The Romance Writers of America National Conference has been a seven-year dream for me.
At least seven years. Maybe more, but I lost count.
Seven years ago, after I had published and was trying to get more involved, I joined Romance Writers of America but missed out on the huge national conference they have every year. This one in 2007 was in Dallas, TX, and the only one I felt was attainable to me, since it was in Texas and was within driving distance for me. But I wasn’t able to go, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since.
RWA is a huge organization of Romance Writers that has local chapters throughout the nation to help writers of the romance genre further their dream and connect with other writers. A huge opportunity for networking and learning. They have chapters relating to the suspense, fantasy, or even inspirational romance genres (and so much more!), and their national conference brings out the big guns.
This conference offers so many opportunities for networking and growing in your career that it is hard when you have to miss it. But, because it is a national organization, the area is different every year.
In 2009, I entered a scholarship that would pay your fees to the conference but you had to write an essay of why you feel you should win.
I won. I never expected that to happen, but was thrilled when I got the call that I won this scholarship sponsored by Teresa Mederios! I had no idea what to expect but boy did I do my research! It was good timing, because my husband and I were able to take off and tour our national city of Washington, D.C. I knew it might be the only time I would ever see the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and everything else D.C. It was amazing! I crammed everything I could by touring our historic city in between the awesome workshops I didn’t want to miss. I even saw the Hope Diamond, which was a huge inspiration to Burn on the Western Slope, the book I was writing at the time.
We had a blast, and I fell in love with the city and the RWA organization. I can’t travel to all RWA National Conferences, but every year since I have waited and waited for this conference, set in San Antonio. I’m a Texan, and it isn’t anything to travel across the state to a different city. So off I go, and I am absolutely psyched!
This conference does bring about it’s anxieties, though. I have to have the right clothes, so it’s a good excuse to shop, right? And there’s a formal awards ceremony on Saturday night. (I will win one of those one day, LOL!)
I’m so excited! It’s a huge ordeal, something like the Grammy’s for famous celebrities. And for me, maybe more exciting because I know it isn’t something I will always be able to do (when it’s set in locations I can’t go to)! But it’s on my home turf, and I won’t have to worry about what I might be missing (it was hard to go to workshops when there was so much to do and see in D.C!)
Tbe 2009 RWA National Conference set in Washington D.C. changed my life, and I expect 2014 to be the same. I’ve been planning this forever, and I can’t wait to see what might happen. A lot has changed in the industry, and I still have a lot to learn! I’m excited to be involved in something so big and something that is so important to me. I’m glad to have a little bit of an idea what to expect this year. It’s very intimidating, but also very empowering!