I went to my first writing conference- here are my top five takeaways!

Last month, I went to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was my first time going to a writing conference, and while I was admittedly nervous, it was nonetheless an incredible experience. Before this, I somehow had it in my head that a writing conference was like a job fair- a lot of intimidating people behind booths, just waiting to judge you and your manuscript.

Needless to say, that was far from true. PPWC was full of professional writers, certainly, but also full of warm welcomes, communal events, and an environment of learning and progress. Attendees, staff, and special guests all ran the gamut from aspiring authors to longtime industry veterans. I learned a great deal over the span of the conference—far too much to include in a single blog post—but I’d like to share my top five takeaways here.

1. A writing career of any kind is an ongoing process.

Sometimes, it’s all too easy to see the challenge of getting published as a mountain to climb. What I learned from talking with so many at PPWC, however, is that it’s far more like a cross-country hiking trail. There’s no one single goal, no point at which you say “I did it and now I’m done”. Writing isn’t like that, and even publishing isn’t like that. Having a writing career is a lifetime endeavor, with many stops and achievements along the way; and even more importantly, everybody takes it at their own pace and in their own fashion. It was both humbling and hopeful to realize that I—along with every other aspiring author, self-published success story, traditional publishing darling, industry pro, and everybody in between—am walking the same path as everybody else.

2. Writing advice is not one-size-fits-all.

This is something I was already well aware of, but the conference certainly confirmed it. After going to a number of different workshops on writing craft, genre, and career prep, this fact surfaced as the common denominator. Of course, every instructor was giving advice: but they were also the first to admit that what works for them might not work for everybody, and that there was no one single way to do anything. Writing is an art more than a science.

3. Agents and editors are people too.

As an author, it’s all too easy to put industry professionals—especially those working in traditional publishing—on a pedestal. They’re the names you send query letters to, full of your hopes and dreams. They’re the ones that can make and break careers.

And they’re also people like anybody else. They have their publishing jobs, yes, but they also have lives outside of work. They make jokes when you happen to be next to them in the buffet line, and they have entertaining stories from trips abroad that had nothing to do with publishing at all. It was eye-opening, in a way that I think was probably healthy for my growth as an author, to meet agents and editors without some agenda between us. I had a number of lovely conversations with agents and editors at the conference- thank you to all I talked to!

4.  Authors are people too.

This one probably seems silly, given that I’m an author (and if you’re reading this, you probably are too). I do think it should still be said, however. Like the agents and editors, it’s all too easy to look at published authors, writers you admire, and feel like they’re somehow different from you. It can be very nice to find out that, in many ways, they aren’t. Every author I talked to at the conference, no matter how much or little they had published, was a person just like you and me. They were easy to talk to, kind, funny, and weird in all the best ways. Something about eating with people (and drinking with them- looking at you, Bar Con) really helps break down the walls we put up between ourselves and others. The conference was a great venue for that sort of thing.

5. It’s all about who you know (or: Community is everything).

My final takeaway is something that I think only a conference could have taught me. I don’t mean this in the sort of cliché, Hollywood “If you don’t know somebody on the inside, you’ll never make it” way; rather, the importance of community was something that was brought up time and again. PPWC itself is a large community, full of experienced professionals willing and able to share their knowledge and passion with others. Not only that, but the importance of connection was present in almost every success story I heard. Finding a supportive writing group, meeting the right agent at the right time, or having business partners that encourage your career growth even in uncertain circumstances- all of these things and more have led to an author’s success.

So, with all of this advice in mind, what are you waiting for? Go out there and write. Find your community. Make new friends. And hey, if you ever end up at PPWC- come and find me, and we can learn something new together.