My take on the writers conferences: RWA vs. ACFW

After attending the recent American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Minneapolis, I was joined by my husband and one of our sons for a few days of sightseeing and visiting relatives in Minnesota. We returned home late Thursday night, but I haven't blogged until now because I've been a little under the weather. Those of you who have been waiting patiently for a new post have my warmest thanks.

ACFW was a wonderful experience. A first-time attender, I was asked repeatedly how that conference compares to the annual Romance Writers of America conference, which I have been attending since 2002, when I sold my first book.

My answer is that RWA has been far more useful to me for networking, gleaning industry news, and picking up tips on how to promote my books and run my home-based writing business more efficiently. The focus at ACFW seems to be on fellowship, encouragement, and writing better. While ACFW delivered on the first two promises in spades, I am not an auditory learner, and I have no patience for sitting through lectures which include a lot of material I already know, so I was uninterested in the workshops on how to become a better writer.

I don't attend how-to-write workshops at RWA, either. But in addition to offering far more workshops than ACFW, RWA covers a much broader range of topics. While I saw only a couple of ACFW workshops on the actual business of writing, at RWA I can always count on picking up new information on things like internet promotion, negotiating book contracts, and figuring federal taxes as a writer. (A confirmed do-it-yourselfer, I have neither a webmaster, a literary agent, nor an accountant).

The fellowship at ACFW was lovely, and a nice feature of the conference is that it includes daily opportunities for corporate worship. But I felt a little left out at a conference that seemed to continually stress following the call to spread the gospel of Christ through writing quality Christian fiction.

I respect and applaud the people who write primarily for that reason, but I am not one of them. Perhaps one day I will be called by God to join their number, but for now I am simply writing wholesome romance novels for my entertainment and yours. If anyone finds spiritual lessons in my books, that's the Lord's doing, not mine. Of course I'm thrilled when I hear He has used my writing to speak to readers' hearts--but the reason my books contain spiritual truths is not that I'm trying to teach lessons. I simply happen to view the world from a Christian perspective, and that comes out in what I write.

RWA has been more useful to me than ACFW because when it comes to writing fiction, I identify more with romance novelists of all stripes than with Christians who write novels in order to promote the gospel. Hey, I'm a conservative, evangelical, Bible-reading Christian--and if you haven't picked up on that, then you haven't read any of my books. But my books aren't sermons with a little romance thrown in to make the lessons more palatable. They're just entertaining love stories about Christian men and women.

I have said before that one big conference a year is really enough for me. So while I met a lot of new friends at the ACFW conference and came away feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work, next summer I will again be attending the RWA conference.

One final note: I can't tell you how tickled I was every time I introduced myself to someone at the ACFW conference and was told, Oh, I read your blog! "No rules," right?

Right. Thanks for reading.

Signing off from RWA Dallas

Good morning from Dallas. The RWA conference went out with a bang last night with a gala awards ceremony followed by a dessert reception. No, I didn't win the RITA for Best Inspirational Romance. That went to the lovely and talented Tamara Alexander, who richly deserved it. I came into this thing knowing I wasn't going to win (my friends jumped all over me every time I said that, but as proud as I am of A Family Forever, I just never believed it was the best book in that bunch) so I was determined to enjoy being a finalist--and I certainly did that. Being a RITA finalist is a huge honor, and I'll never forget (and I'll never let anybody else forget!) that I was accorded that honor for a book that will always be very dear to my heart.

This has been my best conference ever, and also the busiest. I'm sorry I wasn't able to blog more, but friends, I came here to experience the conference, not sit in my hotel room and blog about it. I'm glad my hunk o' burnin' love has been here since Friday afternoon because now he knows more about what goes on here and why it's so important to my writing. In addition to gleaning information about the workings of this business and picking up some writing tips and loads of encouragement, the networking with other authors and editors is just invaluable to me. Every time I have coffee with a writer I admire or meet with my editors, I learn something I can use when I go back home to write.

As of this morning, I'm on vacation. Except for Tuesday, when we'll travel to Killeen and Ft. Hood to do some research, my husband and I will spend this entire week visiting family here in Texas. I don't know what kind of internet access I'll have, so expect this week's blog entries to be few and far between. I'll be back at my own desk sometime next Monday.

Have a great week, everyone. And thanks for reading No rules. Just write.

