My answer would have to be no. Even though it looks good on your resume (or your writer’s bio), there does come a time when you have to set priorities. There are a lot of people I’ve met through ACFW who had to make the choice to let their membership in the national group lapse–one because she’s trying to adopt and has no time for writing, another because she’s having to care for an elderly parent as well as her own family. But they still stay plugged in to our local group here in Nashville by being on the e-mail list and doing the writing-thing vicariously.

Does SCBWI have an online e-mail list that’s active? If so, it might be worth it to keep your membership up-to-date for that, just to stay plugged in so that when you’re ready to be actively involved again, you’re there already. If they don’t, or if you don’t ever read any of the e-mails, I would say it’s not worth it to keep up an organization membership that isn’t of any benefit to you.

Because you already have a well-read blog, and because you spend time reading and commenting on other blogs, you have already started building a network. And from what you describe, it sounds like you’re deriving more benefit networking that way than you are by being a member of SCBWI.

Do you think it’s beneficial (for example) for me to renew my SCBWI membership even though I don’t regularly go to the meetings?

Should going be more of a priority just so I look more “involved”?

With the three little kids I have a hard time feeling two hours sitting and talking (or listening), at least half of it not writing-related, is justified.

Twice now when my dh said “I’ll watch them all, you go,” I’ve just shut myself in my room instead, to write distraction free.

I guess that’s why my approach to an editor/agent appointment is to make it a conversation, not a sales-pitch.

And yes, I bought my copy of Stein.