RWA - Time to get real

For the past couple years, I've been devoted to getting my YA contemporary fantasy to a point where it's agent-worthy. A daunting task as all you writers know.

With the many success and non-successes my writing career has had thus far, I decided it was time to join a society of writers. Let's make this official. :)

The problem was, which one? With fantasy, I had an association. With young adult, there is one too. But what is the most consistent thing in my books?

Romance. Even though I have intense superheroic battles, life drama and family issues, there's still all that mushy, gushy, gooey, sweet stuff my mother used to clamp her hands over my young eyes and ears and holler "garbaaage!" to.

Getting advice from fellow writer and instructor at Story Studio, Jen Coffeen, made me think about romance books, and then talking with YA writer Erica O'Rourke about it at the Chicago Writers Conference confirmed it.

Romance is in my books. It's not always the main part, but the promise of some kind of affection is there. (And for that I thank you both, Erica and Jen, you're awesome and I look forward to seeing you at the first meeting in 2015.)

I love romance! All my books have it and I wouldn't have it any other way. The first eye contact, hand hold, kiss, or kiss that means something, touch, words, etc. etc. Writing my first draft NA romance last month confirmed it.

I belong in the Romance Writers of America.

So, I joined. Funny enough, my membership started the very day the Golden Heart contest began. The one for amateurs and unpublished writers. (I'm not entering. I'm going to cheer on my new fellow association members. But no promises for next year.)

I may be in New York for my first RWA convention this July. (Road trip, anyone?) And I'll be joining my local chapter. I can't wait to mingle with writers. We are all pretty amazing folk, aren't we?

Going to the Show

In a few weeks, I will be heading to my first writers convention, the CWC.

I've been to conventions. They can vary depending on what the topic is and how excited I am about it. The ones I used to do for work about dialysis and floral arranging? Dull as hell. The ones about comic books and entertainment? Absolute blast.

But this one is different. This is something I'm passionate about. This is something I've coveted since I was eight. This is the Show, man.

I am debating my approach. I have a first draft getting the second draft overhaul at the moment. It's not ready for an agent. But maybe the idea is. Perhaps someone will be interested in my YA contemporary supernatural book.

I would love to spark interest, but I don't quite have something to show for it. I could possibly have a chapter I'm OK with in three weeks, but I'm still going through the second draft process on more than half of it and who knows, that chapter may get cut or severely altered.

(And have I mentioned how long this thing is? Longer than it has to be, for sure. The copy editor I eventually hire will have quite a red pen party.)

Or should I just relax and go to the panels and talks and absorb it all, keeping to myself and saving it for next time?

So far, I have been advised to get business cards and drink at the social gatherings. I can handle that. I will mingle and act like I'm not internally freaking out.

And then, I'll go to another one. And it will get easier.

Right?