A Conferencing We Will Go!

I apologize for the brevity of this post, but I still have eleventy billion things on my to-do list before I leave for San Francisco bright and early this morning (as you read this, it's "this morning").

I am thrilled that one of our very own Mave Faves, Angie Fox, will be guest blogging next week to celebrate the release of her debut novel, The Accidental Demon Slayer, which went on sale yesterday. If you haven't yet purchased your copy, run to the bookstore! I plan on picking mine up tonight at the Literacy Signing and getting it autographed to ME! Congratulations Angie!!!

And that, I'm afraid, is the end of my post today. Next week I will post a newsy summary of all the fabulousness that was the 2008 RWA Conference. I am so excited to see old (and new) friends and partake in the roller coaster ride of being a Golden Heart finalist. I am especially looking forward to the champagne reception Friday afternoon for GH finalists and RITA nominees (and their editors!). I promise I'll take pictures!

Ciao, Mave Faves!

The Only Thing that Matters at Conference

And no, I'm not talking about Spanx (which is still really, really important). Anyone else shocked the RWA conference is next week? I can't very well say this crept up on me, but wow, did time fly. I'm feeling slightly more prepared than last year, but that's probably only because I don't have to ready the one thing that gave me fits last year: pitching. Not that I'm not, er, ready with a two-line spiel about Glorious, my GH-finalist manuscript. From what I'm told, the GH-finalist ribbon on my nametag will practically ensure that anyone and everyone will ask what my book is about. So, I'd better be ready! Especially if one of those somebodies is an editor with Glorious on their desk!

As for the rest:

Outfits? Check
Preprinted handouts for workshops I plan to attend? Check
Highlighted schedule? Check
Business cards? Check
Cool new name tag holder with various pins? Check
Extra space for copious books? Check
Insane amounts of excitement about hooking up with all my writing pals? Double check!

Neuroses? In spades, baby because this list nowhere near covers everything I need to remember - both what I'm bringing to San Francisco and what I need to organize for the Burkettes at home. See, I need to be extra organized because Mr. Burke is joining me in San Francisco for the Golden Heart/RITA ceremony Saturday night. He flies in Saturday afternoon and then we're heading home Sunday.

Doubtless you've read a gazillion blogs over the past couple of weeks about conference: what to wear, what not to wear, how to pitch, how to network, best uses of your time, blah, blah. The only bits of advice I offer is to try to get enough sleep and have a great time. (Yes, I realize the first might preclude the other, especially if you're a night owl and can't say no to an invitation to hang out with agents, editors, RITA-winning authors, that cool writer you met at lunch who loved The Dark Knight as much as you did, ahem.) We've talked before about how great local chapters are for the writing comaraderie. Well the RWA National Conference (I guess it's really international as I know plenty of folks from Britain, Canada, and Australia are joining us) is a fantastic way to OD on that kinship and love of all things writerly. So, go forth and have fun. I hope to have some with you!

Any advice about conference? What's your favorite part? Anything in particular you're looking forward to this year?

The Con Agent

This weekend I went to a local con - ConCarolinas (for a recap, see JP's post here). It was awesome -- totally tons of fun and my first SFF con! Of course, because I didn't even hear about the con until the Monday before and therefore couldn't pre-register, I went rather stealth :)

But here's the thing, over the course of the day I attended, I heard a few authors give advice that kinda made me squirm. And it made me want to blog about it because I felt like some of this advice was perpetuating some myths about agents and getting an agent. Of course, rule number one that I must highlight is that there are often no hard and fast rules. Everyone has their own approach and you have to figure it out for yourself. Even so... here are my thoughts on some oft perpetuated myths (spread out over a few posts...).

One thing that really stuck out to me: a few people (and some of them well published authors) said that the best was to get an agent was to go to cons. Now, while I agree that you can make some great connections at conventions, if you're only going so you can attend a pitch session and stalk some agents at the bar, you're wasting your money. Here's the thing, you can be the most fun person ever, you and the agent you meet can go get manis and pedis, you can spend all night sharing embarassing stories and margaritas, but if your book isn't any good, none of that matters. Sure, knowing the agent might get a little more attention, but you still have to deliver the goods.

Agents are generally on the lookout for books they can sell -- they want to fall in love when they open their slush. You don't have to go to cons and meet agents in person in order to have them fall in love with your work. Trust me, I've met plenty of agents at cons and none of them ended up offering me representation for my book (in fact, one of my queries didn't make it past the slush reader for an agent I'd met several times). All the offers I got were from the good old fashioned slush pile. Yes, agents do read queries and they request pages and they make offers without having ever met you!

Don't get me wrong, cons are great things. It's a super fun way to meet other like-minded people and to be surrounded with the buzz of it all. Meeting agents is part of that buzz and it's part of the business. But it shouldn't be the only reason you go. Save the money from plane tickets and hotels instead and invest them in stamps :)

More myths to come next week (unless, you know, I forget or get distracted :)

So tell me what you think -- is the best way to get an agent to go to a con?

The Other Kind of Workshop

Thus far this week, the Mavens have posted eloquently about the energy and inspiration that comes from attending (and presenting) "live" writers' workshops. But the truth is, in this day and age, you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home to attend (or present) a workshop. Online workshops for writers abound; I get advertisements for just a small percentage of them in my inbox or on Yahoo loops every week. Some of them are even free!

But are they worth it (especially if they're not free)? Can online workshops really hold a candle to the live variety? Or is there something about being there that adds something vital to the experience?

I have to be honest and admit that, as a presenter, I hate so-called distance learning. As a matter of fact, just yesterday I taught a course in my work life via teleconference and WebEx, and I found it as frustrating and irritating as I always do. The problem for me is that I take so many of my cues from the expressions and body language of the people sitting in front of me. But if I can't see their faces, I have to rely on them to tell me when I've confused them or put them to sleep. There's nothing worse than chirping crickets in a teleconference. The presenter has no idea what it means!

But while I'm all for the live version as a presenter, from an attendee's point of view, I sometimes prefer the online variety. Especially if I didn't have to pay for it. (Did I mention before now that I'm terminally cheap?)

