Why Attend a Writing Conference? by Sophie Claire

I have a writer friend – let’s call her Jane – who recently divulged that she’s been a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association for twenty years and has never been to a conference.

I know – what a shame!

Goody bag

I’ve been to 8 conferences, and I always come away brimming with ideas and motivation and a hangover.  This year the RNA conference was held at Harper Adams University, and I thought I’d write a post about it – because if Jane knew what went on there, she’d want to try it for herself, right?

So what happens at an annual gathering of romance-loving writers? And aside from receiving a free goody bag (with chocolate and free books - Jane will like those!), what’s in it for you?

1. It’s informative:

Industry panel
(photo by John Jackson)

Because the RNA is a professional body, it offers the rare opportunity to glean from the experts their insights into the current state of the publishing industry and future trends.

This year the conference kicked off with an industry panel made up of agents and publishers. What they had to say was positive: people are still reading a lot (sales of books were steady year on year), and romance and crime are the most popular genres (6 out of 10 books sold are romance). In the UK, sagas are especially sought after (although readers are wary of longer books), and there is more of a mash-up of genres developing: for example, we’re now seeing domestic thrillers with a sexy edge.

2. Industry appointments:

The conference gives writers the rare opportunity to pitch to agents and publishers, and also freelance editors, all of whom give feedback on your submission. I previously blogged about my experience here and it was through one of these appointments that I got my first book deal with Accent press.

3. Bestselling writers:

Kate Johnson interviewing Jill Mansell

There’s nothing more exciting than meeting your heroes, and this year’s conference had its fair share of big names in the romance world. 

Jill Mansell talked about her writing method (by hand, with the television on and using post-its to plot ahead), why she likes to use a village setting in her books, and her solution for when she’s stuck with the plot (throw in a new character!). 

And Sarah Morgan and Nicola Cornick gave a workshop on Using Social Media which stressed the importance of engaging with your readers and driving as many followers as possible to your newsletter. (I’m a huge fan of Sarah’s and was very excited to get my book signed after her workshop!)

Sarah Morgan and Nicola Cornick

Fiona Harper

4. Writing craft workshops:

There’s the chance to learn or refine your writing skills, with two days packed full of workshops. 

I always find it useful to step away from my novel-in-progress and ask myself questions such as What is your character’s goal? This was one of 10 questions which Fiona Harper gave us in her workshop, Building Characters From the Inside Out, which focused on developing a strong character arc and that inner growth which makes a novel so satisfying to read. 

5. Inspiration:

There’s inspiration everywhere at the conference – in other writers’ success stories, the workshops, in the books which are for sale! How often do you get the opportunity to work with a life coach or learn about screenwriting?

Sonia Duggan taught us that our brains are instinctively risk-averse, yet the most exciting ideas usually involve stepping out of our comfort zones. She gave us tips to help us be less fearful in our writing, because if you’re willing to take risks, anything is possible!

6. Fun and friendship:

There’s nothing more motivating than spending time with writing friends – and making new friends too.

Novelistas Sophie Claire & Annie Burrows

Hearing about other people’s experiences and their methods of working, or about new opportunities is always beneficial. 

The RNA is a wonderfully warm community, people are generous with their help and advice, and I’ve always been made to feel welcome. 

The Gala Dinner

First-time conference goers (are you listening, Jane?) have the chance to join an online group so they can ask questions beforehand and meet others in the same boat when they arrive. Their name badges bear a little sparkly sticker so the rest of us know to make them feel especially welcome. 

Plus there’s wine – lots of wine (600 bottles, to be precise). What’s not to like?!

7. Time to think:

I’ve learned that I get more out of the conference if I allow myself breaks, and since Harper Adams University is an agricultural college, I decided to explore the grounds and look for the source of the pungent farmyard smell which permeated everywhere!

Although I didn’t find it, it was time well spent, letting my mind wander and chewing over all I’d taken in. 

Time out from daily responsibilities is good for the creative mind. It gives you space to breathe, to explore new ideas and be reminded of the important stuff – like your long-term goals and priorities.

Now I’m home again, and back to the daily routine...

...but feeling re-energised, and I have plans and ideas which I’m excited about. The conference always has this effect: it motivates me and makes me more productive.

So I wonder – will Jane be persuaded to try it next year? Will you?

