Some of the best 2007 conference workshops I’ve listened to so far:

Karen Rose’s Writing the Romantic Suspense

Publishing Myths with Kate Duffy

Creating Your Story’s Backbone with Robin Perini, who is just a great speaker

No Plotters Allowed with Allison Brennan

When Bad Covers Happen to Good Books with Raelene Gorlinsky – she was just a really cool speaker

From the Trenches with Kathryn Lye

Standing Out from the Slush Pile with Tawny Weber, JoAnn Rock, Jamie Sobrato and Brenda Chin

Making Every Minute Count with April Kihlstrom

Unstick Yourself with Todd Stone

So, I’m through the Friday workshops – still have the Saturday workshops to go! Which ones have you enjoyed?

I read all day yesterday, finished MORE THAN FIENDS, which was sexy as hell, and read half of VIRGIN RIVER, which has a great supporting cast, not much internal conflict for the hero. I did start itching to write, though I’m going to wait till I finish HARRY POTTER.

Today, I promised my notes from Robin Perini’s workshop, Backbone of Story. She was an awesome speaker, presented her ideas clearly. Answered questions clearly and concisely. I got a bit jittery sitting in the VERY crowded room while she showed some scary spreadsheets, but I learned a lot.

Each turning point should contain the following:

◊ Deep character
◊ Theme
◊ Braiding internal and external conflict
◊ Layering

Actions should impact character emotions. How they feel/react is what moves the story forward. The choices they make based on their emotions is what drives the book. (I thought that was brilliant.)

There are 4 types of scenes:

◊ Exposition
◊ Character
◊ Plot
◊ Conflict

The greatest danger to the character is not plot but their character flaw. The villain should be the personification of that flaw, and that flaw is the danger to the main character. Everything in the story needs to attack that flaw, test it, and the attacks continue until the black moment forces an irrevocable change in character.

She had TONS of charts and worksheets in the conference book, maybe if you email her, she would send them.

Still revising Surface….

I went to the agent panel Saturday morning, Kick It Up a Notch, with Elaine Spencer, Carolyn Grayson, Lucienne Driver and Kristin Nelson. I wasn’t taking notes at first till I remembered it wasn’t taped.

Elaine Spencer started with a list of what not to do, things that could ruin your career. Most of the stuff was pretty common sense, and I was still not thinking about taking notes, so all I remember was that she said not to spend so much time online getting riled up about different issues and comparing yourself to others and she said not to piss off your agent, by missing deadlines, pestering and making end runs.

I was very impressed with her, and she does have a query from me….

Carolyn Grayson was next, and spoke about writing the market-fitting novel.

She said to think about how your last book turned out in investment of time, and should you write another like that. You know, like the LAST jungle book I wrote that didn’t sell, yet I’m writing another?

She said beware of “wild-catting,” writing a fun book that may not sell because no one knows how to market it. I know this happened to a friend of mine. But then we’re told to write fresh….

She advised tapping an aspect of the field that hasn’t been done before, and figuring out what readers like about best-sellers and use the same qualities in your book. Some of those qualities are:

◊ Hero/heroine need a goal readers can identify with at the moment, and that goal must be larger than each other
◊ Hero/heroine need to have thoughts other than each other. They have a past. THEY HAVE A LIFE THE NOVEL EVENTS IS INTERUPTING!!! (I love that – doesn’t that make complete sense?)
◊ Be unexpected
◊ Readers invest in character
◊ Establish a sense of community.

Lucienne Driver spoke on branding.

She wants to know why your book is different from everything out there. The risk is that you’re identified too strongly with a brand that you can’t move away from it. The reward is that you’re at the forefront of a trend and everyone emulates you. I have something here about author branding vs. genre branding but I can’t make sense of my notes….

Kristin Nelson was also very impressive. She spoke on the top ten internet marketing tools. She mentioned you need to find your target market and think, “Where would they be online?” I know Joanna Moore did this with one of her paranormal romantic suspenses – I don’t remember where she advertised, but it wasn’t just to other authors.

