Writers conferences are fuel for my creativity. Gathering together with hundreds of other creatives generates a vibe, a visceral buzz and hum of energy that floods my circuits with a desire to knock out twenty-thousand words at one go. I love writers conferences.
At least the ones I’ve been to.
I started attending writers conferences in 2016 with the Pikes Peak Writers Conference (my home, first conference, and first love). That year I met NYT bestselling authors Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Lindsay, and Wendy Corsi Staub. My story idea–for I only had three chapters written–got requested my New Leaf Literary agent Suzie Townsend. That’s when I learned that a story is not enough. A finished book is the key.
Since that year I have attended nearly a dozen conferences, volunteered at most, and even helped connect three writers organizations together during Covid to create an online conference via YouTube. Each visit, each experience, each conference, fueled me.
A new conference offers a new source of fuel.
This year I attended my first writer’s conference outside of Colorado. The Quills Conference is over 80 years old and serves as the premiere annual conference hosted by the League of Utah Writers. Here I made connections with new writer friends like Laya V. Smith, K.B. Wagers, Marjorie Asturias, and Bitsy Kemper. I reinforced longstanding ties with Johnny Worthen, Sarah Schriver, and Angie Hodapp. Hell, I even sold a few copies of A Night to Remember! All-in-all, a good time.
Quills allowed me to experience that high that only comes from doing something new. Exploring and learning how LUW operates, who the regulars are, and what the conference has to offer brought me back to that first conference experience back in 2016. This time I wasn’t so naive as to pitch an agent with an unfinished manuscript.
But, as then, I failed to take pictures of me with any other attendee. Nor did I take pics of anybody with my book.
Still a rookie.
That’s alright. There’s another conference coming up soon, with another chance to get some good pics, and another chance to fuel up.
