Just What the Writer Ordered

I attended a wonderful writer’s conference in Milwaukee this past weekend, the UW-Milwaukee Spring Writer’s Festival.  I attended the conference two years ago and got a lot of great information which I promptly brought home and allowed to gather dust.  I was at a different place in my life then and as much as I knew I loved writing and wanted to pursue it professionally, I realized after the conference was over that I wasn’t yet ready to pull the trigger and actively pursue writing as a career.  I felt overwhelmed by the possibilities in front of me and I allowed that four-letter “f-word” to get in my way:  FEAR.  Fear of failure.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of making the wrong decisions.  I let that fear stop me and I pushed those dreams aside for a while. 

I continued to do the mom thing.  It was safe and predictable (for the most part, although every mom knows life with kids is full of unpredictable moments sprinkled amidst the routine).  But when you love writing, when you’re passionate about it, it never goes away completely.  It’s always there, nagging at you to pick it back up, calling to you.  I would satisfy my need to write with my blog posts, some articles on my Examiner page, etc. but I knew it wasn’t enough.  I knew I wanted and needed to do more writing.  However, that fear would sneak back in, making me second-guess the road I was considering for myself. 

And then an amazing thing happened last September.  I was at Barnes and Noble one day and I picked up a book called “No Plot?  No Problem!:  A Low Stress, High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days” by Chris Baty.  I was definitely skeptical.  But as I skimmed the book, it seemed to hold some great motivational tips and I found myself taking it to the checkout desk despite my doubts.  I came home and read the book cover-to-cover in a few hours.  I felt inspired.  A novel in 30 days?  It still didn’t seem likely, but it started to sound like a fun way to combat my self-imposed writing drought.  I went to the website maintained by Chris Baty called National Novel Writing Month and signed up to participate in that year’s event.  Every November, thousands of people all over the world commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days and the site provides a great source of support, ideas and encouragement to help everyone reach the finish line.  And I did it!  An idea came to me and I decided I was going to write a Young Adult novel.  I found the book Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks to be a helpful resource in getting my basic ideas down on paper so I was ready to start writing at midnight on November 1.  On November 30, I reached my goal with over 53,000 words and a full first draft of my novel completed. 

I was thrilled, but when it was all over I didn’t even want to look at my novel.  Chris Baty warned that many people experience that feeling.  I closed the file and didn’t open it again for over two months.  And then I received the email about the spring writer’s conference in Milwaukee and I decided I was ready to attend again.  After all, I had now completed the first draft of a novel.  I was truly feeling like a writer and I knew I was ready to start considering a walk down that road once again.  I even signed up for a manuscript review with one of the conference presenters.  I was terrified and excited at the same time.

I am pleased to report that the conference was just what I needed to reenergize me.  The enthusiasm of the other writers and aspiring writers who share the same passion was a great motivator for me.  It was refreshing to hear others who are in the same boat and to know I’m not the only one who sometimes lets the fear get in the way (far from it).  The conference sessions were excellent and I picked up so much great information.  The manuscript review was very beneficial, reinforcing some things I did well and giving me some areas to consider as I continue the editing process.  I left the conference feeling ready to tackle more editing on my novel and to begin actively pursuing freelancing opportunities.  My information won’t be collecting dust this time.  I’m already reviewing my notes and brainstorming and some more writing time is on the agenda for tomorrow.  I am a writer and as the final speaker at the conference emphasized, “A writer writes.”  Writing needs to be a part of my daily life and I feel so ready to dive in.