By DiAnnMills @DiAnnMills

Are you wanting to make vital connections with conferees attending the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference? This post will help you pre-network now so that you are prepared on Sunday afternoon, May 20th with established relationship.

1. Request membership in the Blue Ridge Facebook Group:

We discuss goals, support, contests, genre night, what to wear, apprehensions, encouragement, expectations, humorous events, requests for a roommate, shuttles from the Asheville airport, food and dietary requirements, and whatever else is on the conferees’ mind!

Bonus! We are planning a few Facebook live events that you won’t want to miss.

Our faculty members are listed on the website. Read through the bios, pertinent information, and their specialty. Also look at the conference schedule for what’s being taught and by whom.

2. Check out our Blue Ridge Conference website. This site has tons of information. For pre-networking, I suggest subscribing to the blog. For pre-networking, familiarize yourself with the subject matter then read through the responses. There you’ll find great connections!

3. Twitter posts are encouraged before, during, and after the conference. Search and use: #BRMCWC

4. Instagram users, use #BRMCWC and #writing when posting images and stories.

5. Do you have a blog? Create a post about the conference, your excitement, or possibly a previous year’s experience. Those who respond will be great connections.

6. Check faculty websites, especially agents and editors, to see what they publish. Explore what they are looking for and study their specific guidelines.

7. Is your critique group attending? Brainstorm ahead of time about the classes and workshops that have your interest.

8. Our conference chaplain Linda Gilden and her volunteers are praying for you. Toss aside those jitters. God has you covered.

9. Pray for God to give you wisdom for every aspect of the Blue Ridge Conference.

Lifelong relationships are established at the Blue Ridge Conference. I’ve known writers to find critique partners and form online critique groups. I even know a couple who were married as a result of a conference. Now is the time for you to begin pre-networking with the wonderful writers at the Blue Ridge Conference.

For those of you who have been to the conference, what advice do you give?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian Fiction books of 2014.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.