Wednesday, July 24, 2013

What's Up Wednesday: RWA 2013 Nationals!

Hi all! Back from RWA Nationals in Atlanta. While my Ready. Set. Write! progress has stalled for July since I've been away most of the month, I did get more of a feel for my new project and even started some first lines during Michael Hauge's screenwriting to novel session because I got so excited. My hand actually turned green from the pen I was using--I was writing so fast the color rubbed off!

What I'm Reading:

On the plane, I finished an indie-pubbed New Adult novel called Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli, featuring three characters who intersect at a top-ranked training facility that prepares them for pro-level matches. I ate up the tennis stuff since I used to play and still occasionally watch the sport. I started this book while Wimbledon was on, so one day at the gym, I could read a snippet and look up at the TV monitors and see Serena Williams smash a baseline hit. I also started a Scottish Highlands historical romance based on a recommendation, and while I appreciate the details, it may not be for me.

Plus...

What I WILL Be Reading:
Omgz boooookssss

(Mostly) Free books!
RWA is a bonanza of free books. The conference tote bag is packed with at least ten books, so immediately after registration, you either dump all those books upstairs in your room, or lug them around, as I did, to your pre-conference workshop. (Aw, such a sad problem to have!)

Each keynote speaker lunch gives attendees two of the author's books on their chair. Publishing imprints host their own author book signings throughout the week--such as Avon or Sourcebooks--and those books are free and you can meet the author.



MOAR books!





I also paid for a few books at the massive literary signing the first night, where a portion of the proceeds go to various literary charities. Being a newbie, I just may have tried to hand some cash to Rachel Gibson for one of her paperbacks, not realizing that readers collect their books and then line up at the end to purchase in bulk. WHOOPS!

Rachel Gibson promo on the elevator door




Crowds at the literacy signing

What Inspires Me

The RWA conference inspired me on two levels: the workshops, meeting new writers, and learning industry stuff, and then on a second level, to realize how far I've come already. I attended a regional RWA conference in Chicago in early 2012, where it clicked for me that this writing hobby really needed to be treated like a business if I wanted to succeed in it. I'd been writing seriously for a year or so at that point, but wasn't ready to pitch to an agent, and I still needed a lot of help in how to craft a good story.

Laura Bradford & I
To think, just a year later, I signed with an agent and we're moving forward toward publication. I still feel like a newbie, but chatting with other writers at the conference, I found many were asking ME questions. Lots of writers go to conferences to pitch to an agent, or to prepare, learn, and grow before they query or self-publish. Realizing I was more toward the middle--not totally green, but far from experienced, was a cool little revelation. And at least with RWA, the Big Name authors are almost all very friendly and eager to share their knowledge and experiences.

Here's me and agency owner Laura Bradford, who my agent Sarah LaPolla works for. I sat next to her for YA Day and saw her a bunch of times througout the conference.

I've learned so much in the past few years outside of conferences. I've learned it from YOU. I want to give a BIG VIRTUAL HUG to all the bloggers who have posted query letter revisions, and offered critiques, writing advice, industry guidance, and everything else that helps mentor new writers. It's because of you, your blogs and this community, that I found the resources on how to research agents and industry standards. So THANK YOU!

Now here's a fun little collage from the conference:


The two women in the top row, right of my blinged-out name badge are India Powers and Sonali Dev, both Windy City members (my chapter) who were nominated for the Golden Heart, the RWA award for unpublished manuscripts. I met one of my agent's other clients, AJ Larrieu, who is fabulous, and another writer Karen Akins who I met because we found our agents through the same blog contest (Miss Snark). Also featured: Windy City and Chicago North RWA chapter members, me with historical romance writer Erin Knightley, some lost work gloves, Kristan Higgins as keynote speaker, Samhain Pub dance party, historical author Cathy Maxwell signing (who made us all cry at her keynote), and the downtown ATL skyline. Good times!

Here are a few links to other blogs with recaps and round-ups:
Top 10 tips, quotes, and advice I heard at RWA2013

The RITA winners with book reviews

Red Carpet Roundup! (including Yours Truly with my fancy fascinator, standing next to a cute blond in hatwear)

Author Roni Loren, Photos from RWA

Casablanca Authors cover the event, including FOOD PICS!

A chance to win the signed book haul from RT (Romantic Times Mag/conference)

What have you been up to this week? Have you met your reading or writing goals? Or did you take a really great vacation?

