NJRW

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NJRW – 2011 Writers’ Conference, Day 1

This weekend I’m attending the Put Your Heart in a Book writers’ conference sponsored by the New Jersey Romance Writers.  Three hundred plus writers, agents, and editors are gathering to celebrate writing. It’s a much anticipated, much loved regional conference. Many arrived Thursday to hit the ground running early Friday morning.

In Friday’s three-hour Pre-Conference workshop, NY Times and USA Today best-selling author Brenda Novak spoke on Emotion: The Heart of the Novel.  A few highlights from her talk – Creativity happens in a series of tiny sparks, she said.  The more ideas we have the better.  Take risks.  Expect to make lots of mistakes.  Develop a network of colleagues.  More than anything, she said, creativity is about hard work and sticking with it.  I especially enjoyed her words on subtext in our writing.  We write who we are, she said then told of a writer who’d written a stellar lighthearted contemporary; every part was technically perfect – the plotting, dialogue, character development.  But the inherent negativity of the author bled through and the manuscript never sold. Subtext, she said, will leak through.

After Brenda Novak’s superb presentation, I joined up with three writers I’d met last year – Laura Thomson, Marta Bliese, and Laurel Wanrow.  All are members of the Maryland Romance Writers.  We stepped out into the chilly October air and across the parking lot to the Kona Grill for lively conversation over lunch.

Friday afternoon was divided into three forty-five minute workshop sessions.  Each time slot provided a choice of six workshops to attend.  For my first session, I chose to hear Brenda Novak again, this time speaking on Networking: Sowing the Seeds of Success.  The equation for writing success, she said, is to present a quality product (our writing), have an eye for opportunity, a credible source (can you deliver?), and the right networking mentality.  She gave pages of helpful info in a short amount of time.

My second session was given by award-winning author Annette Blair who writes single titles and vintage magic mysteries.  Annette spoke on Stuck in the Middle – A Life Raft of Solutions.  She recommended reading Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY (several times), and referred also to workshops by Barbara Wallace and Deborah Hale.  The more conflict in your story, the more pinches and twists, she said, the stronger your middle will be.   She passed out a worksheet that she advised using as a template for our sagging middles and which we reviewed in detail.  Incredibly helpful.

My third and final Friday workshop was NY Times bestselling suspense author Laura Griffin.  Her topic was How to Make Any Book a Page Turner.  We need to open our book with a character the reader can care about then immediately introduce conflict into the story.  One of her many suggestions:  Each chapter must end with a hook.  Beyond that, she said, end each chapter with a powerful and vivid word.  Instead of “a pool of blood on the floor” write “on the floor was a pool of blood.”  More vivid, more emotional.

At 6 pm we all gathered outside the Diamond Ballroom for a cocktail reception before the awards ceremony.  Midway through wine and pasta, fire alarms blinked and blared, although the sound was muffled by our conversations.  We were asked to vacate to the parking lot and front lobby area.  Fire trucks arrived and firemen trooped into the building.  The adventure sparked some writers’ imaginations and provided fuel for some future scene. 😉 Within several minutes, though, we were allowed to return and resume our reception.

Each year, NJRW honors its contest winners in an awards ceremony.  The Put Your Heart in a Book award is for unpublished writers.   This year’s winners:

Put Your Heart in a Book

  • Short Contemporary – Judith Wherett – RUNNING FOR HER LIFE
  • Single Title Contemporary – Jeanell Bolton – PASSION
  • Historical – Dianna Quincy – TEMPTING BELLA
  • Paranormal – Dawn Groszek – ROSE OF HOPE
  • Romantic Elements – D. B. Schuster – BREACH OF CONTRACT

The Golden Leaf is awarded to those contest winners who are published with an RWA recognized publisher.  After each category’s finalists are announced, an intriguing snippet of the winning entry is read by sultry-voiced Anne Walradt.  This year’s winners:

Golden Leaf

Hall of Fame Inductee, Cara Summers

When authors succeed in winning three Golden Leaf Awards within a category, NJRW inducts them into the Golden Leaf Hall of Fame.  Friday’s ceremony was crowned by inducting two such authors – historical author Hannah Howell  for her award-winners in the Novella category, and Cara Summers for her award-winning Short Contemporaries.

