By Tammy Karasek @tickledpinktam

The title of this post may have you convinced this writer has lost her mind. While there may be some truth to that – hear her out. And by her, I mean me.

On the two-hour drive home from a recent large conference, I had plenty of quiet time to think and process what I’d encountered the week there. Thoughts about how conferences as a whole have had to change during the past couple of years. Some have switched to an online option, which at least connected us with opportunities to continue to learn more of the craft. As an extreme extrovert, this option is difficult, but I still took part as either a conferee or as faculty, grateful to see writers and have the ability to speak to each other in real time even if only through our computer screens.

A short distance into my drive it dawned on me. Or maybe it was wishing I had a bag of baby carrots to nosh on while I drove home alone. I thought about the comparison of the different styles of carrots verses the different styles of conferences.

Life is like a box of chocolates someone once said – but conferences are more like a bunch of carrots!

Stay with me and indulge me, too, as I offer up my thoughts on carrots versus conferences.

Small baby carrots in the bag:

These small treats resemble the free, hour-long, online webinars that are actually sales pitch micro-mini conferences. The mini carrots have been whittled down to the sweet tiny gem that will allow you to pop them in your mouth all at once, then chew, swallow and done. A small nugget to chew on – but then to whet your appetite for another, larger carrot. In comparison, the short one-hour webinar has a quick takeaway, albeit small, but often worth the listen and can leave you ready for more. This micro-mini conference will be eager to make you happy with their “today only” pricing for more of what they shared with you.

Medium pre-peeled carrots:

These resemble the one or two-day conferences. There’s more to offer than the mini carrot, but not as much as the large unpeeled one. This carrot requires a few more bites to chew and it’s already peeled, so you get to the takeaway fast. There may be a selection of classes, but not too many. This gives you the ability to bite off more info and quicker, and is much less overwhelming. Though it’s still worth the time invested.

Large, multi-colored, unpeeled carrots:

This last type of carrot is the large unpeeled carrot, which reminds me of the large in-person, multi-day conference. These carrots now come in various colors like purple, white and yellow to name a few. The larger conferences also offer the many colors by the various tracks they have: writer, speaker, screenwriting, self-publishing, podcasts and more. There’s so much there and the choices seem endless. Oh – which to choose? After you’ve sat in classes and taken copious notes, you’ll first need to peel it before you can take the first bite of it once home. With your unpeeled carrot, you’ll need to peel it first as well. Your notes will need to be peeled, so to speak, to get to the main point or takeaway of each class. The colors—or choices—may have been many, but the rewards for your selection are delightful.

I hope you’ve had the opportunity to choose your type of carrot, er conference, to attend this year. As we continue to learn and grow in our craft of writing, we need to invest the time to hone in on an area we aren’t as sharp as we could be.

So, whether you can only do the mini carrot at this time, or you have the time to go for the full multi-colored gourmet one, may your time be blessed as you work at your calling this year.

Happy carrot noshing – I mean, happy conferencing!

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and show them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out!

She’s a writer of Romantic Suspense—with a splash of sass. Her debut book, Launch That Book, released in November 2023. She’s published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. Also, she’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation, The Write Editing, Blue Ridge Conference Blog, and more.

Known as The Launch Team Geek, she helps authors launch their books. You’ll also find her as a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors, the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.