Well it seems all the plans I was making were for naught.
I’d hoped to attend my first-ever Romance Writers Conference. This one in New Jersey – a smaller, more manageable conference – as a prelude to Nationals. Daughter wanted to come and even hoped to attend some of the workshops with me. It could have been a lot of fun – would have been.
Alas, children under 18 are not permitted to attend the workshops as some content may not be appropriate for that age. Children of that age are not permitted to ‘loiter’ outside the workshop rooms either. And… children under 18 are ‘discouraged’ from attending meals due to past experiences. Now, I’ve never been to a conference so I don’t know what those past experiences were but I picture unruly youngsters running wild. Daughter is mature and well-behaved, but how could they possibly know that?
And so, it seems, the conference for me has been nixed this year. Hubby works weekends – very late into the evening hours – and so wouldn’t be around, and if I’m a state away for two days and a night, who would care for Daughter? She’s mature, but not so much that she can stay on her own for a weekend.
Bummer.
I will stay alert to opportunity, but with time running out to register, I have to say it’s not looking too good.
What a disappointing set of circumstances, Debbie, that are preventing you from attending the workshop in New Jersey. I know how much you were looking forward to working on the craft of writing with experts. You’re taking on-line classes, and that is a great way to advance. If you have something finished, I’d suggest submitting to a small publisher because they have terrific editors who will cut some things out and help us polish our stories. Editors make what we’ve written more commercially appealing. Think about The Wild Rose Press, Whiskey Creek, Amira Press– they have a wide range of genre.
Aww…I’m sorry to hear that Debbie! You’d think that as long as you were with your daughter at all times that they’d allow it.
Bummer. 🙁
~Marly
Too bad your daughter couldn’t stay with friends or family for a couple of days. I do get why they have those rules. Some of the content isn’t for children. At National they had lunch speakers and again the content was not for kids. You can always purchase the recordings of the conference after the fact. Here is the info on the National recordings- Conference Rate Extended for CDs
If you didn’t order a copy of the 2008 RWA Conference workshop audio recordings on-site at the San Francisco Marriott, then you’re in luck!
Bill Stephens Productions (the company that audio records the workshops) will honor the on-site pricing ($99.99 + $6 shipping) for the MP3 CD-ROMs through 15 August for conference attendees. A catalog of all recorded sessions is available on the RWA Web site at: http://www.rwanational.org/galleries/default-file/RWA08-catalog.pdf
Orders must be placed with Bill Stephens Productions, who will process your order and ship the CD-ROMs. The online order form for 2008 is under construction, so put “2008 CD-ROM” in the comments box at the bottom of the order page: https://www.billspro.com/order/rwa/index.html.
That’s a great price and well worth the expense.
Kathleen,
It is disappointing. I’d finally worked up the nerve to go to a conference AND Daughter actually wanted to go with me. How cool is that?
I have two completed ms. and one nearly complete. I hadn’t thought about the publishing houses you mentioned – they’re e-pubs, yes? I will check into them. As of now, I have a short stack of personalized rejections. I’m proud of them but wish for an acceptance, ya know? 😉
~Debbie
Marly,
That’s what I thought, she’d be under my wing, not left to roam. But, since they referred to past experiences, I can only guess they have some horror stories to tell. And besides, they have no way of knowing how well-behaved my daughter is. I don’t blame them at all but I’m still bummed.
~Debbie
Beth,
I wish I had family or friends where she could stay for the weekend. No such luck.
I hadn’t thought about speakers during meals. That’s interesting. I thought the issue was behavior on the children’s part. This makes perfect sense. Doesn’t help, but it makes sense. LOL.
I just might order the CD’s. Thank you so much for all the info. One day, I hope to actually get to one of these things, to feel the excitement and meet people I know only via the internet. I’m a writer and would like to be part of the real writing world, not just the virtual one.
::sigh:: One day.
~Debbie
Oh, Debbie, that is disappointing though I do see their point about the content of some of the workshops. So sorry you have to miss the conference.
Linda