Lessons, Connections, and Unexpected Memories from the Write to Publish Conference

Last week, I packed my bags and headed to Wheaton, Illinois, for the Write to Publish Conference at Wheaton College, organized by the fabulous Becky "Blue" Antkowiak.

Like most writers attending a conference, I expected to come home with pages of notes, a few new connections, and enough ideas to keep me busy for months.

​I wasn't disappointed.
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What I didn't expect was for the conference to become part professional development, part family history tour, and part reminder of why I love being part of the writing community.

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Learning, Growing, and Filling the Creative Well
One of my favorite things about writers' conferences is that no matter how long you've been writing, there is always something new to learn.
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This year was no exception.

I enjoyed learning from Twila Belk about finding the funny in everyday life and weaving it into our writing. She shared practical tips for spotting humor that might otherwise slip right past us. In return, I unintentionally gave her a live demonstration.

While sitting across from her at dinner and talking about newsletters, I somehow managed to say "lead maggots" instead of "lead magnets."

If you're wondering whether a room full of writers will notice a mistake like that, the answer is yes. Yes, they will. Laughter is a great way to connect with people you have just met.

Twila also taught a session on newsletters that offered great ideas for building stronger connections with readers.

Another highlight was attending three AI sessions taught by Rhonda Robinson from Focus on the Family's Parenting and Marriage website. Writers wear a lot of hats these days, and Rhonda showed how AI can serve as an assistant in everything from brainstorming ideas and creating outlines to developing content pillars and refining marketing strategies.

I've already been using AI in many of these ways, but Rhonda challenged me to be more intentional with my prompts and more organized in my approach. I left with plenty of ideas to implement.

Tim Shoemaker's "Meet Me in the Middle" session provided valuable insights into creating a stronger reader journey throughout a novel. Since I'm continuing to work on a middle-grade manuscript, I found his advice especially helpful.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Athena Dean Holtz's (from Redemption Press) session on creating companion products for books. Since I love finding ways to extend the reading experience beyond the final page, her presentation sparked several ideas that are already bouncing around in my notebook.

And because I've always loved historical fiction, I couldn't resist Jenny Cote's session on research. She shared both traditional and unconventional ways to uncover historical details and mine facts that bring stories to life. As someone who can happily disappear down a research rabbit hole for hours, I found her session fascinating.

Writers Are My Kind of People
As much as I enjoy the sessions, one of the greatest gifts of any conference is the people.

One unexpected blessing was spending time with fellow author Amanda Judd. Although we're both from the same hometown, conferences have a way of slowing life down just enough to allow for deeper conversations. I enjoyed getting to know Amanda better, learning more about her writing journey, and hearing about the work she's doing. And, drats, we forgot to get a photo together. 
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I also met writers from all walks of life, each with their own stories, dreams, and publishing journeys.
There's something refreshing about spending several days with people who understand the excitement of finishing a manuscript, the frustration of marketing a book, and the completely normal habit of talking to fictional characters as though they're real.

I had the opportunity to sell and sign a few books, which is always a blessing. Meeting readers face-to-face never gets old.

The conference also provided opportunities to connect with industry professionals, including Rachael Pfeiffer from Focus on the Family's Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines, and Carol Tetzlaff from Redemption Press.

Conversations like these remind me that publishing is ultimately about relationships. Books may begin with words on a page, but it takes a community of people to help those words reach readers.

A Detour Down Memory Lane
While the conference itself was wonderful, some of my favorite moments happened outside the conference schedule.

My husband, Jim, once lived in Wheaton, so we decided to skip a few evening dinners and keynotes and explore some of the places that were meaningful to him.

As we drove through town, I had the opportunity to see Wheaton through his eyes.
We visited places where he once lived. We revisited locations tied to family memories. And somewhere between one stop and the next, I discovered there were still stories from his past that I'd never heard before.

One of my favorites involved a golfing buddy who asked to borrow Jim's golf clubs. Jim told him no.
Apparently, in the golfing world, that's a serious offense.

Who knew?

What began as a writer's conference became a glimpse into my husband's life BC—Before Cindy.

The Mall Adventure We Didn't Know We Needed
Of course, no trip would be complete without a little exploring.

We visited Yorktown Center and Oakbrook Center, where shoppers go to do some serious shopping, and I have to admit, I was impressed. As someone who remembers when malls were the place to be, it was refreshing to see vibrant spaces filled with people shopping, eating, and simply enjoying being together.

And the food? Let's just say my conference diet didn't exactly go according to plan. 

We enjoyed Sticky Fingers pizza from Pie Life Pizzeria and the familiar comfort of Panda Express while taking in the artistic atmosphere of the Yorktown Center food court. Oh, and there was this amazing Mexican restaurant in a strip mall near our hotel. Super delish! 

Coming Home Inspired
As I unpacked my suitcase and sorted through pages of notes, I realized that Write to Publish gave me more than new ideas and industry insights.

It reminded me to keep writing.

This year's conference provided opportunities to learn from talented instructors, connect with fellow writers, meet publishing professionals, and spend meaningful time with my husband exploring a place that shaped part of his story.

That's a pretty wonderful combination.

Now it's time to put those notes, ideas, and lessons to work.