Here are some reasons I like online workshops/conferences:

• If the presenter is covering something I already know or that doesn't interest me for some reason (maybe a portion of the lecture covers the element of romantic suspense or something I don't write), I can either tune out the lecture or skip over it if it comes in writing. (I know, I know, people do this to me when I'm giving an online presentation and it drives me crazy. But I did admit to being the student I hate to teach.)
  
• I can spend as much or as little time as I want reviewing a topic, particularly if the workshop lectures are delivered in the form of email. This, to me, is the single biggest reason to love online workshops--they're the ultimate in self-study guides.
  
• If the presenter of an online workshop is engaged and responds to your questions, you can often get more "bang for your buck" (or no buck!) in terms of individualized instruction from an online workshop than you can from one you attend in person. In a classroom environment, there are always limitations on the presenter's time and attention. By contrast, in an online environment (again, especially a workshop presented in the form of email or other written forms of communication--like this blog, lol), the only limit to the amount of attention you can coax from the presenter is his or her willingness to engage with you and respond to your repetitive requests for advice/information/what have you.

Despite my enthusiasm for online workshops, I haven't attended very many. (See comment regarding terminal cheapness above.) The ones I have attended have varied in quality, from Cobblestone's excellent Words in Motion conference just a few weeks ago and a very helpful course on crafting pitches I took through Candy Havens' Write Workshop Yahoo! group last year to quite a few others I've found much less useful.

YOUR TURN: How do you feel about online workshops? Have you attended any that particulary stood out, either positively or negatively? And are you as tickled as I am that Maveneer (my personal favorite, I confess) has pulled ahead (as of the time I wrote this) in the voting for Maven term of endearment?

Whatever your favorite MTOE, remember there are just two days left to vote!

Scrambled Nuggets

Like the other Mavens, I am both an experienced presenter and an experienced workshop presenter. Like Maven Darcy said yesterday (and all of you have touched on), when I get ready to give a workshop or a presentation I try to think about it from the crowd's POV. What do I like to hear when at a workshop? What sticks with me, and what do I find worthless? I tend to be very me-centered, so anything that falls outside of active listening isn't something I spend a lot of time planning for. That said, I'm getting better at making packets (handouts). As modeling my behavior by adapting techniques from the people I respect around me has become Level A Mode of Operation, packets have been...well, probably the first really big thing I've adapted.

Which has nothing to do with anything, but I'm easily distracted and you guys knew that. This brings me to a scramble of advice:

KNOW YOURSELF

As Maven Darcy said, our workshop is titled Maven Storyboarding 602 Workshop. That's a lot to do with my personal vision for the RWA workshops I want to give. In the first year or so of writing, I ate up everything aimed at level 101. Then I went looking for level 201 stuff, and found...not much. So I wanted to give workshops aimed at writers who'd been writing and even those who are published authors. This is both a personal preference and a marketing ploy. It does have a big loophole, though, and that is that I can't control my audience most of the time.

At National or even at the smaller conferences, participants have a little brochure and a choice. Anyone at the Maven 602 last week (at Eastside RWA) had almost no choice whether they wanted to be hear me or not. If you wanted to go to the chapter meeting, you had to listen to me. (muah ha ha ha.) Same for Deb Dixon this week.

Given our time constraints, however, we won't be able to go into a lot of detail about plots and plot holes and GMC (so keep your ears open for what Deb herself has to say!) and character arcs and 4-Act Structures and Hero's Journey and all that good stuff we pretty much have to assume you already know. Honestly, we're not the go-to people for that stuff anyway; others do a much better job. Some of 'em even wrote the book on it! But at the same time, I don't want to be talking over our audience (though I expect most of the participants to be level-set and more than anything, I don't want to see any glazed eyes).

This uneven setting did come out at the Eastside meeting, although nothing that derailed the presentation. At a complete unrelated "workshop" I did, though, the assumption that only people who wanted to learn more about X would show up really bit me. I sent out a link to what would look like gobbledy-gook to the untrained eye and expected only people who recognized the subject to show up. Uh, not so. Which got me a lot of negative (deserved) feedback and went a long way toward teaching me to focus on my audience.

Ok, this rambled. My point is, yes, soliciting questions during the presentation can be annoying for some. For others (uh, me), sitting through basic rehash makes me crazy. I tend to aim high with a willingness to shoot low if need be. So ask your question. It's up to the presenter to keep the workshop moving forward, not you.

Which brings me to the second:

SOMEONE HAS TO BE THE BAD GUY

And that someone is probably you. As Maven Erica found out/may have already known/admitted to, sometimes you have a really packed schedule and even the smallest amount of tangential stuff can tip the scale. Going over is a pet peeve of some people (although I am more annoyed by people who clearly don't have enough to say) and you wouldn't have planned to talk about something that wasn't necessary to the understanding of the topic (RIGHT?!). You want to hit it all, but how do you do that and keep everyone focused without plowing over some really good discussion?

Going back to glazed eyes, if I get the feeling it's only one or two people (or a percent, I guess) then I might try to take that offline i.e. address it after. If it's a lot of people looking pensive or interested, I will pause to discuss. Often, these pauses give relief to people who are either totally focused or accidentally spacing out (notice my theme of detesting foisting boredom on people?) -- so pauses can be a good tool to keep people interested and following along. On the other hand, they also often come across as a license to derail the topic. I personally prefer to allow a few moments for laughter and discourse before forcing the workshop/presentation to move forward. I believe a well-organized blip in the presentation can create camaraderie, and you've all listed that as a big takeaway from a workshop. The important thing to remember is to have someone who will say OK, back to the subject...

I think that's actually it.

Quick poll: how many of you, based on what I just described about the "graduate level-ness" of Maven 602, thinks the workshop would be easily accessible without too much back story? Are you the kind who finds herself constantly wishing the speaker would explain more, or do your eyes tend to glaze (or both?). What do you think Maven Jackie should talk about tomorrow? ;-)

PS: Don't forget to vote for your favorite Maven term of endearment on the sidebar!

