Moi and friend/agency-mate Jill Kemerer
Re-entry after the ACFW conference is somewhat hard to describe.
It’s a rollercoaster of emotion: exhaustion, elation, and bittersweet relief.
The months leading up to conference time are full of barely contained excitement. We’re eager to see our friends and make new ones. We look forward to workshops, worship, and those “divine appointments” with editors, agents, and others in the publishing industry. And for those of us who are moms–let’s be honest. We’re tickled that someone else gets to cook for US and make OUR beds for a change.
This year’s conference was held in the great city of Dallas (though I admit, I didn’t step out of the hotel once during the five days I was there.) The days were intense and long, but fun, too!
Michael Hyatt was our keynote speaker. He energized a crowd of 700 writers, editors, agents, and publishing professionals with this statement: “Now is the best time to be an author.” He went on to cover five points as to why this is true. (I’ll elaborate in a future post.) I found Mike Hyatt to be warm, engaging, humble, and humorous. My one disappointment: I forgot to pack his recent bestseller Platform: How to Get Noticed in a Noisy World, and therefore, walked away without an autograph. I’d been looking forward to that all year. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
One of my favorite workshops was Susan May Warren’s The Heart of the Matter in which she talked about our 
characters’ journeys. I loved Susan’s down-to-earth demeanor and her enthusiasm for the writing craft. (If you write, you’ll want to explore Susan’s website for a variety of craft books designed to help emerging writers, as well as those who are committed to bettering their craft.)
Many conference attendees were busy from early morning until late evening. The conference schedule was jam-packed with opportunities for everyone. In fact, there were so many wonderful choices that downtime was limited unless one chose to skip a workshop or meal which (for the sake of some much-needed rest) I did a time or two.
On Friday I’ll dish a little more about conference and share some additional highlights with you. Until then, here are a few of my favorite photos. (I’ll upload a few more in the future on my website.) Enjoy!
With author and friend Keli Gwyn
Super sweet Jessica (Jess) Patch!
REMINDER: You’ll have through this weekend to enter the drawing for my BLOG GIVEAWAY. (This month, you could win a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card and a mini book tote.) I’ll draw a name on Sunday and I’ll post the winning name on Monday.
Find out more here.
Don’t forget to connect with my friends at their cyber homes:
Jill Kemerer: Agency-mate, ACFW roommate, social media guru, and friend. I can’t say enough about this “keepin’ it real” gal! Love her!
Keli Gwyn: Agency-mate, friend, and awesome author of A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California. What a kind, giving spirit Keli has!
Jessica (Jess) Patch: Agency-mate, terrific friend, and awesome author. Think sweet tea and sunshine all rolled into one! (Not to mention, add a splash of humor, and you’ve got a brunette Lucille Ball.)
The adorable Sarah Forgrave
Sarah Forgrave: Friend, agent-mate, and fitness buff. I love this gal’s smile and her heart of gold!
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If you attended the ACFW conference, what were some of your favorite moments?
How did last week shape up for you?
Blessings Always,
Comments 15
Spending time with you, dear Cindy, was a highlight and treat! I miss you already! 🙂 Loved reliving the conference through your photos!
Author
Jess, I cherish you! Hooking up with like-minded friends at ACFW was truly a blessing. (And please tell sweet Gina I sooo miss her, too!)
Lovely pics–I’m living vicariously through them! So glad you got so much out of the conference. I’m sure it IS action-packed! Maybe I’ll see you next year?
Author
Heather, so glad you enjoyed the post. I would love to see you next year!
I loved spending time with you, Cindy! You’re a blessing to me in many ways, my friend. I wish you well as you process all the great information and instruction we received. Here’s to connections made leading to great things.
Author
Keli, you warm my heart. You’ve had such an impact on my life and my writing. Loved dishing with you!
I love this post, and I keep wishing we lived closer!! Why don’t we? 🙂 Loved spending those precious days with you!
Author
Jill: I wish we lived closer, too! So blessed by your friendship and your writing tips. And your sense of humor…love it and love you!
Beth: I would have loved to chat longer, too! I so enjoyed hugging you in person… (and I have a few more photos to put up soon.)
So fun to relive the conference through your eyes, Cindy. And it was fun to finally meet your face to face. The pace of the conference is always a bit frantic — where do the days go? But now I feel like I “know” you a bit better because I’ve met you, hugged you … I only wish we’d had more time together to sit and chat.
What a great recap, Cindy! I loved seeing you as always. And you’re so right about re-entry into the real world. My initiation came in the form of sick kiddos. I think God’s telling me to set aside my writing this week. 🙂
Author
Sarah, I’m so thankful for you and I so enjoyed hugging your neck! I pray your little ones will feel better soon.
I’m glad you had such a grand time! It would be hard to skip some of the activities, but sometimes that’s a necessity.
Author
Patti, indeed it was difficult not to take it all in even though I wanted to. The conference was awesome and I hope to hook up with you there one day. Ever think of writing fiction?
Ok, truth be told I was a little jealous thinking of all the wonderful fun y’all were having. I was ready to write a novel just to be able to hang out and soak up all the knowledge and fun. Then this week I was contacted about writing a script. Um, that would be fiction. I have never identified myself as a fiction writer…but if this project goes through, I guess I will be. God sure is stretching me with all this…and it sure is fun. 🙂
Author
Tina, God does have a way of stretching us. If you do jump on board the fictional train, please consider joining ACFW. It’s wonderful to connect with like-minded believers who also share the love of writing. And I would love to meet in person at our conference next year!