Craft, Community, and Communication: Inspiring Takeaways from a Writing Conference
What I “C” as great advice.
Attending a writing conference or retreat can be life-changing for seasoned authors or writers just launching their careers. Recently, I attended a four-day conference for women’s fiction writers. I enjoyed participating in several workshops about craft, book marketing, and the publishing industry in general. I felt like I was back in school, reminding me of why I’d love to be a perpetual student.
I took pages and pages of notes, and what I learned can be applied across most genres. The content was too good not to share, but narrowing in on the most significant takeaways presented a challenge. In an attempt to keep it simple, here’s how I’d break down the insight I gained:
1. Concept
There’s a difference between concept and idea. I didn’t realize that until I learned more about —well, the concept. After sitting through a lengthy but interesting-as-hell presentation about what distinguishes concept from idea, I still find “concept” difficult to define. From what I gathered, “concept” is used to elevate an idea. You can take a common trope — like enemies to lovers or family secrets — and twist it to make it more interesting, compelling, and unique. Hopefully, that means it’s more likely to attract…
