Ever wish you had a writing bestie?

Join me in So Cal this fall to find yours

Writing is a solitary craft, as we have discussed before. To get words on the page, you need to sit down, alone, and just write.

But what if I told you that you should NOT spend all of your time in solitary contemplation, poring over your laptop screen? That you sometimes need to, I don’t know, talk to other people?

As a writer, you need encouragement, mentoring, instruction. There’s this tension: you need time alone, but also, you need to know you are not alone. You need sometimes to not be alone. How? Read on…

Did you ever wish you had a writing bestie?

A fellow traveler in this strange land of writing and publishing? I am super grateful to have a writing BFF—someone I can talk to about the joys and struggles of writing. My dear friend Susy Flory is a knowledgeable, bestselling author who can offer me feedback and help me learn. We encourage each other, commiserate together, read each other’s work to give honest feedback, and even do some book-related travel together!

My writing BFF Susy Flory and I in Ireland, where of course we found a bookshop!

Where can you find a writing pal?

I’ll tell you where you won’t find one: sitting at your desk. Or lying on the couch doomscrolling. Or while cleaning out your closet in what I call “pretend productive procrastination.” We writers have that last one down to an art form.

If you’re looking for a writing friend, I recommend attending a writers conference. You may or may not find a best friend, but you will connect with other writers—and editors, publishers, agents, and more. You’ll find yourself surrounded by publishing industry folks who get you, who want to encourage you, who can teach you a lot.

No matter where you are on the journey of writing and publishing, I highly recommend attending a conference. You’ll find your people—folks who love writing and reading as much as you do—maybe more. Being around other writers always makes me feel like I’ve come home. It reminds me that I’m not alone. That I’m not a weirdo for loving books and writing. That’s it’s perfectly fine to be a word nerd and have in depth conversations about punctuation.

At a conference, there will be folks with more experience than you have. But there will also be those who are just getting started—and they might be the person who needs your friendship and encouragement. A conference allows you to both receive and give!

That’s why I say yes to teaching at writers conferences whenever I can. I’m going to be in Southern California this October for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference, and I’d love to have you join me there! I’m teaching a class on nonfiction writing and an all day mentoring group workshop on self-publishing.

Registration opens this Monday, June 23.

I’ve told you this before, but I serve on the WCCW board of directors. Unlike many other conferences, West Coast is a nonprofit organization focused on developing writers. We put on an annual conference but also provide support to writers year-round. We are writers helping writers.

Anyone is welcome to become a member of WCCW. Members receive year round perks and support via a connection to a writing community.

Registration opens this Monday, June 23, for WCCW members, and July 1 for everyone else.

So here’s what I recommend. Click the button below to learn how you can become a member today. Then on Monday, you’ll be able to register for the conference and get first dibs on registration for the conference. (classes and appointments fill up fast).

Members become part of a tribe where they can learn, connect with other writers, and discover a safe place to get feedback on their writing.

Members have access to:

• Mini masterclasses on vital writing topics

• A private Facebook group

• Priority conference registration

• Critique groups

• The Latte and Lit book club

• And more!

Membership costs just $70 per year. That’s less than $6 per month. For the price of a Venti mocha, you can find your people and connect with them all year. You can learn and grow, together with a tribe of encouraging folks. Click the button to see all member benefits and learn more.

Members enjoy early access to the annual conference registration, including agent/editor appointments and pre-conference CREWs, which fill up fast. (Flash sale price, but you get it a week early so first dibs on appointments and your choice of classes)

The registration fee is just $349. That includes workshops, classes, a writing lab, general sessions and a free agent/editor appointment, and a free coaching/critique appointment (though these appointments fill up fast so you’ll want to register asap). It also includes your lunch for both days. (The price goes up after the flash sale on July 9)

The conference is Friday-Saturday, October 24-25, 2025, in Fullerton, CA. We offer an optional add-on ticket for CREW mentoring groups on pre-conference day Thursday, October 23. (This add-on day is not included in the general conference admission registration; it must be purchased at additional cost. Deets are on the conference registration page.)

If you don’t want to travel to Fullerton, CA, you can attend the conference online. That ticket, which gets you access to every class and workshop at the conference, is just $149.

(If that’s a stretch financially, scholarships are available. You can apply for that when you register.)

But if you do want to meet some writing besties in real life and visit beautiful Orange County, California, I hope you’ll join me at the conference.

A conference provides the opportunity to find your people: a mentor, an editor, a coach, maybe even a new friend. You can meet with editors, agents, and experienced writers to talk about your work and how you can grow as a writer and develop your skills. The classes and workshops are taught by knowledgeable, professional, published writers, editors, and agents.

If you’ve never been to a writers conference and it sounds a little daunting, we’ve got your back: a First-Timers club for newbies.

If you sign up as a first-time registrant, you will automatically be included in First-Timers Club so you don’t miss out on valuable information. You can participate as much or as little as you want.

If you decide you don’t want to become a WCCW member, that’s fine. The registration flash sale for the general public begins starts July 1.

As a writer, you need encouragement and support. I write this newsletter to provide that—but frankly, we all need all the help we can get. Find your people! The best place to look? At a conference. Hope to see you in So Cal this October!