After the awards ceremony I was invited to attend a late night gathering hosted by the group from Maryland Romance Writers.   Several of us sat talking, laughing, sharing our stories, and working through two pitch sessions.  Saturday would be another full day.

Writers, what did you find most valuable about this conference or another you may have attended? Please share your comments.   ♥

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RWA Conference Talk

Next week, Romance Writers of America (RWA) kicks off its 31st Annual Conference in New York City —  Bright Lights, Big Stories. As I pack, my home office resembles the back room at Macy’s, filled with assorted tops, capris, slacks, dresses, and skirts. Lots of black, of course.  Black goes with everything. It’s also slimming.  This year I’m adding a splash of turquoise.  Found a darling Laura Ashley top on clearance and couldn’t resist, especially given the comfort factor of the travel ready top.  Comfort is important for conferences.

Editors & Agents answer questions at WisRWA's Write Touch 2011

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the WisRWA Write Touch Conference in Milwaukee.  Wisconsin is my home state so it’s a favorite.  Betsy Norman and her minions did an outstanding job organizing the event.  While there I learned, bought some books, met up with old friends and made a few new ones.  I also placed second in the FAB 5 contest, and came away renewed and refreshed.  Been writing hard ever since, at least when I’m not refurbishing my wardrobe for RWA National. 🙂

I love RWA Conferences — smaller regional ones like WisRWA’s Write Touch and NJRW’s Put Your Heart in a Book, and the queen of conferences, RWA National. Writing can be a lonely profession.  Conferences let me mingle and talk passionately about writing to others who understand.  They provide an opportunity to learn about the craft and business of writing, to network, and hopefully to take the steps needed to sell books.

Here are some tidbits I’ve learned about conferences. After you’ve read them, I hope you’ll share your own conference  lore and wisdom.

1 – Choose a conference wisely. Consider the speaker/s, topic/s, editor & agents attending, reputation, location, size, cost, and convenience.  Start out with a smaller conference or all-day workshop then work your way up.

2 – Set a conference goal. Do you need help with story conflict?  Motivation to finish your novel?  Do you hope to connect with an agent?  Connect with other writers?  Make your goal specific and achievable.

3 – Look professional but dress comfortably.  Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself.  It shows.

4 – Wear comfortable shoes.  At larger conferences, you’ll be on your feet a lot, in line or walking between workshops.  Aerosoles, Easy Spirit, or Naturalizer are all favorites.  Flats.  Not as sexy as 4-inch heels, but more comfortable.

5 – Act professional. Everyone’s heard “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  That’s not necessarily true for conferences.  You’ll meet people who could have some influence on your chosen career. Keep a positive, friendly attitude.  Smile.  Be helpful.

6 – Meet new people.  Strike up conversations in line. Ask if you may join a table with an empty seat where you don’t know anyone.  Skip a workshop and find a chair in the lobby or the bar and look for other writers.

7 – Bring business cards and offer to others you meet.  If it’s too late to have them printed, print your own.  See this link to an earlier post with some suggestions.

8 – If you can afford the time and expense, plan to arrive a day early, or leave a day late.  It will let you see a new city, or give you uninterrupted time in your room to write.

9 – Bring nutritious snacks for your hotel room.  Fruit and granola bars are my favorite. And of course, a few pieces of dark chocolate never hurt.

10 – Volunteer.  Conferences take a lot of energy to organize; many hands are needed.  If you haven’t signed up in advance, ask at registration to talk to the volunteer coordinator.  Tell her when you have some free time, and offer your services for an hour or two.

Questions?  Comments?  What advice do you have to share about conferences?

Now, it’s time to fill my suitcase!  I’m off to RWA National! ∞