Did you catch Laura's post, "5 Things They Don't Warn You About in the Writers' Conference Brochure"?
Fun stuff. Here are five thoughts I came away from the Florida Christian Writers' Conference with, in no particular order:
1. No one has made it
Because I taught at the FCWC I got to know most of the faculty and heard their stories.
Revelation: None of the faculty feel as if they've made it. When you're new to the world of writing and publishing, those who have contracts or write articles that get published or teach writing or have a book out you can order from Amazon seem to have made it. They've achieved the dream! Huh uh. Keynoter Davis Bunn (who's sold more than six million books) said, "I'm just slightly further down the same road."
My new friends talked about rejections and hopes and dreams and concerns. Same things beginners talk about. As Mary DeMuth says, getting a contract simply introduces a new set of challenges.
Even Cec Murphey--who keynoted at the conference--and has written over 110 books, says he has a long way to go. The best-selling book he wrote for Don Piper, 90 Minutes in Heaven, has sold over 3.5 million copies. Yet Cec doesn't think he's made it, either.
Am I telling you agents and editors and published novelists and non-fiction specialists aren't gods? That's exactly what I'm saying.
They're human. And most are very approachable.
2. We don't have them in Seattle
The FCWC conference center is next to Lake Yale. One night, as I stood on the pier, talking with my wife via cell phone, I heard a loud swish from the water right behind me. Yes, I walked briskly back to land. No, I didn't get eaten by the alligator.
3. You never know who you'll meet
During the four-day conference, I chatted a few times with a gentleman named Loyd Boldman. But Loyd isn't the type to brag on himself, so I didn't find out till he was driving Laura and me to the airport that back in the 1980s, he fronted one of the pioneer Christian rock bands. I had a short stint on air in the mid-80s hosting a show called Eternal Rock, and we figured I must have played songs from Loyd's band, Prodigal.
Loyd and I swapped inside stories about bands we know and had a great time reminiscing, while Laura eagerly leafed through Loyd's high-end graphic design portfolio and decided on the spot that we need to hire him.
Ask people for their stories. Most people are fascinating if you're willing to dig a bit.
4. Randy isn't Darci
Randy Ingermanson and I have been friends for a while now, so we roomed together at the conference. And while he owns a stellar pair of PJs and is a fascinating conversationalist, even at 1:30 am, I missed my wife. (Plus she's way cuter and doesn't fire up a chain saw after she dozes off.)
5. Friendship is the priority
I think we're all going to die someday. I don't think we're taking anything with us, except friendships. So investing in friendships should be a priority.
I came away from the conference a rich man because of the new kindred spirits I met there.
Contracts and writing assignments are wonderful, but the relationships we build are the true gold that lasts. (I recently posted more on this subject over on the FCWC blog.)
If you've never been to a writing conference, go.
There's no better way to advance your career.
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March 14, 2009
Jim and Laura present during a panel discussion on social networking
Jim will be teaching a roundtable workshop, "The Perfect Pitch" and
Laura will be facilitating the large group Write Start exercise: "Author Binges"
May 1-2, 2009
Jim & Laura will be teaching a workshop on branding: "Discovering Your Divine Design"
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