Conference Countdown...

This time in 5 weeks I'll be in Fremantle, Western Australia for the Romance Writers of Australia conference. This close and I'm starting to cycle through a whole range of emotions:

• excitement - at seeing my friends
• nerves - at how my pitching will go
• happiness - at some down time from the family
• sadness - at some down time from the family
• stress - at getting everything ready in time (home and work)

But overall I can't wait for conference to get here. I've enjoyed every conference I've attended; this will be my 5th. Conference is like a shot in the arm. I've never needed motivation, I have that in spades, but conference gives me a renewed sense of belief that I will succeed.

I can't wait. What about you?

The VPA Happy Dance

I've finalled in the Valerie Parv Award. Happy dance time!!

First place wins Valerie as a mentor for a year. Wonderful for me if I win, possibly scary for Valerie if I do, lol.

Regardless of what happens (the placings are announced at RWA's awards dinner at the August conference) I'm thrilled to have made the top 6 of 80 entries, and wish my fellow finalists (Madeline Ash, Bridget Gray, Cornelia Kamp, Bronwyn McEvoy and Cassandra Samuels) all the best.

The Contest Season is Here

The first RWA contest closes in just 2 days. High 5 is for category writers and requires just the first 5 pages of your mansucript - after all, if these don't capture an editor the rest of the pages won't matter.

Not for you? RWA also has the STALI (single title and loving it), Selling Synopsis, Emerald (judged by readers), First Kiss and Valerie Parv Award. Amongst that mix there's a contest for everyone.

Why enter? There are a number of reasons to enter contests... getting your manuscript in front of an editor/agent if you final, anonymous feedback on your writing and incentive of the deadline.

If you want to know more, visit the contest page of RWA's webpage.

I'm going to be entering some contests again this year - wish me luck!

Pitching At RWAus Conference

In 6 days I fly to Melbourne for RWAus conference where I am pitching. Even though this is my 3rd conference it will be my first official face-to-face pitch. In 2009 it was an e-pitch and last year I elected not to pitch as I had just completed 5DI (RWA's intensive 5 day mentoring program) a few weeks earlier and conference was much too close for me to be ready to pitch.

So far my experiences have been very positive. Following my pitch submission in 2009 I was asked for rewrites before getting the dreaded rejection, and in 2010 I ended up talking with an agent at the cocktail party and being given their card and a request to submit upon completion of my manuscript (so much for not pitching, lol).

But I think the reality of a formal face-to-face pitch is going to be very different. I'm going to the bonus Thursday pitching session - I'm hoping it will help to get me over the line.

Good luck to anyone else pitching next week!!

A Moment on the Lips...

One option for Thursday's tours at RWAus conference in August is a chocolate tour *drool*. That could have been made for me. A few hours of chocolate tasting -  Lindt, Cacao, Haighs and Koko Black - is my idea of heaven.

But (there is always a butt when it comes to chocolate) I am flying down early to allow myself time to settle in and write and prep for my pitch. My first conference session is straight after the tour. Can I be strong and focus on my writing, or will the urge to indulge win out?

I don't know right now. Maybe I need to think about how 2 hours of chocolate indulgence is going to look at the awards dinner on Saturday night. I don't really need the lifetime on the hips.

Understanding Men - an Online Course

Do you wish you had a better understanding of men? Now is your chance to improve your real-life relationships with men and enhance your male characters all through taking the same course.

Sign up for Romance Writers of Australia’s online class taught by Dr Debra Holland.

In this class, Dr. Debra will considerably expand on the workshop she has given at the 2001 National Romance Writers of America Conference and around the country to various Romance Writers of America chapters and conferences. (She will give the workshop again, at the Romance Writers of America conference in 2011.) Although this class is geared to writers, non-writers will also find the class helpful in improving their relationships with men.

In the five-week online class, you will learn how the male brain and hormones makes a man think, feel, and behave, especially in relationships. We will also discuss how men are portrayed in romance novels versus how men are in real life.

Dr. Holland has also added a segment covering the anatomy and physiology of male sexuality, as well as male sexual responses, attitudes, and behavior.

Costs: RWAust Members US$25, Non-members US$35

Course: Monday 2 May 2011 - Friday 3 June 2011


Registration is open and closes 22 April 2011. Click here to register.

