Lack of Sleep, Tons of Craft Poured in, New and Old Friends = Moonlight and Magnolias 2008 Conference

The conference brain is receding, my eyelids aren’t being forced open with the invisible toothpicks, and I’m working on AToD.

I had such a wonderful time at M&M. GRW, (Georgia Romance Writer’s) knows how to put on a conference. From the lineup of workshop speakers, the keynote speaker, the photographer, makeup artist, the amazing hotel staff, (thank your Reggie!!), editors and agents, and to reconnecting with friends from past conferences and internet land, to the never sleeping, it was so much fun.

Workshops are wonderful and I love them so don’t get me wrong, but sometimes just the networking alone is worth the cost of a conference.

I’m not talking about the hopeful ‘elevator pitch’ or the corner and editor / agent and ask if you can send your book, (side note: you so should NOT do that). But what I’m talking about it is sitting around, having a drink, (okay a couple, maybe more) and laughing and joking around.

Really, the editors, and agents, like it when you treat them like they’re real people. Not once did I ask someone for their card or ask if I could send them my manuscript. If the day comes that I submit to one of them, I’ll mention how much fun it was and hopefully they’ll remember I wasn’t one of the drive them crazy people.

Then again, I’m not the normal person, (just ask my cp’s), I don’t walk into a room scanning to find where they are. That’s not to say I won’t say hello if passing in the hall, just won’t overstep the boundaries.

Funny thing is more often than not, I end up spending time with them along with others and I think it’s because of the above.

My favorite workshops were, She said, She said, with Michelle Grajkowski and Anna DeStefano, Empowering Character Emotions, with Margie Lawson, and Write Well, Write Fast, with Stephanie Bond.

Anyway, the last night, the night of the Maggie Awards and dancing was unbelievable. Very much like RWA’s Rita’s / GH’s. Picture a big group of romance writer’s on the dance floor add in Jay (the makeup artist) and you have one heck of a fun time. Dancing in the circle…well, let’s just leave it at romance writer’s have moves.

Sleep is never really an option when you attend a conference, but it’s always the last night you return to your hotel room somewhere in the wee hours of the morning. By wee hours, I’m talking 4:00 AM or later. You know when you fall into bed the morning is not going to be your friend. But the night…yeah, the night, was full of friends (new and old), shared drinks, war stories, (we have ours, trust me, they’re just funny) and if you’re lucky, a great executive chef named Reggie.

I’m already planning next year’s trip.

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,

Vicki, I’ll post pics later.