Why Attend a Writers Conference?

I attended the Called to Write Conference in Pittsburg, Kansas last week. It was phenomenal! Great workshops - informative and fun. Wonderful "instructors" (is that what you call someone who conducts a workshop? LOL). Good food. Beautiful devotions I'm still thinking about. But as much I enjoyed all of those things, something else stood out to me as a reason all writers should attend conferences when they can.
Other writers.
It's an environment in which you're surrounded by many people who get the whole writing thing. All those individuals gathered in one place, all caught up in the same obsession to which you've also succumbed...writing. (And, in this case, it was also wonderful to know they were all Christian writers!)
Writing is such a solitary occupation. It can become downright lonely sometimes. Most writers don't really mind it - they're OK with being by themselves. But occasionally, it's nice (and really a good thing) to be around people. It's especially nice - at least once in a while - to have those people "speak your language."
I met so many new writing friends, for which I'm immensely grateful and blessed. AND...I was able to meet a few writers I already felt I knew from online contact. Meeting them in person was a special blessing!
By the time I left, I was tired. Yep. I admit it. And I was also a little overwhelmed by all the information trying to slide itself into the proper slots in my poor, overloaded brain. But I was also fired up and ready to come home and WRITE. I felt spiritually refreshed, blessed with new friends and networking contacts, and geared to GO!
That's reason enough to make the effort to attend the next conference, don't you think?
THANK YOU to all the coordinators of Called to Write...all the workshop leaders, and the many people behind the scenes who kept the wheels oiled and rolling. You are appreciated!

The settings on my digital camera were "off " somehow (I am utterly ignorant of photography stuff!) and my pictures all turned out a bit blurry. This is me (left) with my sweet friend, Susan Hollaway, whom I got to meet in person at the conference. Suzy and I are critique partners, and have become very close, but we'd never actually met. This conference made a meeting possible, and it was SUCH a blessing!