Less than a week!? I can’t believe the time has sped by so fast. When I booked my ticket, there were months to wait. Now it’s here—the season when romance writers everywhere are planning what they have to pack because the Romance Writers of America’snational convention is only days away. Excitement will bloom this year in Anaheim. And no one will be more excited than little ole me.
Washington, D.C. 2009– my first convention. I’ll never forget how excited I felt. The feverish work I did detailing my pitch, the mind-boggling wardrobe switches right up until the last moment. And the skimming and downloading of all the information RWA made available for the attendees. Workshops galore and trying to choose? Craft or informative, editors or publishers versus other authors, chats with the already famous? So much at stake and no one to inform me of what I needed to better shape my career at the time.
Of course, back then I was just starting out…a newbie so to speak.
Not so much anymore.
Now I have a new book due in a month, another that needs to be written for Christmas and monthly promotions that take time and energy. Between all the social media time hogs, the promised blogs and everyday e-mails, I barely have the time to think never mind spend precious minutes worrying about silly things like what I’m going to wear.
You believe that garbage? Oh don’t!
Tomorrow I’ll be spending most of the day getting my hair cut, shopping for personal necessities like a new dress, shoes, makeup stuff, and at least one day over the weekend will be set aside to make sure I have the material printed out for all the workshops …just in case I have a mind change at the last minute.
This is the time when authors everywhere need to slow down and enjoy the fact they are colleagues in a similar goal. To learn our craft and get better so our readers will continue to enjoy our work. This is our time to shine, to accept the awards and support the ‘almost’ winners. To enjoy every minute of each day talking, sharing and rejoicing over our chosen careers so we’ll have the stamina, the fire relit for another year of hard work.
I can’t wait for the networking, the putting faces to familiar names and the hugs no doubt many of us will share.
Five more sleeps…I can’t wait!!!
p.s. If anyone reading this blog will be in Anaheim this year, please either comment and let me know or come up during the convention and say hi. I’ll be so happy to finally meet you in person.
XO Mimi
Great post Mimi. I love how your voice permeates your writing. When I read your work, it's like you're in the room with me.
Annaheim…here we come:)
Best
Jo-Ann