Most writers procrastinate. I certainly do—that’s how I know I’m a real writer. (Well, that’s one reason.) And because I procrastinate when it comes to writing, it makes sense to apply this same rule to writers conferences I attend.
In a couple days, I’m heading off to Denver, Colo., for AWP 2010. This is the annual conference for The Association of Writers and Writing Programs. As the name implies, it has a more academic focus than most. The usual conference prep rules still apply, though. My usual procrastination also applies.
Here’s what I should do, as well as what I’m likely to do, in the waning hours before I depart:
Go over the schedule ahead of time and plan to be at the workshops/seminars you’re most interested in early
And I will do this—it’s my number one prep detail—but I’ve also learned to note which sessions occur in time slots home to a second workshop I’m interested in. The note will remind me to sit near an exit. If the session turns out to be not quite what I expected, I don’t want to be sitting in the middle of the front row. Because if I can’t slink out extremely quietly, I stick it out. (And surreptitiously re-read the description of the one I wished I’d gone to.)
Read at least one book by each of the authors whose readings or talks you want to attend
Seriously? This conference is BIG. Not sure about the number of authors I’ll be listening to, but it’ll be more than I can count on my fingers and toes. I’ve only read the work of a couple of them (authors, not toes), so I’ll be relying on Google and Amazon to research authors I haven’t yet read.
Have a one-sentence pitch prepared for your novel, book proposal or whatever it is you want to sell, and practice it before you go
I’ll be preparing this 35,000 feet above Idaho, and pitching it to whatever poor schmuck is sitting beside me (sorry, buddy, in this instance, sitting near an exit won’t save you).
Have business cards with you at all times
Uh, oh. Mine are way out of date (old phone number, deleted web page) and now I have half a business day to get some. Looks like I’ll be handing out those print-’em-up yourself cards…at least I have new cartridges in the printer.
Attend workshops out of your usual range of interest or comfort zone
This is a good idea and, personally, I’d love to learn more about performance poetry—except I don’t write poetry and never will. I just want to know to wear all black under a spotlight and look cool.
The hours continue to wind down (I spent almost a whole one writing this post) so I have to remind myself of the most memorable aspect of the last AWP conference I went to (Vancouver, 2005): It was the people I met between sessions—in the hall, at book tables, over glasses of warm white wine in Reception Rooms.
I am so looking forward to this!
