The first weekend of August, Fraize and I headed to Shore Leave, a fan run Sci-Fi convention in Hunt Valley, MD.   The convention is unique in that it not only draws top notch guests from the Star Trek/Stargate realms, but many media tie-in writers also attend and lead panels and workshops.  What is touted as a Sci-Fi con is my annual writers retreat.

I arrived at the convention this year beaten down from a difficult week at work.  By the end of the weekend I was again inspired and ready to get back to writing – this mainly from sitting in on panels centered around writing and reading about time travel, story development, media tie-in vs. original fiction, and the business side of professional writing.  The panels allowed for direct access to working writers, frank advice and tips from those in the field, and a chance to participate in a dialogue with writing professionals.

Being “a writer” is something I’ve been chasing since I was a kid tapping away on a manual typewriter.  Networking with authors and editors has allowed me to gain a realistic perspective on what it takes to work in this field.  Many of the writers I meet not only hold down a full time job, but juggle several side projects as well as family demands, and write in limited spare time to reach their goals.  Talking with writers, asking questions, listening to advice and learning what is required to make it in this profession, has helped me to see I need to put more drive and focus into writing if I want to succeed.

I subscribe to several writing magazines and I keep eyeing writer-specific conventions – registration typically starts in the low hundreds and goes much higher depending upon location and events. Registration for Shore Leave is $80 for the weekend (hotel is separate).  The writing instruction and advice alone is worth the $80 I spend, not to mention enjoying the rest of the convention, flying my geek flag and meeting up with friends I’ve made over the years.   Huge writing-centric conventions still intrigue me, but I hope the above shows you should find your inspiration where and when you can.

If you’re serious about writing, if you want to be published, you need to continue your writing education to succeed.  Network with writers on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and learn from others who are in the field.  Subscribe to writing magazines, or if money is tight, many local libraries carry recent issues of Writer’s Digest  and The Writer  that you can browse.  And write – your writing won’t get better without practice.  Network, learn from other writers, write and enjoy the process.

Originally posted on Spare Time Writer dot Com