Quick background: I didn’t start writing until I was FIFTY years old. When I finally dared, I did it anonymously on the MMM blog. I wrote a lot, but it was TEN more years before I actually wrote a novella, then three more years before I attempted a novel.
Have you dreamed about actually writing a novel? Do you feel a generational pull to write your personal history or a family history? Do you have an LDS non-fiction book floating around in your head? Do you want the satisfaction of leaving something sitting on the bookshelf long after you’re gone?
That was me. What’s stopping you?
After I lost my secret MMM identity, I was suddenly free to talk to people about writing. That is how I discovered how to take my next step:
A friend suggested I go to a writers’ conference. My response was, “Why would I want to hang around a bunch of writers I don;t know when writing is a very individual thing?”
“Give it a try,” I was told.
So I did. 10 years ago, I attended the American Night Writers Conference in Mesa, AZ. (More commonly known as ANWA) I walked in feeling very alone, like the odd man out at the party. That didn’t last long. Everyone was so nice and supportive.
I attended classes on how to be a better writer, how to publish a book, and actually made a whole bunch of new friends that were in the exact same boat as me.
Since then, I’ve attended many conferences, but for me, the ANWA conference feels like home. It is LDS-centric and works to uphold LDS standards, which is noble and a relief to me. It is smaller (200 people), so you don’t feel lost.
Some writers conferences can be a little…
I bought into the vision of ANWA. Attending the conferences and joining an ANWA writers group gave me insight, support, and the guts to write and publish a book. It was the step that took me from the safety of my little blog to actually publishing novels.
Cut to now: I am the Chairman of this year’s ANWA conference in September in Mesa, AZ. It will be held on September 17-19 at the DoubleTree Hotel. (Yeah, I’m in charge. hehehe)
About the Conference: Not only are there amazing classes, but there are opportunities to actually pitch your ideas to publishers and agents from established publishing houses. Again, with LDS standards. There are editors who can help with what you’ve already written, and experts who are eager to chat with you about anything regarding your writing – whether it be fiction or non-fiction. (You want to learn how to use Canva or Instagram? You can do that, too!)
The cherry on top is that it will be a ton of fun! You will learn plenty, but you will also make new friends, find people who share your writing interests, and walk away with a head full of ideas, and an excitement to finally tackle what has been bouncing around your brain all these years.
Some of you I have known via the internet for over a decade, but we’ve never met. Come to the conference and let’s hang out! We can chat about your new writing journey and have some laughs.
Here is the LINK for more Conference INFO. You do NOT have to be a member of ANWA, or LDS to attend. We also have a special ANWA Jr. breakout session for teenagers.
MESSAGE ME on Facebook or comment on this post and I will get a discount code you can use. 😉
Any questions?
Come join us! It’s gonna be GROOVY!
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Hmmmm…..just finished a small book about my grandfather’s service in WW1. While I have already figured out what it takes to self-publish a book, for some reason this conference intrigues me. I did suggest to my wife that if I could do it once, maybe there is more where it came from. She rolled her eyes but did agree it was worth looking into.
Don’t let eye rolls stop you!