By Tammy Karasek @tickledpinktam

We are in full swing for writing conference season 2026. Maybe you have attended one or two already yourself. Writing conferences can be online on in-person—my favorite as an extrovert. For many of us, the option to meet in person with other writers in real life is a welcome opportunity in this profession. To gather with fellow word scribblers who understand the ups and downs of this profession is a good thing—yes, even if you’re an introvert.

As you make your plans to attend an upcoming conference or two, I want to share some tips as you make your list of the items you believe you need to pack. Whether this is your first or your tenth time attending a conference, I hope my tips will assist you in your preparations. There are plenty of lists of what to pack out there, but what I have to offer in this blog post may not be what you would expect a packing list to have. My list includes items one might not think to take. They are not in order of most important, they are all important.

Let’s get to those tips:

1. Open Mind. This is your first item to pack. You may hear a suggestion or helpful hint from a faculty member, editor or agent. Be open to receive their suggestion which may be different than what you’ve heard before. Write the suggestion down. Let it sink in. Once home when you read through all of your conference notes, it may make more sense and could very well be your next best step in your writing or speaking path.

2. Listening Ears. Turn on those listening ears. You’ve opened your mind to receive a message of instruction, make sure your listening ears are truly listening to what is said. Again, make those notes. Something not quite clear? Put an X beside it and when it’s time for questions, request clarification. A teacher is excited when a student wants to learn.

3. Extra Dose of Patience. Make sure you pack this extra dose of patience. Elevators may seem to take forever. The person with the appointment before you may be trying to take more than their allotted fifteen minutes. You have to stand a while for the food line. These all happen, but it’s not personal—look around, there are people in the same position as you and it’s normal. Slow down, strike up a conversation with someone else waiting. It could be a divine appointment you weren’t planning on—but God was. I love to encourage new conference attendees—these wait times are your best network appointments. This is a great time to make a new writer friend or two.

4. Willing Heart. Be ready for God to speak through others at your conference. Whether it’s through a message from a keynote speaker, your teacher or maybe even someone talking to another person at the table. God can and will use different ways to speak to us. Have a prayer waiting for an answer about your next step? The next words spoken may be that answer. Be willing to hear God whisper His answer to you.

5. Head Up, Eyes Open. Be mindful to keep your head up as you walk and your eyes open. You never know when you may pass someone who is fighting tears or nervous because they’re about to pitch their book idea to an editor or agent for the first time. Do you remember how that felt? YOU may be exactly what they need and God has placed you there, in that moment, to stop them and ask if they are okay or need a quick prayer. I did this once, totally freaked me out when the person said, “Yes, I’d love for someone to pray these butterflies away. I’m about to vomit.” I jumped out of my comfort zone, prayed for them right there—out loud—then asked if I could hug them, and then did with permission. I also prayed for them during their fifteen-minute appointment. So, head up, eyes open …“for such a time as this.”

6. Willing to Receive. While we may want to serve and love on others, remember not to block someone else’s blessing by not receiving others’ offers to help or pray for you. There are no hero buttons handed out at the end of a writers’ conference for those that threw up a hand and said, “No thanks, I don’t need help—I’ve got this.” Do they really? Yeah, probably not. Allow others to come along side of you and receive their encouragement or assistance. Don’t do this alone.

7. Huge Dose of Excitement. Lastly, pack a huge dose of excitement. Conferences can be stressful, especially for a first-timer. Yet they can be filled with great instruction, encouragement and fun if you remember that these writers’ conferences are organized and planned with you in mind. They want to serve and help you as you walk the path of your writing journey. They’re filled with faculty and staff who are eager to see the expressions on your face when a new point finally makes sense to you. As a faculty member at several conferences, I’ve have such great joy when I looked out into my class of writers and see the face of a student who now understands the concept of what was being taught. Best. Moment!

There are so many more items I could come up with for you, like bring snacks and drinks for your room—and chocolate to make friends. But I wanted to give you some important ones you may not think of which I feel will help you have a successful conference experience.

But Tammy, you said you had eight, and only gave us seven.

8. Tummy Meds. May seem simple, but most conference venues don’t have a little drug store you may purchase these. You’ll want to pack those tummy meds—try as we might, sometimes those butterflies still want to show up when we least expect them!

Some of you reading this post have gone to a conference before, so what other kinds of advice would you add to the list above? Please share in the comments below, we’d all love to hear your tips.

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and show them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out!

She’s a writer of Romantic Suspense—with a splash of sass. Her debut book, Launch That Book, released in November 2023. She’s published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. Also, she’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation, The Write Editing, Blue Ridge Conference Blog, and more.

Known as The Launch Team Geek, she helps authors launch their books. You’ll also find her as a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors, the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.