You’ve chosen the venue, you’ve selected and photocopied your selection, you’ve packed your bags and arranged for someone to feed your dog. What’s left to do? What’s left to know? I’ll leave you with 3 tips–you can read the rest in our book Writing in a Changing World (now available over at Amazon.com!):
1. Stay on campus. Whether you’re in Iowa City or Washington D.C. there will be temptations to leave the conference site and explore other offerings. Trouble is, you won’t meet other writers if you stray too far from the core activity. Plant yourself dead center, stay in the dorms, eat your meals on site and maximize your exposure.
2. Greet everyone you meet. You say you’re a poet but you “accidentally” sat next to an essayist during the welcome reception? That’s no problem–talk it up with every single person at every opportunity. Half of your agenda is to expand your writing network and the best way to do this is to glad-hand each person you find. Make small talk while waiting in line to use the restrooms, “Have you heard anything about the noon speaker?” Chat up strangers at the evening readings, “How’s your session going?” Break the ice over lunch, “So, is anyone at this table published yet? I want to hear all about it.” If you’re shy, don’t sweat it. Make a short stack of index cards with conversation starters written on them–check them over before you enter a new situation so you’re prepared.
3. Sit by someone new every chance you get. I used this trick in graduate school. People are creatures of habit–they sit in a chair the first day and I can guarantee the next time they enter the same room, they’ll choose the same chair. As a high school teacher I almost never needed a seating chart–my students made their own by never opting to move to a new seat! In order to effectively network, you need to challenge this behavior by moving to a new seat each day. This positions you next to new people, creating new opportunities to meet and exchange ideas and advice.
Remember: Half of your objective in attending a writing conference or workshop is to meet other writers who can help you achieve YOUR writing dreams.
