tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post2446667033144003834..comments2024-03-27T02:13:13.079-04:00Comments on Original Content: Time Management Tuesday: Are Conferences A Good Use Of Time?Gail Gauthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-50953564032454237792016-05-04T19:29:24.297-04:002016-05-04T19:29:24.297-04:00"Eighty percent of life is just showing up.&q..."Eighty percent of life is just showing up." Woody Allen. Supposedly.Gail Gauthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-77579353028491330542016-05-04T16:47:20.826-04:002016-05-04T16:47:20.826-04:00I find the face-o-face interactions with people pr...I find the face-o-face interactions with people priceless. My motto is to just show up because you never know what might happen. Even if I take away just a couple of gems of wisdom, I consider a conference a success. I definitely met that goal at this year's NESCBWI conference. I received valuable pointers on writing backmatter and information that helped me decide how to go about submitting a proposal that I've just recently completed. I also saw the portfolio of an illustrator that I think is perfect for a book that was recently acquired. These things wouldn't have happened if I hadn't shown up.Melissa Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04322048827106827307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-28564081417315687012016-05-03T21:12:25.541-04:002016-05-03T21:12:25.541-04:00Retreat-type events like you're describing sou...Retreat-type events like you're describing sound very inviting, but like you, we don't have anyone living here. Every day should be a writing retreat for me.<br /><br />Our region does day-long events (about 9 to 3) on one topic. An intensive on things like school presentations or marketing. They're inexpensive and don't involve the hours of meeting and greeting that a conference does. Those are terrific. Gail Gauthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-86621212023127181462016-05-03T15:26:11.086-04:002016-05-03T15:26:11.086-04:00As much as I love SCBWI and support them, I haven&...As much as I love SCBWI and support them, I haven't been to one of the big conferences of theirs for years, for these very reasons. I've struggled with the idea that I've wasted time/money being there, even as I acknowledge there's an ineffable SOMETHING that you get from meeting with people, even from someone as introverted as I am... so I'm pleased our region has started non-event conferences where people simply get together to write, read their work with wine at night, and be as alone or together as they need. I've heard people get a great deal done, too. I just haven't gotten my head together to go. I've always thought, "well, no one lives with us just now, from whom do I have to escape?" Obligation. The phone. Family (always family), etc. -- so I believe the time is well used if it simply disallows you to be easily reached!tanita✿davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671822274852087499noreply@blogger.com