Community, Character, and Craft - What I Learned at My First Writer's Conference

I'm often told that once I decide on a course of action, I don't do things small. So, of course, the first writer's convention I attended in person was one of the largest in the country. With somewhere around four-thousand-plus attendees, the Romantic Times  Booklover's Convention is extremely overwhelming for a newbie and I'm still processing most of what happened last week. Between taking part in my first ever author reading and trekking back to my room with an unbelievable amount of books, I didn't make nearly as many panels as I wanted, but I tried to be fully present wherever I was. Most importantly, I allowed myself time to go to "fun" panels as much as "informative" panels. Some last minute decisions brought me to panels with the best information. Here's what I came away with.

• Find YOUR Community - Not A community. YOUR community. This point came up in multiple panels. Weekly writing groups and facebook groups work well some people, but I don't thrive in either. My community is stitched together of individuals from various locations, with diverse interests, and at different places in their journey. We cheer each other on, support each other's projects, and offer objective opinions. We came together because of a passion for our projects and work well because of our openness with one another. A community is not a forced thing. Find one that works for you and don't feel obligated to stick around one that doesn't. 
• Ignore the need for perfection - "It's easy to make yourself miserable by never being good enough." This unexpected, attitude-shifting statement came in the middle of a panel with Anna Bradley, Rebecca Brooks, and Elizabeth Cole. Apparently, the universe felt I needed to be smacked repeatedly with this advice because later that day, Charlene Harris announced that even after thirty-some odd years of professional writing, she still has days she thinks she's a fraud. You don't have to be as good as anyone else. You have to be as good as you. Write the story that's true to you, and write it as well as you can. Never skimp on quality, but don't use quality as an excuse to keep you from making progress. 
• Write your own thing - I'm guilty of falling into the trap of working on short stories or group projects instead of working on my novel. Several panelists stressed that writing your novel should be your priority. There will always be a new project. Nobody else is going to put your book first. Say no to distractions. It's up to you to write your book, series, etc. 
• Learn your style - It doesn't matter if you're a plotter or a pantser as long as you know your style of writing and you use it to your advantage. NY Times bestselling author, Darynda Jones described her process of writing a sixty page synopsis of her story before beginning her draft. Charlene Harris said she had to face a wall while writing or she'd get too distracted. Gennita Low mentioned dictating lines into her phone while she worked on roofing projects. All these authors learned their strengths and weaknesses and what style worked best for them. Learn yours and stick to it. 

To wrap up, my first writer's convention was as enlightening as it was exhausting. I came away with a renewed sense of optimism and purpose. Take advantage of the above tips from some of the best in the romance business. I know I'm going to.