Going to Kansas City by Andy Scheer

As much as I appreciate large, national writers conferences, for me the events held by regional writers groups hold a special place.

This Thursday I plan to drive from Colorado Springs to Kansas City to attend the fall conference of the Heart of American Christian Writers Network. If you're within driving distance (say less than 500 miles) I hope you can attend.

Before and after the HACWN
conference, I plan to enjoy some
great Kansas City barbecue.

As usual, they've pulled together a great faculty, including some names you might not expect at a regional event. To see details, including who's teaching, click here.

For my part, I plan to teach three sessions: on titles and leads, on editing your writing tightly, and on book proposals.

What will you learn if you attend the HACWN conference? Perhaps not what you expect, but definitely what you need. This past week as I worked on a set of daily devotions, I needed a couple of illustrations.

Two recent conversations with people at the CLASS Christian Writers Conference came to mind. I'd not planned or expected either interaction – or seen their significance at the time. Only on further reflection did they significance strike me.

If you come to the conference in Kansas City, keep your ears open – and not just during the teaching sessions. You never know what you're going to learn if you put yourself in the right place.