Sophie.x

www.sophieclaire.co.uk

Photos copyright: John Jackson and Sophie Claire

The Joan Hessayon Awards 2016 by Sophie Claire

"You all feel like winners on the night" a good friend told me, referring to the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) Joan Hessayon Awards. She was so right.

The award is given in honour of romantic writer, Joan Hessayon

I figured there can't be many times in a writer's life when your book is up for an award, so I booked a hotel, dug out a dress and heels, and caught the train to London seeing the trip as a treat for myself.

The Joan Hessayon Award is awarded each year to a writer whose book has passed through the New Writers' Scheme and subsequently been published.

The 14 contenders for the Joan Hessayon award 2016

There were fourteen contenders this year and it was lovely to meet the other authors, some of whom I 'know' from Twitter. It was also a great opportunity to meet my fellow Accent authors as four of us were in the shortlist.

The evening passed in a blur of posing for photographs and chatting with new friends and old, and before I knew it last year's winner, Brigid Coady, was giving a short speech about what the win has meant for her. 

The contenders were each in turn presented with certificates, then - drumroll - the winner was announced, and it was:

Clare Harvey for her novel, The Gunner Girl.

Champagne glasses were raised in celebration!

Research - honest!

Next day I took things easy, and made the most of staying near Covent Garden to explore and do some window shopping. I even managed to squeeze in some research for the novel I'm currently working on.

I know, it's a hard life!

Sophie.x

Sources and links:
The Romantic Novelists' Association
Clare Harvey's website
Thanks also to John Jackson for his photo

Sophie Claire's (shortlisted!) novel is currently 99p from Amazon

Writing: Getting Serious by Louise Marley

I've always liked the idea of New Year's Resolutions. That chance to reinvent yourself every year, like the kind of books I read as a teenager: neglected female completely transforms into the belle of the ball with the help of a few mice, a pumpkin and - oh yes, a fairy godmother. Funny how these kind of stories always involve someone else coming to the rescue. I'm a proactive kind of person myself. If I'd been Cinderella, it would have been more a case of "B***** the Fairy Godmother, get me a pumpkin and I'll do it myself."

You see, as much as I love watching TV shows like The X Factor, there's always one thing guaranteed to infuriate me: whenever a contestant says something like, "I really want this, I've wanted it my whole life." OK, so they've really 'wanted' a singing career but they've never done anything about it? Never had singing lessons, or written a song, or formed a band, or tried to set up a few gigs? Basically, they've been sitting around waiting for a fairy godmother (Simon Cowell?) to come to the rescue.

Can you see where I'm going with this?

If your New Year's Resolution was to write a book, or maybe you've already written a book and you want to get it published, what have you done about it? Anything? Anything at all? Scribbled a few notes? Fantasised about the hot actor you'd like to play your hero in the movie adaptation? Stuck a pin in the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook and queried a few random agents? Enjoyed a few daydreams about the glamorous life you're going to lead as a full-time author? (And that's a whole other blog post, trust me.) If you want to be a writer badly enough, I'm afraid you're going to have to get serious about it.

Understand that you'll to have to make sacrifices. Not the dancing-naked-in-the-moonlight-and-endangering-defenceless-chickens sacrifice, but the kind that involves the most precious thing of all: your time. For example, if you know you only have an hour a day to write, then write - don't waste that time faffing about on social media.

Perfect your craft. There are hundreds of books about writing (my favourite is Stephen King's On Writing). Or take a creative writing course and, once you've written your novel, pay to have it professionally critiqued before sending it out to an agent/publisher. Although I still feel the best, easiest and most fun way to learn how to write fiction is to read lots of it. It's not expensive. You can borrow books for free from your local library and there are always deals to be had on ebooks. If you feel you don't have the time to read, think about how you spend the time you do have. Sacrifices, remember? No one lies on their death bed wishing they'd spent more time on social media.

Having said that, social media is an effective tool for writers, but only when used in the right way. Unless you are already published, forget about all the things you've heard about creating a 'brand' and setting up a 'platform'. The most important thing is to be social; you'll get far more out of it. Make friends with fellow writers, new and established. Follow people in the industry, such as agents and publishers - but don't expect them to follow you back, and definitely don't pitch your novel unless invited to do so. Most publishers are great at posting about deals on books and will have competitions to win signed copies from your favourite authors. Some publishers have blogs where they post writing tips from their editors, tell you when they are open for submissions and what they are looking for, as well as running writing competitions to win a book contract.

