Two Different Approaches to Conference Attendance

Published April 25, 2023

By Catherine Dilts

My daughter and I embarked on a grand new adventure – collaborative writing. We’re finally digging into that crazy speculative fiction novel we’ve talked about for years. But this article isn’t about our writing project. It’s about our different approaches to attending PPWC 2023. This will be my daughter’s first writer’s conference. I found my name tag from PPWC 1995, which means I’ve been attending conferences for over 25 years. Wow. Obviously, we will both have different goals.

Beginner

If this is your first time, you have an idea for a fiction or non-fiction work. Maybe you’ve drafted it or even have a finished manuscript. What next? You’ve registered for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. While looking over the online schedule, you feel overwhelmed by the options. Each session has intriguing topics. How do you decide which to attend? Should you sign up for a Read & Critique session, or pitch your book to an agent? What do people do after hours?

My advice? Dive right in and experience everything. If you write genre fiction, attend every session or panel discussion specific to your genre. Definitely go to nuts-and-bolts classes on scenes, characters, beginnings, and other craft-of-writing sessions. Agent and editor panels can inform you about the business end of writing. Don’t be shy about asking volunteers for help when you’re not sure where to go or what to do next. You might leave PPWC feeling like you tried to drink from a firehose. After a few days, or weeks, the initial combination of excitement and exhaustion should settle out. Now you’re ready to apply lessons learned. Connect with other writers through Pikes Peak Writers activities to keep that momentum going.

Old Hand

You’re a published author, by one of several routes available (self, indie, or traditional). If you planned ahead, perhaps you’re teaching a class, or sitting on a panel. People will be eager to hear your how-I-made-it stories. At one of my early PPWCs, I was amazed to learn of a published author who locked herself in her room due to a looming book deadline. At that time, I was cramming in as many sessions as I could, and found it hard to fathom spending part of the conference inside a hotel room. For some folks, a weekend away from the day job and family may offer precious writing time. Even if you’ve chosen a particular publishing route, try to step out of your niche and see what everyone else is doing in this rapidly changing industry. Don’t skip the craft sessions. We can all hone our skills to improve our writing.

But my best advice for published authors attending PPWC? Bask in the glow of having achieved your dream of becoming an author. Relax and enjoy spending a weekend with your peers. Nobody understands writers like other writers.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a conference beginner or an old hand, remember to network. As an introvert, I dread meeting new people. Push yourself to interact. Depending on what level you’re at in your writing career, each of us comes to the conference with different goals. With an awareness of your particular needs, you can plan your conference strategy, and walk away with enlightening new experiences. And don’t forget to have fun!

Catherine prefers writing cozy mysteries and short stories surrounded by summer flowers on her sunny deck, but any time of year – and anywhere – spent writing is a good day. She lives in Colorado with her husband, close to their two daughters and their families. Her job as an environmental regulatory specialist often provides inspiration for fiction. The Body in the Cattails is the first in her new Rose Creek series (release date May 10, 2023). Author of the Rock Shop Mystery series and the stand-alone Survive Or Die with Encircle Publications, Catherine also writes for Annie’s Fiction, contributing books for the Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library, Annie’s Museum of Mysteries, and soon-to-be-released Mackinac Island Knitters series. Her short stories appear in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Journeys into Possibility: Tales from the Pikes Peak Writers. https://www.catherinedilts.com/