This conference is killin' me

Yesterday was so busy I didn't have even a minute to power up my computer. Things are going great here in Dallas, but I'm about ready for it to be over. We start early in the morning (breakfast at 7:30), go to meetings and workshops all day, and then have parties each night. Last night was the glitzy Harlequin party. As always, the floral decorations were gorgeous (orchids everywhere!) and the food was wonderful. (Wish I'd tucked a couple of those cute little white-chocolate truffles in my evening bag!)

One of yesterday's highlights was attending the afternoon reception for RITA and Golden Heart finalists. Champagne and nibbles were served, and I had a wonderful time chatting with my fellow finalists in the Inspirational category. They're all very sweet, wildly talented women, so it will be easy to be happy for the winner.

I have actually worked an afternoon nap into today's schedule because whether I win a RITA award or not, I'll be partying again tonight. One last time. Until next year, when we do this all over again in San Francisco.

Thursday at the RWA conference

One of the great things about the RWA conference is that each attender gets a fat notebook containing all of the handouts for every workshop offered here. Today I missed a workshop I meant to attend, so when I have time, I'll take a look at the handouts and decide whether I want to buy the CD.

Today's luncheon speaker was both entertaining and inspiring--just like her writing. After noting how often romance writers are ridiculed for writing "trashy books" instead of "real" and "important" books, Lisa Kleypas went on to give examples of how reading romance novels encourages and empowers women. Insisting that romance novels satisfy a woman's need to believe happy endings are always possible, she related the story of how her family lost all of their worldly possessions to a flood some ten years ago. When Lisa went shopping for their emergency needs, she filled a cart with the expected T-shirts and socks and toothbrushes--then added a romance novel because that, too, was an emergency need. Every head in the room nodded in understanding. Romance novels give us hope by reminding us of the awesome power of love.

I write inspirational romance, so I'm doubly aware of that. I get to write love stories between men and women while also showing those heroes' and heroines' deepening relationships with God. I can't tell you how much I love my job!

This afternoon the Steeple Hill authors and editors met to discuss the direction our lines (Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Love Inspired Historical, etc.) are headed. I was delighted but not at all surprised to hear that our phenomenal growth continues unabated. The editors told us what's been selling the best and what they're looking for, and the authors got to ask some questions. I love this annual catch-up session and came away from today's meeting with some new plans for my writing.

That's all for now. I'm off to put in a brief appearance at a party, but I hope to have my head on the pillow by midnight. Tomorrow will be another busy day.

RWA Dallas: I'm already tired

It's nearly midnight here in Dallas, and I'm beat. But I didn't want to let the day go without blogging, so here are some quick notes:

Early yesterday evening, my sister picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed an early dinner at The Oceanaire. We loved the shrimp and crabmeat cocktails, the fried green tomatoes, and the stuffed halibut. (Note to the pastry chef: Your key lime pie was delightfully tart, but remember that a little gelatin goes a long way.)

This is my sixth RWA conference, so arriving at the hotel was a little like showing up at a family reunion. After I checked in at the front desk, I didn't even make it to the elevator lobby before seven or eight people had grabbed me for hugs. Now my sister thinks I'm famous.

Today's Faith, Hope & Love mini-conference was fun and inspiring. My second book was up for the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest, but didn't win. (I'm taking home a certificate for third place in my category.)

After the mini-conference I picked up my registration packet for the main conference, which begins tomorrow. I've already reviewed my schedule for the next couple of days, and it's pretty much as I posted yesterday.

My hotel room is nothing special, but there's a lovely lavendar-scented soap in the bathroom, so I am going to have very clean hands for the rest of this week.

The free books are already beginning to stack up in my room. I have nine so far, and will probably take home three times that number. Good thing I wised up this year and brought two suitcases instead of one.

I found out today that the RWA website has just been revamped. Check it out. One great new feature will be the live coverage of this Saturday's RITA and Golden Heart awards ceremony. The winners will be posted as they are announced. Very nice for those who can't be here but are hungry for news.

That's it for me. Look for more tomorrow.

7 quick, foolproof steps to suitcase-packing

I know I said I'd post my RWA conference schedule today, but I've changed my mind and will post that tomorrow. Since so many of my writing friends are at this moment stressing over what and how to pack for the conference, I thought I'd share the technique I've been using for years.

Packing for the RWA conference in Dallas is going to be a fairly involved process for me this year because in addition to needing four days' worth of "business casual" and two fancy evening outfits, I'll need more than a week's worth of vacation clothes. (My hunk o' burnin' love is planning to meet me in Dallas at the end of the conference; we'll spend that next week in Texas visiting relatives and doing book research.) So I'll be dragging two suitcases this year.

