One Writer's First Experience at the ACFW Conference

by Lynn H Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

I attended my very first ACFW(American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference last week. 

I know many of you may be thinking about attending ACFW at some point in the future so I thought I’d share my thoughts and impressions with you.

Here’s my day-by-day guide to ACFW.

Day 1 - Thursday

This year the conference was held at the Omni in Nashville. The Omni was lovely. Nice rooms. Excellent service. It’s a very large hotel, and it has to be because there were close to 600 people in attendance. I’ve attended quite a few conferences, so when people warned me about how big ACFW was . . . well, it’s not that I didn’t believe them, but I wasn’t worried about it.

I probably should have been just a little worried. My introverted self wasn’t quite prepared for the sheer mass of people. SO. MANY. PEOPLE.

Fortunately, I know myself well enough to know the feeling of “I need to get away from all these people” will subside once I get my bearings, which really didn’t take very long. Thursday afternoon and evening were packed with worship, keynote, genre dinner, and publisher spotlights. All of which were fabulous and not to be missed.

Day 2 - Friday

Friday was an interesting day. The morning started off with a zone breakfast where I had a chance to get to know other writers from my zone. Then there was a worship time and then it was off to continuing classes, appointments, and drop-ins with publishers. It’s a full day and looks different for everyone depending on their schedule. Friday evening is open. In my case, I joined other Love Inspired authors for a meal with our editors and it was a wonderful opportunity to finally meet many of my online friends.

Day 3 - Saturday

Saturday began with worship and then went straight into classes. I had a blast volunteering to be a hostess for a couple of the classes I attended and I highly recommend signing up to volunteer. It’s a great way to feel like you’re a part of the event. Saturday evening ends with the Gala and awards ceremony. It’s a lot of fun to dress up, but if you’re worried about it, know that you don’t have to go with a tuxedo or a floor length gown. Regular Sunday clothes will work just fine. 

Overall Impressions

ACFW is big. It’s intense. The schedule is packed. But people are friendly, helpful, and kind.

ACFW is filled with opportunity. There’s more opportunity than you can take advantage of in three days. There are more classes than you can take and more people than you can meet. But God is in control and time after time the “right” person sits down beside you or winds up on the elevator with you.

ACFW is absolutely about helping you in your career. But it’s even more about helping you write for the One who called you. I wish I could fully convey to you how even in the cacophony, God’s Spirit was evident to me. The worship times were precious, and I would argue that they are critical. When everything is swirling around you and you feel like you have to be “on” every moment, it’s vital to spend time each day refocusing on what matters and why you’re doing this in the first place. The classes also pointed me back to the Creator. I attended several classes so full of Scripture and Truth that my seat felt like holy ground.

I have a few regrets. I was in the same room with a few authors that I just couldn’t work up the nerve to talk to, and I wish I had. I also wish I’d taken more pictures of the authors I DID get up the nerve to talk to. I tried to be friendly, but sometimes I just sat quietly by myself (particularly in classes). It’s my coping mechanism in large groups, but I wish I’d pushed through some of that and been more intentional about meeting people.

I mostly have joys. I got to hang out with lots of writing friends, and that’s always a good thing. I got to meet many of my virtual friends and discovered that they are absolutely delightful in real life. I laughed a lot and more than once I heard the still, small voice of God and that confirmation will resound in my mind and heart for a long time.

I left ACFW exhausted but enthusiastic about my writing and my career, and looking forward to the next time.

So how about you? Did you attend ACFW? Did you have any huge moments while you were there? Or maybe ACFW is on your wish list? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

TWEETABLE
A writer looks back on the #ACFW Conference - @LynnHBlackburn (Click to Tweet)

Lynn Huggins Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. Her first book, Covert Justice, won the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. You can follow her real life happily ever after on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at lynnhugginsblackburn.com.