My First Conference
On the night of the 18th, my family left Wisconsin and drove all the way down to St. Louis so that I could attend my very first writing conference, the Realm Makers Conference. I had no idea what to expect, do, or think, aside from that I was about to spend two entire days surrounded by my people!
Realm Makers is a Christian fantasy and sci-fi writers’ conference, established by Becky and Scott Minor, where every year, all the nerds who write words gather together to learn and find camaraderie (yes, writers really can socialize–but only in short bursts, and with plenty of caffeine and books).
The conference was suggested to me by my writing mentor when she saw how serious I was about my craft, and I cannot thank her enough for the suggestion, because I have learned so much and met so many people.
A Learning Experience
One of the courses I took was a teen-only course taught by Kara Swanson and Katie Phillips, from the Author Conservatory (an online college alternative for writers).
As with every course and event created by the Author Conservatory and its counterpart for teen writers, The Young Writer’s Workshop, I learned things I had once been completely oblivious to, yet were also completely essential to an author’s writing career.
The biggest thing I took away turned out to be the formula for creating a sound novel concept and pitch. (Basically, a fancy summary that you give to publishers/editors/agents to introduce them to your book. When you pitch, you are attempting to get a publisher, editor, or agent to represent your novel.)
And perhaps even better than receiving all this knowledge, I got to sit in a room made up entirely of teen authors and writers, just like me. It’s difficult to find other writers, especially those who write seriously. Serious enough to, say, invest money into attending a conference.
I made connections with other writers my age and got to brainstorm and talk with them. And I had two published, professional authors standing in the room with us, critiquing and complimenting our work. It was a blessing I had never before received, and will always remember. The whole experience really revived my love for writing and my eagerness for community.
A Dream
I could have sworn I was in a dream, if I had not come away with picture proof. I met many lesser-known authors, but I also got to speak with sort-of-famous authors in the Christian community.
One of these happened to be Josiah DeGraaf, one of the heads of The Young Writer’s Workshop and Story Embers (a writing blog full of free information). He has led many online events that I’ve attended, and to meet him in real life? Well, I can assure you that I was pumped. I couldn’t stop bouncing for hours after!
Do you remember that concept outline I mentioned? Well, when Josiah DeGraaf asked about my writing, I basically pitched him. With the very outline that his own company had taught me just an hour ago. And I did it from memory. Eek. But it went perfectly and he loved it! Next year, I plan to pitch that same concept to a publisher at the very same conference. (Psst! Want to hear the pitch? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll write a post about my novel-in-progress using that concept!)
No Butter
The Realm Makers Conference was wonderful. It was more than I could ever have dreamed. I met legends and future legends, bought way too many books, and left with a notebook packed with takeaways. It lacked nothing.
Nothing, that is, except butter.
That sweet, smooth, creamy, completely essential spread. Food cannot go without it, not for a Wisconsinite cheese-lover. Yet, outside Wisconsin, it somehow does. At the dinner, no butter was provided, instead replaced by … dare I call it by name? … margarine. Imagine steak and potatoes without butter!
Alright, it was still pretty good.
But not as wonderful as it would have been with butter!
In Conclusion
Attending Realm Makers Conference has been an extraordinary learning experience and a dream come true, despite the devastating lack of butter. I can’t wait to return next year, grow my connections, and become a better writer for God. And bring my own butter.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and caring about my journey as a writer. If there’s anything in particular you’d like me to post about related to my journey or my writing, feel free to leave a comment below!
God bless!
—Astor
Psst! Would you like to hear about my novel-in-progress? Let me know, and I’ll introduce it in a future post! And remember to subscribe to receive a free short story about a shadow girl trapped in a world of light and brilliance!
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