To mourn being a Left Behind for the RT convention, I’ll take a look ahead to being a Left Behind for the RWA convention. After torturing myself with the recently-arrived schedule for Nationals, here are the workshops I’ll most miss not getting to attend:
It’s Not Just Sex—An Insider’s Look at Erotic Romance—Jaci Burton, Cricket Starr, and Mardi Ballou
I would give anything to be in the room to see how many ladies keel over in a dead faint when Jaci says :censor: for the first time. Out loud. At an RWA function.
Life Insurance: Writing for More Than One Publisher—Dianne Castell, Lucy Monroe, Roberta Brown and Kate Duffy
While I could never get up the courage to actually speak to her, I hope to someday get the chance to at least breathe the same air as Kate Duffy. Hearing her speak on such an interesting topic would just be gravy, really.
The Career Doctor—Irene Goodman
Irene Goodman? I’m there.
Creating the Action Adventure Heroine—Vicki Hinze and Natashya Wilson
A must-attend workshop for somebody with a Bombshell in the works, I would imagine. Someday I’ll finish mine, but out of respect for the current Bombshell authors, I’ll put it off as long as possible. Unfortunately, my finishing a manuscript for H/S seems to be some kind of signal for editors to jump ship and lines to close. Once, I accomplished both.
Writing Humor, Seriously—Laurie Brown and Lucienne Diver
I highlighted this one, then changed my mind. I think the “funny” is the most dangerous aspect of voice to start tinkering with.
Writing Harder, Faster—Jennifer LaBrecque, Rhonda Nelson, and Brenda Chin
Hell, who wouldn’t want to do that?
RWA “Idol”—Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman, and Lucia Macro
I think “cold read” workshops are fascinating. I think I’ve learned more from my well-worn type of Leslie Wainger’s cold-reading synopses workshop from NY than all my other tapes combined. How-to’s are all well and good, but an editor (or agent) just freely saying what comes into her mind during her reading is invaluable. (Apparently I didn’t learn not to start two sentences in a row with ‘I think’.)
Show Me the Money!—Brenda Hiatt
I think this one speaks for itself. I bet publishers releasing their new authors’ advances/income would cut down on their slush piles.
Revisions 102++—Jennifer Crusie
Oh, HELLO! I can barely even type at the thought of this workshop, so I can just imagine what an ass I’d make of myself if I actually attended. Jenny Crusie AND help with revisions? Hot DAYUM!
(I must pause to sob uncontrollably.)
Query Letter Critique—Kate Duffy
I’ve already mentioned my love of cold reads. Throw in Kate Duffy, and…sorry, had to sob again.
Chat with…Suzanne Brockmann
You betcha! And that includes coffee, right?
Blaze—Not the Same Old Sexy Romance—Brenda Chin and Kathryn Lye
Join the Harlequin Blaze editors to discuss the current line and upcoming changes. Changes? (I don’t have a hyperventilating smilie.)
Ten Tips for Writing a Romance That Works!—Leslie Wainger
I probably would skip this one if it wasn’t Leslie Wainger’s. Since her promotion closed down her eHQ discussion thread, I’ve missed her (semi) daily dose of straight-shooting.
I guess that’s not bad, though. When it comes time to actually buy tapes, there are probably seven I’ll get. It’ll still be cheaper than dropping a thousand dollars to attend 13 workshops, avoid a bunch of people who think I should be kicked out (or my publisher, anyway—same thing, as far as I’m concerned), eat wedding food, and die of heat exhaustion.
One of these days I’ll get to meet people in real life. (I did get to meet Kate R, though. We’ve already covered how I hid in my dark, shadowy corner. *g*)
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Not related to you post, but am I the only one who thinks the couple on the cover of Magnolia Summer (in your sidebar) are SO doing it! :nookie:
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I would give anything to be in the room to see how many ladies keel over in a dead faint when Jaci says :censor: for the first time. Out loud. At an RWA function.
Oh Lawd! I can’t imagine. I’ve only been to one RT convention, years ago (generally I’ll only go if they give me one of those award plaques), and there were some black erotic dancers there courtesy of Genesis Press after hours. There was alcohol a’plenty at the conference, and these guys weren’t whitebread, fancy pants erotic dancers, they were a touch nasty (I must admit, I was impressed when one lifted that chair with his dick). The white ladies freaked. Went and got the management in an extremely huffed, I-mah-faint over that big-black-dick tizzy. It was worth the price of admission alone.
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Sorry you’ll miss the workshops, Shannon. Though I understand your $$$ concern, I’ve found what happens in the bar at National much more interesting than the classes. In NY ’03 I snagged an agent and she made my first sale. I love conference, though there are only three workshops I felt like I’d make a point to attend.
And, yeah, Nyani knows how to throw a Genesis party. We had a ball at the RT convention in Reno ’02.
If you change your mind, and decide to attend, there are ways to get the most out of it, and that doesn’t include being herded from one workshop to the next. Nope…stay close to where the booze are bing served.
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Join the Harlequin Blaze editors to discuss the current line and upcoming changes. Changes? (I don’t have a hyperventilating smilie.)
Action/adventure, time-travel, futuristic, psycho thrillers . . . that’s all I can remember off the top of my tiny brained head.
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you’ve gone pink. yikes.
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Kitty, it looks like fun, too, doesn’t it? I HEART Magnolia Summer!
Larissa, you and I should wreak some havoc from home during Nationals. We could come up with fun s-p-a-m to run around and comment everybody with.
O.M.G. :lmao: I SO wish I could have seen that. I’d have been taking pictures of the horrified ladies screaming for management. “There’s a black man rearranging the furniture with his :censor:!”
Renee, the last time I went to the NEC conference I ended up skipping a lot of the workshops and hanging out in the bar. It’s definitely the best part (and I don’t even drink. Much.) Okay, for full disclosure, I spent a lot of time at the Dunkin Donuts next to the hotel. :coffee:
Umm…okay, those are certainly changes. Time travel? Futuristic? So now we’ll have writers trying to figure out if they’ve written a really kick-ass Blaze, or a really sexy Bombshell.
:baby:
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Pink? :eyebrow:
Oh sure, you just manage to come in here during the 45 seconds while tinkering with colors that it was pink.
I don’t do pink. Too :cheer: