I attended the League of Utah Writers’ annual “The Quills Conference” this weekend. I’m no stranger to conferences or conventions, as I’ve attended them multiple times a year since JordanCon 2015.
The perks of these conferences are plenty-fold. When I started to get serious about writing, I’d attend every panel to learn about the craft. These panels generally include discussions involving pop culture analysis, writing tropes, querying agents, working with editors, story structure, etc.
As the years passed, I realized I could only learn about point-of-view and tense so many times before I needed to start writing, to learn by doing. Therefore, my recent conference experiences have been focused on volunteering and networking rather than attending for instructional purposes.* Although, every time I return, I get reinvigorated by my proximity to other aspiring authors and passionate instructors.
I want to open the discussion to other fiction writers (and avid readers). What do you get most out of attending conferences? Are there any lessons you’d like to share for new writers dipping their toes into these events? Have you had any negative experiences? Have you been a guest speaker on panels?
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! ~ WM
*As a writer, I am a lifelong learner and actively pursue new ways of thinking. An additional perk of volunteering is that you can usually attend the classes for free (given you have free time).
I've only been to two conferences. They were more geared toward helping writers navigate the publishing world, including pitching their books to agents. I didn't have the best luck pitching my book in person (apparently agents don't like it when you correct them ;-) but I did get my agent via a conference. He was a panelist and contacted me afterward based on the description of my book with my bio in the conference program. My book wasn't really ready for prime time yet, and I was at the conference more out of curiosity than anything, so even though it didn't end up getting published, it was a big boost of confidence. Overall, I'd say it was a worthwhile experience if for nothing else than forcing me to stand face-to-face with people in the industry and justify my book--either have the conviction and confidence to stand by it or fail to. I think that was a make or break moment for me as a fiction writer.
Thank you for sharing this, J! This is inspiring because I've never pitched in front of anyone before due to my fear of public speaking (scrutiny?).
One year, at JordanCon, the wife of the late Robert Jordan, Harriet, was on the panel for novel pitches in a room of about 30 people. I got too nervous with my pitch about a reptilian fantasy adventure and didn't do it. After it was over, I brought up the first Wheel of Time book to get it signed by her and she smiled and said, "I was waiting that whole time for you to stand up and pitch your story." I just laughed it off, but it was one of the those "you miss 100% of the chances you don't take" situations.
I'm glad you were confident enough to do it and it was a worthwhile experience. I want to do this at the next conference just to say that I did it, to build up that mental fortitude and rise to the challenge.
Yikes! Pitching in front of a room full of people sounds really daunting! My pitches were one-on-one and they still gave me panic attacks :-\ I also have a fear of public speaking... But no regrets! Good luck if you decide to do it--I hope you'll be glad you did :-)
Thank you! I think most normal pitches are one-on-one. This was a weird case. I know the person I might pitch to too. So that might help. I’ll let you know!
Haven't attended any conferences, but I did do ProWriting Aid's Fantasy Writers Week, which is sort of an online conference, where I got the inspiration to make a substack. I like being able to talk about writing with people.
At this point I'm tired of writing advice more than anything else. No more books or talks on writing, I just want to write.
Hey William, talking about writing is such a great thing. I enjoy that more than groups that provide specific feedback because a lot of the internal editing and revision can be done while talking about the story instead. After this house move, I hope to get more into that kind of stuff.
And I'm right there with you on the writing advice. After years of listening to podcasts and reading how-to books, it either gets lost in the ether or it becomes too much of a barrier. Writing is an entire process that is layered and nuanced, with a lot of the skill manifesting from time spent doing it.
My biggest hang-up is routine and thinking that I need to be in the right headspace all the time. This causes too much friction for me and I forget to write every day. Sigh. You've inspired me to start again.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience with ProWriting Aid. I'm so glad it inspired you to start a Substack!
I've only been to two conferences. They were more geared toward helping writers navigate the publishing world, including pitching their books to agents. I didn't have the best luck pitching my book in person (apparently agents don't like it when you correct them ;-) but I did get my agent via a conference. He was a panelist and contacted me afterward based on the description of my book with my bio in the conference program. My book wasn't really ready for prime time yet, and I was at the conference more out of curiosity than anything, so even though it didn't end up getting published, it was a big boost of confidence. Overall, I'd say it was a worthwhile experience if for nothing else than forcing me to stand face-to-face with people in the industry and justify my book--either have the conviction and confidence to stand by it or fail to. I think that was a make or break moment for me as a fiction writer.
Thank you for sharing this, J! This is inspiring because I've never pitched in front of anyone before due to my fear of public speaking (scrutiny?).
One year, at JordanCon, the wife of the late Robert Jordan, Harriet, was on the panel for novel pitches in a room of about 30 people. I got too nervous with my pitch about a reptilian fantasy adventure and didn't do it. After it was over, I brought up the first Wheel of Time book to get it signed by her and she smiled and said, "I was waiting that whole time for you to stand up and pitch your story." I just laughed it off, but it was one of the those "you miss 100% of the chances you don't take" situations.
I'm glad you were confident enough to do it and it was a worthwhile experience. I want to do this at the next conference just to say that I did it, to build up that mental fortitude and rise to the challenge.
Thanks again for sharing!
Yikes! Pitching in front of a room full of people sounds really daunting! My pitches were one-on-one and they still gave me panic attacks :-\ I also have a fear of public speaking... But no regrets! Good luck if you decide to do it--I hope you'll be glad you did :-)
Thank you! I think most normal pitches are one-on-one. This was a weird case. I know the person I might pitch to too. So that might help. I’ll let you know!
Haven't attended any conferences, but I did do ProWriting Aid's Fantasy Writers Week, which is sort of an online conference, where I got the inspiration to make a substack. I like being able to talk about writing with people.
At this point I'm tired of writing advice more than anything else. No more books or talks on writing, I just want to write.
Hey William, talking about writing is such a great thing. I enjoy that more than groups that provide specific feedback because a lot of the internal editing and revision can be done while talking about the story instead. After this house move, I hope to get more into that kind of stuff.
And I'm right there with you on the writing advice. After years of listening to podcasts and reading how-to books, it either gets lost in the ether or it becomes too much of a barrier. Writing is an entire process that is layered and nuanced, with a lot of the skill manifesting from time spent doing it.
My biggest hang-up is routine and thinking that I need to be in the right headspace all the time. This causes too much friction for me and I forget to write every day. Sigh. You've inspired me to start again.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience with ProWriting Aid. I'm so glad it inspired you to start a Substack!