My first novel completed, I joined the Florida Writers Association to enter my unpublished manuscript in competition for the Royal Palm Literary Awards. One of the friends I had made in the local critique group coordinated the volunteers for FWA’s annual conference. He asked if I was interested in helping out the Silent Auction at the conference. I jumped at the opportunity to meet fellow writers throughout the state.
To be clear, the silent auction was run by the charitable arm of FWA, an organization named the Florida Writers Foundation, which promotes literacy in children and adults.
The conference from the Florida Writers Assocation drew over 1,000 attendees from across the state and country. Experts in fields associated with the craft of writing held numerous seminars over the weekend. Renowned authors spoke about their experiences and struggles. Busy in the silent auction room, I missed out on most of the seminars, but did gather the handouts as learning aids on writing, publishing, and marketing. I tried my hand at presenting pitches for my novel to a couple of agents.
Nearly every attendee strolled through the silent auction room. Although conversation with them was limited while I worked, I did take advantage of picking their brains during each evening’s dinner. I gleaned helpful tidbits while hanging out in the hotel bar at the end of each day. Listening to the paths of writers who penned their tales in a myriad of genres gave me insight into familiar struggles during the writing, editing, and publishing processes.
By the end of the conference, the chairperson of the silent auction decided she could not take on the task the following year. Juggling the responsibilities with her career, family, and other commitments overwhelmed her. Another volunteer stepped up to that plate. A few months before the next year’s conference, personal issues intervened. She had to step aside. Although a bit reluctant, I volunteered to follow through with organizing the event.
Over the next seven years, I chaired the silent auction. (Although the year my husband was ill, another volunteer came to my rescue to finalize the tasks mid-stream.) Each year, contributions from writers and critique groups across the state rounded out an inventory of nearly 100 donations for the auction. Writing coaches, agents, editors, and other professionals sent in certificates for their services. As Florida is an epicenter for entertainment and amusement parks, I gathered tickets from those venues. On average, the silent auction raised around $7,500 each year for FWF. Beyond the satisfaction of knowing my commitment of time and energy helped out were the experiences of being involved and expanding my network of people with a shared interest in writing.
Bottom line? I encourage all writers to attend conferences like the Florida Writers Association’s Annual Conference. Your craft will improve through both instruction and interaction with other attendees and faculty.
About the author: Susan Boyd made her career with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Several of her award-winning short stories have been published. Her first novel, “Secrets of the Charles“, was a first-place winner of the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Awards. Her third novel, “Grey to Black“, won two Royal Palm Literary Awards. She is also the author of “Secrets Hid Lies“. Susan resides in central Florida. She is currently working on a new novel set to release soon.