Dr. Peggy Phelan and unidentified attendees

A few months ago I extolled the virtues of writers’ retreats.  Now, I’m going to ramble about conferences.

Yes – it’s that time again.  In Arkansas, the Arkansas Writers’ Conference is being held the first weekend in June.  Following that, White County Creative Writers’ Annual Conference is held the first Saturday of Labor Day weekend.   The Maumelle Conference follows shortly after that one, and Ozark Writers’ League hosts a conference in October.  Your state probably has similar schedules.

Dr. George Simon

Conferences can be a valuable experience. Editors help you understand what they look for in a submission; publishers talk about the process; and writers, hopefully, help you by sharing the things that worked or didn’t work for them in getting published. Those that self-publish may even give you clues to keep you from making some of the mistakes they may have made in their first attempts.

Information of this kind can be overwhelming.  Some of us draw back into our shells, thinking, Oh, I’ll never learn all of this.  Some of us push forward, feverishly making notes that we will never look at once we leave the venue.  A few walk away convinced that their talent is so great that they don’t need any advice. Still others absorb and learn a little, and will avoid some of the errors, but still make some.  Such is the way of writers.

A few years ago, I asked a well-known columnist to speak at our conference and was turned down.  He then turned up as a speaker at another.  Later on, he wrote a scathing article on such gatherings, poking fun at writers that attended, saying that real writers had no time for them.  I was glad he hadn’t been at OUR function.  Still later, though, he wrote another piece about a conference HE had attended and  all the useful things he gleaned there, and I wondered how he could have written about one with such disdain and then attended the other with such eagerness.  He disproved his own statements. The fickle finger of fate had struck again. (oops – if you don’t recognize that reference, I’m too old! Google the phrase.)

Del Garrett, Jim Barton, Pat Oplinger, Peggy Sanders

Of great importance is the networking that goes on at a conference.  Sometimes tips and tricks learned in conversation are as valuable as those offered by the speakers. Never underestimate the value of bonding with others in your field – your name will spring to mind when someone needs your skills or expertise. And it’s always nice to have writers greet you at other conferences by name.  You form friendships that will last for years.

Please give the organizers the courtesy of registering and letting them know you are attending.  It helps in order to plan seating, hand-outs, food, and distributed materials. Every year, I peruse what is offered and choose a couple to attend, different each year.  I’ve discovered, too, that when I am tempted to pass on a speaker, his presentation often offers surprising insight.

Check them out – I promise, you will find something worthwhile.

Arkansas Writers Conference – http://www.arkansaswritersconference.org/

White County Creative Writers’ Conference will be updated and posted by June 1, 2014 – www.whitecountycreativewriters.org

(Note – photos are from White County Creative Writers’ Conference 2012)