The Work Conference Update and The Power of Positive Thinking

So, do you remember that boutique conference I talked about a little while ago? If not, here's the post:

Spreading The News--The Work Conference

Well, guess what? I'VE BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND!! (Sorry about the Caps Lock and the exclamation points, but yeah, that's how excited I am.) 

I guess this is an example of manifesting your desires through positive thinking. 

Yes, the tuition is a little steep. Yes, I'll need a hotel room in NYC. BUT just think of the possibilities! I get one-on-one time with TWO, count 'em, TWO agents of my choice, along with workshops, panels, and socializing with other authors, agents, and editors. Woohoo! I'm excited and terrified at the same time.

Needless to say, Hubby knows just how much attending this conference means to me, so after congratulating me on the acceptance, drying my tears of joy, calming my fears, drying my tears of panic, and squashing some of my self-doubt, (yes, I went through a whole range of emotions) he offered to help with the expenses. He's a good man. I told you things would work out, didn't I?

So, I've been busy utilizing the recommendations that came along with the acceptance, and changing my query and the first twenty pages. I came down to the wire but finally sent in my deposit for the conference, booked my hotel room, and am almost finished polishing the pages I will send to my chosen one-on-one agents. 

It's a bit nerve-wracking. I want to get the most out of those sessions, so I want to make sure my writing is awesome enough to grab their attention. I also don't want to embarrass myself. 

But I will say that this acceptance has breathed new life into my manuscript and my motivation. I find myself staying up late, tossing and turning in bed, and staring into space at work while I sort out new scenes and fix broken plots. I haven't been in that 'writing zone' for a long time, and I've missed being there.

Did I mention how excited I am? Squee! 

The Work Conference is doing something totally cool that I wanted to share with you--they are offering a Cyber Ticket.  Here's the info:

The Work Conference: Private Event BroadcastTickets: $125.00
Though extremely limited attendance has already reached capacity, we’re excited to introduce our fully moderated, interactive, live stream of selected panels during the weekend. Tune in Saturday, March 19th for three panel-led discussions on craft and the publishing industry, then join us Sunday morning for a 2.5-hour query letter Master Class. Cyber-ticket holders will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact (via moderator!) with our panelists, all of whom are industry-leading agents and editors.
Included panels: SATURDAY // The Publishing Process (9-10am EST), First Impressions (11:30-12:30pm), and Plot vs. Premise (2-3pm). SUNDAY // Query Letter Master Class with Carrie Howland and Becca Heyman (9-11:30 am).This is a LIVE STREAM event. Ticketholders will receive a link to a private broadcast. Access to the link, the host site, chat features and streaming content is at each ticketholder’s discretion. Please direct all questions to theworkconference@gmail.com or @TheWorkConf on Twitter.

Now, you can attend the same panels from the comfort of your own home.

Of course, I'll share my experience when I get back, complete with photos and interesting bits, but I wanted to share this opportunity with you.

I also wanted to thank all of you who wished me luck and cheered me on. Special thanks goes to Courtney Rene for helping me polish my query and manuscript pages and most importantly, for boosting my confidence. It worked!

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Inspiration

(I took this picture on my way to work one morning.)

I've never suffered from writer's block. I have a box full of story ideas, character profiles, scenes, and picture prompts. Not to mention the ideas still rattling around in my head.

My problem is--after a long day of work, I come home to dirty laundry, dust, a full litterbox, and a stack of mail. Besides all that, three of my favorite TV shows, House, Survivor,and Fringe, are recorded and beckon me to watch them. Thank God, Hell's Kitchen ended last month!

Carving out some writing time is a daily struggle. I wake up with the best intentions and plan my evening to allow for two hours of writing, but things come up, or a household task proves to be more involved, taking up more time than the hour I've alotted for it.

I find that unless I write every day, whether it's a blog post, a poem, a chapter in my WIP, or even a story idea, I lose my momentum. One night or one morning without writing can send me into a tailspin of inactivity. One day turns into two days, and so on. Although story ideas continue to pop into my head, I've gone weeks without writing anything down on paper. I cringe when I think of all the ideas I've forgotten because I was too busy to write them down.

So, how do I get back on track? What do I do to drag myself away from the Facebook ticker and the Twitter timeline?

I read writer's blogs. Not the, "How-to" type of blogs where there is heaps of info about how to make your characters stand out or how to fine-tune your plot. Those sites come in handy when I need help with my projects, but when I'm not working on anything, it all sounds like, 'blah, blah, blah.'

I'm talking about the writer's blogs with posts about their own struggles to fit writing time into their schedules along with hobbies, day jobs, families, illnesses, and other crises. Reading blogs such as:

Sarah's Blog

Pam's Blog

Lynne's Blog

and

Courtney's Blog  (Just to name a few...)

usually does wonders to push me out of that "writing funk" I so easily slip into. These are real people with real lives and struggles and still they manage to find time to write and (the ultimate writer's goal) get published. Reading about their accomplishments through all the hardships of daily life is like a swift kick in the butt, for me. A shot of motivation to get to work on my own dreams and goals.

With all the talk about blog fatigue and how bloggers and readers are losing interest, I can only hope that my favorite bloggers continue to post about their lives and their accomplishments. Not only do I find their posts interesting, I also find them inspiring.

What inspires you?