Yesterday I wrote about three of the largest conferences for fans and writers in the mystery genre. You’ve had twenty fours hours to either book your travel or recover from the shock of the potential cost.
There are others! Don’t miss out on engaging with fellow readers and writers because of distance and dollars. Look near before you go far. Local events can be easy to miss but nearly every region has some form of writers gathering. If you are near a university or college perhaps start there, check local listings on line, or ask at the library.
Decide Why before you commit to Where. Are you interested in meeting other writers to form a support group? Are you trying to hone craft or sell books? Think of these local – and hopefully easily accessible – events as links in a chain that will build connections between other writers and readers.
I’ve been to several local/regional events, some chosen because of proximity to family or friends. These include Killer Nashville, Murder in the Magic City (Birmingham, Alabama), Southern Kentucky Book Festival (Bowling Green, Kentucky), Roanoke Regional Writers Conference (Roanoke, Virginia), Virginia Festival of the Book (Charlottesville, Virginia) and the Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival (Suffolk, Virginia). Anyone want to hazard a guess which state I live in?
It takes some effort to find the right place and fit but it’s worth the time. After all, this can be terms beneficial procrastination when you are really meant to dive into the next round of edits.
We all need writer colleagues and support systems and these are great places to start building yours.