The 29th annual White County Creative Writers Conference was held Saturday August 31st in Searcy. This year’s conference drew 80 attendees, the most we’ve seen in the ten years I’ve been involved with the group.
If you missed this conference, you missed some great speakers. They provided fabulous information and tips to improve our writing. They also gave us tips to help navigate the publishing world, clear up the confusion, and avoid the minefield.
The contests are always a lot of fun. If you’ve been to a WCCW conference, you’ve no doubt seen us cheering for every name called. It takes a lot of courage to open up and submit your work to a contest, especially the first few times. It’s scary. And it is so exciting to see people receive an award for their writing for the first time. We welcome newcomers and celebrate their successes.
Gary and I have some in-house competition between the two of us. Gary won this year. For the record, I won at AWC earlier this year, so I consider us even overall. The big competition for us is coming up in October, so there’s still a chance for me to pull ahead.
On top of the in-house competition, we’ve joined (or been dragged into) a friendly competition with a couple of fellow writers, now friends, from another writing group. One of the great things about that is, competing with them spurs us to write more, enter more, hopefully write better, and eventually get books finished.
If you struggle to stay motivated, try finding someone to engage in friendly competition through writing contests or setting monthly writing goals. Outside motivation can help me get moving when I can’t seem to get started.
If you are interested in improving your writing craft and aren’t part of a writing group, consider finding one. If there isn’t one in your area, consider trying to start one. Check your local library for information and resources on writing. Our WCCW website is a great place to find writing resources and information.
The important thing is to keep writing and keep learning.
Well said Kim. It was a great conference and my head is spinning with all the new information. Congratulations to you and all the other winners.
Two in Current River Writers who have been involved with WCCW shared the contest/conference info with us. Their enthusiasm motivated us to create and participate. What a marvelous experience for our Doniphan, Missouri club! Thank you for a well-organized, informative assembly.
I’m so glad you and your group were able to attend. I hope you’ll make it back next year.