RNA Conference Part 2

It seems a long time ago now but the good effects are still lingering from the conference. I was so pumped up from it that the vibes carried me through the move. The move wasn't too bad but by the end my nerves were pretty thin and i was more than scratchy. Anyway enough of that and back to positive stuff.

The next session I attended was by Alison Baverstock. (she is on the left and Catherine Jones the RNA Chair is on the right) Regular blog readers will remember than I attended her marketing your book session a while back. This talk was 'How Long Does It Take to You to Churn one Out? - Keeping Up Motivation and Morale.' She spoke of the long road to publication and the long task of just writing a novel. In order to survive the process she presented us with 11 tips.

1. Feast on beauty, harvest things that inspire you (ie. a collection of postcards or a copy of you favorite painting)

2. treat yourself well

3. solidarity

4. jealousy is not necessarily a bad thing

5. Community; she cited the Romantic Novelist Association here as a wonderful example (think Novel Racers here)

6. Dealing with time:
a. building blocks; allocate time for writing
b. be selfish with your writing time
c. that time is essential to allow time for the subliminal up rush which she described like projectile vomiting. Here she recommended Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer.
d. make your time at your best writing time (which can be a problem is its 3:30 and you have kids but work with it!)

7. Find somewhere to write ; allocate a place that is yours; people take you at your own estimation and your writing space can affect this

8. encourage other people to take you seriously

9. maintaining own morale; keep the room bright; encourage your own writing; develop your own feeling of being a writer.

10. preset yourself as a writer

11. the importance of being an encourager of others ( Novel Racers!!)

She finished up by saying that remember that marketing is looking at yourself from the outside! Her book Is There A Book in You sold out at the conference book shop which is no surprise. My copy is on its way to Dubai!


Tomorrow I'll report on Jan Etherington.

On my own writing I had begun tweaking August Rock to send off to the New Writers Scheme of the Romantic Novelist Association. On the reading front I have finally finished Time Travelers Wife which I enjoyed but was not what I expected. I now have four other books on the go - The Self-Preservation Society by Kate Harrison, Going Dutch by Katie Fforde, and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

Alive

Just a quick post to say that I have survived the move from London - just. Now trying to sort life in Cornwall for the summer. Hopefully will be back to normal blogging from tomorrow.

Packing

About to lose Internet connection and anything to sit on! Will try and find a connection somewhere along the way this week. If not I'll be back on Monday when I'm in Cornwall.

RNA Conference Part One

So I posted a few of the photos from the weekend and I do have few more but I thought today I would give a brief round up of session One with Jodi Thomas. Her topic was 'How to Research and Sell a Romantic Suspense.'

First I have to say her story of how she came to be where she is was fascinating and at times hilarious. I won't try and sum it up but if you have the chance to attend one of her workshops - GO.

So here are her points ( as I caught them!) briefly:

1. write an original

2. who would be the character that would never be in a suspense - use them

3. end every chapter with a hook

4. make people care about your character; don't make them perfect; let the story force her to find her inner strength

5. make us hate the bad guy

6. take what you know and twist it ; create the suspense out of the ordinary

On the market front she said that is was going crazy in the States so if you are writing from else where make sure that you tie in the US some how so that you take the reader on the journey with you.

On a personal aside Jodi was lovely and it was great to have her around for the whole conference.

More RNA Conference Photos

On Saturday night we all cleaned up rather well for the gala dinner. Bernardine Kennedy and Lesley Cookman were looking glamorous and don't worry all that wine wasn't just for them!

The next photo is of me and the wonderful Kate Walker and the last photo was of our chairwoman Catherine Jones in her little black dress not doubt in honour of her three books that will coming out with Little Black Dress soon!

RNA Conference

Here's a picture from Friday night.....Katie Fforde and Jenny Haddon. I was cursing Katie on the tube back this morning as I was so engrossed with Going Dutch that I almost missed my tube stop!

Romantic Novelist Association Conference

I am flying with ideas and completely exhausted. It was a weekend full of friends, laughter, wine and so much learning! I am buzzing with it all. But right now I am waiting for the taxi to take me to the station and then to face the packers as they descend on the house. I will blog about the conference in more details later but I wanted to post a few of my favorite photos of the weekend.

Beginning with this picture of the winning team of the Romantic Novelist Conference Quiz consisting of yours truly (who contributed very little) Gilli Allan, Evelyn Ryle (writing as Joanna Maitland), and Anne Ashurst (writing as Sara Craven).

The taxi has just appeared so bye for now!

Cat Heaven

I've returned from Cornwall having left the big fat white cat in his heaven - beware all small rodents.

So with six hundred or so miles under my belt I am looking at so much to do before the packers arrive Monday. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but come mid-day tomorrow I am bound for the Romantic Novelist Association Conference and I can't wait. However I don't return until Monday morning and by then the packers will have begun deconstructing my life as I know it. Although I hate the moving process I have to confess to loving the challenge of another new 'house' to make into a home. This time it will be for a longer period. In the past I have done this for as little as three months and the longest being three years.

Now this week there are some wonderful things out on the Internet for writers. Michelle Styles is hosting a workshop on eharlequin on Goal, Motivation and Conflict. Well worth a look even if you aren't writing romance.

Also thanks to Zinnia for the link on the Novel Racers' Blog to Troubled Diva which talks about Bloggers and book deals. Well worth a read. Of course our own Caroline Smailes is one of these speacial people!

Right now off to pack for the weekend and summer!

Let Down by Amazon

On Sunday Therese Fowler's book Souvenir was released here in the UK. Knowing that my schedule is so full I did the obvious thing and ordered it on Amazon. Amazon just sent me an email saying it won't be available until the 7th!!! The cheek and I don't have time to wander into a book store at the moment.

Today the cat and I are traveling to Cornwall with much of the stuff we won't be taking to Dubai. Yes, we are taking the cat but he becomes traumatised by the moving men which will be swarming the house on Monday so his holiday in Cornwall will start today the lucky sod.


Yesterday was my last book club with my Fulham mums. I was sad and guilty at the same time. I yet again hadn't read the chosen book - Atonement. I am so behind on my reading. However as my farewell I have suggested the two summer reads for them. The first one is Caroline Smailes' In Search of Adam. My copy is beckoning me but will have to wait until the packers are through. The other read is Matt Dunn's Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook. It was Chris's delight in it that cinched for the mums. You see I grabbed the book as we left for Venice. WE had much on our mind and unfortunately it wasn't frivolous but should he take the new job and leave his old company. Matt's book did the trick and pulled him out of the heavy thoughts and made him laugh. Chris's comments aside from funny - Matt is very astute. BTW for male reader the cover is acceptable.

Summer is my reading time. I don't write during the summer as the kids are at home and still need me. However I find that by the end of the summer I am bursting to write. Each of the last two books was germinated in late August. I wonder what this year will bring?

Leaving Party

I had intended to takes loads of photos but this is one of two. It's a good photo of both Fiona Harper and I after several glasses of bubbly and wine...........

She came with her latest book, Break Up to Make Up signed and I was touched beyond words as she was writing that book when we traveled up to Penrith for the Romantic Novelist Association conference last year. We laughed so much on the journey and continued through the whole weekend. She's not coming to the conference this years as she's going to the Romance Writers of America conference because her first book Blind Date Marriage is up for a RITA. So I'll miss my giggling buddy but I know that she is off to collect another award so it's just about OK!!!