Thursday, June 1, 2017

From First-timer to Faculty, a Unique Look at Writing Conferences

by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn


When I started writing for The Write Conversation in 2010, I had just attended my very first conference—the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian WritersConference.

In the years since, I’ve gone from conference newbie to conference regular to published author to . . . conference faculty. This year I’ll be serving on the faculty of three different conferences ranging from small and intimate to huge.

I consider myself to be a faculty newbie so I thought it might be fun to pull back the curtain on the faculty experience.
Here are a few things you should know about the faculty of many of the conferences you’re attending:

1. They have prayed for you before you get there. Sometimes by name if it’s a smaller conference or if you’ve signed up for a practicum or a critique. Sometimes they don’t have names but they have prayed for the conferees in general. Always they have prayed for you to be open to whatever God has for you and for wisdom as they advise you.

2. They have worked hard before they arrived at the conference. Many of them do lots of critiques, prep handouts, and develop courses. Others help judge contests. And all are doing this extra work on top of their own book deadlines.

3. They remember what it’s like to be new and terrified. They really do. They aren’t oblivious to how scary it is to sit down for a critique or how hard it can be to work up the nerve to introduce yourself.

4. They are nervous about your critiques, too. They don’t know you and they have no idea how you’re going to respond to what they have to tell you. But…

5. They are NOT willing to lie to you to spare your feelings. Because as much as they remember how scary it is to show your writing to someone (see #3) they know the best thing they can do for you and your career is to be honest about what you need to do to improve your craft.

6. They are nervous about the classes, too—at least this newbie faculty was. They understand that you have had to make some tough choices. The class schedule is full of amazing options so when you choose to come to their class, they really want you to be glad you came—they hope you find what you were looking for when your steps turned in their direction. Because . . .

7. They want you to succeed. I was completely unprepared for my own reaction when the conferees who had taken my classes or had appointments with me won awards. I couldn’t stop smiling each time a name was called that I recognized. And I know I’ll be fan-girling with the best of them when I see one of their books in a bookstore.

8. They cherish your thank you notes. I’ve always kept every note anyone has sent me about my writing. Now I have a new stack of notes from the conferees I met. Some of them made me cry.

9. They really do hate cutting in line. It’s just so awkward. A million thanks to the conferees who are looking for faculty and insist they come get in front of them. It makes it so much easier.

10. And because I know you’re wondering . . . Yes, they DO talk about you later. But probably not the way you think. The things I heard went something like this . . . “She’s really good.” “He’s got talent.” “She’s going to be published soon…”

And here’s a bonus observation . . .Sometimes, they wish they could be a conferee again. In the same way published authors will say they kind of miss the days when they wrote for the fun of it or before they knew the “rules”—faculty sometimes wish for the days when they went to class when they wanted to, sat where they wanted to, etc.

Being on the faculty of a conference is incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding. It’s an experience I will cherish . . . and can’t wait to have again.

So what kinds of things have you always wanted to know about the faculty experience? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

TWEETABLE

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. Her second book, Hidden Legacy, releases June 2017. You can follow her real life happily ever after on FacebookTwitterPinterest, Instagram, and at lynnhugginsblackburn.com.

26 comments:

  1. Great article, Lynn. It's interesting to view a conference from a behind-the-scene perspective, particularly knowing the conferees are prayed for and the amount of work the staff puts into into it before they even get there. Congratulations on your well-deserved successes!

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  2. All true. I'm gearing up to speak at the St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference in Grove City, PA. It'll only be my second time teaching. But even if I'm only attending, this conference in particular is always uplifting, inspiring, and encouraging. I've made friends and network connections there that will last a lifetime. Hope to see you there some day! Register is still open for this year! www.stdavidswriters.com

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    1. I almost went to college at Grove City. :) I'll add it o my list of conferences I'd like to visit!

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  3. Great post, Lynn. I remember that transition from first-timer to faculty as well. As you said, it's incredibly challenging, but incredibly rewarding. I cherish the people I've met and the life-long friendships that have evolved. Praying for others and helping them move forward in their writing career is an amazing blessing. :)

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    1. It really is a blessing! I didn't expect to feel so invested in others success. :) You had quite a successful week yourself!! Congrats!

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  4. Thank you, Lynn! I'm presenting a session at a writing conference in July as a debut author. NO PRESSURE! I keep imagining myself in the audience to determine what I would want to take away from the session, so I can do my best to make it beneficial. But I never thought about praying for those who attend. It's not a Christian conference, so the thought just never occurred to me. Praying for the attendees (and not just myself...so I don't fall flat on my face!) is definitely going to be a priority as I prepare for the conference. Thank you!

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    1. What a wonderful opportunity for you! And yes! I had a couple of people suggest that I pray for the attendees and I firmly believe it made a huge difference! Blessings to you as you prepare!!

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  5. Yep, you nailed it! So glad we had the opportunity to sit next to each other in the appointment room. Wish we had more time to get to know each other, but we were busy doing our thing. Being on faculty has given me the opportunity to pour into other writers. As an author and acquiring editor, I spend so many hours staring at a computer screen and the only interaction is sending edits to one of my authors. I'm not the introvert as so many authors describe themselves as being. I love teaching and meeting with aspiring authors. And I agree with Andrea, I've met so many friends at the conference that are so precious to me.

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    1. I loved sitting with you!! You made me feel so comfortable!! Thank you!

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  6. Thank you for pulling back the curtain and showing us a behind the scenes look at what goes through a faculty's mind. Great post, Lynn.

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  7. This was a fun read Lynn, especially since I had the honor of sitting in your first class as faculty. You did a stellar job and I'm delighted to report I was using Scrivner this morning. Can't wait to use it even more! Just wish we'd had more time together as a class so I could have discovered who all those fascinating, slightly mysterious people were sitting behind me.

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    1. Ah! Note to self - take time for everyone to introduce themselves! And yay for Scrivener!! :)

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  8. Great read! I don't aspire to be faculty, but will enjoy attending the OCW conference this fall, one of several I have attended through the years. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. That sounds lovely! I hope you have a wonderful time!

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  9. This message needs to be read before each writer's conference. There is encouragement for the writers along with kindhearted information.
    Teach on!

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    1. Ah! Bless you, Carolyn! You are always such an encouragement to me!!

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  10. Thank you for this peek into the life of a faculty member, Lynn. I have a new depth of appreciation for them. Your class was amazing, by the way. In the past, I'd put off learning Scrivener for various reasons, but when I heard you would be teaching it, I was so excited and you did not disappoint! Your patience and care for the participants combined with your expertise made it my favorite class of the conference (and that's saying something!). Thanks, Lynn. :)

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    1. Oh, thank you!! :) You were such a blessing to me that week!!

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    1. Eva Marie - I have NO IDEA how you do everything you do! Juggling book deadlines and contest entries . . . I can only imagine what it would be like to have all of your responsibilities!! Thank you for serving so faithfully!!

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  12. How fun to look at the conference through a faculty members eyes! Thanks for that insight! Also thank you for the Scrivener class! I'm playing around with it but enjoying it so far! You did a great job!

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    1. Thanks, Kelly!! I've told everyone that I had the BEST, the NICEST, the MOST GRACIOUS class ever. :)

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