RWA 2015 Conference Memories @SloaneBCollins #RWA2015 #amwriting #MFRWorg #BFFs @sashawrites

Just a few short weeks ago I spent 5 days in New York City at the annual Romance Writers of

America annual conference.   I get just as excited about it as I do Christmas.  Every year I anxiously await the workshops to be posted, then I go through the list carefully deciding what sounds good.  Then, when the workshops are posted by day and time, I do it again.  Invariably and without fail, I end up with at least two for each time slot.  I make the final decision as to which to attend once I know whether it will be recorded or not.  Or, if the presenter is someone I want to hear in person. 

This is a time of fun, fellowship, friendship, motivation and inspiration.  I always come home rejuvenated and ready to write.  And this year was no different.

One of the best things at the conference this year: I met an author I’ve been a fan of for many years, one who hasn’t ever been at a conference that I’ve attended.  Jude Devereaux!  I met her at the

Literacy Signing on Wednesday night and was so excited to get my picture taken with her.  Then I attended the workshop she gave on Research on Thursday.  Would you believe she keeps a notebook for each book (as I do, actually) AND she writes in longhand!  The next day my BFF and I were waiting at the elevator on our floor, and who should walk up but Ms. Devereaux and her editor!  It’s the one time I was glad the elevators took a long time because we had her to ourselves.  So we chatted about various things, and it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.
 

The workshops were amazing once again.  I’m still concentrating mostly on Craft workshops, always willing to learn and hone my writing skills.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I attend Craft workshops

wanting to learn that BIG SECRET, the one that will suddenly make writing easier so I’m as prolific as Nora Roberts. 

My best friend and fellow Plotting Princess Sasha lives in San Antonio, so we don’t get to see each other very often – we were roomies once again this year.  We had some late nights in New York: hitting the Walgreens in Times Square at midnight, taking the sightseeing bus tour at 10 pm on Friday, then going for cheesecake and ice

cream sodas (both delicious and amazing at Juniors) at midnight, then staying up even later plotting and dissecting our works in

progress.  Again, memories I’ll always treasure.

I love attending RWA conferences. Where else can you spend hours talking about characters as if they’re flesh and blood people?  You’re surrounded by two thousand other writers who know what you’re going through; they’ve struggled with writer’s block, had problems coming up with the perfect goals, motivations, and conflicts for their characters, sweated to get every word right just as much as you have.  And someone there might just have the perfect place to stash the body of your antagonist.   

And this time I came away with an idea for a project I’m keeping secret for right now.

As an author, if you’ve attended nationals, what’s your favorite part of the conference?  For readers, what questions do you have for authors who attend conferences?