The topic was How A Professional Writing Organization Can Benefit Your Career (Or Not). We talked about the advantages of writers’ groups, conferences, and critique groups.
(photo: Ramona Richards, Jody Wallace, Annie Solomon, and me)Here’s a short summary from part of my talk. My writing has improved with each of these steps, joining RWA & SCBWI, attending national conferences, and joining a critique group. Finding my current critique group has been a big plus in my writing this year.
I first met my critique partners in an unusual way. I attended the SCBWI-Midsouth regional conference last fall in Nashville. I knew no one at the conference when I arrived. On our nametags, our hometown was listed, so I spent a lot of time staring a people’s nametags, looking for people who lived in my area. While I was in line for the ladies’ restroom (a line that can be Very long at writers’ conferences), I met my critique partner, Jennifer. She introduced me to another member of our current group (after we exited the ladies’ room).
The moral of this part of the story is: Take advantage of time spent in line. You never know who you’ll meet. This advice should come in handy next week. I’ll be attending the RWA national conference in San Francisco. I am looking forward to networking, workshops, and catching up with friends. And Yes! My manuscript is ready to pitch.
Next week: Reporting from RWA 2008 in San Francisco.
