So, I’m walking through Hy-Vee earlier this evening and seriously, it’s like everyone’s looking at me. And not in a “look quick, nod ‘hello,’ look away” kind of way. Not a full-on ogle either, but somewhere in between.

Why? Well, only thing I could figure out was that I’d just gotten my hair cut earlier in the evening and it must’ve looked awfully darn good.

Okay. So, there could be other reasons…

…Like the fact that I had streaks of blue ink up and down one arm. True. I love Pilot Precise V5 pens, but every once in awhile they do rebel.

…Or that I stopped in the middle of one aisle and did a little clapping/skipping/five-year-old at a toy store move when I saw a huge cardboard box full of the season’s first watermelons. Mmmm…

…Or that I spent an inordinate amount of time considering each and every item I pulled off the shelf. For real. I stared at a carton of light vanilla ice cream for probably three full minutes. 

Now, I’m not generally a slow shopper. But just before tonight’s errand run, I happened to open my credit card bill. And uh, promptly turned a little white. Yeah, whiter than my already natural marshmallow white. I tend to be pretty even-keeled, but Visa has the unique ability to unnerve me every now and then.

 So, I took a little longer than normal on tonight’s grocery shopping just to make sure that should my bank account decide to hold court, I’d be able to provide a good defense for each and every purchase. (And yes, the ice cream did make it into the cart. Like I’d forego ice cream!) 

So people looked. And I wondered.

And then I went home and took a second look at my credit card bill.

And I have to say, upon review, the bill didn’t seem all that bad. Because when I looked at my purchases for the past month, I realized the bulk of them are related to upcoming writing retreats. 

And that brings me to Totally Stolen Writing Tip No. 5…Learn from the experts.

I absolutely think the best investment I’ve made in my own writing has been attending a big writing conference and several writing retreats. And I’m completely not exaggerating when I say that I’ve learned more at these writing conferences/retreats than in all my college writing classes put together. This is not, of course, to downplay my college classes – they were great and very beneficial. But at the conferences and retreats I’ve gone to, I’ve learned from men and women who are currently publishing the kind of pieces I want to publish. They’ve got insider tips and advice you just won’t find elsewhere.

Best of all, I can honestly look back at the writing I was doing a year ago – which is when I went to my first writing conference – and the writing I’m doing today and see a huge difference. The authors who have critiqued my work and taught classes didn’t just look at my writing and tell me what to change. They’ve taught me storycrafting techniques, character-building exercises and word-painting tips I can use not only on my current WIP but on future pieces. 

Plus, these conferences and retreats are soooo effective in building passion. ‘Cause, dude, no matter how much you love something, sometimes you just hit down days. Or find yourself stuck in a rut. Writing conferences are so great for digging underneath the slump to pull your passion back to the surface. They’re incredibly energizing and refreshing.

So the dollar signs that added up to an “eek” amount on this month’s Visa card? Totally worth it. Because I know they’re dollars very well spent.

Interested in attending a writing conference? Just do a little Googling and you’re sure to find one that suits your fancy. Here’s where I’ve gone so far…

…the 2009 Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference: my first big contest and a HUGE treat. Got a great critique from Kristen Heitzmann and took a brilliant fiction writing class from one of my personal favorites, James Scott Bell.

…the first-ever My Book Therapy Storycrafting Retreat in October 2009: the retreat that truly changed the course for my own writing! Susan May Warren is a spectacular teacher. I walked away from that weekend retreat with a detailed roadmap for my story and a feeling of “I can do this!”

…the My Book Therapy Deep Thinkers Retreat in February 2010: Okay, first of all, this took place at a B&B in Florida. It just doesn’t get better than that, my friends! We looked at how to deepen our characters and widen our plot, and got the chance to sit down with Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck for in-depth looks at our current WIPs.

And I’ll be attending the My Book Therapy Polish & Pitch Retreat in Seattle this May where I’ll again get to learn from some of the best – Susan May Warren, Jim Rubart and Chip MacGregor. Woo-hoo! I’m also planning – fingers-crossed – to attend my first-ever ACFW conference this fall. 

I should add, in addition to incredible learning, I’ve met new friends at all of these events. Can’t wait to see all you Ponderers in May!

So go ahead, invest. Keep learning. Grow. It’s worth it. Take it from the girl turned a few heads at Hy-Vee tonight!