Write2Ignite

Maria Bostian: author of What Should Daisy Do? and Firefighters’ Busy Day

As Write2Ignite Conference 2018 approaches, we want to highlight what we’re calling “Success Stories”: stories of past participants whose attendance at W2I led to specific contacts, published work, and even jobs! We often emphasize the benefits of attending a writing conference—benefits that include networking, learning, honing skills, and gaining inspiration and encouragement—and it’s time to celebrate some W2I benefits that our attendees have shared!

Maria Bostian, Fire & Life Safety Educator at Kannapolis Fire Department, first attended in 2014 and credits both professional and personal gains to W2I:

“[The] most important thing that happened as far as my writing is concerned: I met [Brenda Covert, Editor at Ambassador International] during one of the ten- minute critiques. It was fate! I missed my first session [ . . . ] I didn’t know to interrupt when someone was taking up my time. (It was my first conference and I just didn’t know these things.) I was upset and didn’t know what to do so they let me sign up again and I signed up with [Brenda, who] suggested that I make a few changes to my manuscript and submit it to Sam [Lowry]. I did and went on to publish it and another fire safety book with Ambassador International.

“[The] most important thing personally: I met Laura. She and I were both a few minutes late and we registered at the same time. We had to practically run in the rain to the next building to get to the pre-conference workshop. We forged a friendship that is still going strong. We are each other’s sounding boards, pillars, shoulders to cry on, cheerleaders, and most importantly . . . each other’s Friday accountability partner! That’s something unique and special that I believe has something to do with the true magic that takes place at Write2Ignite.”

To learn more about Maria Bostian, you can find her books and read reviews on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2qbhcXp; visit her author website, https://mariabostian.com/; or check out her author page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MJBostian.