Good morning. I have been impressed. For me, that is usually a difficult thing to do.

Why was I impressed? Well, I attended a meet and greet with Helen Goltz — a lover of crime writing — organized by the local library. Helen filled the audience with ideas and enthusiasm, I even took a couple of notes and didn’t complain about wasting time when I got home — a great session.

Each member of the audience was given the opportunity for input into the session. This complemented the fabulous ideas from the presenter and filled the session with multiple energies and experiences, cleverly wound around the theme of crime writing. We heard what did and didn’t work in Helen’s history, the effort surrounding setting up a publishing business, and better approaches to use in marketing your finished works.

Better yet, our presenter stayed after the session, quite happy to answer questions and chat —a true professional. If you get the chance to listen to the experiences of a successful author, do it. The time you spend in audience mode will be time well spent. Take every opportunity to chat. All manner of information and encouragement can be found in a few words over a coffee.

Events such as these have now become a sought-after part of my growth. Who knows how valuable the contacts and learnings will prove to be. Perhaps I’ll see you at one.

Have fun writing. If you have any feedback, please give it in the comments below. All success to your works. Damon