Are You Dancing? Jim Rubart

Are you doing the ACFW conference fence dance?

You know, the one where you’re on the fence not sure if you’re coming or not. If you are on the white picket right now, I can relate. I’ve done that rumba. I did it for years with the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal Conference.

Every spring I said I’d go next year. (For seven years.)

Deep down I didn’t think I was ready to go, wasn’t good enough to go, and I was scared. But I didn’t admit that to myself then. The excuse I used was money–that I didn’t have enough.

You’re not using that as an excuse are you? Because that’s all it is. An excuse. Wait, before you lambast me listen to my logic. By the time the final cha ching fades on conference costs you could be up around $1,000 or more. (Conference cost, hotel, airfare, CDs, etc.)

That’s some serious coin of the realm, but you have the money. Really, you do.

Three lattes per week: $5 each x 4 = $60 x 12 = $600

Monthly cable bill: $50+ x 12 = $600

Monthly dinners out: $50 x 2 = $100 x 12 = $1,000

“But I gotta have my lattes, Jim!” Uh huh. “I gotta have my cable!” Really? Okay, then have it. But don’t say you don’t have the money to come to the conference.

Say, “Cable TV and lattes and dinners out (and whatever else you spend non-essential money on) are more important to me than going to the conference.”

My friend Roy Williams says, “The risk of insult is the price of clarity.” I realize I’ve risked insulting some people with the above statement. That’s not my intent and I am fully cognizant of writers who want desperately to come and have already cut their budgets deep into the bone.

My intent is to reach the people who are like I was. Scared. Feeling unworthy to come. Allowing the dream to stay only a dream. Using the excuse of money to hold them back.

I want to tell them all of us were once where they are. I want to tell them if they’re serious about writing they’ll make sacrifices to take action. And without question, if you’re writing fiction, there’s no better action to take than coming to the ACFW conference.

So if you can skip a latte or two, come join us in St Louis. I might even buy you one to make up for it.

James L. Rubart is the author of the bestselling ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, and THE CHAIR. He’s the owner of Barefoot Marketing and lives in the Pacific Northwest with his amazing wife and two outstanding teenage sons. www.jimrubart.com FB- James L. Rubart