Curtis Honeycutt
NSNC Treasurer and Conference Committee
I can’t begin to explain how much the NSNC has meant to me over the past three years. I met many of you word warriors in Cincinnati in 2018, back when it was possible to rub shoulders with other humans. In 2019, many of us spent a weekend in a haunted (former) insane asylum in Buffalo at a straitjacket-optional conference. During these times I not only forged bonds but reinforced them, iron sharpening iron.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected us all in different ways and has made me wonder whether a 2021 NSNC conference is practical, prudent, or even viable for a small organization like ours.
As a member of the NSNC’s board of directors as well as the 2021 conference committee, my overarching goal is to achieve “herd community.” Okay, okay, so the conference we’ve designed will not include America’s favorite epidemiologist Dr. Fauci. However, we will feature colleagues who will share tips and best practices for all of us to get published and get paid to spur each of us to the next level with our writing work.
Yes, the sessions will be excellent — worth the price of admission, and then some. But here’s what the NSNC is known for: our unmatched camaraderie, which is a tough word to spell, and even a tougher concept to achieve. How do we replicate the in-person conversations that in the past have been catalysts for networking and significant friendships? You’re going to want to be in the Zoom where it happens.
This year we have designed breakout sessions where you’ll be able to listen to other writers’ proven methods toward measurable success and results, bounce ideas off each other, and share advice with our fellow columnists and content producers.
I’m writing all of this to say that if you have experienced a glimpse of the NSNC’s community and camaraderie at past conferences, know that we’re trying our darndest to recreate that sentiment during this year’s virtual conference. If you haven’t attended a previous conference, I want you to know that this conference will go beyond session content and extend into relationships with like-minded writers and journalists who get fired up about the same things as you do. The NSNC’s esprit de corps, if you’ll pardon my French, will be on full display at the 2021 Virtual Conference — even if we’re all staring at computer displays. Please join us April 16–17 for another exceptional NSNC conference.
Check Out the Schedule and Register Here
