Four Ways to Recover from a Writers Conference by MR Shupp

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Enlightened.

I struggled to stay awake on the drive home from the Ohio Christian Writers Conference, my conference companion and I too tired to even speak to each other. Air1 and 104.9 in the background, I sang along to myself, thoughts drifting to the wonderful time of worship at the conference then to the conference itself. Those three words became the basis of my thoughts.

The OHCWC was my first writers conference. I’d attended writing workshops before, but never a conference with pitch appointments or that many agents, editors, and publishers. I didn’t realize how tired I would be.

Three days of sitting around taking notes, listening to writing workshops, pitching my WIP, and connecting with other writers shouldn’t be that tiring, right? However, I, and I think a lot of other writers, forget how mentally taxing writing is.

As you prepare for your next writers conference or are readying to return home from one, take time to recover afterwards. I’m sure upon your return home, family and friends will flood you with questions: “Did you publish your book?” “Who did you meet?” Your brain will need a rest from all that happens at a writers conference, and questions can quickly become overwhelming.

That recovery time is needed; thus, here are four ways to recover from your next writers conference:

1. Let your family and friends know that you will need alone time.

Writers conferences are a wonderful time of networking with others. When you return home, you won’t want to be swarmed by more people and questions. While it’s great that your family and friends care to know about the conference, make sure that you tell them before your departure that you will need alone time afterward. Tell them that you appreciate any and all questions about the conference, but to please, save them for the day after you return.

2. Take a shower.writers conference

It’s a strange yet well-known fact that writers think well in the shower. When your brain is overloaded from all the information you received at the conference, a nice warm shower may be just what you need to relax and to begin processing all you learned.

3. Drink some tea (or coffee!) and read a book.

You’ve learned so much about writing and talked so much about your own book that it will be beneficial to disappear into the world of another author for a few hours. Curling up on the couch with your favorite drink and taking a break from reality will help you relax and recover from the conference.

4. Journal your thoughts.

After the OHCWC my thoughts were in a jumble. All the information from the sessions swirled around in my head, and I didn’t even know where to begin sorting through them. So, I pulled out my notebook for writing thoughts, a ballpoint pen, and I wrote. The writing wasn’t pretty. It was hardly coherent. But by the end, I knew where to start formulating my writing plans and knew how to answer the questions others would undoubtedly ask me.

Most of us won’t have much time to relax and recoup after a writers conference, but these four ways don’t require a lot of time. A couple of relaxing hours will go a long way to helping you continue your writing journey.

If you’ve ever been to a writing conference, how did you feel afterwards? What did you do to recover?

Galaxy tights, mismatched socks, and a cup of tea in her T. Rex mug often accompany Megan when she sits down to write. Her passion for story has impacted her life since she and her sister first began enacting stories with their dolls and using their imaginations to create worlds of stories in their backyard. After graduating with her BA in English, she is currently earning a Graduate Certificate in Editing through UC Berkeley. Megan is using her love of story and purpose of serving Christ to write and edit at Literary Portals Editing. Find more about her services at www.literaryportals.com.