Good thing I have a foolproof method for packing without overpacking and without forgetting a single thing. Here it is:

1. Pack the night before your trip. I'll explain in a minute why that's such a good idea.

2. Think about what you'll need that first night at the hotel. Put your jammies and other stuff in a pile on your bed. Now go over your nighttime rituals and add whatever toiletries and other things you'll use.

3. Think about the morning of your first day. Put the toiletries and makeup you'll need in a pile on your bed. Now consider your schedule and choose an outfit for that day. Put it on the bed along with the shoes, unmentionables, and jewelry you'll wear with it. If there's a party that night, the next pile on your bed will be party clothes (including shoes, jewelry, and evening bag).

4. Mentally walk through the rest of your week and make piles for each day and evening. Next, make a pile of emergency clothes: a light sweater, a go-with-everything shirt in case you spill coffee on one of the others, a pair of comfy jeans, etc.

5. Now make a pile Other Stuff: business cards and promotional items, a charger for your cell phone, a plastic trash bag for soiled clothes, a box of granola bars for midnight snacking in your hotel room, etc. Again, try to think through one day, one event, at a time. Will you want a camera for Wednesday's book-signing? A notebook to take to the workshops? A swimsuit or workout clothes? Put all of those things on your bed.

6. Time to drag out your suitcase. Put your shoes aside for a moment and pack all of your outfits in the order you'll wear them. Next, put all of your toiletries and makeup into one small bag. Put your jewelry into another small bag. (I have cute little bags for just those purposes, but Ziploc Freezer Bags are lighter and less bulky and you can see at a glance what's in 'em, so you might want to use those.) Now tuck in your shoes and everything else and close the suitcase. You're packed!

7. On the morning of your travel day, you should find that everything you need for showering, doing your hair, and applying makeup is in your travel bag. That's good. Just as though you were in the hotel, use things right out of your bag and then put them back.

Congratulations. You have just done a run-through of tomorrow morning's get-up-and-get-dressed routine and you haven't forgotten to pack a single thing!

Gearing up for the RWA conference

I've been blogging "lite" for the past couple of weeks because I was hustling to meet a book deadline (a long synopsis and the first three chapters of my September 2008 book, At His Command.) Yesterday, at last, I got that puppy in the mail. Now I'm shockingly behind on my e-mail and other internet chores, but it could take a while to catch up because I'm fixin' to (as they say in Texas) head to Dallas for the annual Romance Writers of America Conference.

I now have two days to pull my schedule together, make business cards and decide what promotional items to take (I can usually be counted on to provide a snazzy purple pen and some Dove chocolates to anyone who asks), pack my clothes, and teach my flowers how to water themselves while I'm gone. I'll be leavin' outta here (as they say in Texas) on Tuesday.

Yes, I'll be blogging from the conference. I'm always a little surprised that so many people are interested in such posts, especially as I'm not certain how representative my conferences are of the typical romance writer's experience. I'm not big on attending workshops, for example, and there are always well over a hundred different workshops offered at this conference, which usually draws more than 2,000 writers. Most of my time is spent networking, which is basically just seeing old friends and making new ones. Of course, those friends are my fellow writers and editors, and we have juicy discussions about the craft and things like trends and marketing. I've heard some writers complain that the annual RWA conference is an expensive way to see friends (it costs me about $2,000 a year for registration, airline tickets, and accommodations), but the conference is a once-a-year business expense that enables me to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry I'm involved in.

When I sold my first book in the spring of 2002, I immediately joined RWA. Since then I haven't missed a conference (Denver, New York City, Dallas, Reno, Atlanta--see proof of my attendance in the photo up there on the left). I don't participate in any other writing conferences, so this is a big deal for me; the only time all year I get to see my writer friends and my editors face-to-face.

Some people make detailed schedules for the RWA conferences, while others just drift with the current. I don't offer any advice on that except to suggest that you ask yourself exactly what you want to take away from the conference and then plan accordingly. Newbies often seem to feel that they must be everywhere and do everything, but I'm telling you, kids, that's just not possible. You can't do everything at the RWA conference any more than you can see Disney World in two hours.

I usually make up a fairly detailed schedule before I leave for the conference. That's necessary in part because I arrange to meet so many people for meals and coffee. But if you're a first-timer heading to the conference, please, please don't worry about not having any friends there. We're all writers, so plunk yourself down at a table and ask a couple of strangers what they write. Trust me, you'll make friends fast because we writers would talk to brick walls if we thought they'd care to hear about our novels.

Tomorrow I'll post my conference schedule. Stay tuned.