First Time Writers Workshop

My first writer’s workshop was terrifying.

And for absolutely no reason.

Seriously. No reason. But I built it WAY up in my head for a number of reasons:

1. I had a 10 minute reservation with an agent to discuss Wonderland.
2. The conference was in a city I was unfamiliar with (St. Paul, MN).
3. Writers, by nature, are introverts, but all of us crammed together in a hotel conference center forced awkward conversation and I never signed up to actually TALK about my book. Least not with complete strangers.

Oh wait. Yeah, that’s exactly what I signed up for when I logged into PayPal for registration.

The writer’s conference I choose to make my first was the 2019 Minnesota Writing Workshop. I’d frequented others over the years; small events held at my alma mater before graduation, and larger book festivals, but those tend to be geared toward readers. The Minnesota Writing Workshop was for one group of people: writers. How to improve writing. How to query. How to land an agent. How to navigate the next round of madness found in the publishing industry.

Here are a couple tips I learned that fateful weekend that I hope can help you:

1. Make and take business cards. I know, its 2020. We all follow each other on Twitter, the kids are rocking TikTok, I get it. Take business cards. If nothing else, they’re an ice breaker when you’re chatting with someone new. I’m a marketer by trade, so my skillset comes with a side ability to have connections with printers, but Vistaprint, Staples and similar photo printing websites offer templates for business cards, with printing, for a nominal cost. Include your name, email, phone, Twitter handle, and website. Add any other social media you frequently use – but make sure it’s updated, and doesn’t go against the brand you’re building. At the very, very least – holding your own business card is empowering.
2. You must speak. I agree. Speaking is over-rated. Can’t we just read each other’s minds from the comfort of our own writing holes? Mmm, no. You need to walk across the room, introduce yourself, tell someone about your book, and ask them about theirs. At a writer’s conference, everyone is just as nervous as you. I swear on my Harry Potter paperback.
3. Go to the classes offered. I was giddy as I reviewed the list of offered classes at the conference. By the time the second hour started, I was so excited and inspired to write that I almost ditched classes just to…write. Listen – we all know the jokes surrounding writers and procrastination, and like you, I’m hardly immune. But sometimes, when I’m nervous to tackle something, I rely a little too much on my instinct to hide and write under the guise that “I’m doing this for me, for my craft, I-just-have-to-get-this-done-or-it-will-disappear-forever” that I’m shortchanging myself. If you must, scribble a note down, and go to the class you paid for.
4. Volunteer your WIP for critical review. A lot of professional writers conferences invite you to submit X number of pages for critical review. At one conference, I had one minute to read as much of the first chapter of my WIP as I could, then everyone wrote down their initial thoughts and passed the scraps of paper to me. That was terrifying, but you know what’s scarier: handing over that WIP and letting it stand without you. At the Minnesota Writing Workshop, I had the opportunity to give the planning committee my first page – just my first page – and a committee member stood in front of a room of writers and agents and read my work aloud, anonymously. When an agent lost interest in the WIP, she raised her hand. When five agents raised their hands, indicating disinterest, the reader stopped, and the agents explained why they lost interest. It. Felt. Brutal. Is it valuable? Yes. One agent raised her hand before the end of the first sentence was done, and a gasp rolled through the crowd. That same agent, however, let another first page roll by, and indicated that she was interested in reading further. This exercise – and that’s all it is, is an exercise – nailed that the industry is subjective. Know your audience (in this case, who you submit to). Know not everyone is your destined reader.
5. Dress in layers. Conference rooms are cold. Or as hot as the sun. There’s no predicting it, and you don’t want to be wearing a hoodie you had to buy from the hotel with their logo on it when you’re supposed to be in semi-professional wear. Besides, you make break into a dead sweat during the critical review. You don’t know what will happen! Be prepared.
6. Take copies of your query, resume, and first three chapters.  With your business card, have copies of your query letter, resume, and the first three chapters of your WIP. Basically, print off what you submitted in your last query session. Will you need it? Likely not. But it’s nice to have on hand; you never know who you’ll meet at these things.

I hope this helps you be a little more prepared for your first writer’s conference. They’re a lot, and there are a lot of hungry, semi-desperate writers like you at these things. Take the opportunity to get to know a couple of your fellow dreamers. Ultimately, we’re all just excited to see our words in print. Let me know your success stories!