A couple weeks ago I road tripped to Franklin, Tennessee, for our friend Jeff Goins’s most recent Tribe Conference.
The Tribe Conference is an annual gathering of writers who want to grow in their craft and business in the midst of community. It was an incredible experience with unforgettable people.
7 Lessons From the Tribe Conference
Here are the seven lessons I learned that weekend:
1. Start Before You Feel Ready
You’ll never wake up one day and feel like you’re ready to be a writer. Trust me, I’ve tried it.
You just have to start.
And if you start, you will find that you wake up one day and realize you are a writer.
It’s as simple as that, really. You must begin.
2. Be Brave
Jeff Goins began his conference in a Robin costume. For a grown man to welcome an audience of 200+ in a leotard and tights is a brave thing to do. And that was Jeff’s first point. Being a writer requires bravery.
I wish I could also tell you that in writing, you only need to be brave once, but bravery is required in each step of the process.
You have to be brave to start. You have to be brave in what you write. And most of all, you have to be brave to share what you’ve written.
3. Connect Through Honesty
This is something I’ve been learning a lot of lately, and something Jeff and his team shared so eloquently. Your readers will connect to you and your writing when you are honest with them.
You see, I used to think that being a professional writer meant I needed to be know everything about writing. Why else would I write on a blog dedicated to teaching writing principles? The truth is, I really know nothing. I mean, I do know a few things, but honestly, each day I realize I know less than I thought I did yesterday.
It’s not about knowing everything. It’s about being able to be honest with where you really are and to invite the reader to figure out the rest with you. That’s when true connection happens.
True connection with your reader is found there: at the intersection of honesty and invitation.
4. Good Stories Are Told Through Small Details
Marion Roach shared this piece of advice at this year’s conference:
Too often we focus on the dramatic moments in our stories, like, “He broke my heart” and “She’s gone.” And while these can be huge moments that shift the entire story, they do not teach the reader anything.
The most effective stories focus on the small details that tell the bigger story. Narrow in on the significance of a keychain or the moment you first suspected something was wrong. Use details like these to write moments that connect with and transform your reader.
5. Use the Right Tools
Another thing I love about the Tribe Conference is the dedication to not simply teaching principles but showing how to implement them. This year they did that by showing us a lot of new tools that are changing the way we write, share our writing, and create an audience.
We no longer live in the days of finishing a manuscript on a typewriter. If you want to be a writer, there are countless tools that can help you be more creative and productive.
Take advantage of the tools you have at your disposal.
6. It’s Not About You
The actual theme of this year’s conference was, “Be the Sidekick.” Another reason Jeff came on stage dressed as Robin, not Batman.
The idea he shared was so simple, but completely revolutionized the way I saw my writing. He asked these simple questions:
What if your writing isn’t about you?
What if you wrote the story that others needed you to tell?
What if your sole focus was to help someone else be the hero in their own story?
What writers like Jeff and I have found is that when you focus on being the sidekick, not only do you actually help change the lives of your readers, but you become more successful in the process.
7. Community Is Everything
I learned a lot from the sessions at the Tribe Conference, but where I learned the most was sitting at a table surrounded by other writers who shared their struggles. We poured into one another as we sipped our coffee and reminded each other that we are not alone.
We shared ideas for books and dreams for future projects. The more we talked, the more obvious it was how we could help and support one another with whatever we brought to the table.
We too often think that other writers are our competition, but the truth is, when we come together, we’re unstoppable.
Seek Out Your Community
Going to Tribe Conference this year was an incredible experience. I got to hear from some excellent speakers and came back fired up to write more.
I find that the best part of conferences like these, though, isn’t the sessions, but the people. I loved spending time with other writers and sharing our stories.
Community creates better together. Find your people, your tribe, and you will be better for it. I promise.
Have you ever been to a writer’s conference? What lessons have you learned? Let me know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Today, you get choices. I’ve created three prompts based on different lessons above. Pick one and write for fifteen minutes.
Lesson 3: Connect through honesty. Write honestly about something you don’t know and invite your reader into the solution.
Lesson 4: Good stories are told through small detail. Tell a story using small detail.
Lesson 6: It’s not about you. Brainstorm and answer the questions from lesson 6.
Don’t forget to post your practice in the comments below and leave feedback for your fellow writers!
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