Back from the RWAus 2012 Conference and am feeling fantastic about being a romance author. You know when you've got that really nice tired-but-so-satisfied feeling? That's where I'm at.

The parties were once again a highlight in celebrations for this year. I dressed up for the 1950's inspired cocktail party and enjoyed swanning around on red patent leather stilettos and swishing my full round skirt poofed out by a stiff petticoat. Glass of champagne in hand and girling it up, I had a great time catching up with writer friends I only see once a year along with the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild contingent that I belong to. We celebrated some MRWG wins at the awards dinner on Saturday night. Cara Gabriel won 2nd place in the Selling Synopsis competition, Angela Castle won a best speculative cover award and Cornelia Kamp was a runner up in the Valerie Parv. 

I always look forward to the workshops. This year several stood out for me. Alexandra Sokoloff's Screenwriting Tricks for Authors really helped me to understand why elements of my manuscript work and why other elements, lets say, not so much. I had so many ideas popping into my head that I was taking notes on two fronts, what Alexandra was saying and what the character's inside my head were saying. This also happened in The Chemistry of Writing workshop run by Nikki Logan. An information dense and illuminating insight into how chemicals released effect the lizard brain to bring you back to experience something again and again. So You Think You Can Write run by Joanne Grant and Birgit Davis-Todd. Explained all about the SYTYCW online competition and how it can benefit writers just being a part of the process. I'm inspired to register because there's a month long online schedule to participate in to help develop your ms before entering. 

Whew, so you can see that was a few jam packed days of enriching content. Thanks Romance Writers Australia for a brilliant event.

A Passionate Pursuit.

There is a need in life for passion. Collectors are passionate, be it about frog shaped teapots or nineteenth century train sets. Athletes are passionate about their chosen sport. Artists and crafts people are passionate about their creative work. Passion awakens the soul, energizes the body and enlivens the mind. Everyone who finds their passion and pursues it invariably finds it changes their life for the better.

Sometimes you may come across someone who hasn't found their passion. These people may tell you that you have lost all common sense. They might tell you that what you're doing is unrealistic and may even try to convince you to give up, what they believe is, a fruitless quest.

As a romance author, I have found other people who share my passion. Their encouragement has helped greatly in counteracting the influence of the naysayers. Becoming a member of the Romance Writers Association and subsequently the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild MRWG was a life changer. I have found supportive friends who have the same passion as myself. I can indulge my writing passion without restraint and at the MWRG meetings my achievements are rewarded with praise and chocolate.

If you haven't already, I encourage everyone to embrace their passion. Give yourself permission to spend time exploring it and join a group of like minded people.

A bit about myself

Three years ago, I decided that it was time to turn my hobby of writing romance into a career, so I began by studing professional writing at TAFE and enrolling in a wonderful short course on writing romance with Anne Gracie at the CAE. Here I learned the foundation stones for writing great romance. On her recommendation I went to the Australian Romance Writers Conference in Melbourne where I also learned a great deal and met amazing people. But most of all the experience left me 100 percent certain that I wanted to immerse myself in the beautiful world of romance writing. Staying at the 5 star Langham hotel probably helped.
Recently I attended my second RWAust. Conference in Brisbane. I arrived home exhausted but keen as mustard to get back into my writing. However the housework and washing waiting for me after only four days absence was startling (some of my conference buddies will relate to this). Back to talking about writing, the Prescott Sister Series, being written for Category Romance, is making headway. The first in the series has been submitted for publication and I am working on completing the second book which is set in England and Scotland. It's lovely writing this because everyday I get to relive the wonderful time I had when I toured there. The highlight for me was visiting Jane Austen's house, my heroine is enjoying it also. Unlike me she has her hero accompany her there. Oh bliss.