Thursday, May 29, 2008

Looking Forward to SheSpeaks

3 weeks. Is that all? Surely I'm miscalculating and it's more like...you know...3 months.

But no, it's 3 weeks.

3 weeks until I walk into a room with 500 other women. I'll be carrying a bag with my laptop, a notebook, and all my writing dreams, quaking in my business casual attire, and thinking that every other women has it far more together than I do. Every other woman will have goal, a plan, a beautifully written proposal, and a dozen contract offers and they will all know just by looking at me that I still don't know what I want to write about. I will intellectually know that, of course, it isn't true, but I'll still feel that way.

It's like those dreams when you show up to a big meeting wearing your slip and no skirt or the one where you forgot about a college class until the day you have to take the final. Wait, maybe those did really happen...

In spite of my glaring insecurities, I am very much looking forward to the conference. I don't know a soul who will be there except a couple of the P31 people, so I'll have plenty of time to take notes and soak it all in. My goal for the conference is to catch a vision for what I need to do, to be inspired by the speakers and by the people I meet, to meet with God and seek His direction, and to come home and do something about it.

So for everyone visiting from Lysa's blog, I look forward to meeting you in 3 weeks!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for participating and posting your goals now doesn't that feel good?? Can't wait to see you at She Speaks.

krista said...

I love your goal! You won't be the only one feeling not so buttoned up. I'm not sure what to expect or exactly what to prepare. My goal is not to walk out with a book contract, but like you said...I too want meeet God and seek His direction, meet new people and learn more about the world of writing and publishing. I can't wait!

See you there!

Marlo said...

Hey- thanks for the book suggestion- I plan on taking you up on it.

Have fun at the conference!

Anonymous said...

Well, at least you get to go! I'm out of town on a trip that can't be changed, so I won't be able to attend...enjoy it for me, if you find that you're too overwhelmed to enjoy it yourself!

p.s. Be bold and introduce yourself to people--it's important to network at all writers' conferences, no matter the size. And I found it handy to have my business card on hand to give to people I met. It saves scribbling out e-mail addresses and contact info on scraps of paper over and over. You probably have one already, but if you don't, you can get a simple "calling card" type made el-cheapo at Officemax's copy service. They're handy to have all the time, to give to someone you meet at the playground or homeschool co-op or whatever.

Amy Jo said...

Hi Valerie, I thought I would pop by and introduce myself...I'll be at SheSpeaks as well...can't wait. :-) We seem to have a lot in common...I'm also a homeschooler, a writer (in process) and traveled to China in '06 to bring home our little girl. Hope to meet you at the conference. Blessings & joy, Amy