It's All About the Chocolate, Baby

Check it out over there on the left, MaveFave is winning (or it was as of 11:00 Tuesday night anyway)! If you haven't voted yet, be sure to make your voice heard!

This week we're talking workshops. I've been scratching my head a little because it's been awhile since I've given one. So I started thinking about workshops I've been to and I've been to a ton (not just writing-related). As I recalled certain workshops and presenters, I came up with the questions posted at the end and realized that since I'm giving the first workshop I've given in a very long time this Sunday, I want to hear from you about how I can make it great.

Mavens Erica, Lacey, and I are giving a workshop called Storyboarding 602 (the number makes it graduate-level!). In this workshop we will deliver a lecture-type presentation about storyboarding and then we'll break into groups to actually develop storyboards. I really like workshops that combine presentations with practical experience. I learn by doing just like I learn by taking notes, which is why my hand is usually ready to fall off by the end.

What makes a workshop or presentation great for me isn't flashy A/V or handouts, but a really dynamic speaker who knows her topic well. They don't have to be the best speaker, but I find that people who are really passionate about their topic naturally do a good job. Right now, I'm so in love with my storyboard I'm thinking of writing a novella about it (not really, but you get my drift) so hopefully that means I'll rock the workshop on Sunday!

Oh, I should tie in the title! Chocolate. I've always found that bringing chocolate to your workshop is a very, very good thing.

What kinds of workshops are your favorite? Interactive, lecture, short, long? What's the best workshop you've attended in recent memory and what made it stand out?

That Workshop High

I apologize in advance for the brevity of my post and for it maybe not making too much sense. I'm turning in my final edits today which means my head has been firmly in the Forest of Hands and Teeth recently. They don't have so many workshops there, as you can imagine :)

I must admit that it's been a while since I attended any workshops, but there is one thing I find in common with all of them -- that high you get when it's done. I don't know if it's being around so many writers, so much enthusiasm, so much love for the craft, but it's nearly impossible to leave a workshop without being completely fired up, your brain in overdrive with new thoughts, new plots, new organization tools.

Even if the subject of the workshop isn't necessarily up your alley, I think you still learn things. Maybe you learn what doesn't work for you. Maybe you learn that something you didn't think worked actually did on occasion. Or maybe you just learned some good industry gossip from the other writers there. But always, you realize that you are part of a bigger whole of writers going for their dreams. And that's pretty darn inspiring.

I still remember the feeling I got at my first RWA National conference -- how I couldn't write fast enough. How ideas sprang from everywhere. I got in my car for the 13 hour drive home and I shut off the radio and wrote a book in my head. It was amazing -- I was so full of energy and drive. Same thing with the last conference I went to -- I met wonderful friends (friendships that have grown since then) and solidified my ultimate goal of wearing that First Sale ribbon.

So if you feel like you're flagging and you need a boost, find a workshop. Bonus if it's something that you need, but remember the key is just being around other people who are excited to be there and who are interested in improving and being the best that they can. I think you'll find your creative wells filled, your dedication a little stronger, and your energy soaring. Plus, you're bound to pick up some great tips in the process!

Tip City: Agent Hunting

Happy Wednesday Mavenfaves! (Had to try it out. Does it work? Does it?) Once again, I have to give a big shout-out to B.E. Sanderson and the Roar for Powerful Words Award. I'm getting more specific with tips today and want to talk about The Great Agent Hunt.

Tip #1: Research!
There are many ways to conduct research about agents. Do all of the following. Do part of the following. Just, whatever you do, don't do none of the following.

1) Go to agentquery.com. Look up agents by genre and make a list. Some you will probably have heard of, others not. Do not just query the ones you've heard of. If the agent or agency has a website, visit it and read everything you can. If the agent or agency has a blog, visit it and read everything you can (I'm not saying you have to read years worth of posts, but at least go back a couple months and skim if you can).

2) Subscribe to Publisher's Marketplace. I can't recommend this highly enough if you're looking for an agent or are agented (or are a pubbed author for that matter). There is no better place to get industry information and find out what's selling right now and who's selling/buying it.

3) Ask other writers. I sent a note out to my RWA chapter when I began querying and asked who people recommend querying with historical romance. I got a tidy list, some of whom were already on my list and others who were not.

4) Compile your research. I built a spreadsheet with each agent, how they accept queries, and their contact information. This spreadsheet has been invaluable as I track responses. And most agents really do respond in their projected timeframe!

Basically, the more information you have about an agent or agency the better you will be able to query them. And I think the time you take to research and educate yourself will absolutely show.

Tip #2: Collect Your Rejections with Pride
I was very excited to get to the querying stage with my writing. It's like getting a promotion. You're ready for the next level! Once I started querying, I was thrilled to get my first, believe it or not, rejection. Every writer has them. Every writer has lots of them. I'm a writer and so I wanted a rejection! Well, I've accumulated a few (and some of them are very, very nice, I'd like to add). If you don't get an offer of representation, a lovely rejection is the next best thing.

Be sure to keep all of them, from the fabulously personal to the form. (You gotta love preprinted cards that apologize for their "formness." Sort of like saying, "Sorry, but I have to punch you in the gut." And then punching you in the gut.)

Tip #3: Know What You Want and Be Persistent
Okay, this is kind of two tips, but I'm going to say they go together. I'm sure you have a dream agent or two, but the likelihood of matching with them isn't all that high. Just remember that it's all about mutual selection. You have to know what you want in an agent. That knowledge will help you in your search, especially when you get an offer of representation. If your dream agent doesn't offer representation, don't despair! You want an agent who wants you and your book as much as you want them. And since we usually don't already know the agents we query, it's the beginning of a sometimes slow but always important dance. From query to request to discussion to representation, it's a time and energy consuming activity, but also quite necessary if you want an agent.

Just remember to keep your chin up. No. Matter. What. It just takes one person to fall in love with your book. It may sound like a needle in a haystack - and it kind of is - but it'll happen. It'll happen.

Bonus Tip: Attend a Regional Conference
My first writing conference was RWA National. I was fortunate to have an agent pitch and then picked up an editor and a second agent pitch while there. Excellent, excellent experience. I like pitching and not just because of the opportunity to meet an agent or editor face to face. It's a great way to gain confidence about your book and get personal contact regarding one of the most consuming things of your life: the book you've agonized writing for however long.

