By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Disappointments have a way of wiggling into our confidence, especially when our writing friends are at a conference, and we are at home. How does a writer survive? The following tips will help you overcome your sadness while providing tools to improve your craft.

Change your attitude by embracing a tone of gratitude.

It’s easy to let self-pity infect our lives when circumstances don’t go our way. But gratitude, first to God for His gift of life, then for all our blessings is a sure way to lift our spirits.

Pray to be hope-filled instead of regret-filled.

Hope is a precious commodity when regrets chase us into despair. Hope showers us with a desire, wish, or expectation that we believe will bring us joy. Hebrews 11:1 ESV gives us the perfect definition for hope. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Take care of yourself.

Staying home from the conference is an opportunity to take care of ourselves. Ask yourself: is it time to begin an exercise program, initiate healthy eating habits, further our education, enjoy a hobby or seek out a new one, or dive into God’s word for a deeper study?

Pray for those who are attending to be safe, healthy, and in God’s will.

Prayer is our strongest battlefront. When we ask God to hem in others with His protection and keep others safe and healthy while speaking to our hearts, victory results.

Plan a personal writing retreat.

Not attending the conference doesn’t mean you need to neglect your craft. Plan a retreat that grows your writing, marketing, and social media skills. Use blog posts, physical and e-books, YouTube, and other means to personalize the retreat for you.

Binge on reading.

We all have stacks of to-be-read books. This is an amazing opportunity to binge on reading: fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and more. Oh, the adventures you will have.

Write something new, perhaps a different genre.

Have you been itching to try writing an essay, poem, or explore another genre? Detail and plan a blog? Use this time to investigate what might be next in your writing life while appeasing your muse.

Learn how to build a website.

This could be the project you’ve put off for so long. A busy writer often doesn’t have allocated time to learn how to build a professional website. Discover the many aids out there. You might find the process is fun.

Know you will be missed, but there is always another year.

Last but incredibly important, understand each person who isn’t at the conference will be missed. You are valued.

So, there you have it: some ways to survive everyone is at the conference but me. This time has possibilities to grow you as a writer. What will you choose?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com