Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah...
Well, it's that time of year again. RWA's National Convention. When thousands of romance industrialists gather for workshops, networking and meetings, usually in an excruciatingly hot town, for a summer week. Like camping, but without all the discomfort and with a lot better food.
As you might have guessed, yours truly is not going. (Sob.)
Now, the professional in me wants to tell you that Nationals is a much needed professional event that builds a writer's career and is important to building relationships that will last for the life of your publishing experience. And that's true.
But also true is that some of us are just there for the bar.
Lots of romance writers are moms with small kids. Five days away from home without a single "Mooooooooom!" at any given time of the day or not is a lot like Nirvana. And the only thing better than that is finding the cushy spot in the bar first, because every night of Nationals, that's where a huge percentage of the writers congregate. I'm not a heavy drinker and really, you can have a soda and plop down on the floor in some of them, but from roughly 6pm to 1am on any night but Rita Night, the bar is full of your favorite romance writers. And a few who are about to be your best friend.
You're never quite sure til you get there what is going to be the Hotspot of a hotel. One year, there was a live band playing--and OMG, they were awesome!--and we danced more than drank or talked. Often in our PJs. Another year, we vied for this big, giant scalloped fleur de li style couch in a bar because you could fit so many folks on it. There was also the bar that ran horizontally for a huge stretch and had margaritas for two dollars. ("One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, FLOOR!" comes to mind when I remember that one.) Atlanta had a huge bar, which ironically we all ended up outside of, on an extended patio, well into the muggy night...until we noticed all the bugs that were roughly the size of a woman's shoe. Never take on a beetle in hand to hand combat. He's armored...you're not.
So why am I waxing poetic about beetles and bars?
Well, the truth is, some of my best memories of Nationals happened on the inside of a bar. Laughing til you're crying, talking book ideas, sharing bad editing stories, discussing career paths and hopes and dreams. It's a rare atmosphere, to literally be surrounded by thousands of others who understand what it's like to stare at a blank page and smile at the prospect of filling it. Or grumble at the struggle to complete a sentence. People who don't look at you like you're crazy for spending six months on something that might never earn a dime, or listening to imaginary people in your head without calling a psychiatrist.
I wax poetic because I miss it. I miss the energy and the fun and the excitement and the connection. If you've never been, Nationals is fun. It's exhausting. It's non-stop running and it's the best working vacation a writer can get. So if you've never been there, I promise, as the Cigars Sisters report over the next few days, you're going to put your pennies together for next year! So, be sure to check these pages over the next few days for some great updates on what's going on where the wild writers go.
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GFWC Conventions!
Dee,
You just described what GFWC Conventions are like for me! Yes, there is a lot of learning and sharing and brainstorming. But the real memories come from the people you meet outside of the meetings and workshops. Often times starting in the lobby of the hotel and migrating either to the hotel bar or the bar down the street. LOL - and yes, they are always in the summer and always somewhere hot! I've met some of the best people that way. It is what really makes a great convention spectacular! I had to miss it this year....which has made me all the more resolved to start collecting every penny I see so that I don't have to miss it next year! (When it will be in the exciting berg of Ohama, Nebraska!)
Cathy
Oooooh, Omaha!
LOL, the place is never as important as the good times. And if there's not much to do there, the bars are always amazing, lol.
Miss you too!
I wish you were going Dee! I'm feeling a wee bit homesick already, but also looking forward to going, and I know I will be fine once I am in transit. It's more the idea of leaving that's getting to me, but your post reminded me what I have in store for 4 days. Normally, I am not a bar or a party person (I often say I grew up in a bar, which I kinda did -- my mom was a waitress/bartender, and many of my Fri or Sat nights up to the age of ten were spent at the restaurant bar with my Dad waiting for her to finish up her night shift). LOL So I never have been to bars in my adult years, really. Never had much attraction. But will try to stop by at least once, maybe, but honestly, my schedule is so packed already, I am hoping to come back at night fairly early (since I want to post pics, etc but also get up at 6am each day for a good walk).
So... talk to you all from there. :)
Sam
Early Nights? At Nationals??
Uh huh...good luck with that. The walk prolly won't happen either, but don't worry, 95% of Nats is racing through the hotel. :) You'll walk till you cry.
Enjoy! :)
Dee
Have a good time sam!
Dee, i'm with you. I miss nationals so much. Yes i loved the workshops, talking with all the other authors. Getting a big "Hey you, give me a hug!!" from Tony Karryani every time i saw him. It's just fun, and you never want it to end.
My first was Dc in 2000, and i was awestruck at the huge event, and all those writers. People like me who hear people in their heads and are not clinically insane, just creative!! People from all walks of life, all ages, all races, it didnt matter. we were all there for the same thing, our love of telling stories, making people up.
Then i went to Nawlins the next year, pretty cool. Had som killer gumbo, great seafood at Joe's crab shack and realized that a Hurricane can be a good thing, if drank at the bar!! very tasty.
So i'm with you, here at home missing all the fun. And since the last time iwent they started having the supers party and the death by chocolate parties too, waaaa i wanno go next year.
So i'm going to go and start hoarding all my loose change and pray i get to go next year!
but for now i'm having a Strawberry daquari and pretending im in the lobby bar at the Marriot, waiter i'll have some cheesecake to go with my drink!
jody
OOoooh, daquiri!
Make mine banana and I'm with you all the way!
RWA's National Convention
WOW! It sounds a lot like my high school reunions. I'll bet that it's an experience that no writer will ever forget. So my question is: Why hasn't one of you written a book using some those convention experiences as a storyline? There has to be a good story in there somewhere.
I hope all of you who are going to the convention, have a great time. Sam, if you are driving, please stay away from the Beltway. You may never find your way off of it. Have a safe trip both there, and back.
OMG
I hadn't thought about that! just a got a good idea from my first ever conference too, locking myself out of my room. Thanks Mads.
a good start today, since yesterdays car problems left me and the hubs with only one vehicle, this is better than yesterday!!
jody
Um...
well, there's not a lot of men at the conventions, though we did tell one author to write a book on her experience getting saved from a stuck elevator by firefighters one year. So far, no dice.
well Dee
He could be a very cute businessman who helps the young woman at her first major conference, or a nervous manager who tries to keep the half naked young woman from attracting the wrong kind of attention by hiding her in his office, gets caught and has to pretend they're lovers.
Oooh i gotta write this down!!
jody
i love it when this happens!
Dude!
Conference is working for you already!!