Since the National conference, I've attended two regional conferences and the experience was even more valuable. It's so much easier at a smaller venue to walk up to an agent or editor and talk to them about your book, about the industry, about football if you prefer. That raised my confidence even more and I think made the excercise of querying easier. Sort of like putting a face on the process, which can seem so one-sided. So, if you have an opportunity to go to a regional conference - go, go, go!

Other Writing Blogs
This might be cheating, but I have to recommend the individual Maven blogs (can't call this shameless promotion because I don't have one!). I have collected many nuggets of wisdom and lots of laughs from all of them. If you haven't visited them there, what are you waiting for? The links are on the right side bar.

Now I have to shamefully admit that I don't visit as many blogs as I like and comment even less (lurkerdom suits me, what can I say?). I do love my friend India Carolina's blog, so go read it!

YOUR TURN: Have any agent tips to share? Did you vote for us over at the Preditors & Editors' Readers Choice poll? (See, I can be as shameless as the rest!)

P.S. to Mom and "Dad": Happy 20th Anniversary!

Getting What You Didn't Pay For

I'm the one at the end of the meeting -- when everything professional has been said by everyone else -- who leans back and says, "Anyone wanna get a beer?"

Sometimes, I think that's what Thursday Maven means to me. Now that you've had a) a rundown of what it means to be a ninja rockstar b) an orderly, functional list of conferences you could attend in your area and c) a professional's viewpoint on the benefits of local conferences over national ones (and knowing there may well be an e) Special Guest Blogger tomorrow *crosses fingers*), I'm left with d). Let's party hard, all up in this joint.

If a conference is semi-local or you're feeling generous with your hard-earned money, you may find yourself staying at the conference hotel with the out of town peeps. But let's say the conference is practically in your backyard, and you are broker than... Well, can't spoil one of my favorite lines from my own ms, can I?

But anyway, you may very well end up staying at your own place. This is not very conference-y. Being in the bar is where it's at; I think we can all agree on that. Even if you're going Shirley Temple on me (and you're not, because if you were we would not be friends), you're in the bar. You're dishing with La Nora or La Dodd or the Elizabeth Hoyts of the world (are there more? No, that's just a term I'm bandying about...sigh). Or better yet, an agent or three. This is because the primary purpose most people have when going to conferences is to meet Important People Who Could Potentially Improve Your Career.

So...wait a minute. Who says you have to be staying at the hotel to go to the bar, right? You totally don't. Bar's a public place, as I'm fond of saying. You can pop in at any time.

Which is all to say that, God forbid, should you ask my advice on something (and people always do, even though I warn them this could get you into Very Big Trouble, or at the least, Very Awkward Situations), I would tell you that you SHOULD drop in on the conference bar. Even if you don't actually attend the conference itself. And if a group of people *happen* to be going out to dinner right near where you live, then you may as well *happen* to be there, too, right?

Are you getting the fact that my sole experience with the Emerald City Conference happened without me being registered? Because you should be.

I'm not encouraging fly-by-night dropping in on conferences. I'm just saying, should one happen to be taking place in your backyard, and should you happen to be a procrastinating slacker who forgot to actually register for it, then why should you also miss out on what's sure to be a great time? And possible editor requests? And gossiping with Julia Quinn, Shirley Karr and others?

I'm just saying.

So tell me: have you ever crashed anything, ever? And do you have a good story -- or a story you could make good -- to share with the rest of us? Or am I the only underhanded schmuck in the room?

Taking Advantage of Chapter Conferences

Now that you've heard Darcy's glowing report on the Georgia Romance Writers' Midnight and Magnolias conference, I bet you're all dying to attend a similar conference yourselves. I know I am!

But while it's pretty hard to miss when and where the RWA National Conference will be held in any given year, finding a good chapter conference that's located near you isn't always so easy. I discovered this because I started looking myself and discovered, to my horror, that there apparently isn't one easy-to-locate calendar of chapter conferences on the web. Oh, I'm sure there is one. Possibly even more than one. But Google searches for variations on the words "RWA," "chapter," and "conference" didn't net me what I was looking for.

So, my public service for today will be to provide you with the dates of and links to upcoming chapter conferences. This is by no means a comprehensive list, I'm sure, and some of these conferences may already be fully booked. I've covered everything I could find from this week through July of 2008, when of course, we'll all be busy in San Francisco! And I would absolutely love it if you let me know of anything I missed. Since it's apparently quite difficult to find this information in one place on the Web, I think it would be fabulous if the Mavens could be the source. So if I missed anything, post in the comments and I'll update accordingly!

October 5-6, 2007
New Jersey Romance Writers: Put Your Heart in a Book Conference

October 12-14, 2007
Romance Writers Ink: Cimarron Dreamin' Conference (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

October 19-21, 2007
Surrey International Writers' Conference (Surrey, British Columbia)
This one isn't RWA-related, but it is romance friendly and agents who represent romance (Lauren Abramo, Kristin Nelson) will be there.

October 26-28, 2007
Greater Seattle Romance Writers: Emerald City Writers' Conference

November 10, 2007
Calgary Romance Writers: Brenda Novak Workshop

February 9-10, 2008
Lowcountry Romance Wrtiers: Blake Snyder Beat Sheet Weekend Seminar (Charleston, South Carolina)

February 29-March 2, 2008
Celebrate Romance Conference (Columbia, South Carolina)

March 28-30, 2008
First Coast Romance Writers: Southern Lights Writers Conference (Pensacola, Florida)

March 28-29, 2008
Central New York Romance Writers: Maggie Lawson's Empowering Characters' Emotions (Syracuse, New York)

April 4-5, 2008
Dallas Area Romance Authors: Dreamin' in Dallas Conference

April 4-6, 2008
Desert Rose RWA: Desert Dreams Conference (Phoenix, Arizona)

April 11-12, 2008
New England Chapter: Let Your Imagination Take Flight (Boston, Massachussetts)

April 11-13, 2008
Gulf Coast Romance Writers: Silken Sands (Pensacola Beach, Florida)

April 25-26, 2008
Chicago-North RWA: Spring Fling 2008 (Deerfield, Illinois)

May 16-18, 2008
Wisconsin Romance Writers of America: Write Touch Conference (Green Bay, Wisconsin)

June 14, 2008
Capital Region RWA: CR-RWA Annual Conference (Albany, New York)

YOUR TURN: Okay, clue us in. Do you know of any other chapter conferences coming up between now and July of 2008? If you do, dish!

