I’ve waffled on about writer’s conferences many times before but the topic, for me at least, never gets old.

My favorite conference is coming up in a couple of weeks and I’m very sad that I’m not able to go.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer, newly published, looking for representation, working on a manuscript or just starting out, conferences are an invaluable way to learn, network, get ideas and inspiration and be encouraged by other people who are in the same boat as you.

Before I went to my first conference, I felt rather indifferent about them. I didn’t see what real value they could be to me and, to be honest, it just seemed like it would be money down the drain.

I don’t think that if I had donned a big dress and declared myself to be Queen Victoria I could have been more wrong.

Even if I were to spend a week trying to list all of the benefits of writer’s conferences, I still couldn’t encapsulate the truth of how beneficial they are so I’ll simply say this:

If you’re a writer or want to be one, you’d be stupid not to go to a writer’s conference. It’s as simple as that.

So… What are you waiting for?

If you live in Southern California, or live within 400 miles of an airport, I completely recommend the AV Writer’s Conference as a great place to start.