with your family. Give your brain and your body a rest—You deserve it!

 2) Read
 Writers are usually voracious readers but reading after attending a writer’s conference may have an unexpected advantage. It might help you retain the information you’ve learned. When you read, you see real life examples of the information you’ve learned during class. For me, listening to books on my iPod is especially helpful. By making the connection between what you write and what you’ve learned, your chances of retaining it are better.

3) Realize
Despite your best efforts, you’re not going to remember everything thing you’ve heard over the last few days. But if you can retain one item that revolutionizes your writing, that’s worth the price of the conference alone! It's that 'ah-ha' moment that you just don't forget.  I’ve gone to many conference over the last twenty years and while the classes on craft have helped me along the way, it’s those little tidbits that have changed the way I look at my writing that I remember most. One year, I took away the need for a daily word count. Another was Jim Rubert’s class point of shocking the Brocca in marketing. Yet another was Karen Witemeyer’s class on giving the reader more than they expect. All of these helped me become a more well-rounded writer.

4) Reconnect
While you still in the afterglow of conference, you need to reach out and thank those agents/editors/mentors you met with during the conference. Remember, these folks have taken time out of their busy lives to meet and give you encouragement in your dream of writing for publication. If you think your conference was busy, these people are in constant movement from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed. Even their most private moments like dinner or going to the restroom get interrupted by overzealous writers. So please, drop them a small note to let them know how much you appreciate their work.




Patty Smith Hall is a multi-published, award-winning author with Love Inspired Historical and Barbour and currently serves as treasurer of the ACFW-North Georgia chapter. She currently lives in North Georgia with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her new release, The Marshall’s Lady is available on Amazon.
                                  

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Stacking Up the New Year by DiAnn Mills

Stacking up the New Year
By DiAnn Mills

Our family celebrations often involve a game of dominoes. Me? I like stacking them up and watching them fall one-by-one.

Unfortunately if storytellers don’t make a few plans for their writing career in January 2015, our publishing dreams may fall. Every writer is motivated by something, and when we lose track of why we embarked upon this journey, our goals aren’t met. In fact, they are flattened.

Looks like I forgot to plan.

So how can we avoid the domino effect? I’ve listed ten ways writers can take charge of their career in 2015.

1.   Understand priorities and stick by them. Life is filled with interruptions, and only we can
      decide what distractions are important and what ones are merely annoyances.
2.   Establish a budget for conferences, marketing, promotion, and other expenses.
3.   We writers need to know where we’re going. Calendar due dates of writing projects. If a
      manuscript is on spec, establish a deadline to finish and stick to it.
4.   List the writing projects that need research and calendar them.
5.   Establish goals for social media. Buffer and Hootsuite offer solutions to save time and
      energy.
6.   Analyze the many blogs available for the writer and the world of publishing. Select and
      follow those that are consistency professional.
7.   Evaluate current writing groups, online and live. Which one(s) allow the writer to learn
      and give back to others?
8.   Create an “Idea” folder. Writing ideas come from the world around us—from blogs to
      articles to book projects.
9.  An author bio needs updating at least yearly.
10.Take an honest look at your professional photo. Is it time for a retake?

Facing the New Year with writing goals and a plan means professionalism. If we write when we feel the muse, edit when the mood strikes, and submit when we have nothing better to do, our careers will fail. Develop a plan and stick to it. Watch how your dominoes stack up this year.

Oh, I need to get this on paper.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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