P.S. I almost forgot. Okay, okay, I DID forget! The horror! Today is Maven Erica's birthday. I'm pretty sure she's turning 21 or something like that. Pop over to her blog and wish her a happy day!

Moonlight and Magnolia Madness!

Happy Monday Mavenland! (Oooh, I've been wanting to say that!) I just got back yesterday from the fabulous 25th Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in Atlanta, sponsored by Georgia Romance Writers. What a lovely group of women and a what a wonderful time! Where to begin?

I arrived late Thursday so the conference started on Friday morning for me. They had a pitch workshop where authors helped 100 attendees (the first 100 who signed up, which sadly didn't include me). I picked up excellent nuggets of information from several people who did attend - did I mention how friendly and lovely these women are? - while I waited to give my first pitch. And how'd the pitch go? Very well, thank you!

Friday afternoon included a CIA workshop and some great networking opportunities. India Carolina (my spectacular roommate and fellow Maggie finalist!) and I chatted with Madeline Hunter (see picture), whose The Rules of Seduction I'd just finished reading on the plane. She told us about her new live-action trailer for her latest release, Lessons of Desire. Do check it out at her website, it's great! Madeline was so kind to ask about what we were pitching and encouraged us to pitch what we are currently working on as well as what we've completed. Editors and agents love to know that you have more, more, more! This was one of the highlights of my weekend, so thank you Madeline!

Friday night, India and I went to dinner with some of the GRW gals and Manda Collins from Romance Vagabonds (see pics). J Perry Stone made reservations for us at Ibbalito's (not sure that's remotely spelled correctly, but I blame the garlic hangover!), an Italian restaurant with the most fabulous garlic rolls you've ever tasted. See the picture, which I took specifically for Maven Lacey who loves to photograph food. Thank you friends for making me and India feel so welcome. We had a blast!

Saturday was workshop day. Lots of great information and good times. Saturday's luncheon speaker was Linda Howard who shared hilarious tales of stubborn cows and mattress delivery disasters (seriously funny stuff, people). After the workshops was a booksigning, where I had my picture snapped with one of our Maven faves, Elizabeth Hoyt (see pic). Elizabeth gave a great workshop on polishing to publish. Excellent information, friends!

The book signing also included the raffle drawing, which was incredibly hard to hear as everyone chatted up their favorite authors. That didn't stop us from clutching our tickets and hoping desperately for the critique from whichever author, agent, or editor we wanted most. India put down some serious bucks for a few she really, really wanted. And why not? It worked because her ticket was drawn for a critique from Cindy Hwang at Berkley. Go India! Sadly, I got a big donut. Actually, I didn't event get a donut. I would have liked a donut...

Moving on to the big gig: the Maggie ceremony. Naturally, I was nervous as all get-out. I knew I would feel good with however it turned out because, honestly, being a finalist was such an honor in itself and it brought me to the conference, which was a fantastic experience. At this point, I was just pleased as punch and would have very much liked to skip the ceremony! But, alas, everyone else wanted to do it.

Finalists got reserved seating up close, so India and I sat at a table with GRW president and published long contemporary finalist, Anna DeStefano, published long contemporary finalist, Seressia Glass, unpublished short contemporary finalist (and winner!) Trish Milburn, published long contemporary finalist (and winner!), Tanya Michaels, and unpublished single title finalist (and winner! are you sensing a theme at this table??), Leslie Tentler. We were in great company! They announced the finalists for each category and then announced the winners Miss America-style, meaning they counted down from honorable mention to first. Every time they said a name in my category and it wasn't mine, my stomach dropped a little further toward the floor. After four names, it was first or second place for me and I could barely hear for the roaring in my ears. When they announced Glorious as second place, I just beamed (so much that my face hurt later!). I can't tell you how palpable the excitement was! Everyone was so gracious and wonderful, and just, wow. The whole evening was incredibly inspiring. The GRW website doesn't have the winners posted yet, but be sure to check back later!

After the ceremony, there was a very loud DJ (I'm getting so old) and yummy dessert bar. Finally, I could handle a glass of wine! We hung out with our buddies and thought seriously about coming back next year (October 3-5, 2008!). What a ride! Thank you Georgia Romance Writers!!!

Tell us about your local conference experiences. If you haven't been to one, what are you waiting for? I flew across country for this one and let me tell you, it was worth it!

Contest Squee!

I just learned last night that Glorious finaled in the 2007 Maggie Contest (Georgia Romance Writers). I am so thrilled! I am considering attending GRW's Moonlight and Magnolias Conference at the end of September. I hadn't planned on going because it's my husband's birthday, but he's the one who suggested I go. Anyone else going?

More Conference Fun

I have to say I am so sad I don't have more pictures from the RWA National Conference. I have two and they're both posted here. Yes, it's the same group of gorgeous ladies, but each picture features different people looking good and different people, well, looking away from the camera. These are some of the FanLit folks and it was sure fun to meet them in person! Sadly, I don't know everyone's name, but I do know Beverley Kendall, Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, India Carolina, Cynthia Falcon, Jacqueline, Sara Lindsey, Erica, and Lacey. I'm sort of in the middle - my hair looks much lighter in this picture than in the one in the TV over there (because it is - I do that in the summer). I also decided to have bangs the week before the conference, but that's a whole other blog post.

One of the reasons I don't have more pictures is that I was so excited to just be there. I was literally sucking the life from every moment. I wanted to take pictures at the super fun Romance Divas dinner on Thursday night, but that was the one time I didn't have my camera! I also would have taken more pictures Saturday night when these were taken, but unfortunately the transfer of my camera for these photos included an accidental drop and my camera refused to work after that. Never fear, for we did have someone take a Maven picture. Now, if I could just remember who that was...

