It's that Time of Year! Writer's Retreat!

It's that time of year again, and BOY and I excited! It's the I'm-going-away-for-the-weekend-meeting-up-with-D.S. Tracy-and-having-a-blast-at-a-writer's-convention-retreat!

If you've never been to a writer's convention, I highly suggest you look into doing so. Every state offers them, you just need to know where to look. Yes, some can be a bit pricey, but the valuable information you gleam from these conventions, not to mention the contact you make with other writers, will be well worth the cost.

Some of the one hour long classes that will be offered at our particular convention are:

Problem, the Core of the Story
Dialogue, It's not just People Talking
Horror and Dark Fantasy Writing
Writing the West (HELLO--zombie, western romance by yours truly)
Voice and Style
The Creative Process, Coming up with Story Ideas the Rock
Writing Action
Don't Tell Your Story, Show it (Isn't that what we're always saying)
Pacing, and Writing at the Speed of Life

There are actually several other classes offered as well, not to mention the speakers and the opportunity you have to sign up to pitch your work to editors and agents. You WILL walk away having learned something new to apply to your own work.

Conventions allow you to surround yourself with other like-minded people who LOVE doing the same thing you LOVE to do--write. You can build a network of friends, find critique buddies (I did), and generally have an amazing time.

Any chance I have to get away from my family for a few days and learn more about the craft makes me one happy camper. And no matter what stage of the writing process you are in--whether new to writing, have been writing for decades, or even have a few published works under your belt--you WILL learn something. Guaranteed.

I'm going with D.S. and I'm certain I will have a great time (That lady is one crazy chic--super fun).

Next week, we'll share some of the things we've gleamed from the convention and pass it on to you.

Have you been to a writers convention or workshop? What do you thing? Worth your time or waste of space?