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

*PERMISSION TO FORWARD*

As some of you may already know, a team from the Romance Writers of Australia commitee has started a drive for book donations...

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal

We've all seen the devastation the recent Queensland floods have wrought and have wondered how we can help. We know that for many affected families, books will not be high on their priorities list for some time to come.

But...we also know how valuable books can be in providing time out when reality gets tough.

So…with the aid of some wonderful volunteers, we've put together a Romance Writers of Australia Flooded Communities Book Appeal.

What we need?

FICTION BOOKS! Romance books, children's books, young adult books, genre books, whatever – either new or in sparkling condition.

Please send them to:

RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal
PO Box 1717
Noosaville Post Office
Noosaville BC
Queensland 4566
Australia

When to send them?

Now! And any time over the next few months. The books will be boxed and delivered to the appropriate libraries/schools/neighbourhood centres/community centres in batches as soon as the communities are ready to receive them. We'll be liaising with councils, libraries and schools to ensure this is done appropriately. Feel free to pop a note inside, or if you're an author, sign it.

Questions:

If you have a question about donations, email Jess Anastasi: Jess(at)jessanastasi(dot)com

If you work in a library / council / community centre / school in a flood affected area (in Australia), email Rachel Bailey: rachel(at)rachelbailey(dot)com(dot)au

Thanks for your cooperation and support!

Jess Anastasi
RWA Flooded Communities Book Appeal Team

Synopsis Writing Workshop

This is my follow up post to a previous blog "RWA Group Grant Success".

If you are like me, the thought of writing a synopsis will have you scrubbing the toilet in no time *grin*. To try and overcome this hatred of synopsis writing my writing group, WIKS, invited Denise Rossetti to present a 'synopsis writing workshop'.

Three intensive hours focussing on the dreaded synopsis. Wow. Denise covered a series of topics, including:

• why write a synopsis
• what to include in a synopsis
• what to leave out
• some examples

Of course, we were required to write elements of our own as we went along, and then swap with a neighbour or share with the group - nothing like pressure to make you perform *grin*.

We started with an elevator pitch, then we wrote the main emotional steps our hero and heroine take throughout their journey. From these points we started to develop our synopsis.

For me, some of the key points from the session were:

• summary of the plot and a synopsis are very different
• you can't overdo the emotion
• do not hide the ending from the editor (no cliffhangers)
• tell not show
• language is your ally

Now I just have to put the theory into practice!

RWA Group Grant Success

My face-to-face writing group, WIKS (writers in kinship) recently applied for a grant to have a guest speaker present a writing workshop. We are very thrilled to be able to say our grant was successful!!

 

We applied to the Romance Writers of Australia Group Grant Scheme: To provide financial assistance on a case-by-case basis to RWA groups for use in advancing the writing careers of their RWA members.

As a result of our successful application, Denise Rossetti is presenting a three hour workshop on synopsis writing, that necessary element of writing guaranteed to elicit groans and moans from most writers (me included). Hopefully, at the end of the session the word 'synopsis' will no longer have us quaking with fear *grin*.

For those of you fortunate enough to have been to Denise's 'Deep POV' workshop at last week's national RWA conference, you'll know wwe are going to have to push up our sleeves and work our socks off for those three hours. But I know it will be worth it.

Our workshop is in just a few weeks, after which I'll report back here, so stay tuned!

Post in Absence

Today heralds the first day of the annual Romance Writers of Australia conference. Unfortunately, it's published author's day today - so that counts me out. Maybe next year.....

But tonight is the e-list dinner, where those of us attending conference who are on the RWA Romaus e-loop get together so we can chat face-to-face, often for the first time. So tonight it will really feel like conference is starting. Then tomorrow it begins. I can't wait.

It's actually going to be a busy conference, because I have organised the First Time Conference Attendee's program, and am helping with the Silver Lunch fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer.

Highlights to look forward to are hard to pick, but I think Deb Dixon's GMC/Heroes Journey workshop, the Harlequin cocktail party (because I love my costume) and the awards dinner where I'm nominated for the Lynne Wilding Award (for meritorious service) probably have the edge.

It goes without saying catching up with all my writing friends and being immersed for a weekend with other romance writers is also very exciting.

