I attended the AWP Annual Conference. Here's what I learned (+ the best FREE Resources I discovered while there)
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference features a book fair, panel discussions, and offsite events. This was my first time at AWP and if you've never spent much time around the literary community, buckle up because I have some thoughts. As an attendee this year, my primary objective was to seek out the latest information regarding the publishing industry, writing craft, and MFA programs. I constantly debate whether or not I am going to go back to school to finish my MFA, so part of my mission at this conference was to talk to some of the writing programs to see if they interested me.
The conference also features the opportunity to pitch agents, network and build camaraderie with other writers. AWP is one of the many opportunities for writers to catch the attention of agents. If you haven't seen it yet, I wrote a whole blog post on how to write a one-sentence pitch.
I am going to give you my top five lessons from AWP in addition to a list of resources that I learned about while I was there!
Why attend Writing Conferences?
Aside from the literary readings and the stellar panels, conferences are a great place to meet other folks in the bookish community. Creative writing takes on many forms, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Stepping out of your genre or your preferred art form can be a great experience in loosening up your creative mind. I've never considered writing poetry before, but after a few days surrounded by some incredible artists, I felt the itch. Exposure to new ideas is one way that our brains create novel concepts for us to write about. If you're struggling with your manuscript, a writing conference may be just what you need to work out your story's kinks.
As a developmental editor, I am always looking for the latest writing tips, publishing market data, and ways to help my clients succeed. Attending AWP is just one way that I stay fresh and up to date regarding what is going on in the literary community. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with small press, hybrid publishers and literary magazines. These serve an important purpose within the writing community to help find a home for works of all kinds.
Making connections was just one great part of attending AWP. Talking with others and attending panels really helped me understand the literary world better. However, conferences are not available to everyone. That's why I am summarizing the best lessons that I learned from the experience below.
Here's what I got out of it:
1. Figure out your non-negotiables.
It's a fine line between protecting your art and fitting industry standards. If you're a writer who hasn't published anything, there can be tremendous pressure to remove characters, change plotlines, and cut back your favorite side plots in order to please an unforgiving market. AWP taught me that there is always a home for your writing whether that's with a traditional publisher, an independent press, literary magazines, or hybrid publishing. Many authors have their heart set on a Big 5 deal, but some pieces of writing are not a good fit for these publishers.
It's for this reason that I recommend getting really clear on what you love about your story. These are the story elements that it would break your heart to remove. Without these, the manuscript no longer feels like it's yours. Knowing what these things are for you will serve you in going to bat for your story later when agents, publishers and editors dangle them in front of you offering you all your hopes and dreams if you just change this one thing. Art is an expression of the artist. Non-negotiables give you the ability to find a team of people that is a good fit for you. Finding someone who is aligned with your story goals and your vision for your work will serve you in the future.
2. Scene work is incredibly important.
One of my favorite panels was led by Cleyvia Natera, Tiana Kahakauwila, Marie-Helene Bertino, Mira Jacob, and Tracy O'Neil titled "Scene Work Makes the Dream Work." If you are a writer who has worked with me before, you know how important scenes are to building the arc of change in your story. These brilliant writers gave some examples of scenes from their favorite novels and their own to explain to the audience what was working. As I sat among the crowd, I heard the murmurings of appreciation for this type of straightforward advice from my fellow onlookers.
One big takeaway for me was the importance of layering the story elements. By taking ordinary objects or piece of dialogue within your scene and giving them dual meaning, your writing becomes more efficient and richer to your audience. Often, this is referred to a story element doing "double" or sometimes "triple" the work because the object becomes more than just an object. Not only does this create a richer narrative, but it helps your writing become more efficient as you can use less words to convey the same amount of meaning.
In addition, the panelists also discussed the importance of controlling tension and pacing within the scene. To manage the reader's experience, information is released as the character discovers it, creating a controlled narrative flow. The protagonist is the vehicle for the reader. Where their attention goes, so will their audience. Two different protagonists can look at the same feature of a space and have entirely different thoughts about it. These small details help build a story world that feels believable and captures the attention of your reader.
3. The business of writing is just as vital as your creative work.
Scarcity can drive all of us absolutely crazy. However, I am a firm believer that there is room in the literary market for everybody. That includes your whimsical space opera and your creepy literary thriller. Knowing what options are available to you as you pursue representation of your work is absolutely critical. There is a home for your creative work.
Authors, particularly the new ones, aren't always familiar with the nuance of the writing space. Educating yourself on the opportunities available to you will help you navigate and find a home for your story. Becoming a traditionally published author is not the only method of getting your story out into the world. You have access to literary journals, hybrid publishers, and independent bookstores. Many authors are pursuing a combination of these methods in order to create an author experience that is right for them. The world has literally never been better suited to building a choose-your-own adventure in publishing.
4. Get out of your comfort zone.
I am an introvert, which means leaving my home to join thousands of writers at a convention center is not high on my to do list. However, the experience of attending AWP reminded me of the importance of getting out of your own way. As this pertains to writers, I believe there are two areas we can all learn from.
Practice submitting your work.
In the commercial fiction world, it can be easy to believe that your only two options are a published book and being an aspiring writer. The reality is that there are so many opportunities for your work to receive feedback outside of published novels. Some of these include literary magazines, contests, and anthologies. These alternate forms of exposure are a great opportunity to practice sending your writing to a stranger and facing the inevitable rejection.
One of the best ways to try out submitting your work is to send it to a literary magazine. When doing this, you'll want to make sure you follow submission guidelines and put your best foot forward with a polished story. If you're looking for a place to submit, I am the long-form editor at the Bloomin' Onion Literary magazine. You can find out submission guidelines here.
Get out of your reading bubble.
I primarily edit genre fiction like fantasy and science-fiction. However, AWP is a huge event for the literary fiction community. For those of you that are interested in the difference, literary fiction prioritizes character development and is based in a realistic world while genre fiction tends to be more plot driven and can bend the rules of reality. Reading widely is a path to loosening up your creative mind. I picked up books from poets, flash fiction writers, and more during this conference because disrupting your usual patterns can be great for creativity. This is because your brain forms connections and neural pathways when you learn something new or experiences something novel (no pun intended!).
5. Free Resources for you!
Every panel that I went to gave insight into a resource that I knew nothing about. The panelists were itching to get these into the hands of writers who could use them to create brilliant stories. Here are some of the ones they mentioned:
Conscious Style Guide - Karen Yin's free website, the Conscious Language Style Guide, offers writers resources for representing marginalized groups respectfully by compiling various style guides on inclusive language. Yin has also written a book under the same title. If you're writing characters who fall into this category, then I highly recommend grabbing a copy (I ordered mine!).
How to Write an Email Well Enough to Land a Book Deal - This article by Anne Trubek is packed full of query letter advice, all based around the idea that one really good email can grab the attention of readers. I found it to be insightful!
Before and After the Book Deal Substack - Courtney Maum publishes an excellent book titled "Before and After the Book Deal." Aside from this Publisher's Weekly Best Book, Maum runs a Substack with advice on publishing a book. Check it out!
Women Who Submit - This free organization is dedicated to helping women submit their work for publication. They offer workshops to encourage and empower their members to send their work out into the world.
That’s all for now! For more writing tips and tricks, feel free to reach out to me or learn more on my Instagram below:
