ACFW 2009

Each year I head to conference, thinking that I’ll find a rhythm or pattern to settle into. Each year I return home wondering how the conference could be so different than last year. That was especially true this year.

Last year was a year of promise. I came home with many wonderful notes, multiple requests for my newest manuscript with openings for potential future submissions, unexpected pieces of encouragement for my writing, and a thrilling Genesis win.

But this year—I could practically hear the doors slam shut and the locks engage, especially the moment the words sci-fi and fantasy left my mouth. By the time I left conference, I would introduce my writing by saying, “I write the impossible genre.” I returned home without a single request.

Nonetheless, there were bright moments in the conference.

1. The class by Donald Maass. That single class made every penny I paid for the conference worth-while. Many of techniques I had applied instinctively, which was an encouragement, and I learned more exercises to strengthen my writing.

2. My roommates Paula and Stacy. Though both first-timers to the ACFW conference, they handled everything like pros. They were both a gift from God amidst some rather disappointing happenings.

3. Wins by my friend Sharon Hinck! Her novels, Symphony of Secrets and Restorer’s Journey, each placed first in their respective Book of the Year categories. To be a witness to that was thrilling.

Other things happened too. Good thing, and hard things too. Some moments are personal. Others have left confusion in their wake and I’m still trying to sort through everything.

But this I know: God is good. Even in the midst of disappointment His gifts are numerous.