Writing can be a very lonely activity. I often work on my writing late at night, after the family is asleep, after the day job is done, the plants watered, the shaggy dog combed out. No complaints, writing is central to who I am and something I love to do. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that much of the time I’m running on fumes.
What keeps me going, besides the love and support from family and friends, is being part of a writing community. Which is not the easiest thing to find. Let’s face it, writers are not known for their social skills.
I was lucky to get involved with the Out of Binders inaugural conference last year. Even in the planning stage it felt different, but I’ve been at this writing thing long enough so that I was not expecting to find some secret sauce. BinderCon turned out to be a huge success. It was imbued with a sense of inclusion, not competition. Tips and fears were shared openly and heard without judgment. I came away with some new ideas and a ton of new women to follow on twitter. But, I thought, no secret sauce.
On Saturday, the Out of Binders team celebrated the BinderCon birthday and heard announcements about this year’s conference, to be held in New York on November 7 and 8. I can share that Daily Show mastermind, Lizz Winstead, will be part of a panel on Diversity in Late Night TV. Some other program elements I’m looking forward to are the panel on Journalism and Social Justice, and workshops on pitching, online writing and interactive storytelling. You can find the full list of events here.
While I was getting dressed for the party (as Wonder Woman), I realized I had found the secret sauce, after all. My tank is refilled when I step away from the keyboard and help empower others. By being part of something larger than myself, I gain in immeasurable ways.
That secret sauce just might work for you, too. Tickets for BinderCon are on sale now. Come join the tribe.
