Why Conferences Work
So this past weekend I attended the WOTS (or Writing on the Sound) writing conference in Edmonds Washington.
It was a good experience and a motivating one as well. I have to admit it didn’t top last years SIWC from last year – but last year was in my firm belief a once in a life time unique and wonderful weekend. So I can’t compare anything to that fairly.
Anyway I got to hear some great and motivating speakers including Robert Dugoni, who’s presentation I found one of the most useful and informative. Elizabeth Lyon who’s workshop was also very useful and interesting, and Marc Acito who gave one of the most humorous presentations I’ve ever been in – which worked well since his presentation was about humor.
I found myself coming home to one single desire – to sit down and write.
I began to ask myself why conferences leave me ready to write. I mean while I was there I revised the first two chapters of my Work in progress.
Up until a few weeks ago I was feeling disappointed and discouraged by my writing. Now I want to jump in head first and make it better.
So why?
Personally I think there are three reason:
1) the focus – writing isn’t like a job where you go to work for 8 hours and sit and work. Especially not for writers who have other jobs or kids- or in my case both. You have to make time to write. The weekend conference focuses you and helps you cut out the time you need to focus on writing.
2) the motivation – you sit and listen to speakers, they talk about writing, and give you writing prompts to try and you actually get to write. Fun stuff – but also the ideas help you to be motivated. In fact I was thinking of turning one of the writing exercises I was given in one of the workshops into a short story. It was an idea I had never thought of before.
3) the dream – as I sat in session after session with successful writers with multiple books published I couldn’t help day dreaming. What would it be like when I came to the conference as a presenter rather then an attendee. Is it very different? Will people ask me to sign copies of my book and listen as I tell them about the years I wrote before I was published. The dream helps keep me going to the dream that someday someone will read my work and love it.
So there is my personal opinion about why conferences work.
Thank you Edmonds art counsel for the conference you put on. It was a motivating weekend.