LDStorymakers 2012

If you are a writer, you are in need of a few things.
Ideas to write about.
Something to write them on. (paper to netbook to laptop or anything in between)
A writer's/critique group.
And if you can scrape together the money - a writer's conference to attend
(Agents and publishers are a whole nother blog)

Enter The LDStorymakers 2012 conference review.

Huge thanks to Jamie and Heather. They were the conference chairs and I'm sure gave more hours of their lives than I'll ever know to make it so awesome!

The classes vary from writing basics on character, world building etc. to high end how to publish your own book, query letter writing and more.

The conference is inspiring in every way: ideas you get, polishing your pitch, interacting with other creative intelligent creatures some of which you stand in awe of and never work up the courage to speak to (Elana Johnson, James Dashner, Kevin J. Anderson, Liz Adair, to name a few. Although, I did finally speak to Jeff Savage and Annette Lyon, who turned out to be lovely funny people.), and getting the kick in the pants you need to motivate you to keep writing and journeying to publication in one form or another.

You have the chance to chat with authors you have met before and make acquaintences with new ones. You celebrate with those who have become published authors since you last saw them and cheer on the ones with the most rejections because some agent, some publishing house somewhere will want it and most importantly because the work they have bled and cried over is worth it.

This year I had the opportunity to take my teenage niece and watch her writing world expand exponentially in a matter of three days. When I asked her if she wanted to go back next year she replied, "Absolutely!"

I think that sums it up. Was the LDStorymakers conference worth it? Absolutely!

What have you done to learn more about one of your hobbies?