Next week I'll report back on how I found RWA's 2010 Sun, Surf and Sizzle conference. I'm sure I'll have loved every minute.

5DI - What an Experience!

Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to participate in RWA's inaugral 5DI  - Mentoring for Excellence, a five day intensive manuscript development workshop.

I was mentored by the wonderful Lilian Darcy over the week, and was afforded some amazing insights into my work. Weaknesses and strengths were highlighted and a clear direction for my writing established.

After just 5 minutes with Lilian I decided I would firmly switch from aiming for the Sweet/Romance line to SuperRomance. The manuscript I started the week with was pushed to one side (never to see the light of day again) and a new manuscript started.

Oh my gosh. I cannot say how brilliant it was to be able to plot my new ms and develop my characters with Lilian keeping my work focussed. Once the plotting (the strongest I've ever done) was complete I started writing... and re-writing *grin*.

By the end of the week I had the first two scenes written and polished and the love scene (about ch8) well under way. This scene will be the moment where the story starts moving towards the black moment, so is quite pivotal.

I'm very excited about this story and am looking forward to the journey it will take me on.

In addition to the writing I *loved* the experience of being with a group of romance writers for an entire week - and the fact I had no cooking, cleaning, home responsibilities of any sort. :o) I also met some lovely people and made some firm and lasting friendships.

5DI was everything I hoped for and more. Thanks RWA!!!

5DI - I Got In!!

Woot! It's true, I'm going to be participating in RWA's inaugral manuscript development workshop, 5DI 2010.

With 23 other participants spread between 3 genre pods I will spend 5 days at Griffith University doing nothing but writing, writing, writing. I, and seven other category writers, will be working on our manuscripts under the watchful eye of our mentor, Lilian Darcy. Double woot!!

I'm really excited. This experience is going to be awesome.

Dilly Dallying

Goal number 6 for this writing year was to enter RWA's First Kiss competition. I was going to, absolutely, definitely... and then I started editing. The criteria for this contest is 1 scene with a maximum count of 1,500 words. Uh, oh. Here was my problem. You see, THAT scene was well over the 1,500 word limit. So I started cutting, 100, 150, 220 the words began to disappear. But the more I cut, the harder it got to cut them. Until I had just 120 words to still chop.

No more. I couldn't do it. Into the 'too hard' basket it went.

Until one of my fellow Bootcats asked if I was still entering - I had been, then I hadn't been she said. What was I doing?

Thinking about that made me feel guilty. After all, it was a goal for this year, and I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't achieve it, but feel fantastic if I did. So I dragged that scene back out and slashed ruthlessly: 1,498 words. I did it.

My entry is going in. How well it does, we'll see. But regardless, I feel good.

Just a few points

A little update...

WooHoo. Yesterday I crossed off another of my 09/10 goals. I've sent in my application for RWA's inaugral 5DI program. This puts me half way at the half way mark :) Oh, and my fingers are now crossed I get a place *grin*.

This coming Friday (8th Jan) I'm putting myself in the spotlight and revealing a few secrets about myself in my RWA Blog Bite column. Please visit on the day and leave a comment so I don't feel lonely.

Am doing a January edit challenge at the moment with my Nanowrimo buddies. So far am running a little behind (trying for 5 pages per day), but hope to catch up before the week is out.


Bought new bookshelves today. Very excited. Unfortunately they are still flat packed (lol), but will fix that tomorrow. Am currently rearranging a few things in the office to fit them in. But am sooo looking forward to filling the shelves.

That's all for now. But I will share some photos of my bookshelves once they are assembled and filled :)

My Blog's 1st Birthday

I can't believe it. It's been a whole year since I started my blog.

When I started I didn't really have a goal, but after I did Susan Meier's goal setting workshops I decided I would blog once a week on my writing experiences and how I was meeting my goals.

I haven't done too badly, having blogged 51 times already this year. Some weeks slide by without a posting, while for others I keep my blog quite busy.

So how are my goals going? Well, I can tick the boxes for the following:
- enter First Kiss competition
- enter Valerie Parv Awards
- attend RWA conference
- pitch at conference
- enter High 5 competition

It's very rewarding knowing I met my goals for the first 9 months of the year.

