ten good things about RWA
God. I am bound and determined to be flipping upbeat. Selah and anyone else stifling laughter., don't Start with me. Okay, that's a thinly disguised plea with you to Start something.
1. There are online chapters for everyone. And if there isn't one you like, you can start one.
and if people protest that yours isn't really romance or acceptable to decent people, you can raise hell as a Member.
2 And if someone disses your new chapter, you can write long letters to RWR that will get published. And even run for office.**
3. Dallas isn't as bad as everyone says, and anyway, if the meeting is there, you can always wait a year and go to the meeting in another state.
4. The costumes. Yes, I know, I was one of the people saying WTF about the costumes. But that was another day, another rant. I like watching people in funky clothes having fun--as long as no one tells me I have to dress up. Anyway, the costumes might not be Fantasy World Convention amazing, but there are some good ones, usually black and goth-y. Or so they were a few years back when I last went.
5. The Snark in the bar. Or the elevator. No one beats a romance writer for a good come back line.
6. The occasional sense of camaraderie at the oddest moments. Like the woman handing out breath mints just before agent/editor appointments.
7. You'll see lots of names you know. Many, many urges to scream Omigod, it's YOU.
8. The chapter fund raising stuff. Yes, you do want a t-shirt extolling the joy of writing romance even though once you get home you realize the double entendres that seemed hysterical in the bar after a few Fancy-ass Drinks might not work in the gym. But the blinking tiara! now that one you can wear anywhere.
8a. And the coffee mugs will be your favorites forever.
9. The really good workshops. There are plenty even for the determined to be jaded. For something really memorable, look for something unlike Pitch Your Ms! Or Story Curves on The Road of Writing The Bestseller, or Craft Your Black Moments [blah blah blah says the terminally jaded] I'm thinking something like How to Have Your Heroine Kill Using Only Her Thumbs with Demonstrations by The Instructor. But that is still me in This Mood. It really is fun to watch demos like that (I'm remembering Rob's class a few years back). The others you can buy on tape or disk or in book form or whatever.
9a. the Fresh New Voices game at the publisher spotlights. Every time a publisher says FNV you get to poke your neighbor with a pen [and the pen has a writer's tagline on it. Oh, I forgot the pens! So many pens in so many odd colors! So many strange little things--tape measures, sewing kits, lollipops, condoms, water bottles, glue sticks...all with authors and their tag lines! yay!]
10. It's fun to play the game of "Spot Nora Roberts." She's wearing sunglasses. And someone at the next table will be pointing and whispering hey, isn't that....?. And almost everyone will be polite about it. I've been to a few of those meetings and I don't think I've seen a Omigod it's YOU moment with her--outside of the long lines, of course
_______
UPDATED**you can run for office, not your letter to the RWR****. I wrote this without a sip of coffee in my system. Aw fuck, who'm I kidding. I can manage a really goofy ambiguous antecedent with a pot of coffee in my system.
****unless it's a really, really good letter.
1. There are online chapters for everyone. And if there isn't one you like, you can start one.
and if people protest that yours isn't really romance or acceptable to decent people, you can raise hell as a Member.
2 And if someone disses your new chapter, you can write long letters to RWR that will get published. And even run for office.**
3. Dallas isn't as bad as everyone says, and anyway, if the meeting is there, you can always wait a year and go to the meeting in another state.
4. The costumes. Yes, I know, I was one of the people saying WTF about the costumes. But that was another day, another rant. I like watching people in funky clothes having fun--as long as no one tells me I have to dress up. Anyway, the costumes might not be Fantasy World Convention amazing, but there are some good ones, usually black and goth-y. Or so they were a few years back when I last went.
5. The Snark in the bar. Or the elevator. No one beats a romance writer for a good come back line.
6. The occasional sense of camaraderie at the oddest moments. Like the woman handing out breath mints just before agent/editor appointments.
7. You'll see lots of names you know. Many, many urges to scream Omigod, it's YOU.
8. The chapter fund raising stuff. Yes, you do want a t-shirt extolling the joy of writing romance even though once you get home you realize the double entendres that seemed hysterical in the bar after a few Fancy-ass Drinks might not work in the gym. But the blinking tiara! now that one you can wear anywhere.
8a. And the coffee mugs will be your favorites forever.
9. The really good workshops. There are plenty even for the determined to be jaded. For something really memorable, look for something unlike Pitch Your Ms! Or Story Curves on The Road of Writing The Bestseller, or Craft Your Black Moments [blah blah blah says the terminally jaded] I'm thinking something like How to Have Your Heroine Kill Using Only Her Thumbs with Demonstrations by The Instructor. But that is still me in This Mood. It really is fun to watch demos like that (I'm remembering Rob's class a few years back). The others you can buy on tape or disk or in book form or whatever.
9a. the Fresh New Voices game at the publisher spotlights. Every time a publisher says FNV you get to poke your neighbor with a pen [and the pen has a writer's tagline on it. Oh, I forgot the pens! So many pens in so many odd colors! So many strange little things--tape measures, sewing kits, lollipops, condoms, water bottles, glue sticks...all with authors and their tag lines! yay!]
10. It's fun to play the game of "Spot Nora Roberts." She's wearing sunglasses. And someone at the next table will be pointing and whispering hey, isn't that....?. And almost everyone will be polite about it. I've been to a few of those meetings and I don't think I've seen a Omigod it's YOU moment with her--outside of the long lines, of course
_______
UPDATED**you can run for office, not your letter to the RWR****. I wrote this without a sip of coffee in my system. Aw fuck, who'm I kidding. I can manage a really goofy ambiguous antecedent with a pot of coffee in my system.
****unless it's a really, really good letter.
I can't argue with a single one of these, Katydid. I wish I'd gotten more out of RWA when I was a member. (More than elevated blood pressure, I mean.) I do recall insisting that the only way to change the things I didn't like about the organization was from the inside out. Then somebody in power said one idiotic thing too many, and I lost my will to live. