It’s been years since I’ve been to a Romance Writers of Australia Conference and this one did not disappoint. Every session, every key note address, touched me, taught me or trained me. It is very professionally focussed. Networking is great too. Romance writers are really very professional and encouraging to others and there were people I hadn’t seen for years-some I knew their face but not their names. It was great to catch up with friends, with industry professionals and so on. This year my friend Kaaren Sutcliffe was nominated for a Ruby for speculative fiction and that was a great impetus for her to make her first conference (along with over 100 newbies). It is good to have a mate there for your first time. Kaaren went to a newbie session, which is great to meet new people.
I don’t tend to go to the Friday workshops-they cost extra and well $$$. However, I do go to the cocktail party, with the theme All that glitters…even the bubbly had sparkles added.
I wore this new top, tunic thing and my shiny, sparkly boots for fun. Before the cocktail party I bumped into Alex Adsett and Abigail Nathan (Alex Adsett Literary) and friends! We did a little catch up, post PhD and long time no see thing.
Usually there are some fantastic dress ups at the RWA cocktail party. There were many beautiful and sparkling outfits. The clouds and the chandelier were the winners.
The networking continued, plus there was a bag all on its own and I want one! In the picture below, Pamela Freeman (Hart), Anita Heiss, Lisa Darcy and me.
Saturday the serious stuff happened. A key note from Steffanie Holmes (Green) on her path to success. The session was called something like, Don’t give up before the miracle happened. She said she didn’t start earning well until she published her 30th book. I’m up to 20 and I was thinking….It was such an inspirational speech, I had to go to her session on writing Reverse Harem and that was great too.
I went to a session on Undressing the Heroine (I think it was called that) and no you can’t rip that bodice. It was very informative and we got to fondle corsets and other underwear. It was also presented in an entertaining way. Another favourite for me was Turning to Crime by Alison Stuart…because I want to write crime and she shared all her methods and research with us. Fantastic.
Then there was the awards dinner. A lot of screaming and cheering as some people were watching the Matildas versus France. I got a few shots of the room. This one with Kaaren Sutcliffe. And lucky they removed the feathers before the food arrived.
Saturday we also had a lunch time talk by Amy Andrews about burn out. I felt like she was talking about me, because I find it hard to get on the computer and write these days. I figured it was post PHD burn out. Her talk resonated with me and I’ve been working on getting my love of writing back. That said I have been writing, I just don’t feel productive. I’ve drafted a kids book, currently reworking to first person, I’m revising a regency romance I drafted in 2016 and drafting a paranormal romance as well as researching new projects!
Sunday there was more sessions. One from Anne Gracie about engaging the reader, which was a very useful reminder and Anne Gracie’s work is engaging! A key note from Stephanie London, Enisa Haines etc, etc. I’d have to go find the program to be more specific but yeah it was fab.
Now I come to the end of my post. Sadly I think I ate something off at my hotel (not the RWA venue) because I got food poisoning symptoms on the train back to Canberra and then at home and then afterwards, sore muscles. So sore and it still hurts to laugh. Next year, the venue is at Glenelg and I hope to be there.
Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing 