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For those that don’t know, one of the biggest writing conferences in the United States is coming soon. The Association of Writers and Programs, otherwise known as AWP, hosts a yearly writing conference of reading, discussions, talks, and panels about writing, craft, publishing, and creative community. Depending on where you are n your writing career, AWP can be a great event to attend to make essential connections and vibe with other writers.
As someone that’s gone to AWP three times and still finds things to enjoy, I wanted to share some of my tips for confidently tackling the conference.
Find a cheaper way to attend AWP (if you can)
For some, the ticket price for AWP can be easy and for other writers, like myself, the costs of airfare, lodging, food, and transportation can quickly add up. If you’re an emerging writer, I suggest going to AWP and trying to cut some of the basic costs as much as possible!
When it comes to affording the ticket prices, you have a few options: applying for an AWP scholarship, negotiating with your university to pay for you (if you are a student), or working as a volunteer.
Volunteering is a great option for people with financial difficulties or those connected to universities. On the AWP site, it notes, “In exchange for a pre-conference web training session and four hours of your time, AWP will provide you with a waived conference registration, which gives you full access to all conference events and the bookfair…”
If you are a student, grad student, or professor at a university, sometimes your institution can fund your travel to AWP and pay for your ticket. This can also happen for people that have connections to literary magazines that may want someone to host a table at the AWP book fair!
The last method that I’d recommend to cut costs for an AWP ticket is to apply for a scholarship! Launched in 2021, the scholarship prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQIA, disabled, or low-income applicants.
The lowdown on finding lodging
As a frugal traveler, lodging is one of the easiest ways that I’ve learned to cut costs! When it comes to conferences, you should always consider the ease and convenience of finding lodging near where AWP events are happening. If you choose lodging that is further away, you may end up spending a lot more money on transportation and adding stress to your overall experience.
As a punk/frugal traveler myself, I tend to go to AWP on the years that I can either: crash with someone that I know in that city or split the cost of a hotel/Airbnb with another writer that I agree to travel with.
For my first AWP, I shared a hotel room with my writing friend that had her lodging paid for by her graduate program. During my second AWP, I rented an Airbnb in Texas with a friend and for my third, I crashed with friends in Philadelphia. Choosing these options saved a lot of money.
Not getting overwhelmed by the schedule
This is one of my biggest tips - don’t try to do everything.
Although I consider myself an energetic person, I often find myself wanting to go on random walks or talk to friends at nearby bars or cafes. Don’t get me wrong. I love writing events and hearing other authors talk, but sometimes all of the words and stimulation can be overwhelming, especially when you’re rummaging for food or water (if you haven’t packed any with you for the day).
Because you’re spending money on your ticket, sometimes this can lead to the mindset of needing to consume as much of the conference as possible, but I find when I do this, I don’t remember and enjoy as much as I would otherwise.
Instead, choose 2-4 AWP-related events per day that you’d like to attend, and if you have the energy to do more, then do more!
I also share this tip because some of my favorite AWP moments were meeting random friends in the hallways, leaving the conference to check out some spot that someone wanted to, or having a few drinks at off-site events. Think about it.
On not being too nervous or anxious to make friends
This can be a big dilemma for a lot of writers when going to such a big event. As assumably insular or introverted people, it can be hard to attend a big conference and wrangle up the social energy all the time to be super social. Occasionally I feel this too and just remind myself that if I make just a few genuine connections, then the entire conference is pretty much worth it.
When I approach socializing this way, then it becomes not about volume or perception, but how present I’m being during social interactions and how much joy I’m sharing with other people.
What other AWP tips or posts would you like to see on Millennial Writer Life?
As an added bonus to this MWL post, feel free to check out some AWP videos below to get a vibe for the conference.