It's the start of September, which here in the UK is back-to-school time. September always has that fresh start feeling for me – and even though my school days are long behind me, I still quite like buying new notebooks and pens at this time of year.

There are also a fair few writing conferences taking place in September (such as the Historical Novel Society's conference in Oxford, and the York Festival of Writing) ... plus loads of evening classes and courses starting up for the autumn.

Like me, though, you might well have been to plenty of inspiring conferences and taken tons of notes in the past ... without necessarily doing much as a result.

If you're going to be attending a conference or class, or even taking an online course, here are three ways to get the most from it:

While you've probably already blocked out time for attending the conference / course / etc that you have in mind, it's also a good idea to set aside some time after the conference for putting into action any new ideas or to think through any "aha" moments.

If you're taking a self-study course, either online or by post, you'll need to put aside time to study the materials. You might want to allocate an evening a week (e.g. Mondays, 7pm - 9pm): otherwise, it's all too easy to find that you've barely glanced at the course materials, months later.

I'm naturally shy, introverted, and not at all good at networking ... the lovely thing is, though, that a lot of fellow writers feel just the same! Be brave: introduce yourself to people, ask them about their writing, and you might well make some great new writing friends. 

Some of my best writing jobs – and plenty of friendships – have come through writers I met at conferences. Some of them were people I already knew through social media; others were just people who I happened to "click" with when we met in person.

Be prepared to take the initiative in swapping contact details (you don't need business cards, unless it's a very business-y conference ... a notepad and pen should work fine!)

At most conferences, and with many online courses, it's up to you how much you want to do. You don't have to pack every hour of the day with an event – often, you'll find you enjoy yourself more if you plan for some down-time. That might mean sloping off back to your hotel room for a nap, or sitting in a quiet coffee shop for an hour, brainstorming ideas that have come out of all the great sessions you've attended.

If you're worried about missing out, some conferences offer a "virtual ticket" as an add-on, which allows you to catch up with sessions at your leisure afterwards. With online courses, you might ask other members to recommend the modules or sections they've found most useful.

And if your September doesn't allow time for a conference or course (I've got a family holiday, my 3-year-old's "settling in" phase at nursery school, and my husband taking his driving test...) then now's a great time to plan ahead.

Is there a course you'd like to take in January? Or a writing book or two that you want to put on your Christmas list? Pick something to look forward to: by planning now, you can make sure you've got the time to actually do it!