24 comments:

  1. That sounds like so much fun and so inspiring! I love a good writing conference and/or book fair where everyone is so excited about craft and story. :)

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  2. The conference looks like so much fun!! And how cool to discover that you are little farther along in your journey as a writer than you realized. Soon, people will be wanting their picture taken with you. (If they don't already) :)

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  3. RWA sounds so amazing. I'm so glad you had such a great time, and also totally jealous. One of these years, I'm going to make it there.

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  4. Woah, sounds like you had a blast, Steph! I need to get to a big conference some time. Unfortunately, time and money are prohibitive. Thanks for sharing your experiences and pictures. :)

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  5. That sounds like such an incredible trip (minus our horrible souther heat). Love the pics. So fun to see that kind of stuff. Good luck getting back in the swing of writing.

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    1. The temperature was mild, and shockingly, cooler than Chicago where I live, which climbed to over 100 this time last week. It was mild enough that my friend *almost* convinced me I could move down there... but not quite :)

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  6. Great set of pics from the conference - sounds like you had a great time!

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  7. I've attended BEA twice -- conferences are so exciting -- and exhausting. Glad you had so much fun!

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  8. ...I actually can't wrap my head around how many books you've got there. WOW! Looks like an awesome experience.

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    1. It's about 40. I read on a blog before I went that someone brought home 80 books and I promised that I would not be that person. I already have a To Read list so adding another 80 new ones just seems ridiculous. But, this was also a chance to get books by authors new to me and to pass them on to people I know will appreciate them, which is why the publishers give them out for free anyway.

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  9. It looks like you had so much fun at RWA. And holy cow, that's a lot of books!!!! I'm pretty jealous. :)

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  10. Wow! Looks like you had a great time at the RWA conference. And tons of book! Also great to hear you sneaked in some SNI writing time. :-)

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  11. What. A. Blast! I love that a conference was inspiring to you. I think that shows you were at the right one, with the right peeps. Looking forward to YOUR book. Also, you have too many books to read, it's giving me vicarious reader anxiety.

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    1. Once I get the shipped books in (yes, I had to ship half of them home) I'm going to sort through them. I was VERY selective and didn't take or buy at least 10-20 more books (crazy right!) Several of the free books in our official tote bag will either go to members of our chapter who couldn't go, or maybe a giveaway on the blog! :) A few others can go to my mom and/or some friends.

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  12. RWA was in Orlando just a year or two ago, and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't go. (Especially now, seeing all the contents of your goody-bag.) There you go, I'm determined. I will go next time.

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  13. The books! How fabulous to have them all waiting to be read. I'm happy just looking at them :)

    It sounds like the conference was wonderful. What a great feeling not to be the newbie anymore :)

    Have agood week.

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  14. Sounds like you had a blast at the conference! I wish it were on budget and within reasonable driving distance to go to a conference. It's probably too much to hope that a writing conference wouldn't be on a Saturday.

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  15. That conference sounds awesome, and I'm totally jealous of that load of books! Looks like you have a lot of reading to do! Thanks for sharing about your experience and that lovely collage of pics!

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  16. That is a lot of books. That conference looks like a lot of fun. I'm sure you learned a lot. I would love to go to a conference one year. Have a great weekend!

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  17. Sounds like you had an awesome time at RWA! I'm a little jealous. A writing conference is definitely on the bucket list. And BOOKS! Holy crow that's a pile of fun right there.

    Have a great week!

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  18. Look at all those BOOKS! And omg, what a great time! I love the picture collage.

    I think you and I had similar What's Up Wednesday experiences this past week in that you went to this great conference, and I went to Comic Con! So not much writing on my end either, but I did pick up an ARC and tons of other random free stuff. Wish I could have seen more book peeps (though I did meet up with one Twitter friend), but I did see a lot of stars. Guess it's a tradeoff.

    Glad you had such a fun time. One question though, how did you carry around all those books?! I was wary of just the one I picked up!

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  19. RWA!!!!! I was so hoping to go this year but the timing wasn't right for coordination with kids. But, I'm definitely putting 2014's on the calendar! Woohoo!

    I love all of your pictures! Look at all those books. You're set for the year (at least). :)

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  20. Oh, I am both inspired and jealous of your RWA experience! It looks like you had an amazing time! I love conferences for so many reasons, but meeting other writers is definitely a highlight. And the free books. I'm hoping to get to ALA in January. :)

    Have a great week!

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  21. Great pictures. That's amazing about the free books. That only happened to me once at a particular conference when I was given a huge box.

    Conferences sure are inspiring.

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