GETTING READY FOR CONFERENCE

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference time—one of my favorite times of the year. Ranks right up there with Christmas. Besides being the premier conference for Christian fiction writers, the organization itself is dedicated to the promotion of Christian fiction and the education of Christian authors. The anticipation of rubbing shoulders with hundreds of other writers makes my heart go pitty-pat. I can’t wait to reconnect with writer friends I only get to see once a year, and people don’t look at me strangely when I talk about my characters like they’re real people.

But preparing for conference can also be stressful, especially if an author is planning to meet with agents or editors to pitch their book. It’s not easy to put one’s entire story into two or three sentences—what’s called an “elevator pitch”. I’ve written and rewritten my pitches, cut words, replaced words, and searched for just the right word, to my pitch sing.

Another source of stress is putting together a one-sheet. What all should go on my one-sheet? Back cover blurb, author tagline, endorsements, photo of the story’s setting, author headshot? Do I use graphics to give it a classic, professional look? Or should it be whimsical? Bold and flashy? Mysterious? Should it match my website? What message do I want my one-sheet to convey to an agent or editor in that 15-minute appointment? Have I polished my pitch so I can deliver it for memory?

I’m a list maker, so I normally begin jotting down things I don’t want to forget to pack a month before the conference—mostly those little things that when you’re caught without them, you’re in a pinch. Extra batteries for the computer mouse, extra camera battery, extra flash drive, easy-to-carry notebook, pens, business cards, phone and camera chargers, cold medication (just in case), Starbucks gift card, snacks (for me: low fat, sugar-free, high protein). . . and my list goes on.

What about clothes? How many times have I tried on different outfits, mixed and matched tops and slacks, and decided which shoes (comfortable shoes!!) go with what outfit? On a budget? Worried about what to wear to the fancy gala awards banquet? No sweat. Consignment shops are full of gorgeous evening wear at cut-rate prices. Bling is in right now. You can find glittery jewelry at Walmart or Claire’s Boutique—even yard sales. So dressing up an outfit with glitzy accessories won’t cost an arm and a leg.

I always assemble all my printed out documents for airline reservations, boarding passes, shuttle reservations, hotel reservations, and conference registration in one folder, and I tuck it into my computer bag so I have everything I need at my fingertips. I even arrange them in the order in which I will need them because I’m CDO (that’s like OCD except with the letters in alphabetical order, like they should be.) There is a secret compartment in my computer bag—believe me, you’d never find it if you didn’t know it was there—where I put an index card with hint-prompts for all my passwords.

When flying, we’re only allowed one personal item and one carry-on. Since I normally want to take several things with me on the plane, I learned a neat trick: I have smaller purse that I take to conferences (no need in carrying all that stuff in my regular, everyday purse). The smaller purse fits very nicely down inside a tote bag with room to spare for my Kindle, a snack, sunglasses, fold-up umbrella, cell phone charger, bottle of water (purchased after I clear security), and any other “necessities”. The tote bag is now my personal item, and my computer bag is my carry-on. If you’re one of those people who hates to check their luggage, you’ll just have to stuff all those items into your computer bag.

Checking my list and getting ready to flyyyyyyy. ACFW, here I come! See you when I get back!