If I tried to sum up my first RWA© conference experience in three words, they would be: Awesome; Inspiring; Incredible.

This is the best investment I have ever made in terms of pursuing a writing career.

A little of my back-story is needed here so you can put my words in perspective. Until the late 1980s, I had a career in The Real Business World—specifically, I was the Office Manager for one of the Big 8 accounting firms. (I know it’s now the Big 5, but I was there in the 80s.) My job responsibilities included the planning, organization and coordination of the seminars and conferences that were presented by my firm – you want a sitdown dinner for 500+ clients? No Problem. Golf Day outing for 250 employees? Piece of Cake. Also, during these years I attended numerous conferences and seminars to fulfill the annual requirement of continuing education credits.

In 2002, I was Chair for the Bay Area Writers League conference – thirty plus presenters, over two hundred in attendance.

So, suffice to say, that arriving in Dallas in July 2004, I thought I was a conference veteran. This might be a good time to remind you that I titled this piece “Impressions of a RWA© Conference Virgin” – because this is a conference experience like no other! Thousands of creative people under one-roof equals a collective energy that is infectious, awe inspiring, and almost palpable.

For an unpublished writer, the expense of attending this conference may seem prohibitive. While it ain’t cheap – it sure is worth every dime! In fact, in my opinion, this is the best investment I have ever made in terms of pursuing a writing career.

I’m a seat-of-the-pantser. Others in my group had planned for months and knew exactly which workshop they would attend in every time frame. Myself, I just looked at the schedule each hour and tried to make a decision. And that was HARD! Because every time-slot offered several things I wanted to attend. Workshops on craft, career, research, writer’s life, publishing; workshops for beginners; workshops for the seasoned vet; workshops for those of us somewhere in between--it was all there.

In addition, every hour offered a Spotlight on a specific publisher.

Remember Woody Allen’s movie, The Sleeper? It featured a machine that you could walk through to produce a clone of yourself. At this conference, I coveted such a machine. I didn’t want to be in two places at one time. I wanted to be in three or four or even five places at one time.

By the middle of day two, my mind was on overload. By the end of the conference, I was close to a total meltdown. I don’t think I could have crammed one more piece of useful information into my brain if Nora Roberts herself had tried to spoon-feed me.

This year, I’m going to plan ahead! Narrow down my choices BEFORE I get there. Now, I’m not saying I’ll make an exact decision, but I am highlighting my top choices in each time frame.

Before I close, there is one more aspect of this conference I want to address: The Social Life. As writers, we tend to be loners. We accepted long ago that we march to a different drummer. Now, close your eyes and envision a world where everyone around you hears that same drummer! Hang out in the bar and listen to the people talking about infidelity and mayhem. Sit down to lunch and help a new friend plan a kidnapping. Except for the wait staff, no one will even raise an eyebrow. In fact, they’ll enthusiastically join in as you plot out your next murder.

Terri Richison lives in Houston with her husband of over thirty years. She spends as much time as she can steal away on Caney Creek in Sargent, Texas, where she gets most of her writing accomplished. Terri works part-time for an attorney and is a slave to her three geriatric dogs.

Copyright © 2005 Terri Richison. All rights reserved. Used with permission.