If there is one universal truth about writers attending their first conference, it’s that they tend to be intimidated beyond the capacity for rational thought. Heck, the first few tend to be that way, particularly if you’re a young writer.
And how could they not, really? You’re there to meet others of your craft who have been doing it longer than you, know more tools and tricks of the trade than yourself, and are probably better than you at a lot of things. That’s exciting because you get the chance to learn from them, but it’s also kind of scary.
What if you embarrass yourself?
What if you rub the wrong person the wrong way and blackball yourself?
What if people realize you have no idea what you’re doing?
Obviously, tactics need to be employed to overcome these anxieties, and many conferences are quick to provide a few handy solutions. Usually, these take the form of reminders.
“Remember, everyone here is in the same boat you are. Just trying to get their name out there and learn more about the craft.”
“Remember, even big name writers started out at a conference like this, pitching their book to an agent.”
“Remember, we’re all writers here. There’s no reason to be intimidated because we all want the same thing; to tell our stories and get them in front of people who will enjoy them.”
Many more of these exist, to be sure. Well-meaning as these reminders are, they often fall short of the mark in relieving anxiety about a conference, in my experience. Remind yourself about something as much as you want, if you haven’t convinced yourself of it the utility of those reminders will be limited.
Can said reminders move you closer to convincing yourself? Of course they can, but I have a suggestion for something a bit more actionable that you can do to help relieve the tension and get yourself to really believe the above things faster.
Volunteer for the conference.
“Wait, you’re saying that I should volunteer to work for the event that I’m attending?”
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying you should do. Some conferences may even offer you a discount on attendance for doing so (though that isn’t practical to offer for many organizations so don’t go into volunteering expecting it.)
Why? Volunteering with the conference allows you to see things from a different perspective and really makes some of those reminders come to life.
Take my recent experience at the Wyoming Writers, Inc. conference. It was a number of firsts for me. First conference in almost ten years. First time working behind the scenes at a work conference and not an entertainment event like a con. First time meeting many of my bosses on the board of directors in person. I wasn’t super scared or anything, but there was a touch of apprehension going in.
On the first day, I got to man the welcome table with Gene Gagliano. If you’re unfamiliar, Gene is a well-known poet and children’s book author who has served as Wyoming’s Poet Laureate for a number of years. As a children’s librarian, I knew him by reputation, as he was one of those authors you secretly hoped would come do an event at your library someday but you figured he was probably too busy and important to make it there. Because he’s Gene Gagli-freaking-ano for crying out loud!
Here’s the thing about Gene. He’s smart and loves to tell dad jokes. He’s such a genuine guy, truly interested in the goings on of other writers around him, and he was a bit disappointed that day because of some very relatable issues he was having with his publisher.
And I got to spend a good part of the day just shooting the breeze with him. Talk about a reminder that every writer there is after the same thing.
I also had to help do tech support for the owner of a small press publishing house, who makes a special trip out to our conference every year rather than sending a member of her staff. I also gave a quick piece of presenting advice to a well-known screenplay writer who was feeling intimidated about giving critiques live for the Paddle Panel.
By being behind the scenes and realizing how very human the process of putting one of these on is, I got to cast any nerves I had aside and simply be there for the joy of it.
Will you have the same sort of experience if you volunteer at the next conference you attend? Maybe not as extensive as mine, being a member of staff. But you will certainly get a glimpse behind the curtain, and find that your anxieties really can be set aside in the wake of how very relatable everyone and everything is when you see how it’s done.
Don’t believe me? Well, then, volunteer and prove me wrong. The worst that can happen is that you’ll make yourself useful to your fellow writers. And what could be wrong with that?
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