Mount Hermon Prep

I know this is probably not the most scintillating post you’ll read, but my head is full of preparation details for the conference.

If you’ve never been, you might wonder what the big deal is.

Well, it’s not a big deal really, and it is.

The Big Deal part is that I’ll get to meet new people, some who I’ve connected with online and others who I’ve never talked to before. I’ll get to see people I met last year or the year before, so it will feel a little like a reunion. Yep, the people at the conference are a Big Deal.

I’ll also get to learn more about writing and get to talk about writing. I want to improve my craft and to deepen my philosophy, so the classes and critiques are invaluable. Hearing other writers share what they’ve learned or the road they’ve taken encourages and motivates and challenges me. For me, talking about writing is a Big Deal.

What’s not a big deal any more is editor and agent appointments. Don’t get me wrong. I have hopes to meet with and talk to a number of these professionals. But I’ve been through the “this is the perfect publisher; this must be the one God has planned for me” saga before.

I admit, I have my favorites. I think editor X is a godly person, an individual of integrity and I would love to work with an editor like that. I think editor Y is knowledgeable and personable and would be enthusiastic and have a vision for what I’m trying to do. I think editor Z represents a house that could get my books into Important Places and give them the push they would need.

In reality, none of my impressions matter. God alone knows what is right and best and good for me, for the books I write. He will do what will honor Him, and that makes any of my thoughts and plans regarding what editor or agent to contact secondary. Not a big deal, really.

The other Big Deal though, is getting ready for this conference. I still have business cards to prepare, one sheets to run off, manuscripts for the mentoring clinic to critique, my own pages to print for critique, shopping, ironing, packing. There’s the plants to water, the bills to pay, the newspaper, the mail, the car. Maybe blog posts to write for those days I’ll be gone—hahahah! That’s starting to look like a joke! 😀