Yesterday I attended a one-day conference for writers, set in the beautiful town of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. It started at 8.30am so, being allergic to mornings, I spent the night before at a friend’s house a few minutes drive from the venue. Otherwise I’d have had to get up around 6.30 and that would have killed me. (And possibly other road-users on the way there.) Thank the good Lord for hospitable friends!

I presented one of the workshops – Writing Your Novel and Presenting to a Publisher – and had to smile just a tad at the irony. I’ve certainly done my share of writing novels and submitting to publishers, but so far the success hasn’t followed. Perhaps I should have called the session: Do as I say, not as I do. Afterwards one of the attendees said: Wendy, I can’t find your book out on the sale table. Where can I get it? I confess I smiled sweetly at her and said: It’s with the publishers. Now, that’s not a lie. It is with the publishers…still. I just don’t know if they’re going to pick it up. Then again it’s only been 5 1/2 months, so I don’t know why I’m feeling a tad frustrated.

Back to the conference. As my workshop was during the last time-slot in the day, I got to listen to other speakers, absorb the conversation and bustle around the coffee urn, chat to ladies in the loo, hover around the book table etc. I was rather chuffed to see several of my clients had books on display. If you’d paid attention you might have noticed the little glow of literary-midwife-pride radiating around me.

Did I learn anything new? I think the only thing was the actual amount people have paid out to self-publish, which only made me more determined to be traditionally published. (I have no money.) However I came home re-inspired; re-affirmed in my “calling” to write; re-focussed on my aim to get into print and rejuvenated in my passion to write.

Writing is such a solitary occupation, and most of the time I like it that way. However, all of us need to make time to connect with like minds; to creep out of our creative hidey-holes and share ideas, dreams, stories and encouragement with people of flesh and bone.

All in all was a long, exhausting but very satisfying day. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be there. If you’re a writer I strongly urge you to occasionally make the time to attend a conference, workshop, retreat…whatever is available and do-able for you.