Talking of which, don't overlook those writing competitions - that's how I got my first book deal - and I didn't even win. And, if you can afford it, attend writers' conferences and literary festivals. Editors and agents are less likely to ignore a submission if it's come from someone they remember (in a good way!) from a workshop or a one-to-one meeting at a writers' conference. But if you're not lucky enough to bag a one-to-one, don't despair. Sometimes you can learn more from attending an industry panel event, and listening to writers and editors talking about the current market - what's popular and what's out of fashion. You'll have the opportunity to ask relevant questions and learn more than if you had pinned all your hopes on a one-to-one where you might have either targeted the wrong agent/editor, belatedly realised your submission is not polished enough, or had plain nerves just get the better of you. Early on in my career I found myself sitting on a sunny bench at a writers' conference, drinking coffee and chatting about trends in fiction with a commissioning editor. I got far more out of that than if I'd tried to pitch her my book.

With fellow Novelista
Trisha Ashley

No one understands a writer like another writer. Try joining a writers' group, club or society. The Romantic Novelists' Association accepts unpublished authors under its New Writers' Scheme. Alternatively, find out if there are any writers' groups meeting in your area and, if not, why not start one? The Novelistas came about because Trisha Ashley moved to North Wales and put out a request asking if other local writers would like to meet up. Our group has now been going for almost fifteen years.

Compared to when I first started out, there are now so many great opportunities for writers. Don't waste time waiting for that fairy godmother or daydreaming about success. If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, you have to start taking your writing seriously.

And no one can do that but you.

Louise Marley writes romantic comedy and romantic suspense, and is a creative writing tutor with Writing Magazine. 

Her most recent book is Something Wicked.

Website

Twitter

Related Posts:

W is for Writing Groups by Annie Burrows
T is for Time Management by Annie Burrows
The RNA Conference & Industry Day (2015) by Sophie Claire
Pitching to Agents & Publishers at the RNA Conference (2014) by Sophie Claire
How NOT to Submit to a Literary Agent (York LitFest 2016) by Sophie Claire


All pictures, copyright: Louise Marley
Except for girl in party dress, copyright: Fotolia 

Romantic Novelists' Association Conference 2013 by Johanna Grassick

There’s nothing like a writers’ conference to reenergise the creative spirit! No, seriously, it really does, and that’s why I try and go to the RNA conference every year.

Seeing and mingling with published authors (the likes of Katie Fforde, Julie Cohen, Judy Astley…) reminds me of what I’m aiming for, the workshops provide tips on how to get there, and then there’s the added benefit of catching up with good friends.

Sonia Duggan

This year the venue was Sheffield University and the sun was shining on us in more ways than one. I went to workshops on writing ‘hot’ scenes, theme and romantic structure, and life coach Sonia Duggan’s advice for how to ‘feel the fear and write anyway’. 

There were also panel discussions, and a hot topic this year was diversification: more and more authors, it seems, are writing across different genres, sometimes under different pen names, and part of the reason for this is digital publishing and the opportunities it’s opening up for writers. It seems ideas are buzzing for new ways to reach readers: e-stories published in weekly instalments, tiny short stories delivered directly to readers’ phones, romantic writers writing crime and vice versa. Publishers are setting up new digital imprints and there was applause for the many romantic novelists who have signed their first contracts this year and can now call themselves published authors. All very exciting and inspiring for a new writer like myself. J

Gathering for the gala dinner

The gala dinner was another highlight of the weekend.

Jacqui Cooper, Anne Stenhouse, Rachael Thomas
and Sarah-Jane Volkers

The chance to don our sparkly frocks, and time for the announcement of the Elizabeth Goudge trophy winner.

This competition is open to any published or unpublished author attending the conference, and all entries are anonymous so even the judges don’t know the winner’s name until they open the envelope accompanying the winning story. This year we were asked to write the opening of a novel on the theme of 'ice'. Sadly, my entry wasn’t a winner but these lovely ladies came first, second and third:

Winner of the Elizabeth Goudge trophy, Kate Johnson (right),
with runners up Morton Gray (left) and Jacqui Cooper (centre)

These are exciting times for writers, was the message I took away from this year's conference, and the sun is shining down on writers and readers and lovers of romantic fiction.