Monday, October 6, 2008

Five W's of KCWC: What Happens at a Writers Conference?

If you’re following this blog, you have probably attended KCWC in years past. However, you might be someone who has wanted to attend but hasn’t had the courage (or funding). If you’ve attended other conferences but not KCWC, we invite you to attend in 2009 and check it out. Whatever your reason for not attending in the past, perhaps knowing what goes on at our conference will help you decide to take the plunge next year.

The KCWC schedule includes worship, a featured speaker, breakout sessions on various topics, and the opportunity to meet with editors. The featured speakers inspire and enlighten us on the joys and frustrations of the writing life, but they also approach their subject from a Christian perspective, sharing what God has done in their writing careers in addition to providing information.

Some workshops are targeted to beginners, while others are tailored for more experienced writers who’ve had little luck getting their work published. The sessions offer a choice of topics and teachers of various genres to help you improve your writing. You can choose to hone your current skills or branch out to something new.

KCWC also offers what I call “spiritual refreshment.” You get some time away from your daily routine, but you also get to learn and share information in an environment of encouragement and support. Worship and prayer are as much a part of the agenda as the speakers and workshops.

Sometimes, the most valuable feature of a conference is the opportunity to meet Christian editors and writers and to share experiences with them outside the established schedule. Many long-term working relationships as well as friendships have had their beginnings at KCWC.

For those of you who are subscribed to this blog, we welcome your comments on experiences you’ve had at conference. Please understand that comments are moderated and may be edited for length. If you're not a subscriber, please take a minute to become one.

Emily Akin
Webmaster 2009

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