Attending writer's conferences

I have to tell you, I always enjoy going to the Chicago Spring Fling. Nice job, once again, ladies.

There are always fun little snippets that come out of it, from Sonali Dev talking about "heartgasms, you know, when you heart engages and maybe triggers a little something down there..." to Robyn Carr talking about "I'm perfectly willing to write crap" (i.e., its better to write ANYTHING than nothing at all). One of my favorite lines was Molly O'Keefe, who was doing a session on how to write a sex scene. They'd moved her conference room and someone came in late, so she said, "this is the sex workshop. Are you here for sex?" The secret to a good sex scene, by the way, isn't in the mechanics, it's in the rest of it - why is it there and what's at stake rather than a gratuitous show of flesh.

But that's some of the silliness. The conference provided interesting market views, pointers, and writing workshops. One group of authors shared their brain child, a model that no one else will be able to replicate, but it was interesting to see how they pulled it off. And then of course there's the networking. Meeting new people, rubbing elbows with some of the big leaguers, being with people who understand your journey.

Did I mention the publishers and agents? Most conferences offer "pitch sessions," a chance to speak to a publisher or agent of your choice (among those attending). It's an inside view into the industry and what works, what doesn't, and where your work fits (or doesn't). Because I'm starting a new series this year, I had something fresh to pitch, and whereas first timers are generally nervous and shaking in their boots, having been through this a time or two (yes, I was still nervous), I find myself asking more questions about who they are and what they can do for me. It was a fun conversation! (And yes, she liked my pitch, so we'll see what she thinks after reading more of the latest work in progress.)