Last week I taught at a writer’s conference for the first time. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that. Maybe I should pretend that I do this all the time, it’s no big deal. But, frankly, it’s refreshing to be real and admit that it was my first time, it was not as terrifying as I expected, and I spent weeks and weeks working on my lessons, praying over them, and envisioning actually teaching them to the writers and parents at the One Year Adventure Novel Conference.
My thought process went a lot like, “Wait…someone wants me to say stuff? In front of other people?”
But now it’s over. AND I DIDN’T DIE. In fact . . . I had a blast! I’m ready to do it again!
Things I was nervous about:
- Vomiting in front of the class. (Okay, not really. But there’s a first for everything.)
- Not having enough material to teach on.
- Having too much material that I then don’t get to share.
- Being dumb.
- BEING THE MOST BORING PERSON IN THE WORLD.
- Being way too weird and unprofessional and not funny at all.
Things that actually happened:
I had plenty of material to teach on- I got a standing ovation. (Wait…what?!)
- These writers BLEW MY MIND WITH THEIR BRILLIANCY. (Can you tell me what the first dystopian book ever written is? Without using Google?!)
- I met a young author using a fountain pen! #penbuddiesforlife ?
- I had loved sharing my heart with them and wished I could have talked longer.
- My books sold out. ?
Things I learned from these young writers:
- Cosplay must be done, even when it’s 100 degrees outside.
- These kids know way more writer lingo than I do. ? I need to get it together.
- They may be introverts, but they’re not afraid to get up and sing, dance, quote, or brainstorm. Way to be bold.
- Apparently Loki is way cooler than Thor. (Though I’m sure that rides a lot on the fact that, um, TOM HIDDLESTON.)
During the One Year Adventure Novel Conference, I was frequently picking my jaw up off the floor after seeing a display of talent or intelligence. “Um, can you kids write my books for me, please?”
We spent a lot of time in Isaiah 42:6-7 talking about how our writing can be the light that obeys God’s calling for us:
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
What a blessing to be able to write for the Lord and to see Him raising up young writers with an even stronger passion for Him and being His light than I ever saw in my generation.
One-on-One Questions I Heard a Lot:
Along with teaching two sessions, I also took part in over 15 one-on-one mentor appointments. These were some of the highlights of my trip — hearing these writer’s ideas and seeing their hearts and ambitions. Here are some of the questions I was asked most frequently:
What’s your number one piece of advice for a new author?
My usual answer is go to a writer’s conference, but clearly these students have already taken that step and come to a writer’s conference. So my next piece of advice is…go to a bigger writer’s conference. 😉 That is where I met the publisher who offered me my first contract, that is where I met my fabulous agent, that is where I network with author friends and make connections that last a lifetime. That is where I continue to learn the depth of the writing craft.
After that, I’d highly advise you to wear shirts that display your fandom. 😉
What is your writing process?
Time management is a constant struggle that authors will be fighting their entire lives. So it’s natural that a young writer thinking about college and wanting to write novels wants to know my writing process. My answer: Figure out what works for you.
Many people will say “Write every day” but I can’t do that. (I mean, I will if I must and I’m behind on my deadline but that’s a different story.) My creative juices need to rejuvenate, so I write only a couple days a week. Figure out whether or not you can write in little half hour bursts or if you need to set aside four full hours. Start small and work your way toward longer writing chunks.
How do you edit a novel after you’ve written it?
This is a loaded question because everyone’s process is different, but I happened to write an entire blog post on my personal editing process. 😀
How do you know when your novel is ready to be pitched?
When you’ve taken it as far as you can on your own. That means wriitng it and then editing it over and over, then sending it to friends and having them edit it or provide feedback. You also want to consider hiring a freelance editor and then editing again. Then…that’s the best time to pitch it. 🙂
Overall, I had a wonderful time teaching. Yes, I had my nervous moments, but those weren’t because I had to get in front of people (which surprised me.) Those nerves came from concern that my words and lessons would fall short of what I prayed for them to be. As usual, God came through and I left laughing at my silly concerns.
What’s the last thing that made you nervous? How did it turn out?
The last thing that made me nervous was praying with a group of vendors(or more accurately, inviting them to prayer) each morning last week for the Cherry Festival. I always pray before each day with my friends at my booth of course, and the thought came, “Why not pray with others?” That made me nervous, but of course God came through in an amazing way. Four booths, along with mine, prayed each morning, and it was cool to realize that some folk I thought weren’t believers in Jesus actually were, and one guy who wasn’t a believer actually came to join us. Praying that he sees and accepts God’s love in the days to come.
