Nicole Sune Sbitani (she/her) is a diplomat by day and speculative fiction author by night. The views expressed in her newsletter or on her website are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the United States.
My First Writing Conference Won't Be My Last
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Hello! I attended a writer's conference for the first time, and it was a blast! The conference was Colorado Gold, hosted by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW). If you live anywhere near Colorado, I highly recommend checking out the organization. I was so impressed with the caliber of authors, agents, editors, and other publishing professionals I met there. Given it was my first writing conference, I sought out a lot of advice beforehand and received some that helped me make the most of the long weekend. For example, multiple frequent conference attendees recommended all authors have author business cards. I ended up exchanging business cards with quite a few folks and was grateful I had them so we can stay in touch. I learned so much I'll try to sprinkle over future posts, but one thing that's really sticking with me are the keynote remarks of RMFW's Writer of the Year, Andrea Catalano. She mentioned (and this is my paraphrase) "you need a borderline delusional belief in yourself to keep trying to make a writing career work." In the context of her success with multiple bestselling novels after enduring many years of rejections, struggling to make time for her creative pursuits while balancing work and caregiving responsibilities for young children, and even parting ways with a close-minded agent who opposed LGBTQ+ content in her book, I found her words even more impactful. Colorado Gold may have been my first writing conference, but it definitely won't be my last. If you can afford and access one of these events, it is worth it for anyone who hopes to launch or maintain a writing career. Regards, Nicole Disclaimer: The views expressed in my newsletter or on my website are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the United States. |
Nicole Sune Sbitani
Nicole Sune Sbitani (she/her) is a diplomat by day and speculative fiction author by night. The views expressed in her newsletter or on her website are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of State or the United States.
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