by Alycia W. Morales      @AlyciaMorales

This week, I attended ACFW in Nashville, TN. Along with seeing writer friends I’ve known for years, I saw some who I’m in awe of and just getting to know. I met new friends, as well. I enjoyed the classes I attended. I brainstormed. I spent time with the Lord. And now, I’m heading home. Back to life with those “normals.” The people who love me just as the crazy writer I am. Who will get to deal with my post-conference blues.

If you’ve ever been to a writers conference, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

How do we deal with those post-conference moments when we long to spend one more hour with our writer friends? When we need to process all the things we’ve learned and apply them to our writing?

10 things we can do to get beyond the post-conference blues and to process all of that information without having a meltdown:

1. Take a couple of days to rest and settle back into your normal routine. Take a nap. Or two. Talk with family or friends. Tell them how much fun you had. Or cry on their shoulder if your conference didn’t go the way you’d planned or hoped.

2. Pray about the things you heard or received throughout the conference. Let God help you straighten out your thoughts. Listen for His still-small voice as He guides you into His will. Don’t ignore those gut feelings. Process them with Him. But don’t leave Him out of your career decisions. Journal your thoughts and sort it out.

3. Download the conference handouts. File them into your binder/file system. Compare them to your conference notes. Fill in any blanks you may have had. Now you’re ready to review your course material when the audio files release (if you’ve purchased them).

4. Go through any photos you may have taken. Enjoy the smiles and memories that come with each one. Don’t forget to upload them to Facebook and tag your new friends. Ask them to share a memory from the week and take a note or two to include in your scrapbook.

5. Pull out the business cards you’ve collected and respond to any requests for information. Send a new friend an e-mail and tell them how much you enjoyed meeting them. Follow up with fellow conferees.

6. Make a To-Do List for your writing. Who requested what materials from you? Remember, only 30 percent of conferees will actually send in their requested manuscripts/articles/blog posts. That’s a very small follow-through, which gives you a lot of opportunity to be published.

7. Once you have a To-Do List, begin working through it. Depending on your personality, you may wish to get the smaller, easier projects out of the way first. Then work on the bigger ones. Or, you may wish to conquer the mountain first, then work on the ant hills. Make this part of your daily schedule until you’ve accomplished the tasks at hand and checked off all items on your list.

8. Hit the SEND button. You can do it. I know you can. Push fear aside and let God work. Send your manuscripts and articles and devotions. You won’t know until you try.

9. Find a blog or two to follow. This is another great way to keep up with your new writing buddies.

10. When they’re released, download and listen to the audio files. Review your course materials and make sure to apply what you’ve learned to your writing. Trust the editor when she says it really shows when an author has taken the time to learn their craft.

What other tips do you have for writers who have just come home from conference? [reminder]

Alycia W. Morales is an award-winning freelance editor and author. Her clients have won the Selah Award, BRMCWC Director’s Choice Award, and many others. Her writing has been published in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. She is a member of ACFW, the president of Cross n’ Pens critique group, and a BRMCWC Conference Assistant.

Alycia blogs at The Write Editing and Life. Inspired.

When she isn’t busy writing, editing, and reading, Alycia enjoys spending time with her husband and four children taking hikes in Upstate SC and NC, creating various crafts, coloring in adult coloring books, and watching TV.