Write On Con

Many people wonder what the value of twitter is. They say things like, "I don't know... it just seems like a waste of time to me," and I understand the perspective. I felt the same way once upon a sometime. It is easy to see how all of the utterings of of the world wide web could seem irrelevant, annoying or even intrusive, but then, sometimes, a tweet intrigues and shows you something new. Such was the case last night, when one of the tweeps I follow (I wish I could remember who, so I could give full credit for this inspiration) asked, "Will anyone else be joining me tomorrow for the #WriteOnCon?" I had no idea what that was, but what a cool name... I had to investigate!

What is Write On Con?

From my one day brief exploration, I can best describe WriteOnCon as a Convention/Conference for writers that takes place virtually rather than physically. The website and conference seems to operate on donations and the participation of authors, literary agents and illustrators. WriteOnCon 2011 is their second annual conference taking place this week (August 15-18) and has a full schedule of "events" that vary from blog posts, vlogs, and even live Q&A sessions with a litany of literary professionals. The events are posted hourly from about 6AM through about 6:30PM (EDT) and then each day has some later scheduled events as well.

In addition to the annual huge events like the one going on now, WriteOnCon also hosts monthly events throughout the year and has a fairly active forum. The site itself seems like an excellent resource for anyone interested in the industry.

Who is Write On Con for?

Well, I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but writers are the audience in mind here. What might not be initially obvious, however, is that it seems to be open to writers/authors at multiple stages of their career. Among the attendees are debut publishing hopefuls, those who are in the midst of the query process, those who have been published and me (probably others in the same boat), a curious observer wondering if this is the next path for these feet to tread.

Where is the Value in Write On Con?

The short answer? Everywhere. First of all, WriteOnCon is a freely accessed website. It costs absolutely nothing to check out the event, although donations are appreciated, I'm sure. Once you read a couple of the posts from best-selling authors, or watch a couple of the vlogs from from a group you've respected from afar, I'm sure a donation will be the least you can do. Also, if you can catch one of the live Q&A sessions, you are free to submit your very own burning question to the professional on the hot seat! 

And if you miss it... If somehow you let this week pass you by and are unable to see each of the "events" as they are posted on the website, well then THAT'S NO BIG DEAL! WriteOnCon is a website, after all, and everything is still there waiting for you! Isn't that awesome? You can check out all of the wonderful content at your leisure!


So that's it. That's what I did with myself for a bunch of today. I imagine I'll be checking in tomorrow as well, but I wanted to let you know, too because good things are always much better when shared!

Enjoy!