Killer Nashville High

Before I write about individual workshops I attended and the wealth of knowledge I learned at the conference, I want to devote this blog post to my overall impressions of the conference. Would I recommend an aspiring writer attend a writing conference, even if he or she doesn't have a polished manuscript? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Did I say yes yet? Yes.

Before attending, I was incredibly nervous. Would I be able to meet people? Would I be way out of my league? Would I feel like an utter fool for sitting in the same room with other people who have actually achieved the written word in published format from New York Publishing Houses? My stomach was in knots the entire night before.

I was embraced by fellow writers. I saw a plethora of personalities. I witnessed incredible presentations. Most importantly, I felt affirmed that writing is a process. A journey, not an inaccessible mountain. Was I bored, even for a moment? No. Between the speakers, networking, having some books signed, and the panels, I was utterly engaged.

Damn! Tomorrow I have to reenter the world of non-writers again and start a new 40 hour per week job day job. It's a good thing they can't drug test for this type of high.

What is your best conference experience?