ACFW Conference in Review

By K. L. Bridgewater

What a great view of the arch

I just returned from the ACFW Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a place where I actually fill like I belong. Sitting in a room with over 600 different writers feels great. We talk about ways to make our stories better. Take classes by respected authors. Eat lunch with fellow authors and agents. All while developing friendships that will go far in writing careers.

Ronie Kendig and I

I roomed with Emilie Hendryx who if you have been following my blog for a while has been featured on here before. We both write suspense. As we took the stairs on our first night to see if we could get down to the fourth floor, where the grand ballroom was, we pictured ways for our characters to die. Emilie and I love joking around like that. It is nice to be able to talk to someone like that without someone looking at you like you’re weird. Too bad we only see each other once a year. We understand each other and have a great time together.

I took a Forensics and Crime Fiction class taught by Jennifer Dornbush, which was very interesting for suspense writers. Jennifer was a great teacher who kept the class laughing as we talked about finding missing body parts and the temperature of a rigor mortis body. I truly am glad the class lasted all day.

Susan May Warren and I

I enjoyed the worship sessions lead by Rachel Hauck. She is a great singer and invites the Lord’s presence into the conference and all its attendees. The songs chosen were ripe for the moment and the struggles we all deal with. Thanks, Rachel.

One of my favorite parts was meeting all the published writers who I read and love. Here is a list of a few of them that I met: DiAnn Mills, Becky Wade, Renee Andrews, Christine Johnson, Lauraine Snelling, Brandilyn Collins, Colleen Coble, Renee Riggs, Winnie Griggs, Karen Witemeyer, Jody Hedlund, Melissa Tagg, Ronie Kendig, Dineen Miller, Robin Carroll, Cara Putnam, Patrick Carr, Kristy Cambron, Kate Breslin, John Faubion, Liz Tolsma, Cynthia Ruchti, Deborah Raney, among others.

Me with Becky Wade

I’ll keep working on this writing so that hopefully one day someone will list my name along the published authors that they can’t wait to meet or take a picture with.

Me with Kristy Cambron

If you attended the ACFW conference, what was your favorite part? Who did you actually get to meet?