Leaving on a Jet Plane

Next Wednesday I’ll be leaving on a jet plane to Dallas for the RWA National Conference. This is my first writing conference ever. I'm excited. There are many, many things I'm looking forward to but here are my top ten.

First and foremost, I'll meet my writing friends face to face. Old and new. My old friends include friends from Affairs of the Pen, Barbara Samuel's Girls in the Basement Class, and other online groups, such as the new RWA Elements chapter. I've never met any of them in person, including Macy, Katrina and Jacqueline, and we're sharing a room! I can't wait to give them all hugs, see their facial expressions, laugh, chat over coffee, discuss the past year's successes and make plans for the future. Some I know better than others, but I'm looking forward to making stronger connections. Then, there's my new friends I have yet to meet. I don't know who they are, but I'll find them. We'll talk, find common ground and keep in touch, hook up at other conferences. Writers are so interesting. They're my kind of people and I can't wait to be surrounded.

Second, I expect the conference energy level to be high octane, positive and amazing. Everyone there will have a purpose-- agents, editors, writers, booksellers, librarians, readers-- and those purposes will all be related to books, glorious books, of the romance variety! Sounds like my kind of party.

As an aside here, I'm afraid I may drive my roommates a little bananas because I tend to be excitable and extroverted when I attend certain kinds of events-- the kind of events that interest me. Rock concerts, Mardi Gras, the RWA National Conference, Book Expo, a happening dance party, a sports event (football, hockey, basketball-- doesn't really matter--although I get less hopped up about baseball for some reason.) I hope I don't keep them up all night or completely drain the introverts!

Anyway, back to the energy. I hope to bottle it, take it home and ride the wave all the way to three finished manuscripts before I hit my two year mark as a writer in April 2008- which, incidentally, is the month of Chicago North RWA's Spring Fling Conference.

Third, I 'm going to be hanging out with professionals in the book biz. Who knows who I'll bump into in the rest room , the elevator, at workshops or over dinner? I'm a newbie writer but I'm also a reading fanatic. I can't wait to see, and possibly meet, some of the writers whose books have warmed my heart, spoken to my soul, made me laugh out loud, given me reason to smile for days, enlightened me, provided inspiration, turned me on or moved me in some way. And then there are the agents and editors I hope to work with some day. I've heard they are all remarkably kind and interested in what you write, ahem, as long as you don't make a complete arse out of yourself.

Fourth, we get free books. Hello? Free books. Have I mentioned that I'm a bibliophile. I worked at Borders and used to get giddy when the book shipments arrived. Ahhh. Just the smell. I can't wait to visit the goody room, the book fair and the literacy signing. Can. Not. Wait.

I actually think the "Readers for Life"Literacy Autographing is very cool. It appeals to my philanthropic and education-oriented self and it's something I'd like to be more involved with in the future. The RWA brochure states--

Each year RWA and ProLiteracy Worldwide unite to raise money to fight adult illiteracy through the Literacy Autographing. Since this partnership began, over half a million dollars has been raised toward this cause.

Lordy, I hope there's a way to ship books home:)

Fifth, workshops, workshops, workshops. I look at the conference as a huge learning experience. I want to soak up as much information as possible. Most of the workshops I'm interested in focus on craft. Some of the titles and presenters include--

Writing the Unputdownable Novel with Joan Johnston
Laughing All the Way to the Bank with Karen Hawkins
Hook an Editor on the First Page with Diana Love Snell, Caren Johnson and Annie Oortman
Novel Dissection 101--What Makes a Book Tick with Scott Eagan
From Identity to Essence--Love Stories & Transformation with Michael Hauge
Uniting Plot Structure and Character Arc with Michael Hauge
Power Pacing with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary Buckham and Dianna Love Snell
Layering in Lusciousness with Barbara Samuel

Actually, there are so many that sound good, I hope I won't be simply flitting from room to room.

Sixth, the spotlights! A chance to talk with editors. Ask questions. Find out what they want. This is related to hanging out with people in the biz, but a tad more formal. It's a chance to really connect some dots, get the facts. I'm looking forward to Bantam, Kensington, Avon and St. Martin's Press, but,egads, St. Martin's Press goes on the same time as SEP.

Can't do it.

Seventh, SEP!!! Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Have I mentioned that I love, love, love her books? If you thought I forgot her when I mentioned the workshops, think again. The woman deserves her own category. She's presenting two workshops--

1. The Secrets of the Bestselling Sisterhood. Added bonus? Jayne Anne Krentz is co-presenting. There will be a lot of gushing and hero worship going down Friday afternoon from 2-3 p.m.

2.Writing the Best Seller:Six Magic Words. More gushing and hero worship on Saturday from 8:30 -9:30 a.m.

Eighth, Death by Chocolate, the Daphne du Maurier Awards on Thursday night, and not just because of the chocolate. Macy's up for an award and I think she'll win! Yaaaaay. (Even if she doesn't win for some strange reason, I'm very, very proud of her and happy for her, and we'll have a kick arse time.)

Ninth, the Golden Heart and Rita awards on Saturday night. We get to dress up and daydream about winning our own awards one day. Fun, fun.

Tenth, just chilling out and bonding a bit, hopefully over Mexican food Friday night, but at other times as well, with Macy, Jackie and Katrina once we've settled in and gotten over the initial awkwardness of matching up the online persona with the real person. This is different from my first and foremost-- meeting old and new writer friends-- because it's about cementing the deal we've made-- us four along with Roxy and Samantha-- and living out the friendships and writing support network we've created so that someday we can be that writing group Macy daydreams about-- the one with all the successful writers who are friends-- and we can laugh in a decade, when we're the ones presenting workshops, about our very first conference, together. Remember when . . .

Cheers and happy writing,
Alyson