Guest post by Melinda VanLone, author of the House of Xannon series
I've attended a lot of conferences over the past several years. Everything from RWA to ThrillerFest, from DragonCon to Cruising Writers. I've learned something from all of them, but the one I found most inspiring, with the most return on my investment, was Cruising Writers.
Why? Three reasons.
Reason #1 to go on this Writing Cruise
Because Cruising Writers takes place on, you guessed it, a cruise ship, it's easier to focus on the workshops. There's simply nowhere else to go, and nothing else I needed to be doing. I could sit and listen and not worry about All The Things that were on my list back home. No phone calls. No emails. No external distractions. No other conference gave me that experience of separation from the every day. I left with tools I still use every day in my writing, tools that I don't think would have nearly the impact if I tried to learn them any other way.
Reason #2 to go on this Writing Cruise
Cruising Writers is a smaller, more intimate gathering of like-minded individuals. Writers from all genres are there with the same goals, to focus on the craft of story-telling. There's an immediate sense of companionship and camaraderie. It's easy to learn everyone's name. More than that, it's seven days of quality time spent together laughing, learning, and hearing each other's stories. By the time I left, I felt like I'd forged real relationships. It's rare for me to feel that way at other conferences unless I've shared a room with someone. Certainly, I've never bonded with so many in one setting before. I also truly appreciated being able to get to know a real live agent over such an extended period of time. It turns out, agents are real people, just like us!
Reason #3 Why you can't miss this Writing Cruise!
Have I mentioned this takes place on a cruise ship? Cruising the Caribbean? Islands, beaches, tropical sand, sun, islands, exotic locations, and the ocean. Hands down the best location for a conference that I've experienced so far.
I'll be speaking for a short session during this October's cruise about book covers that sell. Join us! I promise, you'll be glad you did.