Have you ever debated with yourself about attending a writers conference and missed it? 
Are you afraid the costs outweigh the return?
What is your writing worth to you?

If you've never attended a writers conference for the above reasons, or others I didn't bother to list, you are missing out on a great experience. What were you thinking?  Don't hold back, don't think about why you shouldn't go - do it!  Do it now!

There are conferences in every region and probably every country in the world.  There are conferences for readers, writers and illustrators; about the writing craft, the publishing industry, specific genre's, marketing, promotion, etc. etc., etc.  You get the chance to learn.  You have opportunities to meet professionals and subject matter experts and networking is critical in the writing biz.  The affirmation that we are indeed writers is good for our muse as well.

If you can't afford to travel, then there are now on-line conference workshops that allow you to interact over the internet, generally at a minimal charge or free.

If you're hungering to learn more, be inspired as well as challenged, then attend a writers conference.  Shawguides.com is a good source, or just search Writers Conferences and see what works for you.

I try to attend a local conference once a year.  I've attended one online conference, and I've attended conferences in my neighboring states. Without exception I came away so jazzed that I wrote all the way home in my head, or later with a tape recorder.  One time I was so excited I called my favorite aunt and she and I brainstormed a new ending to my novel. 

So, if you want to jump start your career, or tickle your muse, attend a writers conference - it works every time!

Write on, my friends,
BD

What is the difference between making and finding time to write? 
If your schedule is anything like mine, which it probably is, finding time to write is nearly impossible.  There is always something on the list of chores that needs to be done:  laundry, groceries, cleaning, cooking, not to mention the day job, and if you are freelancing, too, then there's the night job, and don't ever forget the family and reading and research and exercise and.....I get carried away.  Finding an hour or even fifteen minutes to yourself to focus on writing is next to impossible.

So, what is the alternative?  Make time.  Something has got to give.  Personally I don't wash the windows or iron often.  I close the blinds and buy wash and wear.  I read during my lunch hours, and if an idea pops in that I can't wait to put on paper - then I jot down a few notes that I can follow up on later in the day.  During hunting season I have a few quiet hours to myself when my husband and the dogs are out of the house.  I cuddle up with my laptop on the couch and write.  Vacation days, well, that's a misnomer.  I usually pay bills, clean, shop, and do article interviews.  This week I have a massage scheduled.  So, when do I write?  Evenings when I don't have a editorial or board meeting or date with hubby.  Sunday afternoons I escape to the bookstore for a couple of hours and write. 

A friend of mine writes every Sunday morning.  That is her time, set aside for writing her novel every week.  I like that idea, but on Sunday morning I spend time with my best friend in the hot tub.  I need to find a different time and carve it out religiously.  As I sit here and write I think maybe I need to get out of bed on Saturday morning (my only morning to sleep in) and write.  Beauty sleep is not as much as a concern at my age, but recovery sleep is important. 

Hum. Quite the quandary.  So, what are we going to do?  If we are writers - we MAKE time to write.  Julia Cameron suggests morning papers, 30 minutes every day.  We each have to find that day or days and time that can become our writing time.  What will work for me won't work for you.  We have to prioritize.  Maybe this Saturday we take the grand kids to the movies, and Sunday afternoon we write and we clean the next weekend.  We don't have to have a house so clean that we eat off of the floor.  A full hamper is not an issue as long as you have clean underwear for the day.  Three course meals are not necessary - soup and sandwiches are just as filling and healthy.

Hopefully each of us will be motivated - no excuses - make adjustments - and write!

BD

Life is a series of choices.  Who knows what pebble in the road will make us diverge from the path we're on?  Who really knows what sent us on the path to begin with?  I do know that sometimes we just don't know where we're going, or if we know where we want to go - we're not sure how to get there.  We move along day-after-day, putting one foot in front of the other, hopefully enjoying the view and new discoveries, too.  Many times I hear that "we're where we are supposed to be."  Perhaps.  I do know I learn something, no matter if the path I am on is where I want to be or not.

I stumble over my own feet periodically.  They called me Grace as a child, but it wasn't because I was graceful.  I also had a bad habit of speaking first, thinking after, and was warned by my father it would get me into trouble.  It has, but I'm honest, and I try to use my words to do good, not cause harm.  Sorry, no cape or red S on my chest, just feet of clay like all mortals, doing the best I can to make my dreams come true while living day-to-day.

If there's a rock in my path that I can't lift, I walk around it, but I have no idea why I chose one side or the other.  Does anyone?  And if we follow someone elses path, doesn't it stand to reason that we will find ourselves somewhere we don't want to be?  The beauty of it is, we have choices.  We can choose to bang our head on the rock in our path, or sculp it into art, or turn right or turn or left, or skirt around it and keep going the same direction.

I love the line in the Sound of Music when the Mother Superior says something like whenever god closes a door he opens a window somewhere.  I apologize to the screen writers for botching that up, but I think you get the drift.  There is always another way to go.

Life is a journey, not a destination.  Let's enjoy it.

Write on, fellow writers. Write on.

BD