This month Susan is working on one more polish of her women’s commercial fiction novel 2ManyCooks.

Which comes first: the writing or the conference?

I am still electrified by the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Who knew that such a professional conference existed in my own back yard? Apparently, hundreds.

Hallie Ephron’s manuscript do-over workshop was worth the price of the entire conference. Her workshops (www.hallieephron.com) come highly recommended. It was a genuine pleasure to meet my editorial idol Elizabeth Lyon (www.elizabethlyon.com)  and to buy her new book Manuscript Makeover directly from her. Donald Maass conducted a Master Class that could only be described as guided writing. All these professionals are at the top of their game. It’s my good fortune to have learned from them in the weeks before 2ManyCooks goes out the door.

Yes, gingerheart reader, two agents have requested a look-see. One requested a partial (first fifty or sixty pages) and one requested the whole manuscript. Now, these requests and 25-cents gets me a phone call. But the doors are open. (One other door might be open. I’ll save that for another bloggy day.)

The agents’ interest encourages me toward that bull’s-eye known as publication. I believe writing conferences play a significant role in finding the centre of that target. A good – or great – conference can elevate your skills.

But which comes first: the writing or the conference? Trick question. The answer is both. If you’re looking for a good writers’ conference, be aware of your objective. Is it to pitch to industry professionals? Is it to learn more about the craft? The business? Or all the above?

Here’s an example of what happens when the conference comes first: More than ten years ago I attended the Maui Writers Conference.* I took the one-week screenwriting workshop with Chris Vogler (yes, that Chris Vogler). At the end of the week I wandered the industry marketplace where agents and editors were taking appointments.

I turned into a pitching maniac. I even pitched a cookbook at an open forum, before a panel of agents. I received a flutter of business cards for that one. Good for the ego. But. I had literally made up the pitch on the spot. Now I had to follow up. Needless to say, the wheels fell off that bus. But here’s the thing: the ideas I came up with in Maui are still flowering today.

A writing conference, then, can inspire creativity.

Here’s an example of what happens when the writing comes first: I refused to attend the Surrey International Writers’ Conference until this year because I wanted to have a full manuscript to pitch. Something complete. Something I believed in. I wanted to be able to put my manuscript where my mouth was. It was a solid decision.

With the confidence that I could write – and had proof – I focused on the next level. The professionals at SiWC were incredibly generous. Ephron and Lyon shared their techniques for revision. A couple of authors gave me career advice. Agents offered insider tips. One editor recommended I submit my manuscript to a particular imprint at her publishing house.

A writing conference can help you network.

These conferences seem to elevate my work by osmosis. Sure, there’s practical advice on the craft and the business. But there’s also the intangible yes! of being in a place filled with like-minded people. Your tribe. The right conference can reinvigorate both your attitude and your work.

A conference gets you face to face with decision-makers. For example, the RWA of Greater Vancouver threw a cocktail party where writers mingled with the personable Valerie Gray, Executive Editor for Harlequin’s MIRA line. (No ulterior motive here; she wins as the most delightful and gracious professional in a room full of insecure/desperate/grasping writers).

If you happen to be a writer in search of the right conference, talk with past attendees. If you don’t happen to have any of them on hand, cozy up to a writing association. Ask around. Writers love to offer their opinions.

Once you’ve found your conference, obsess about it a little. Know what you want. You might set goals such as ‘Learn screenwriting basics’ or ‘Improve story structure’ or ‘Pitch pitch pitch’. When you know what you’re after, the conference becomes greater than the sum of its parts. (Having said that, a good conference experience is kind of like a great vacation. Have the itinerary in place, but then be prepared to throw it away.)

And now I must strap myself in to my office chair and polish 2ManyCooks again. I have my notes from Hallie Ephron and Elizabeth Lyon at hand. Donald Maass’ parting words to Surrey conference-goers still resonate: Don’t rush. Write as a storyteller. In any culture, at any time, stories are important.

*Note: Surrey uses the possessive, Maui doesn’t. I’m just going with the flow.