Writing conferences and conventions are a good place to meet lots of other writers. You may meet agents and publishers, too. Most are set up the way any conference is: keynote speakers, a plenary session or three, and concurrent breakout sessions with panel discussions, speakers, and demonstrations. They can be fun, exciting, and inspiring. (I’ve presented many of my shorter programs at conferences over the years.) Thanks to the COVID pandemic, many conferences have successfully shifted to online formats, extending their reach to folks who would otherwise be unable to attend. Some are experimenting with hybrid events, with both online and in-person programming. There’s a good chance that you’ll learn some interesting things at a conference or convention, but they don’t provide the sustained, intense focus on writing—actual sitting-down-and-writing—that is so valuable at a retreat or workshop. In addition, for most conferences, there’s little to no opportunity for one-on-one feedback. back to top [icon name="arrow-up-to-line" prefix="fas"]