My Writing Pants

Some people need to write in a specific location...their office, the local Starbucks, or maybe a cabin in the mountains. Me, I can write just about anywhere.

As long as I'm wearing my writing pants.

But the pants -as you have now seen- are not pretty, and therein lies problem #1. I run the risk of embarrassing my kids when their friends come to the door, and I answer it wearing toxic-green, flannel, penguin pajama pants. In August. However, I'm terribly committed to my craft. No amount of whining is going to make me give them up.

The second problem is trickier. I have exactly one pair. They're faded, worn thin, and stretched to perfection. My biggest challenge, the thing I dread most is *gulp*... laundry day. That's several hours out of every week that my writing pants are simply unavailable. If my muse strikes during that time...well, there's nothing to be done for it.

The power of the pants is mystical indeed. Who would have guessed you could find such a priceless rarity at Old Navy for just $14.99?

Conference Photos and Link

Kris Kennedy and I, before she won the Golden Heart.

Mike and I before the Awards Ceremony.

Me with Keli Gwyn at the Keynote Luncheon.

Kit Wilkinson and I before the Awards Ceremony.

Me with Anna Campbell at the Literacy Autographing.

Cool link: On Friday, Aug. 1, the Today Show aired this segment on the conference and romance writing in general. It gives a nice feel for the buzzing atmosphere at the conference. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25966976#25966976

(Note: You may have to endure 30 seconds of ads before the clip.)

Snippets from San Francisco - Part 3

This last installment of conference notes falls into the category of "you can't make this up." I apologize in advance for the alliteration. :)

Without further adieu, here's my list of "Surreal Things:"

• Airing it out in the Airport - Right after we de-boarded the plane in San Francisco, on our way to baggage claim, we passed an odd, older gentleman. He was wearing dress slacks, a belt, and nice shoes. And that's it. NO shirt. He had a bag slung over his naked shoulder and walked toward the gates as if it were the most natural thing in the world, which, I suppose, it was. More bizarre than his state of undress was the fact no one else seemed to notice. My question is: if I'm going to see a half-dressed man in the airport, why, oh why, can't it be David Beckham or James McAvoy or the guy who plays Sawyer on "Lost?"
• Sidestepping Stuff on the Sidewalk - The hotel where we stayed was a city block away from the conference Marriott. It was an easy walk, but on the night of the awards ceremony, after I dressed up in my long, silk gown and strappy sandals, I debated whether or not to take a cab. Since it was a pretty mild night by San Fran standards, and since I'm rather cheap, I decided to walk. My shoes felt fine at first, but half-way there I realized the glittery straps had the same exact texture as 200 grit sandpaper. Also, I had to lift the hem of my dress as I dodged a - warning, don't read on if you're squeamish! - pile of excrement on the pavement. Even if the cab was 20 bucks, it would have been worth it.
• Conversing without a Clue - I was checking voicemail in between workshops one day when a woman came and sat down on the chair beside me. She said, "Nice shoes." I liked her immediately, of course, thanked her, and we started chatting. We talked about our families, where we're from, and highlights of the conference so far. She asked me what I write, so I told her and asked her what she writes. She replied she's not a writer. She's an agent. Had I bothered to look at her name tag, I would have known this, but I just felt weird looking at people's chests all the time. Anyway, we exchanged cards and you never know what might come out of it. We have the same taste in shoes, after all.

Snippets from San Francisco - Part 2

Certain aspects of the RWA Conference surprised me. For whatever reason, some things were just different from what I had expected. I don't mean to imply they were bad...just different.

So, here's my list of "Surprising Things."