The last few months of the year are a different story. I was lucky enough to have a successful pitch, and get a request for a partial - with the added requirement of starting the story further on. So my focus has been on rewriting and editing my submission, getting it to shine. So it's not so much I won't meet my goals, more the goal posts have just shifted


So this is my new list for the downhill run to Christmas:
- enter Emerald competition
- submit partial to Mills and Boon

I can't wait to see what the next year brings - and don't worry, you'll read all about it on my blog.

12 months on...

It has been one year since I decided to get serious about my writing. I'd lost my day job, and with little chance of finding another that would allow me to work around being a full-time mum, my husband and I agreed this was the time to put my writing first.

To get the ball rolling and just see whether 'published author' was a pie in the sky fantasy, I entered RWA's High 5 competition - for unpublished category writers. Turns out my entry seemed to have a good plot idea, great voice and a lot of potential.

Today I was having a bit of a 'down' day with my writing. So I dug out that entry (a different ms to the one I'm working on now), and reread those 5 pages. What a great pick-me-up to realise maybe my writing isn't as good as it is going to be, but it is certainly better than what it was.

Clayton's Conference

I recently was involved in the RWA Clayton's Conference - the conference you attend when you can't make the face-to-face conference (running online simultaneously with the RWA Conference). The conference you can attend in your PJs.

Compliments to the wonderful ladies who organised and ran the weekend. And to all the fantastic members of RWA who contributed in some way to make it the success it was.

With many fabulous sessions and an awards night to rival the 'real' one, it certainly made up for those unable to make the trek to Brisbane. Writing chats, writing challenges, writing competitions – there were even competitions for the best PJ’s and best Fake Book Cover.

Winner - Best Fake Book Cover

If I can't make a conference I'll certainly be joining in the Clayton's.

Visit http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/claytons-conference/ to read more about the conference.

My Secret Life

I've blogged about this topic before, but it was brought fully to my attention yesterday.

I told a friend I am writing a Harlequin novel, that I would love nothing more than to make a career of it, and that I'm attending the RWA conference next week. Being a fabulous friend who knows me well, she nodded, mulled over the idea for a minute and then began to ask 1001 questions.

At the end she made the comment it's like a secret society, that I have a whole second life no one knows about. You know what, it's true!

She is only the third person out of my family or writing circles who know about what I am doing. Why? Because I don't want to be constantly asked are you published yet? Can I read it? You should write about blah blah. That's so easy, anyone could do it. And so on.

and

I know so many fellow romance authors, chat to them, critique their work, send them mine, write this blog, help with RWA blog, and have done nearly all of it with my anticipated pen name - but have never met or spoken with them. It's all done in the cyber world.

Together it does have the makings of a secret life in a secret society.

And this is why I'm really excited that next week I will be breaking away, slicing open my secret society by attending the RWA conference in Brisbane. Meeting face-to-face the wonderful people I know by name in the RWA.

See you there.

19 Sleeps...

Romance Writers of Australia annual conference is on in just 19 sleeps.

My first, and I'm very excited.

With so much packed into just 3 days and nights, I imagine it is going to be a fun-filled, informative and exhausting experience. But one for which I can't wait. The conference organisers have done a wonderful job. Choosing the sessions I wanted was a difficult process - I need a clone to send to concurrent workshops!

And I'm looking forward to meeting the wonderful people I have met in cyberspace.

To everyone who is attending, I can't wait to see you all. For those who can't attend, I know you'll have a wonderful Clayton's Conference (quick, sign up if you haven't http://groups.yahoo.com/group/claytonsconference_group/ ) and hopefully we'll meet next year.

Tweeting

I confess, I'm a Twitter convert.

I joined with a bit of a twist of the arm by my CP, because RWA now Tweet. But I hadn't expected the benefits I would find.

It's kinda like sprinting, but a little bit broader. And anyone who has followed my blog would know how much I love to sprint.

Yes, I'm using Twitter as a sprinting board. I tweet my goal, and because I now have a grand total of 15 people following me, I report in how I went in achieving it - I feel like I'm being watched. I still get support, and a bit of a chat if I want, but because I can post more general goals (eg for the hour, the day, the week) it's more flexible than the sprint room on the RWA site.

I will still be sprinting. But this is a great alternative!