Is that workshop or conference or residency really worth it?
Thoughts on worthiness from a writing conference. Also: announcing spring workshops!
I am at AWP.
In case you’re unfamiliar: AWP is a big-ass writing conference that occurs every March in a different city. This year, it’s in Seattle. And it’s allegedly where all the writers go. Except I’ve never been before.
I spent years asking friends, “Is AWP worth it?” Was it worth:
the money
the time off work
the time away from home (and my dog)
the crowds
the planning?
(Emphasis on “the crowds.” Year after year, thousands of writers and publishing folk attend this conference. Imagine, thousands of awkward introverts shoved into a convention center together! What could go wrong?!)
I was supposed to attend AWP in March 2020 in San Antonio. My primary reason for planning that trip: I fucking love Texas and am always looking for a reason to return. (🤠) But I was also eager to attend panels about agent-querying and novel-writing and editor-pitching and ALL THE WRITING THINGS.
I ended up canceling that trip at the last minute due to, uh, some weird pandemic thing that broke out. But a few months ago, one of my dearest writer friends, Jessica Hatch, expressed an interest in going this year, so I said, “Why not?” I’ve never been to Seattle and have always wanted to go. Jess got us a sweet deal on a hotel room—thanks, Hatch!—and I had enough savings to cover a flight. It also felt like as good a time as any to finally attend this particular conference. I have a novel manuscript I’m querying, and the panels should be helpful.
Will my trip to AWP be “worth it,” though? Even though I asked my friends that very question, I’ll admit: I’m not sure I know what that question means. And maybe that’s the exact reason why I asked it. In an industry that has no clear path toward success, I suppose I longed for someone to show me a hidden door, one that would lead me down a glowing hallway and directly toward The Book Deal.
What makes a writer define whether investing a writing-specific opportunity—a conference, a workshop, an MFA program, a residency—is “worth it” or not? Is it only worth it if it gets us published somewhere? If it gets us an agent? Is it worth the money and time and effort simply if it teaches me something that makes me a better writer?
I think my assessment of worthiness comes from the hypothetical screenings I give these sorts of opportunities weeks/months/years later. Those sorts of “if I hadn’t gone to ________” or “if I hadn’t done ________,” then “I never would have ________” kinds of sentences.
For instance, if I hadn’t gone to that workshop, I never would’ve met the writer who runs a digital coworking community that meets every weekday morning—a group that has been the best thing for my writing life in recent months.
If I hadn’t gone to that residency, I never would’ve had three weeks to revise a short story that ended up becoming the novel project I’ve been working on for the past three years.
If I hadn’t applied for the grant that gave me the means to hire that professional editor, I never would’ve felt ready to send my novel to an agent.
“If I hadn’t gone to AWP in Seattle in March 2023, I never would’ve ________.”
I wonder how that sentence will end for me.
Only one way to find out.
Upcoming Writing Workshops
Are my writing workshops “worth it?” Here’s what my students have said:
“Throughout my three workshops with Hurley, my work has grown exponentially in complexity and confidence.” —Lexi
“Hurley focuses on the cultivation of a welcoming and invigorating writing community that extends far past the final workshop meeting.” —Rebecca
“I am now writing the first draft of my novel, which would not have been possible without Hurley’s workshop.” —Nermeen
Interested in working on your writing together? Here are my spring class offerings.
Prose Writing Workshop
Tuesday nights on Zoom
5:30-7:30PM EST
April 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2
$275 (10% off for paying newsletter subscribers)
In this five-week workshop, writers will have the opportunity to submit four different pieces of fiction and/or nonfiction writing. You’ll come away with useful feedback on your writing and a renewed zest for your writing practice. Click below to learn more and sign up.
Revision for Submission Workshop (NEW OFFERING!)
Wednesday nights on Zoom
7-8:30PM EST
April 12, April 26, May 10, and May 24 (every other Wednesday for four weeks)
$275 (10% off for paying newsletter subscribers)
In addition to workshopping and revising the same piece of writing four times, students will come away from this class with best practices for submitting, pitching, and more. Click below to learn more and sign up.
Workshops fill up on a first-come, first-served basis, and they tend to fill up quickly. (Last time I announced a workshop, it filled up in a matter of minutes!) If you don’t snag a spot in time, fill out the form to be added to the waitlist.
Won’t you consider becoming a paid subscriber?
In addition to receiving 10% off workshop tuition, paying subscribers to this newsletter are also invited to attend the Book Club for Writers, where we discuss books about the writing process. During the next Zoom meeting on April 30 at 1PM EST, we’ll discuss Betwixt-and-Between: Essays on the Writing Life by Jenny Boully. Get the full book club schedule and learn more here.
When do we get the end of the sentence?
It was nice to meet and chat. This morn when I opened the substack app (it had been a while) I saw that I already “knew” you in that I had recently smashed that subscribe button!