Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference

Coming back is never simple. Mount Hermon is a place that saturates my imagination, tries to hold onto my soul, offers a world of new connections and opportunities.

If you are like me, you feel the same. If you are like me, you have work ahead of you, both business and emotional.

On the business side, you must:

- email everyone you met, to follow up

- visit the blogs of people you met

- perhaps send your proposal to a book editor who requested it

- mail queries to magazines, while the editors you met still have a memory of you

- order additional CDs or the mp3, for purposes of continuing professional development

- perhaps regroup regarding a particular piece you thought had promise but now seems doubtful (you think of joining a critique group now or perhaps blogging to further develop your audience and writing skills)

On the emotional side, you might find it hard to re-enter the life you have. I know I struggle in this way. You might also feel the need to process all that happened, but hardly feel capable of doing so. Here are my attempts to re-enter. Stop by and comment, leaving your link, and I'll visit your attempts if you've blogged about them...

A Writer's Confession

Slow Emergence

Ancient Cathedral

"The Great Blog Riddle", presented by L.L. Barkat, Mark Goodyear, and Becky Miller.

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"Quick Click to Fame", presented by L.L. Barkat.

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Stone Crossings, an excerpt from Chapter 3

The first time I went to Mount Hermon, here are some things I'm so glad I brought:

- a book proposal. Even though I didn't really know how to write one, I got good feedback on it from the critique team, which inspired me to make appointments with two editors who asked me to send it to them (they didn't buy it in the end), which inspired me to send it to an editor I kind of knew, which eventually led to a book contract

- ideas for magazine articles. Even though no editor was ultimately interested in my ideas, it meant I had a reason to meet with some editors, which opened doors much later down the line

- a name of a seasoned professional who someone referred me to, along with the promise to meet at least once at the conference. This writer sat with me on the first day and simply encouraged me. This was exactly what I needed.

- a desire to talk to just about anybody. As I recently advised someone who'll attend Mount Hermon for the first time, Talk to everybody. So many blessings are in store for you, though they aren't all business related.

The first time I went to Mount Hermon, I wish I'd brought:

- a sturdy umbrella. Boy it rained a lot.

- a warmer set of clothes. I had layered outfits, which was good so I could peel off to take advantage of warm parts of the day, but I could have used a nice wool something when the temperatures dropped.

- a digital camera. The redwoods are stunning, even when it rains.

- a special journal and some great pens. I've never been so inspired to write in my life as I was for that week in the forest.

- a hand-cranked flashlight. Big trees and big rain equal little blackouts. Yup, it was hard getting ready the day my room was in total darkness.

- a cell phone. I had a phone card, but often the pay phones weren't working. And though the office sometimes let you use the phone there was often a line.

- fancy shoes. You can't really wear them anyway in the rough terrain, and they take up space in your suitcase

- a computer. I wasn't presenting last time, and it was nice to feel like I was kind of on vacation. Note-taking on paper was sufficient.

- a lot of books. I found some I wanted to buy at the conference, so it was good to have that extra room in my bag on the way home to pack my finds.

- a sense that I had to "do it all". Just letting the days flow and attending only my favorite things went a long way towards having a good time and realizing that Mount Hermon was only a beginning and not the end