Its value depends on your response.
I returned after four days at a writers conference. I unpacked my bags, then took the afternoon and evening off to relax.
The next morning I listed nine follow-up points I need to take — starting today. I’ve already crossed off three. As soon as I write this (item four), I’ll begin tackling the fifth.
I don’t want to be like many of the writers who made appointments with me during my days as a magazine editor. I’d never ask people to send me their material simply to be nice. I didn’t have time to ask for projects with no potential.
I’d never ask people to send me their material simply to be nice.
But in the weeks and months after the conference, most of those writers didn’t send me their stuff. I didn’t publish them.
Yes, I did reject some of the material I received. For some others, I asked for revisions.
But I also discovered and cultivated some of my best writers — among those who followed up.
I invested four intense days in a conference. Now I’m determined to get the maximum benefit from the experience. That’s why I came.
Yes, I enjoyed staying in a new place for a few days, and I enjoyed times of fellowship with like-minded people. I appreciated hearing inspiring speakers. But those speakers kept reminding us that as Christian writers, we’ve been entrusted with talent—and have a message to proclaim.
Thanks to the conference, I’m better equipped to accomplish my job. It’s time to put that to use.
