No ruby slippers over here, so onyx ones will have to do. Another conference down, suitcases unpacked, and back to the day to day business of writing. For extroverted writers like myself, and the delightful Mo, whom my roomie, Melva, and I chatted with on Friday night, a conference is the best of both worlds. It's often said that writing is a lonely profession, and writer's conference are filled with introverts pretending to be extroverts, and there is some truth to that. We extroverts find these things our natural habitats. Plunk us down in a hotel with a few hundred people who also love writing and reading romance? We're there. Don't need to ask us twice. Old friends, new friends, professional contacts, strangers, it's all good. One universal opening line, "so, what do you write?" is applicable in pretty much every single encounter. How great is that?

Of course, the free books at every meal don't hurt, and where else am I going to get mini red velvet cupcakes whenever I want them? Fabulous workshops, a lovely hotel, and a publisher chat that gave me a much needed aha moment to reignite my fire on a particular work. Two entire days where my entire identity was Romance Writer can mean quite a comedown when I return home and have to balance all the other hats of daily life on top of the sparkly tiara.



Note that I said it "can" be, rather than it "must" be. I had a rush of post-conference letdown on Sunday evening; I'll admit to that much. All the fun was over and now it was time to put nose back to the grindstone. If only, I said to myself (okay, truth be told, to the stuffed pink flamingo who lives on top of my research books)there was a way to make the conference spirit last all year long, like Scrooge kept Christmas at the end of A Christmas Carol.



As it turns out, there is. Favorite bookmarks, postcards or other swag from those gorgeous promo tables can get a permanent spot on a bulletin or inspiration board, or in the pages of an art notebook, along with photos (click thumbnails to make bigger), packets or tags from some of the many cups of tea consumed and other ephemera. Associate a particular tea or treat with the conference? That's easy enough to duplicate at home. I didn't come home with any centerpieces this year (must be in counterpoint to last year, when I won all but one of them) and no giveaway baskets, but for those who did, there's another reminder.



The best reminder, though, is the people. There may be no conference this week, but I am headed to my CORW meeting, in the company of conference roomie, Melva, and get to rehash the entire weekend with other members who were able to attend, and bring the virtual experience to those who weren't. I'm pretty sure nobody would dare challenge me if I decided to wear the tiara; nobody wants a repeat of last year.

Happy Dance Friday #95 - NECRWA and more Snow Patrol

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Happy Dance #95, can you believe it? That's a lot of happy and a lot of dancing. Not that far from the big 1-0-0. May have to think about doing something special for that one, and as DH continues to improve, I plan on getting current with the Saturday at the Movies posts, as well as adding more reading/writing content.

Today is very much a day for happy dancing; DH is home and getting better every day, I am having a blast with my From Fanfiction to Fantastic Fiction online workshop at SavvyAuthors and in the late afternoon, I get to hit the road with my longtime friend and critique partner, Melva, heading off for the NECRWA conference. Not the first time for either of us, but the first time as members, so that's going to be special. A hotel full of writers, free promo swag, workshops, a pitch session, and it's basically Extroverted Writer Christmas.

I'm still on a Snow Patrol kick, and found another video where they employ ballroom with a twist. Gorgeous 1930s Hollywood is the theme here, from the costumes to lush Art Deco sets, and a lavish dance number to tie it all together. Flowy gowns, tailcoats, sumptous surrounds and an inspiring message could all fit as well then as today. I think Fred and Ginger would be proud, and I'm not saying there aren't any seeds of story ideas within this clip. How about you?

NEC RWA 2011, part the first

No, I did not bring a camera, so you get random picture from my collection.

It's the Tuesday after the NEC RWA conference, and I am approaching humanity again. Comfortably ensconced in recliner, with lap desk and laptop, legal pad and Micron at the ready. Post-conference adjustment is always a process. No free books on my chair at meals, no Lindor truffles scattered randomly, no workshops and much smaller odds that random strangers, no matter how friendly, are other romance writers.

Disorganized, general thoughts first. The day after the conference is for sleeping, rising only for personal ablutions and filling nutritional needs. Conference food and my allegies are often not friends, so it's par for the course to come back a wee bit peckish. My roommate/crit partner, Melva, and I did discuss nipping out to a nearby restaurant a time or two but conference stuff kept us so busy it wasn't an option.

Good workshops, as always. My choices this year included workshops on psychopaths, writing hooks, word choice and worldbuilding. I pitched twice, the results 50/50. One very good no, and one request for a full ms, both with very useful comments, so I count both pitches as a success.

Networking and talking with other romance writers is always my favorite part of these gatherings, and there was plenty of that. This year saw the addition of a scavenger hunt, a card with a grid containing unique things about other attendees, the object being to find people who fit the descriptors and collect signatures. Ironically, I did not turn mine in because I was too busy talking to others to get all the squares signed. Still had fun, and I have the card as a keepsake. Not to mention free books, bookmarks, and various other promo stuff. I will share some of the books, bookmarks and such, but the chocolate is mine, mine, mine.

