The Bear River Writers’ Conference celebrated its 20th anniversary May 20-23, 2021 and I was thrilled to be in attendance. This was my first writers’ conference and it was fantastic and inspiring.

The virtual conference featured a variety of workshops, panels, readings, and craft talks. Many of the participants have gone on to publish work that they started during the conference. I took part in a memoir workshop led by Mardi Link, author of Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm and The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friendship Beyond Time and Chance.

Mardi’s workshop was everything I dreamed it would be and more. Being virtual may have made it more personal, but I found myself feeling a bond with her and the small group in attendance. They were each talented writers in their own right, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the works they shared with us during the workshop.

Mardi, herself, is friendly and down to earth. She understands the uncertainties and misgivings of attempting to become a published author and guided us on a journey to explore the braided memoir, which had previously been unknown to me. The memoirs she chose for us to read and discuss during the workshop were excellent choices and I enjoyed having the opportunity to hear the feedback from the group.

The icing on the cake was Mardi’s detailed advice for getting published. It included everything an aspiring author needs to know, including websites filled with places to submit our work, advice about getting an agent, and she even provided a proposal of her own to show us what types of information to include when we developing a proposal.

Mardi gave her all to inspire and assist us all into the world of publishing, and I will be forever grateful. And that was just what I gained from the workshop… the craft talks and readings were valuable, as well.

I’m ready to register for next years’ conference. Sign me up!