Three Ways to Add Meaning to Mixers

We are back from vacation just in time for the mid-summer mixer season. Why is it important for writers to leave their keyboards and spend an evening or two in the company of fellow wordsmiths? For the same reason writing groups enrich the process. Connecting with people in thoughtful ways can make you a happier, more focused person and writer.

Meaningful conversations - like realistic dialogue - don't just happen by accident. You have to be ready to get beyond the talk about the weather and vacations. Before you don your party shoes and order that glass of bubbly, take a minute to think about you goals. 

Yes, even social events can have goals. Below are three of mine and how I plan to achieve them.

1. Fresh Faces

I am always richer for having brought new ideas and perspectives into my life. While hanging with people I already know is safer, it won't broaden my horizons. At each event I plan to walk up to someone I have never seen before and introduce myself. While I don't want to impose by taking up a lot of time, I will stay with this person long enough to understand what drew him to the event, what she hopes to take away and how I can help.

2. Real Solutions

Instead of focusing on small talk, I plan to ask people about the challenges and successes they are having. In fact, I will share my most recent challenge (so far today it is getting phone calls returned, a common summer malady) and see if my fellow writers have any creative solutions. If I am experiencing it, others may be as well. 

3. Follow Up

As fun and productive as some events may feel on the drive home, they become the equivalent of a one-night-stand if I don't follow up. Instead of letting that pile of business cards stare at me menacingly for weeks before they accidentally end up in the garbage, I will take a moment when I get home to drop a note to those I promised to send information about other events. I will make appointments for coffee and lunch. I will pitch stories, thank hosts and add contacts to my Outlook. Then I will sleep soundly knowing I had a meaningful evening.

What are your secrets for a meaningful mixer?

Yours in writing,

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander 

JT Long