I'm not sure what more I can highlight that everyone else hasn't already discussed. I really loved the pitch/giggle fest with the SIRENs (see Lacey's blog). Jacqueline is right that pitching to them was much more nervewracking than the pitches themselves! Very, very helpful though (and bigger, sexier, and more fun!). Can't wait for San Francisco. Actually, I can't wait for Emerald City in October. Smaller venue and crowd, but I'm guessing it'll be the same fun ride.

Who else is going to Emerald City? Come on west-coasters, it's in Seattle! What other conferences/events are you planning to attend this year?

Failure to Meet Expectations

The title of this post came to me for two reasons:

1. I know you were expecting Erica today, but instead you get me. Sorry 'bout that, but Erica and I decided to swap days this week because I was ready to post and she wasn't. (Of course, then it took me until mid-afternoon to get around to it, so maybe I wasn't that ready after all!)

2. The RWA conference totally failed to live up to every one of my expectations. And in the most spectacular, wonderful way possible.

Obviously, I'm not going to spend the rest of the blog talking about the first one. Those of you who clicked over here for Erica's wisdom and insights are just going to have to suck it up and wait for tomorrow :>!

But on the second one...ah, lots of fodder!

Before I can explain why I was so surprised, I probably have to explain what I expected before I got there. And I'm honestly not completely sure I can articulate (especially not on the little sleep I've had this week), but I know I didn't expect to walk away with such ebullience and optimism about how we are all going to be published if only we'll never, ever give up.

A big part of the reason I expected a "downer" was probably because I'd gotten some very disheartening contest feedback right before I left on my family vacation at the end of June (check out my blog for some photos of our trip). I didn't really have time to digest that information nor to do anything about it before I left, but I was really feeling that I'd spent a lot of time writing a book that was just never, ever going to work. (And that still might be true, but I digress...)

Anyway, the point of that information is that I figured going to the conference would just convince me even further that I'm a talentless hack who'll never sell anything beyond my one, tiny novellla which was obviously just a fluke. Because, after all, I was going to a place where at least 1,200 other authors and aspiring authors would be, vying for the very few and very coveted slots that publishers have to offer. How could that be anything but a competitive and depressing environment? Yes, the Mavens would be there to keep my chin up and I was looking forward to spending time with them, but I wasn't looking much beyond that for a positive experience.

Needless to say, my expectations were entirely controverted. To a person (and I don't say "to a woman" because a few of the writers as well as industry professionals in attendance were men), everyone I met was friendly, encouraging, and supportive. Even (get this) the industry professionals made me feel positive and hopeful about pursuing publication, and I figured they'd be the first ones to slap us all down by pointing out just how poor the odds for succeeding actuaally are. None of them did. Instead, they all emphasized over and over again that it's mostly a matter of finding the right person who'll love and fight for your story, more about timing and perseverance than about luck. And whether they were just saying that to be nice or not doesn't matter, because I believed them!

The other thing that struck me was just how many of the writers I met turned out to be published. I'd guess that at least a third or maybe even three-fifths of the authors I met were wearing the red "PAN" badges. Maybe that should have depressed me. After all, if there are thaat many published authors, how can there be room left for the unwashed and unpublished folks like me? But somehow, I had the opposite reaction. Look how many people are published! Maybe it's not quite as impossible as it somehow seems when I can go to a conference like this and meet not tens of them, but hundreds of them, most of whom I've never even heard of.

I think the fact that I didn't recognize the names of the vast majority of published authors I met made me realize what a small sliver of the romance publishing industry I actually pay attention to. I didn't meet many published authors of historical romances that I'd never heard of (though I shared a bus and then a cab ride with Pamela Clare, whose Colonial-set Surrender was up for a RITA in long historical; I admit, I'd never heard of her or the book, though I plan to buy it now that I know about it), but even so, I got a warm, fuzzy feeling from the fact that so many people are published. They were first-time authors once, too, after all. Everyone who's published had to make a first sale. Had to convince an agent, an editor, or both that her work was worth taking a chance on. And so many of them did, it boggles my mind a little!

So it's not impossible, my friends. Difficult as hell, yes. But not such a long-shot as to be wholly outside the realm of possibility. And I have to admit, before the conference, I was leaning toward the "beyond the realm of possibility" side of the equation.

Of course, I also had a blast because I spent most of my time with the Mavens (and this was actually the first time I've met Erica in person, and she's every bit as much fun in real life as she is online!) and a whole bunch of other folks I've known only online since Avon's FanLit contest last year but had never met in person. I hope nobody takes the order of the following list as significant in any way, because it's not, but I so enjoyed hanging out with Beverley, TessaD, Courtney, India, Sara, Santa (who doesn't seem to have a blog or website!), Chris, Cynthia, Amanda (of Romance Vagabonds), and J. Perry Stone (who I'm not sure was a FanLitter but I know I've run into at Squawk and elsewhere online). I also had a ton of fun on Saturday night with some of Lacey's friends from last year's conference, including Shannon Greenland, Tara Greenbaum, and Delilah Ahrendt (who was up for a Golden Heart in long historical this year) and her husband. So much fun, in fact, that I darned near forgot to go to bed (and when I did, failed to sleep!).

Meeting Tessa Woodward and Esi Sogah from Avon after the Golden Heart and RITA ceremony was also quite a kick. Turns out, they're just real people like the rest of us ;->.

So, all in all, it was just a fabulous experience. There's still lots more industry dish and insight to share, but I'm way too exhausted at this point to ananlyze much of anything past the fun parts and the amazing amount of joy and support I felt. I was surrounded by a bunch of people who love romance--reading it and writing it. And that, my friends, is what's priceless!

YOUR TURN: Did you make it to Dallas? What did you come away with? What was your best (or worst) moment? (And no, Darcy, this doesn't mean you get to tell the cockroach story a second time!) And if you didn't make it, have I convinced you to come hang out in San Francisco with us next year?