Okay, Kristin’s top ten:

◊ Dynamic PROFESSIONAL website. She also said you need to create reasons for readers to come back: links to resources, what you’re reading, deleted scenes, letters to readers about what you were thinking when you were writing the book, make your own fan fiction and have readers respond, making characters “real.” If you have a blog, update as close to everyday as you can. Make it about content. She also mentioned something called video blogging. I’m not familiar with this.
◊ Reader/author group where readers interact with authors.
◊ Proven reader/author sites, with reviews, chats, contests, interviews and banner ads
◊ Teach online workshops
◊ Have your own personal ORGANIZED fan group
◊ Newsletter – maintain subscriber list, put in good content, send out monthly
◊ Go after what’s new and what makes sense. For some people this could be myspace.com, youtube.com, facebook.com
◊ Book trailers – wave of the future. Border’s e-newsletter uses these. People like the one with actors instead of stills, 60 second or less, professional. Borders also likes author letters to readers - they get more click-throughs than the Borders coupon!
◊ Contests
◊ Websites such as freshfiction.com, authorbuzz.com, readertoreader.com, newandusedbooks.com, dearreader.com, redwyne.com, smartbitchestrashybooks.com are all good uses for time. She also talked about amazon.com and the PLOGS they use. If you don’t shop there – an author writes a plog, and that goes to a reader every time that reader buys that author’s book. When the author updates, the reader gets the new plog as well. She also said to have a lot of amazon.com reviews – people pay more attention to the number than the ratings.

Her last piece of advice was to give readers something for free. She said if you did that, you’d have readers for life!

Today I’m doing nothing but reading…and getting the ds whatever he needs for his “HOUSE party” – they’re going to have a HOUSE marathon. Last night they went to see Harry Potter again, and then Friday is the big release party…I want to stay HOME for a change!!!

Tomorrow – I’ll type up my notes on Robin Perini’s workshop.

I will be revising my GH finalist beginning before sending to Cori, so…

Got home about 4 yesterday, watched a lot of TV, went to eat at EZ's. Funny how quick a drive can go when Trish and I chatted the whole way. She's showering now so we can go to breakfast, so I'm blogging.

Okay, I kind of caught you up to Saturday. I did forget to mention I had a fangirl moment with Trish on Friday when Trish went to the RWA pressroom to blog. Nora was being interviewed, and when she walked out I fawned over her for a minute. I also saw my stalk-ee, Eileen Rendahl. Last year I stalked her, this year she stalked me. We decided we were just in the bar too much! I also squeed over Cindy Gerard, also in the bar.

I bought 2 t-shirts at Moonlight Madness and could have bought more. I wish I'd bought another, but I was pinching pennies ;) One says: So Many Heroes, So Little Time, and the other is like the MasterCard commercial....cost of paper, cost of ink, selling your first book = priceless.

Lessee....Saturday I went to an agent panel that wasn't taped, so I took copious notes. Will post them later this week. Then I went to another booksigning, found Trish as she got ready for her pitch to Wendy McCurdy (a full request) then we went up to Trish's room to brainstorm for her meeting with Johanna Raisenen, Kathleen Scheibling and Trish's agent. We went to lunch together, but Trish had to sit with the board. I sat with other Noodlers.

I went to another booksigning and met Stephanie Tyler and Larissa Ione. If I'd known they'd be there, I would have raced to get Riding the Storm! I was tickled that Stephanie knew me from my blog because she comes by every day!!!

Then I had GH practice, where I was getting antsy because it was creeping later and later and I had to go to the other hotel, change, eat and get back by 7:15. I made sure they said my name right then bolted out. I had told our chapter prez to meet me because she wanted us to drive back her books, and the dh and ds were waiting in the driveway. I saw the BOXES of books - I'm talking about 8 boxes, 2 of them BIG - and had some panic. They took up all the back of the car and the ds still sat by some.

So we raced down 35 looking for a restaurant - ended up grabbing Schlotsky's, racing back to the hotel, getting dressed and racing back to the hotel. We waited for Trish, who gave her key card to the boy and we went to find seats.

We sat together, and I was SO THRILLED Coven won. I LOVE THAT BOOK! Afterwards, I was swept away by my critique group, missed the Noodler picture, didn't have my picture taken with the dh....sigh. DID get some good cheesecake ;) We had our Noodler party till midnight, retrieved the boy and crashed.

