What do you look for in a conference?

I have been invited to be a panelist at UtopYA Con this year. Eeeppp!!!! I'm so excited! It's going to be such a thrill heading to the States and being able to meet writers I speak to online all the time.

I'm also pretty pumped about being able to talk writing for an entire weekend. There's nothing like associating with passionate writers to really get your fired up and inspired. It's also nice to be able to rabbit on about something you love with people who understand just how awesome it is.

I think that's the most beneficial thing about attending a conference - making those connections.

The very first conference I went to was the NZ Romance Writer's Conference in Auckland. As a newbie writer, I got so much out of it, including meeting a person who has become very dear to me...the lovely T. G. Ayer. She has since introduced me to some kiwi treasures who have become my critique partners and trusted friends.

I also met an agent from the States at that conference. I won a breakfast with her and we chatted about books and publishing, she gave me some fantastic pointers and then offered to look over one of my manuscripts.

It was the start of something really huge for me. I learned SO much from that weekend and it was a pivotal experience that set me on the course I'm currently walking.

So in my opinion conferences are definitely worth attending. I am stupidly excited about June this year!! I don't know what I'll come away with, but I'm confident the experience will spark something within me that will carry me further along this road. Whatever it may be, I'm totally psyched!!

Are you going to any conferences this year?

What do you look for when attending a conference?

RWNZ Conference

I have so much to say about this totally cool event. I will update my blog over the next few weeks with the pieces of advice I picked up, but tonight I just wanted to share some personal highlights.

I followed Scott Eagan's advice to be brave and take every opportunity I could get. It paid off.

So - highlights....

- I met heaps of amazing women, one in particular that I made a great connection with. We've agreed to be critique partners.

- I approached the VP of Harlequin, Dianne Moggy, and gave her a casual two line pitch. She gave me her card and asked me to send her editor some chapters.

- I won the raffle prize "Bradford Breakfast" which scored me a 45 minute breakfast with Laura Bradford, Literary Agent. We spent most of the time talking about my current project. She gave me a ton of good advice. At the end I asked her if she'd be interested in seeing some same chapters and she told me to send her my full manuscript! Whoop! Whoop!

- My favorite workshop was a session with some men who specialize in sword fighting and weapons from the 11th -16th Centuries. They happened to sit at my lunch table so I got chatting with them about one of my scenes set in England, 1393. They were so enthusiastic, they took me into a separate room, pulled out all their weapons and walked me through the authentic moves, step-by-step. Plus the leader gave me his cellphone number so I can call with any follow up questions.

- Last totally cool thing (Yes, I'm blowing my own trumpet here, but hey! I'm celebrating!!) During the cold read critique session, Alex Logan, an editor from Grand Central Publishing said she had nothing bad to say about my pages. Talk about your feel gooder!!!

I would love to write more, but am on a deadline for getting this full manuscript to Laura Bradford. I need to edit my work and I want to get it done in three weeks.
I'm going underground until I get it done.

Have fun writing everybody. Will write again soon :)

I'm going to a conference! I'm going to a conference!

It's my first one! Can you tell how excited I am?!!!!!

It's the NZ Romance Writers Conference, being held in Auckland at the end of August.
Unfortunately my manuscript won't be ready for pitching, BUT there are so many cool workshops and seminars to attend. Christopher Vogler, whose book I've just finished reading, is going to be one of the main speakers - super cool.

I always read other people's blogs and see what amazing experiences they've had at conferences and now I'm getting a chance. My hope is to learn as much as I can and make a few connections along the way. There will be agents and editors there from the States, which is where I'm hoping to one day be published.

I'll write a review in August after I've been :)

SIDEBAR...

I was lucky enough to win one of Megan's prizes. I am so stoked. It's a full manuscript critique!! Buzzing! Now I just need to hurry up and get my manuscript done.
Once again - time is becoming an issue. Work can be such a pain! Earning money is so overrated :)
In saying that, without I couldn't go to this conference - so YAY for substitute teaching!

Hope everyone has a fab week.