Are you hesitant to dive in? Are you at a stage where some new ideas and inspiration might help?
Case study: Rev. Jen Adams
I’m an Episcopal priest, a gay one. And I live in a conservative and very Reformed Midwestern city. I find myself bridging several communities most of the time and given the realities of life on the bridge, I wasn’t sure that a “Writing for Your Life” conference designed for Christian authors would be a fit. I looked into it with hopes, because I’m stubborn that way, but I also went in with few expectations.
I had hopes because the title of Brian Allain’s project put words on one of my truths: when I write, I breathe. I write to be alive, and I knew that I wasn’t breathing enough. I needed support, practical strategies, and targeted advice to help me become a broader reaching and consistently productive voice.
There was a WFYL conference in my hometown. I could manage attending with no travel expenses. I could eat suppers at home. I could leave if I needed to leave! The risks seemed minimal. And so, I held my breath and took the dive.
What I found:
Much to my surprise, there was air to be had! I’d go so far as to say that I was inspired. The keynote speakers were Episcopalians which was good for soul, voices I don’t often experience in this context. There was also some diversity present, more than I had expected and I was able to connect with others who were themselves struggling with bridges, breathing, and blocks. The breakout sessions and workshops were led by people with experience and expertise in writing, editing, and publishing. I got a sense of the many different ways in which writers manage to thrive and was exposed to the varieties of tools that help them get there.
On the final day of the conference, in a completely spontaneous and unprepared “pitch” composed of more questions than plans, I spoke with Brian Allain. He invited me on as a client and I took another leap. Since then, Brian has provided generous encouragement and excellent resources to help me focus my approach, build a platform, and develop a way of life with writing closer to its heart.
Writing for Your Life sparked a personal and professional overhaul and it’s not over yet. My blog is in the works, and so am I. Breathing feels good.
Website: https://revjenadams.com/
Some things for you to consider:
- Jumping into the business of writing can be a daunting task. Perhaps you would like an adviser who can help you understand the publishing industry and how to get started in it; someone to talk with about your positioning and branding; someone to help you make connections with agents and publishing houses.
- We offer several conferences each year in various locations around the country. They are filled with highly qualified and caring speakers. We’ve consistently been told that our conferences stand out from others due to the quality of our speakers and our supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. All of our conferences have been rated 4.5 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5). Check them out here.
- You can tell a great deal from who we partner with – here are our author and industry partners, for whom we are very thankful.
- If you just need some advice and can’t make it to a conference, we are here to help. The first call with Brian is free; beyond that we offer hourly consulting, or provide it for free when bundled with other services.
- Our website and weekly emails provide a wide variety of helpful resources – free for your use – without ads, subscriptions, or donations.