We met Noodlers for breakfast at the Cafe, then headed home.


Pictures later!

We drove up, got to town around 1. I wasn't hungry, but knew it would be awhile before I ate. Did the dh offer to get me something BESIDES McD's? NO. I didn't eat till 6 and wasn't happy.

It didn't help that our last minute hotel was a crack hotel. GROSS. We had to change rooms because of no AC, you heard traffic ALL NIGHT and the place didn't feel safe. NEVER again. Name brands from now on.

Went to conference, sat in on the AGM, mostly because I was waiting for Trish. Found our chapter prez and Michele. LONG AGM, rehashing all the PAN stuff. My question is this: why would you NOT want to get paid for your writing? It's HARD to write, you should make money.

Trish had other board stuff to do, so I hung with Marjorie and Sydney till the welcome reception, which had REAL food! Bles them! Then the Golden Network reception, which was fun, and the Moonlight Madness. I bought 2 t-shirts, of course. The dh came to get me, we returned to the crack hotel, then he got up early to bring me back Friday for breakfast with Chris. We met,n had fun, went to Robin Perini's workshop (VERY good), then I went to stalk Susan Litman (didn't find her) and went to my appointments.

Michele Bidelspach was very nice and friendly, but didn't think Surface would fit Warner. If I'd known that, I would have pitched Ghost Hunters. Corie Deyoe had read my partial and wants the full. So, 50%.

Trish and I met for lunch, then went to the Romance Novel TV interviews. I felt like a deer in the headlights the entire time. Then there was the Golden Heart reception, which was nice. I went back to Trish's room to drop off some books - a pain when you're not in the same hotel, let me tell you - and we talked, then I called Sydney, Michele and Sarah for dinner, thougth I wasn't hungry. We ate (okay, I didn't eat, I was full) at the same restaurant we'd had lunch, then hung at the bar. Very nice bonding.

The food has been good, the service has been good, the hotel layout is good - very accommodating.

The dh and ds moved to our original hotel, and I slept GOOD!

Okay, I'm off to get dressed and head back - maybe I'll go to some workshops today!

My brother goes in for back surgery tomorrow. I would appreciate any prayers. I'm very anxious about this. Still, he worked yesterday! For a difficult client, too, that he couldn't appease, and who wanted him to come back today. When he has to go in for pre-op. Right.

90 percent chance of rain today washed out our original July 4th plans. Looks like they're not lying, either, if you see the radar. Very colorful down south, and moving this way.

I judged all my contest entries and sent them back to the coordinators. Whew! One entry took me all day to read. It was good, but very dense, lots of historical detail. I gave it 100. I never give 100s. I also finished A Man for Maggie, which I reviewed on the WNP blog.

National seems farther away than a week, and since I’m only going for 3 days, and it’s close, I don’t have the urgency that maybe I should.

BEFORE:
Get a room for Thursday night. The hotel where I'm staying is booked.
Try on formal.
Get dh a shirt and shoes, pick up suit.
Do nails.
Color hair.
Clean house, because Trish is coming home with me!

CLOTHES:
Okay, since I’m not going to be in a huge hurry on the way up, I’m going to wear yoga pants or shorts in the car, then change at the hotel and have the dh drop me off at The Hyatt. So that means my brown linen skirt and some top hopefully on its way from Chadwicks because I freaked out when I didn’t have any white or black blouses. Brown sandals

Then my appts are Friday, as is the Golden Heart reception and the Wet Noodle Posse meeting with Romance TV. I’ll wear my green and rose gypsy skirt and my favorite rose top. Brown sandals

Friday evening, I’m hanging with some buddies, so something casual. No idea what. Jeans too hot, capris too tight…

Saturday, my ribbon gypsy skirt and turquoise blouse. Brown sandals.

Saturday night, my black dress and black sandals.

Sunday AM, very casual, as will be meeting WNP for breakfast and driving back with Trish!

PROFESSIONAL PREP:

Get pitches ready. Think about making business cards.

Okay, what am I forgetting? Am I being too blasé here?