In 2005, I borrowed a heap of money from the government to attend the low-residency MFA program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Why? Because I knew it was what I needed to launch my writing career. I met great people, connected with talented writers, and even had the opportunity to travel to England and live in an actual abbey for 10 days. I learned a lot about the craft, about what works for me and what doesn’t, and was able to find and distinguish my narrative voice. The program wasn’t perfect, but I took with me the tools to help me get better as a writer every day.
Because I have this MFA experience under my belt, I’ve shied away from applying to writing workshops that charge a hefty price. While I’m sure they’re fine and fun and productive, I’ve already been there and done that.
I’ve come to accept that the same is true for writing conferences. I’m writing this fresh off experiencing the Comadres y Compadres Latino Writing Conference and listen, I’m not here to dog it. I’m sure a lot of the participants found it helpful and informative and maybe even made some good connections. But because I’m already plugged into the industry and am more than familiar with the behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make a book happen, it was a total waste of money for me. The day was long, a tad disorganized, and in the end I never even stayed for the keynote speaker, one of my favorite authors, Cristina Garcia. That’s how badly I wanted to leave.
Okay, maybe it was’t a total loss: I was able to have a sit-down with an agent and she really had great notes and advice on how to proceed with a certain project I’d started. And that was good for me because the marketing/acquisitions side of publishing is still new to me. She gave me a lot to think about and I’m grateful for that time.
But all in all, I wasn’t impressed with the conference. And I’m officially calling it my last. I can’t spend any more of my US dollars on these things. I’d rather concentrate on small writing workshops that help me practice my craft instead talking at me about how to write. I already know how to write. I should instead concentrate on my projects.
What about you- have you attended writing conferences? What are your thoughts?
xoxo
Raquel Ivelisse