My author friends in KidLit in Color raved about Kindling Words East and assured me it was worth a visit all the way to Rhode Island. I must admit, when it came time to prepare and pack, I panicked (ha - a little alliteration there). I went into my introverted state of regret and apprehension, asking myself WHY and WHAT in the world did I sign up for? My least favorite thing to do is fly across the country (especially in winter) nor do I particularly like hotels. Luckily, an author friend talked me off the ledge and assured me it would be fun. And it was! There’s a saying of, “What Happens at KW, stays at KW,” so I won’t go into too much detail but will say it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with my fellow creatives in a non-competitive environment. Just sharing stories about our main characters like they were real people and knowing the person listening actually "got it" made it worthwhile. I can't wait to read the books of my fellow attendees and look forward to their upcoming works in progress.

Also, I met several Instagram friends in person for the first time and made new friends I hope to stay in touch with and reconnect with at more retreats and author events. I'm also grateful to the Nonprofit Professionals of Color Collective of color for giving me a grant to attend.

Fellow AMAZING authors at KWE

Protecting Ourselves/ Protecting Our Readers

Walking tour of downtown Providence

Sunrise view of a beautiful church outside my hotel window

Tips for attending Kindling Words East.

1. Dress warm! Providence is cold. Layers with gloves, hats, socks, and a coat are a must. Oh, and jeans are okay! The majority of attendees dressed for comfort. I wore sneakers every single day!

2. Pack medicine just in case. Several of us had scratchy throats and thankfully, a fellow writer had meds and another attendee had cough drops. I had the usual pain relievers but omitted the cough medicine needed for cold germs that are shared via plane travel.

3. Don't feel pressured to attend every session offered. It's okay to escape to your room and write, revise, or rest.

4. Invest in yourself. Retreats, workshops, and classes are necessary to grow in your craft and to forge relationships with fellow creatives.

While at KWE, I worked on revising a manuscript I hope to get to my agent by the end of this month. In the meantime, I hope if you're considering going to KWE in the future, this post will help decide to go for it.