Writing can be very solitary . Most often it's a very solitary endeavor and a writing conference can give you community and a sense of being in a community , being among people who are endeavoring on the same path as you are ... you get those nuts and bolts , craft things, those little things you didn't understand about the craft of writing . .. and then there's that organism that is the workshop and then there's the greater organism of the conference.. .you learn things with everyone. - Sean