Yep, all in all, God is amazing. 🙂
Wow that’s bold! Way to go. I love when I have a chance (it’s rare) to share my faith with colleagues. Very few are believers.
This is so neat! Wow! What a powerful experience! And neat that you got to meet more believers through it!
First fountain pens are cool! I have a couple my grandmother gave me plus a couple of modern ones. I don’t travel with them because ink and pressure changes might cause a pen-plosion.
What made me nervous?
I’m an extrovert so the thought of teaching/public speaking excites me. I love trying new things and the thrill that goes with it. Here are a few things that made me a bit nervous. My first time ziplining and running a half marathon. I was surprised how easy pitching my manuscript was but that probably had to do with how much prayer went into it!
For me sometimes it’s day-to-day things that makes me nervous like a new work project or meeting someone new.
Prayer certainly makes a difference with nerves! But yeah, meeting new people makes me nervous sometimes because I’m afraid I won’t remember them when they expect me to! 😛
YEY ANOTHER EXTROVERTED WRITER lol
That is amazing! I totally wish I could have gone there!
The last thing that made me nervous was probably my 8th grade graduation. Graduating a year early freaked me out! And besides, why would an introvert want to leave the comforting domain of a private Christian school and enter… (Dun dun duuuun) High School!? I had to play pomp and circumstance on piano for seniors as well -which freaked me out. Also I got to play there recessions. I kinda sorta played…uh…CHARLIE BROWN THEME!!!! Yeah but it was very unnerving
Ooh! That sounds awesome! Even though you were nervous. 🙂 Graduations have always unnerved me, too. At least there are only a few of those in one’s lifetime! 😉
This sounds like it was such a fun conference! I hope to go to a writer’s conference one day if I become more serious in the craft. 😉
DO IT! 😉
The last thing that made me nervous was being interviewed for a podcast. And then I thought ‘if I get this nervous for an interview when no one sees me, how will I be if I’m ever asked to speak anywhere’? Not as if that’s happening anytime soon, but perhaps in the future…
I’m going to my first writer’s conference this fall and am looking forward to it a lot.
Ooh! What writer’s conference?
It’s okay, I still get nervous before interviews that don’t take place in person. 😛 It’s natural. And there are things you’ll grow more comfortable with because you’ll find your rhythm. I never expected to speak in front of others–let alone on a stage–but now that it came, I was less nervous than I thought! God prepared me when I wasn’t looking. 😉
Looks like everyone had a great time!! Hopefully I’ll be going to that next year. 🙂 🙂 🙂
It’s a fantastic conference! I hope you’re able to go. 🙂
Thank you so much for coming to OYAN, Nadine! I really enjoyed hearing from you, and your talk, I think, was one of the few that spoke the most to me. I’m getting ready to apply for colleges, and as a writer I had been struggling to balance my passion and my goals. Your talk on purpose and pursuing writing as a career really helped me work out some issues in my head. Thanks so much again!
~ that oyaner who asked you what your favorite word was at lunch one day
Bumbershoot! 😉
Aw, thank you Elly. What a blessing to know my talk spoke to you. I was praying for that! And I’ll be praying for you as you start applying to colleges. What an exciting step forward! It was wonderful to meet you at OYAN!
Nadine, you were my mentor for my mentoring session at this conference! I just wanted to say that you were super encouraging and helpful! And so was your session on marketing!
Thanks so much for being a part of it! I love that you were there! 🙂
Awww, thanks CJ! The mentoring sessions were probably my favorite aspect of this conference. I loved meeting with you and chatting. 🙂 Thank you for your sweet comment!
I’m quite extroverted as well but I frankly do not like public speaking and absolutely it makes me nervous ha! My speaking skills for some reason I feel are extremely lacking and unprofessional. Maybe it’s just me, idk. I substitute teach just fine, but I stick to elementary age range. Kids don’t care much lol. I am quite nervous when it comes to teaching or talking in front of people who are either all adults, or super taller than me (most high school students are taller than me).
I wasn’t going to comment, but… WHEN I READ THIS I’M WEARING MY “I SOLEMNLY SWEAR” shirt as well! When I say it, I squealed to my family and freaked out! 😛
So great meeting you and hearing your sessions at the workshop! I was that Rey cosplayer who had a mentoring session with you, and also sat across from you during lunch the same day. I learned a lot from you, so thanks for coming to teach us!
Nadine, I met you at the OYAN workshop and heard you speak. As a parent to 5 OYANers, I love to attend the teaching sessions too. You did a Fantastic job! Thanks for sharing your insights at the workshop.
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