A WRITER'S CONFERENCE IN THE CLOUDS

I say in the clouds because I came home on cloud nine--me and about a hundred others. I promise that the results of my attending the ANWA writer's conference were similar to other's.
I did not get an agent interested in my fairy story, but that's okay. My asking about it was last minute. I like the story, but it's a cross-genre type of tale and agents have a tendency to shy away from that sort of thing.

What I did do is put myself out there. I talked to agents and editors. Not to try and sell them on my book, but perhaps just to get them thinking about me in a possitive way. Having no pressure to "sell" was a freeing experience. "Hi, I'm Tina. What kinds of things are you interested in?"

At other conferences, the pressure to "sell" myself or my book paralyzed me. I could barely breathe let alone carry on a conversation. This time I introduced my sister and my friends, and also had time to share a bit about myself and my writing.

It was an intense two and a half days of learning the craft of writing and self promotion, and stealing moments here and there to go write an inspired thought or two. From sunup to sundown we were living and breathing our writing dreams.

And, BTW--I WON FIRST PLACE IN THE ROMANCE CATEGORY OF THE BOB (BEGINNING OF BOOK) CONTEST!!!!! Funny, because that particular entry was sent in as an after thought.

The conference was life-changing in more ways that just my winning a contest, however. I plan on this being a year of changes. And it all started with my going to a writer's conference.

Way to work on your dreams, Tina! Good job!
See you next week. (figuratively speaking, of course.)