I arrive Wednesday night and get to meet my roommates, one of which is Jeannie Campbell, my critique partner.
Thursday is spent with Donald Maass. At one point during the workshop, he starts asking for volunteers to read bits of their writing out loud to all 300 participants! I admire the three people who volunteer their work and allow it to be critiqued by not only one of the most successful agents in the industry, but all 300 participants as well! Me? I hide under my table.
Thursday night I listen to Debbie Macomber give one of the most inspirational speeches about writing that I’ve ever heard. She says, “Dream big!”, “Be confident!”, “Be passionate!”, “Believe in yourself!” and “Always think positive!”
Afterward, I go to Abingdon’s late night chat. Helpful tip: If you want to submit to Abingdon, wait until the spring. They’re currently all filled up.
Friday morning I have my first ever editor appointment. It goes really well.
The rest of the day is workshops, workshops, workshops, wherein my brain turns to mush. I think Donald Maass filled it all up on Thursday.
Friday evening I get a professional critique from Mary DeMuth. Very helpful and encouraging!
I spend Friday night with Jeannie and Eileen….I won’t go into detail. I’ll just say, I’m glad we are there together!
Then I’m off to the late night chat with Wordserve Literary, where I learn that Greg Johnson and Rachelle Gardner are two very classy agents.
Saturday….uh….I skip all my workshops. But I do volunteer as a time keeper for agent/editor appointments and get to meet some really cool people in the process. Also, God provides an unexpected opportunity to meet with an agent. Totally unplanned. That meeting also goes really well.
Saturday afternoon, I have my second…err, third…editor/agent appointment. Three for three. Only this one has a little caveat…a very helpful little caveat.
I get my books signed by some super talented authors, like Betsy St. Amant, Harry Kraus, Tosca Lee (I just started her book…the woman is an artist), Mary DeMuth. I meet Julie Lessman, Deb Raney, Roxanne Henke, and more.
Saturday night we get all prettied up and go to the banquet, where I sit with a bunch of my blogging friends and laugh my head off. Fun times!
Sunday, my alarm goes off at an insane hour and I travel home. No delays. Just a straight shot home, where I kiss my husband and hug my son for the next five hours (or maybe six).
In a nutshell: I met some of the coolest people in the world. I learned more than I can process. God encouraged, inspired, and affirmed me as a writer. I always said I would use this conference as the spring board for querying. So here I go….I’m jumping off the high dive, putting myself out there, and trusting God to take care of the rest.
Challenge: Write a list of five “impossible” goals. Now go read Ephesians 3:20 and give them to God. Don’t be afraid to dream big!
Question to Ponder: What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself lately?
Jessica Nelson. A funny side note: Jessica kept slouching down because she’s tall and that’s what tall people do. She wasn’t used to taking a picture with a fellow tall girl. So in reality, Jessica is actually taller than me. 🙂 