A Sweet End to A Sweet Conference

Like the other Mavens, I'm wiped out, but blissfully so. The end of my trip to Dallas was pretty nifty. I took a shuttle to the airport with a bunch of other writers. All of them were flying American, but I was flying Alaska operated by American. We debated on whether I should go to the American terminal or the Alaska terminal (for the record, I thought American - but if I'd listened to myself, I wouldn't have this cool story to tell), but the majority agreed I should check in at Alaska. I got out at terminal E only to be told I had to go to American at Terminal A. Out I went to wait for the airport shuttle to get to terminal A.

Now, why is it that when you want transporation to a hotel, all you see are airport shuttles? And now when I needed an airport shuttle, all I saw were stupid hotel shuttles?

Here's where things get warm and fuzzy. Another passenger on my flight, an older woman with a cane (Sally - which is also my grandmother's name) had also gone to the wrong terminal. I'm not sure of the relationship between her and the younger woman who drove her to the airport and nor do I remember the younger woman's name, but I will call her Romance Fan for the purposes of this post. Romance Fan went to fetch her minivan to drive Sally to Terminal A. Sally asked Romance Fan if she could fit one more. How sweet of them to drive me! (When my mother told me never to accept rides from strangers, I don't think she had this in mind.)

In the minivan, Romance Fan asked what I was doing in Dallas and I told them about the RWA Conference. She gushed that she loved reading romances and asked what I'd written. I chuckled and explained that I am just starting to query and pitch my book. She was very interested in the whole process and I ended up giving her my card because she wanted to remember me for when I am published. How sweet is that? Now, I had a bag full of books in the back of Romance Fan's minivan and thought a fitting thank you would be the conveyance of one of the books I'd gotten at the conference. As it happened, I decided to give her The Leopard Prince, not because it was the one book in my bag that I'd already read, but because it was the one book I had that was signed by the author, but not specifically to me (and I love this book a lot and it was nice to give Romance Fan a personal favorite). I can't tell you how touched this woman was to receive the book and that it was signed by the author. The whole exchange just gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. She then promised to buy all my books as soon as they're published. I laughed and thanked her profusely. I can't express how cool Romance Fan thought it was to meet me, a writer. It didn't matter that I was unpublished and not remotely famous. She's a romance reader who connected with someone who writes the stories that she loves.

I know I made her day. Romance Fan, you made my year.

Beyond Exhaustion

Made it home from Dallas around 9:30 this morning. After a brief scare, I discovered the airline hadn't lost my suitcase containing (prepare to squee!) my autographed copy of the ARC of Lisa Kleypas's Mine Till Midnight (the fifth "Wallflower" book).

I am more tired than I've ever been in my life. (I pulled an involuntary all-nighter last night after staying up until 3:00 and then not being able to fall asleep before I had to get up at 5:45 to make my flight.)

I think it's quite possible that I had more fun than I have ever had in my life. And I totally didn't expect that. I'd love to share more about why the whole thing was so spectacularly awesome, but I'm too exhausted to be coherent and, what's more, I have to throw a sleepover birthday party for my ten-year-old son. (Hey, I didn't KNOW I'd only sleep 10 hours over the four nights I was in Dallas when I agreed to this plan!)

Catch y'all on Tuesday, though I'm sure Erica will beat me to lots of the fun news on Monday!

Things Scarier Than a Pitch

Greetings from Dallas! What a whirlwind couple of days it has been. Getting ready for drinks and dinner shortly, but wanted to check in. This morning I had my first pitch. I was nervous as hell, but she was so incredibly wonderful and nice and opened the pitch in the manner I was so hoping for (with small talk in case you were wondering). It went really well and I'm actually excited to pitch again.

So after lunch, I went back to the pitch room in the off chance I might get another opportunity to hone my pitching skills. I ran into a chapter mate and we chatted for several minutes. I felt a tickle on my foot and glanced down. To my horror, a large cockroach was sitting on my open toed shoe. I'm from Oregon. We don't have roaches, let alone bugs the size of a small rodent (I might be exaggerating, but not by much). I shrieked. I jumped out of my shoe. I shrieked some more. I didn't approach my shoe for the roach was not in the least intimidated. Thankfully a hotel employee noticed my distress (how could he not? I think the entire pitch room turned and stared) and came to my aid. Sorry to inform any roach lovers that he stomped on it and disposed of the ginormous carcass. Thankfully, I didn't have to pitch right after that. Let's just hope I can sleep tonight. Shudder.

All the Ways I'm Not Ready for Dallas

My flight leaves at 5:15 this afternoon. I haven't packed yet. I haven't even figured out what to take yet. But I'm not worried about that. That's normal for me.

No, what I'm worried about is all the other ways I know I'm totally unprepared for the spectacle and information overload that is bound to be the RWA National Conference.

Over the past few months, veteran conference Mavens Erica and Lacey have been sharing insider tips with first-timers Darcy and me. And now, a day before the conference, I realize that I've followed through on almost none of them.

In no particular order, here are the things I meant to do before the conference but somehow never managed to!

1. Get business cards

   Actually, I did do this. The trouble was, they were completely illegible. Turns out the font was way too small for anyone with normal human eyesight to read. But who could tell that on the website when I proofed them? They looked fine to me.

   Okay, I redesigned them with a larger, more legible font and reordered. Except...um, whoops, they still haven't arrived and when I looked yesterday at my order history, I discovered the second order never went through. Damn!

   Fortunately, Erica consoled me by saying the she doesn't have business cards and never has and it's never been a problem. Whew!

2. Get a manicure and a pedicure

   Apparently, cute nails are de rigeur at conference. Unfortunately for me, mine are going to be as ugly as always.

   Okay, this is probably more than you want to know about me, but I have terrible nails. If I have polish put on them, they crack and split. (They crack and split anyway, but it's worse if I polish them.) At one point in my life, I had very pretty acrylic nails and it was great because I never got hangnails, but I can't commit to having them again because I just don't have the time to go get them filled every two weeks.

   And while I suppose I could still have a manicure and pedicure without the polish, I'd have to take the kids. Can you see three kids under 10 sitting still while Mom gets her fingers and toes done? I can't!