• Name Badges - I had pictured the name badges as being of the smaller, pin-on variety. As you can see, however, they were designed to hang from your neck and display a ton of "flair." (Remember Jennifer Aniston's character from the movie "Office Space?") I'll admit when I registered and received the makings for my badge I had no idea about the proper way to assemble it. A couple of my fellow Pixies showed me how and vowed they would submit an application to host a workshop on Badge Assembly next year. I think the idea's got merit. There were ribbons for "Speakers," "Finalists," "Volunteers," "First Sales," and "First Timers," to name a few. While the badge was handy for holding business cards, hotel room keys, and index cards, it clashed with my outfits. *Sigh.*


• The Volume of People, and the Volume - I knew that about 2,000 people would be in attendance; I just didn't realize what it would actually feel like when we congregated. I had thought over the course of four days that I'd eventually run into all the people I wanted to meet and see - but I didn't. There were friends I ran into repeatedly and others I never saw. And all those people made a LOT of noise. Particularly in the hotel lobby, where attendees often hung out, there was a lot of commotion. The glossy marble floors and high ceilings allowed the sounds of heels clicking and writers chatting to bounce around the lobby. It was festive and exhilarating, but also a bit overwhelming for a recovering introvert like myself.


• The Age of Agents - In the publishing business, agents are powerful people. Based on that fact alone, I expected most agents would be middle-aged or older. But the agents I saw were, on the whole, a "younger" crowd. They were incredibly savvy and self-possessed, and their advice was sage. And I can see how their youthful energy and charm could give them a distinct advantage in the industry.


• Pitch Appointments - These were much more regimented than I had envisioned. I heard people comparing the meetings to speed dating or even prison visits. We were moved through very efficiently, though, and the process ensured that everyone got their allotted time. I also bonded with the people on either side of me in line. :)


• My Own Gumption - My appointment with an agent was the very last time slot on the very last day. I launched enthusiastically into my pitch, but before I got too far, the agent stopped me and said she didn't think my story was right for her. I listened respectfully to her explanation, but then I told her all the reasons I thought it WAS right for her. (Thank goodness I had done my research.) Though she only ended up asking for a partial, it felt like a major victory. I didn't know I had it in me, but I did the hard sell!

Well, that seems like more than enough for one day. I might be able to eek out one more conference-related post, and I think it will deal with... surreal moments.

Snippets from San Francisco - Part 1

I just got home from the RWA National Conference last night and am still trying to process everything, but it was amazing. By now, you already know I didn't win the Golden Heart, but I can honestly say it didn't diminish the fun or excitement of the conference.

Rather than give you a play-by-play of events, I'm going to list little snippets. Keep in mind, these are my own, honest reflections and they're not representative of conference attendees as a whole. This first installment is called...

..."The Best Things:"

• The Pixie Pitch Practice Session - About twenty GH finalists squeezed into one hotel room to do a test run of our pitches prior to having formal appointments. For many of us, it was our first time meeting each other in person, and though we didn't polish our pitches as much as planned, we laughed a lot. When author Jill Barnett popped in (it was her room too) someone asked her what she wished she had known as an unpublished writer. Her advice was to appreciate the innocence and sheer joy of writing that you have before publication, and try to hang on to it. Hmmm.
• Keynote Luncheon Speaker, Author Victoria Alexander - She was a hoot. Her speech meandered through a variety of topics relevant to writing and otherwise. Embedded throughout were "chicken nuggets" of wisdom. If you have a chance to listen to or watch a recording of her performance, it's worth it just to hear about how she's managed to kill off her husband in each of her books.
• The Imparting of Author Secrets - During the workshops, authors were extremely generous. They candidly shared their techniques and tips for researching and writing. During one workshop, Regency author Stephanie Laurens revealed that though mens' shirts generally didn't button down the front till the 1830's, all her Regency heros had a "forward-thinking tailor" who designed their shirts with buttons, much to her heroines' delight. :)
• RITA Reactions - On Awards Night, it was wonderful to see the thrilled reactions of published authors receiving their awards. There were screams, tears, trembling hands, and the whole bit. I guess it's nice to know the thrill never really wears off. Also, the author/editor relationships were obviously very strong and positive.
• Motivation & Inspiration - Maybe the best thing about the conference was it made me want to be a better writer AND gave me some ideas about how to accomplish that.

I have more pictures to post, but first I want to make sure other people in group pictures don't mind.

Tune in tomorrow, when I'll post snippets of... "Surprising Things."