By Theresa Parker Pierce @rowanhistory

Worship. One of my biggest surprises was when I went to Ridgecrest in person. They have wonderful worship leaders, messages and inspirational speakers. Some are funny. Others get you to think. All are worth your time. Don’t miss a thing.

Eat delicious food with an author, publisher or mentor. The tables are labeled with the names of people you have read about. Will you worry about your family? Of course, but my adult children tell me some of their happiest memories are when Dad fed them Taco Bell while I went to professional development.

Learn. There is no wasted education. Learning is cumulative. You may not think you will use a tidbit you learned and then later it will come to your memory.

Refresh in the mountains. Sit on the long porch in a rocking chair and look up. Walk in the cool night breezes. Hike (or drive) to the top and take in the view.

 Put faces to names. You know how you enjoy reading about authors on social media. Many of them are there. They are personable. Some of the best conversations happen on elevators.

Find out how to get there. I’m still learning. I have three stories published in Room at the Table and one poem in Christmas Spirit. Every time I think about giving up, I remember some bit of wisdom imparted by someone at the conference. Every path is different and they will tell you theirs.

Learn about champagne rejections. Listen to rejection stories and how authors like yourself overcame them. Collect rejections. Wear them like a badge of honor and learn from them.

Buy books and get them autographed. Writers bring their books to sell. There is an opportunity to meet the authors and get their personalized autograph. You will own a treasure.

Pull together a costume. Genre night is so much fun. There are some of the most creative costumes you can imagine. Some people dress like their book character and others dress like grammar, grandmas, and goofballs but all have fun.

Celebrate. Get all dressed up for awards night. It is so much fun seeing everyone get all dressed up. The awards ceremony will inspire you. It’s like an awards show on television. You find yourself clapping for people you met throughout the week.

Theresa Parker Pierce lives in Historic Salisbury, North Carolina, where she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has 35 years of experience teaching reading and history. Theresa has a Master’s degree in education and is National Board-certified. Two-time Rowan Salisbury Teacher of the Year, Theresa enjoys storytelling about her childhood in eastern North Carolina and giving tours in Rowan County.

Her manuscript, Up Dunn’s Mountain won first place for Young Adult Literature at Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. She is a member of Word Weavers International and 540.

A historic docent, she shares her volunteer time between the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer and the Rowan Museum in Salisbury. With what started as one is now a closet full of costumes, Theresa dresses in period attire.

A Toastmaster, Theresa speaks to historic groups, senior citizens and of course, her favorite children.