3. Prepare my pitch

   Yeah, I know this one is really dumb. Everyone--but everyone--should be prepared to pitch her manuscripts at conference, not just during her editor and agent appointments, but also to any random passerby or stranger with whom she happens to get trapped in an elevator. But I haven't prepared. Instead, I'm going to try to do it cold.

   After all, I make my living in part by giving presentations and I rarely rehearse them. If I know my material, I can talk about it. And there's nothing I should know better than my own book, right?

   So I'm winging it, kids!

4. Save space for books

   This one, oddly, is the one I'm most freaking out over. Not because I can't bring the books home, but because I have no place to put them once I get them here! Every bookshelf in my house is filled to capacity and every wall that can have a bookshelf on it already has one. Seriously, I think if I bring one more book into the house, I'll be looking at divorce.

   And will I have time to read them anyway? No! But how can I say to no books? Especially author-signed books. Ack!

If you're going to Dallas (or even if you're not), please reassure with me stories of all the ways you have failed to adequately prepare yourself. Ever get to the airport and have a last-minute panic attack when you realized you forgot something vital at home or think you might have left the stove/oven/iron turned on? Do tell!

Pitching Details -- To Be Avoided Whenever Possible

Erica is so freaking awesome, but in case you somehow missed the news...SHE FINALED THREE TIMES IN THE TARA CONTEST! And her cp, Kelly, finaled, too. I don't know about you, but I'm impressed beyond belief. Triple-wow!

So last night I met up with a few of my chapter gals to go see Shannon Hale sign Austenland. After the signing, which was hilarious for a lot of reasons I'm not going into right now, I went out with one of them for drinks. Which was very cool, since it was a Wednesday and I had to stay up way past my bedtime to do it. Of course, it's not hard to stay up past my bedtime. I have to be at work at 6am. Speaking of which, I'm late.

Anyway, she's very new to this whole thing and y'all know how much I lurve to share my opinion. HA-ha! Captive audience! World domination ensues...

Imagine my surprise when I returned home to see Erica's just posted a really fantastic pitching blog. It wasn't there when I left, I swear! /smacks forehead

But that's ok. Even though I saw a new, clean pitch drafted by Darcy in response to Erica's blog -- which means Erica somehow managed to make her point in under the 3 hours it took me to -- I looked through didn't see the same level of detail I'd used over drinks. Probably because Erica has a life. And no mango margarita :-)

So here's what I think is important (and it definitely goes WITH what Erica said) (Btw, Erica, what's a GMC-D hook? I know a GMC hook is what I'm describing here -- Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, but what is D? A typo? Quoting an email thread from a long time ago).

You need to find the core of your story and then you need to find a way to stick to it while you're pitching. Here's why: the agent or editor is going to interrupt your every next sentence to ask for clarification on a point. That's fine -- it's what they do, right? But at the same time, you're still responsible for delivering the story hook to them. If they get sidetracked on how your Shawano heroine got to England and you never manage to get to the reason why she's a great foil for the hero, you look like you have a very implausible character in a manuscript with no plot and a heap of backstory.

As I suggested to my new little friend (insert diabolical accent here), if the editor (or agent) tries to start asking questions that YOU KNOW have no real bearing on the story you're trying to tell, find a way to answer the question in a way that brings the conversation back around to the point. Example (yes, I'm quoting myself; bite me):

"My heroine is brazen, wild, and actually pretty violent. As a Shawano warrior, violence is all she's known. She needs the hero to--"

Editor interrupts. "What did you say?"

"Uh, I said she's Shawano. Like the Indians. Er, Native Americans, but of course they were called Indians in 1814."

"Why is the heroine a Shawano warrior? I totally don't get that. How'd she get to England?"

"Oh! Of course! Well, let me explain..."

So here's where it gets tricky. The editor or agent will interrupt you a LOT. You think they're either interested in your story or trying to find giant plotholes and you start to get nervous, so you start to blather trying to answer everything (in the meantime, you feel like you sound totally stupid and your confidence starts to plummet). GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF! You're treading in dangerous water. If you don't ever make it back to why the hero and heroine can't be together, then you may use up 10 minutes bumbling on about your really complicated plot and never make your point. Then she'll close with, "Well, that sounds very fascinating and well-researched, but I can't see what's going to sustain the novel for the 100K words you were talking about. Plus I'm really confused."

Doh!

Don't panic if this starts happening. Just try and make the conversation come back to the conflict. So above, I might say, "Well, the heroine's father made some pretty debatable choices when he was her age, and she's been raised very differently than most of your RS-H heroines. Basically, this is what makes her a great foil for the hero. He'd like to overcome his very undeserved, very dark reputation so he can have a normal life. But the heroine is all about danger and darkness. 'Normal,' in her world, means surviving to see the next day, and she has no interest in changing this. She thinks that would make her weak. They're drawn to each other, but they have completely different values and a lot to learn about balance before they can be together."

So to summarize:

a) DO practice talking about your story in English
b) DO be prepared to be interrupted every 5th word
c) DO ask if the story sounds right for her
d) DO act like you LOVE your story as much as is humanly possible without coming off false

See all the hms and uhs and wells I put in my example? It's OK to talk like that! Just keep smiling. Say "Good question" if you need a minute to think. DON'T FREAK OUT. You'll only have 3-5 if it's a group session and 10 if it's just you. That may seem like forever at the time, but it can be easy to be sidetracked and use it up on nothing in particular. You will want to ask HER questions, so don't let the time get away from you. It may seem like the more time you spend talking about your ms, the better, but in truth she won't remember anything you say. YOU, however? She'll remember YOU. Sell yourself, not your ms. Be a good listener. And for goodness sakes, act interested in your own story! (Side note: When I did my pitch session in Atlanta, the lady goes, "Oh, you do voices, too?" Well, it wasn't on purpose, but I was nervous. When I'm nervous I let my mouth run. Benefit? She loved voices.)

Anyone else have some great pitching advice? (Yes, I'm calling our advice great. Hey, that's part of self-promotion!) Horror pitching stories? Great experiences?