The first time I considered presenting at a writers conference, I immediately thought, “But I don’t know enough to teach anything.” Turns out, just about everyone who has been writing for a while knows something.
Perhaps, like me, you’ve done a lot of research and figured out how to ferret out information in places besides “Google” that other writers might not have thought of. Or you’ve developed a template that helps writers organize or speed up their writing processes.
Maybe you’re an expert on all things horses, wagons, stagecoaches, and cowboys of the 1800s. Or you were in the military and can speak to how it really feels to be in boot camp or fly a helicopter to evac soldiers during a firefight.
Or you were/are an English teacher and understand when someone throws out one of those dang dangling participles (Seriously, I’m not sure those existed when I was in school!).
If you’ve successfully self-published, can you talk about the process in detail? Or if you’ve gone the traditionally published route, do you have words of wisdom for those who haven’t? Did you put together your own marketing plan that your editor or agent commented on how successful it was?
If you aren’t sure what kind of workshops you might have the chops for, look at prior year conference booklets for RMFW or others. See what kind of information beginner, intermediate, or advanced writers are looking for. RMFW does a great job of putting out information on how to structure a workshop proposal and what they are looking for. There are literally dozens of conferences each year all over the state and the country.
Maybe you want to start out with a short, free workshop for a local group and see how it goes. As you get your confidence and refine the presentation, move on to larger groups or small conferences. Ask for feedback, and listen to it. Ask your fellow writers what kind of information they wish they had, or if you’re really on your game, ask them what kind of information they have that you need.
Not only does presenting help your fellow writers, it’s a great way to improve your public speaking skills. Will you be nervous? Of course, unless you’re someone who does it all the time—in which case, why are you reading this instead of working on that next presentation? For the rest of us, it takes some baby steps, but the rewards are tremendous. You’ll meet people who come up after the presentation with questions, or compliments, or stories of their own trials and tribulations, and they might be your next best writer friend. And it can save money if the conference gives you discounts or free registration. But don’t do it for that, do it for yourself and your fellow writers. We can all get better, no matter how long we’ve been writing. And you just might find out you know more than you thought.
So consider presenting when you see a call for proposals, and don’t forget to Write On!