In October of 2015, I took the opening pages of The Color Eater to The Johnson County Library. The library was hosting an entirely free writers’ conference, and one of the sessions involved group critiques of your work. Those critiques helped me fine tune the opening scene, the scene I sent in to Kneerim & Williams, the scene which led my agent to request for the full Color Eater manuscript, the scene that made my agent fall in love with my work and ask me to sign with her.
What I’m saying is the Johnson County Library’s conference totally helped me land my agent. And, you know what’s cool? They host an entirely free writers’ conference every year, and 2018’s conference is coming up—November 1st-4th.
You should go.
I know what you’re thinking. Conferences sound scary.
And they kind of are because it’s lots of people who you probably don’t know. But you know what makes them less scary? Every single person attending loves books and writing, so if you want to make a friend all you have to ask is: “What are you reading?” or “What do you write?” Instant icebreaker. Who knows, you may even find a few people to be critique partners or beta readers.
Click on https://www.jocolibrary.org/newsroom/2018-writers-conference and check out the conference. It doesn’t cost anything and there are lots of fantastic presenters. Register for the sessions that interest you, and maybe one or two that mystify you.
I promise you’ll learn something and be surrounded by fellow book lovers. And, if you’re there on Friday or Saturday come find me. (My panel and workshop times are listed here.) We can talk books, and writing, or sit quietly side-by-side. And next time we talk we’ll say, “Hey, remember that time at the Johnson County Library’s writers conference? That was fun.”
Can’t wait to see you there.