The Converse Reality of Conferences (or, How Much is Too Much?) (re-post)

It takes a special breed of person to attend a writing conference. You need to be…well, you should probably be a writer. If you’re not a writer you’ll not only find it boring and uninformative, but you’ll likely think the hotel is being overrun by a group of schizophrenics: all of those people talking to themselves and telling you about their imaginary friends (characters people…our characters).

This is my second conference for the year. In fact, it’s my second conference for the month. I wasn’t sure about attending the ACW conference at the end of June because I was at the Write-to-Publish less than three weeks ago. The WTP was a four day event with 46 members on faculty/staff. The ACW? Two days, and five people. Hmmm.

And then there’s the info-overload to consider. I’m still processing info from WTP. How much info can a person retain when your sponge is already saturated?

But I have an affection for the ACW event in Grand Rapids. It was my first conference ever. It’s small and intimate. It’s close to home and in a city that I know. I like that. So I prayed and saved and ended up in Grand Rapids for another conference.

WOW!

I didn’t think my lil’ brain could hold anymore info on writing fiction (four days with Jeff Gerke and two weeks in his book on writing fiction), but one day with Dr. Dennis Hensley and I’ve got pages of more ideas and hints that I can hardly wait to start applying!

I thought I was full. I thought, after one conference and some reading, that I had a heavy sponge drenched with insight. I assumed that once you filled up you needed to go home, wring yourself out, and take care of the water. And I assumed that once you’re full you simply stop absorbing – limit reached.

Have you ever continued to pour water on a wet sponge? Do you know what really happens? The water doesn’t magically bounce off the wet sponge and return to the pitcher until the sponge is dry again later. Nope…it hits the sponge and starts seeping out!

That’s how I feel! I HAVE to write because I have so much floating around upstairs that I need to get it out. I need to sit down and put my new revelations to paper (or screen). Instead of drowning under the weight of information I am flowing over with ideas! I wish I had four hands and two computers to set it free!!

Who’da guessed?

Just another fine recommendation for all – please attend a conference. You won’t regret it!