It was fantastic. The organizers did a terrific job. The hotel was lovely (okay, lunch was questionable, but really, what do you expect?). There were tons of interesting talks and people and I feel all jazzed up. This is what I love about RWA. I mean, really, I got to hang out at a cocktail party chatting with Linda Lael Miller and then she mentioned it in her talk at the lunch the next day! How cool is that?
The whole thing felt especially meaningful to me since the very first RWA anything I ever attended was a Desert Dreams Conference back in (I think) 1993. I'd read about the conference in the Arizona Republic and as I'd been trying to write a romance novel, I decided to go. A bunch of people had these little stickers on their name tags. I asked what that was about and found out that it means that those people were published authors. I remember thinking, "I want to come back to this conference with one of those on my name tag."
Now I did! Well, that don't do stickers anymore. It was a ribbon, but it felt good all the same. I am reasonably certain that I would not have gotten published without what I learned through attending RWA conferences and workshops and meetings. It felt good to be in a position to pass it along a little.
Smoochies, RWA! Big Hugs, Desert Rose Chapter!
5 comments:
I want so badly to go to that conference! And I'm glad to hear that it's as good as I want it to be -- conferences get your head right back in the game, that's for sure and they also validate this crazy thing we do for 48 straight hours. In real life - it so rarely gets validated because non-writer friends and family while well-meaning and wonderful don't truly get it. Glad you had a great time!
I agree. I love my 4 days at Nationals. I love talking writing. I love being around writers. I love the workshops. All of it.
This year I'm doing National and NJ (you're still going to that right Molly?) and I'm looking forward to both the big and small experiences.
It wouldn't occur to me to do Arizona though... Eileen had did you find out about that conf?
Exactly! I love that feeling of immersing yourself in thinking about writing with other people who totally get it.
Conferences, and it's been a while for me, are wonderful and really remind you what a wonderful writing community romance has.
I'm planning on NJ, although still have to break the news to hubby.
RWA really is great. So supportive (for the most part) and so many fabulous smart women.
Just yesterday, I got eye rolls from a woman I met in a coffee shop (trying to write a screenplay and a mystery novel) when I told her I was a member... Seriously, the hate for this genre, even amongst women and other writers, boggles my mind...
I went to the Desert Rose in 2004 or 2005. LOVED it. They throw a good conference for sure. And can't beat the location. :)
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