Life, The Universe, and Everything

Since sliding down the rabbit hole that is trying to publish a book, I've been on the lookout for great writing conferences to attend. I recently went to the Life, The Universe, and Everything Symposium in Provo, Utah. Man, was it totally unlike anything I've been to before. The LTUE Symposium is a mecca for all things nerd- fantasy artwork, a gaming room, and waaaaaayyyyy more Star Wars-themed workshops than might be healthy.

I was lucky enough to go to the symposium with one of my good friends from my writing group. She was a total trooper as she schlepped from class to class with me, listened to my minor breakdown questioning my entire future as an author (sometimes I'm a bit dramatic), and even watched Little E for me in the hallway so I could go pitch my first SuperJack book to publishers. Let me tell you, having a friend at these things is crucial if you're feeling out of your element.

Highlights of the Symposium-

Pitch Sessions- I did my first Pitch Sessions with publishers at LTUE. IT WAS TERRIFYING. Except it turned out to be not so scary. All of the editors I met were super nice and encouraging. I had several requests for pages from my manuscript, so I'm gonna call that a major win. My advice? Be prepared, expect and ask for feedback or critiquing, and above all be polite, professional, and passionate about your work.

Workshop on School Visits- This class, taught by a well-known middle grade author, totally blew my mind. I didn't really have a clear picture of what a school visit was supposed to look like, but even the muddy, indistinct thoughts I had were way off. The workshop changed the way I see school visits. In his estimation, the number one purpose of a school visit isn't to sell your book (mostly because frequently you won't actually sell that many). Instead, he encouraged us to focus on passing on our love of literature to the next generation. Trying to promote my books can sometimes seem scary, but letting the world know how amazing literature can be? Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Being with my peeps- I've been a closet nerd most of my life. I hid my deep love of LOTR and all things HP with a guitar and clothes from Banana Republic and a decent athletic ability. When I go to a place like LTUE and stand in front of a life-size painting of a dragon battling and elf in space (that didn't really happen but PLEASE someone paint that asap), I feel myself re-center. I'm reminded that being different is fun, and that everyone, including the full-grown adults dressed in cloaks, has something amazing to offer the world.

The Verdict- Go to a writing conference!

If you're interested in improving your writing, GO!

If you want to see some amazing art, film, novels, etc, GO!

If you want to be surrounded in a cocoon of love and acceptance from your fellow nerds, GO!