More details to follow, as I'm still getting back into the groove of being home, but I did get a good dose of support and inspiration. Now to pound keys.

Happy Dance Friday #47 Royal Wedding

thanks, Twitpic, and thanks, William and Catherine for this iconic image.

Royal wedding watching while tending to own wardrobe regarding the Let Your Imagination Take Flight conference this afternoon. Both worthy of happy dances on their own, so abstaining from clips for this entry. Beautiful bride, beautiful groom, beautiful wedding. Lovely to see all that love between the royal couple and from the crowd. A long and happy life to William and Catherine.

Also worthy of happy dancing is the fact that A) there is definitely less of me than the last time I wore a certain article of clothing and B) quick fix makes item wearable. Conference excitement has set in.

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The Weekend That Was

Another Monday, and the kitteh above is doing a great impression of me at the keyboard. The all day CORW workshop on Saturday wore me out, but in a good way. Guest speakers Annette Blair and Toni Andrews spoke respectively on building sexual tension and plotting. If you get the chance to see either of them in person, do.

Once again, at the basket giveaway, the person on the right of me won a basket, the person on the left of me won a basket. Guess who broke the pattern. Ahem. I did go home with a Samhain (publishing house, not Halloween) t-shirt, which is appropriate, as I did get to pitch both Endless Summer and Draperwood to both them and literary agent Jan Kardys from the BlackHawk agency. Since I did get requests from both, that is actually better than a basket. I will still accept random gifts of office supplies, tea and chocolate, however. (Yes, I am still punchy, why do you ask?)

This brings me to the seesaw of "yay, requests" and "ack, requests." Authors, you know what I mean. Readers, this is where the author runs around in little circles, muttering incomprehensible things about voice and marketing. Pretend you don't notice, and they will return to polishing the manuscript. Give them their beverage of choice and back away slowly.

Looking at a nicely full week of preparing submissions, new writing, critiquing and a new lesson for my online workshop. Does this warrant an extra cat nap?

All packed and I don't think I forgot anything or overpacked. Almost time to head out to the NECRWA conference, one of my favorite weekends of the year. Close to Christmas, which for those who know me, is a high compliment. For an extroverted writer, the only word to properly describe a writer's conference is "yeeeeeehaw!" (And I don't even write westerns. So far.)

Allow me to elaborate; take a people person, drop her in a sealed environment absolutely overflowing with others who share the same passion for the genre. Then give her a name badge (I have always had a thing for name badges since I was a wee mite) with a sticker and a ribbon in some cases (stickers and ribbons make everything better; try it) and hand her a bag with free office supplies, chocolate and possibly even a free book. See Christmas reference above. Then put a book on the plate at every meal, said meals attended by uniformed servers (I also have a thing for hotels) and top it all with the chance to hear big names in the industry share their experience with the happily captive audience. Plus workshops that make me want to clone myself so I didn't have to choose. Then there's the pitch sessions. I actually love pitch sessions. See extrovert mention above. I get to talk...about my stories...and am gauranteed eight minutes where that is the sole topic of conversation.

See? My natural habitat. Where do you go to commune with others of your kind?

Smells like spring and thirteen reasons why:

1. Last night was the season finale of Psych :cries:
2. My recent trip to Lane Bryant confirms I am indeed over one size smaller and coral is a universally flattering color.
3. The New England RWA conference is only two weeks away, eep.
4. Have had the "I come inside because I do not want to be outside" discussion at home regarding too many open windows.
5. I have carried my coat for three days straight.
6. Weekend forecast is rain, rain, rain. :happydance:
7. Jellybeans in stores everywhere.
8. I get to purchase jellybeans for office stash.
9. New Virginia Henley and Heather Graham historicals crook their fingers at me from the TBR bookcase.
10. Working on one novel and two novellas makes me happy. (Okay, not a spring thing but had to include it.)
11. Recent discovery of Right Said Fred albums in European release; must purchase.
12. Somerset Studio Digital Imaging is out and Somerset Memories should be out any day now.
13. New arty thing of the season around here: beading. Prettyful jewelry soon.

Back from the NEC conference (okay, a week later) and as always, revved to get back to the grind and get another book out. Everyone who saw the gorgeous cover art for Orphans in the Storm loved it. I got to attend a wonderful workshop with Emily Bryan on writing sex, and found Sally MacKenzie (she of Naked noblemen fame) makes a delightful lunch partner. I was able to tell her how much I'd enjoyed her presentation last year on writing linked books and that her entry in the Lords of Desire Anthology was waiting on my nightstand for me at home. ::Happy sigh:: I love conferences. Must attend more.

Good results; my roommate for the conference got a request for her first thirty pages of a novel with romantic elements, I won a free critique of first three chapters and synopsis from Sourcebooks, but the big news is...drumroll...I got a request for the full ms of Endless Summer from Leah Hultenschmidt at Dorchester! ::does cartwheel:: Time to polish and send out.

The not so good result of the trip, though, was driving away with my suitcase still on the hotel curb, but the DH and I went up with our friend, Linda, to retrive it, everything was there, and we stopped at Chili's on the way home, so all's good there.