No Burglars Wanted

I usually don't post anything that lets people know I am or won't be at home at a specific date or time because some of the evil people who read it might decide to break into my house while I'm gone. But this is an exception to let you know as you read this I'm at an SCBWI writers' conference.

SCBWI stands for Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Writers' conferences are great!

I didn't submit anything to agents or editors and don't expect to sell anything as a direct result of attending this one, although I expect to learn information that will help me become a better writer and sell things in the future.

But the main reason to go to events like this is to interact with other writers. I'll be carpooling with some members of my critique group and expect to see some online friends and people I've met at other conferences.

Writers are communicators, but writing is a solitary business, so when a group of us get together we connect in ways "normal" people wouldn't understand.

And, in case any "normal" people reading this happen to be burglars, my dog is taking care of things at home.

Conferences

Today is the SCBWI Spring Spirit Conference for people who write for kids. I've gone to dozens of writers' conferences and spoken at quite a few but I never get tired of them.

Writing is a solitary business, but writers are communicators, so when we get together we make friends easily. Both critique groups and conferences allow for that to happen as well as helping us develop our skills and get our work published. Many of my closest friends are people I originally met at gatherings like that.

But writers' conferences aren't the only kind.

Many professions have them for people in the same field. Churches, denominations, and other religious groups have conferences, and so do organizations like Scouts and athletic groups. And there are probably other kinds of conferences I haven't thought of.

Have you ever attended a conference? If you did, what did you like about it? Did it help you?

I'd love to hear about your experiences.