Conferences

Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun and sometimes you neglect your own blog because you’re too busy playing on other websites and at conferences. I just returned home from an amazing few days at the American Writers & Writers Program (AWP) conference in Seattle. I graduated from Eastern Washington University with an MFA in creative writing (non fiction) back in 2010. For the first time, the university sponsored a reception for current students and alumni during the conference. It was so much fun meeting up with old friends who are now scattered all over the states in different jobs, …

Many years ago, I went to my very first writers’ conference. More than a little frightened and overwhelmed by the number of workshops and the large egos of some of the writers, I considered staying in my hotel room the second day. Instead, I pulled on my big-girl panties and braved another day of feeling out of place, answering rude questions, and attending workshops that taught me I would probably never make it as a fiction writer because few people ever did. That afternoon I attended a panel of romance writers. As soon as I stepped into the room, I …

Those of us who are still looking to get published are always trying to soak up wisdom from our favorite authors. By belonging to Romance Writers of America and my local Inland Empire Chapter (IECRWA) of that organization, I am fortunate to have direct access to an amazing group of men and women. Not only are they generous with their time when it comes to mentor and educate wanna-be writers like me, they are also incredibly giving when it comes to answering questions and share lessons learned. This weekend, I’m hanging out with my favorite writing peeps–the IECRWA folks–at our …

I’m heading to the Emerald City Writing Conference this weekend. I think it’s my fifth or sixth time attending, but it’s my first time presenting! Rebecca Zanetti and I will be holding a workshop titled: Dealing with Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in Your Own Life: Optimizing the Writing Process while Keeping Motivation High. If you happen to be in the Seattle area on Saturday morning and want to hang out while chatting about writing motivation, stop by the Sammamish conference room at the Bellevue Westin at 10.30 am. In case you’re not a morning person, but still want to catch …

Welcome to the first free book day on this blog. I have a huge stack of signed copies by fantastic authors. Many more chances to win your favorite writers’ work are forthcoming. Where did I get all of these books, you ask? Mostly from attending the amazing book signings at the national RWA conference, but also from signings in my local bookstores, and other writing conferences. And now I want to share them with you. Speaking of the RWA conference, I just got the huge box of books I shipped from this year’s event in Anaheim. I love writing conferences …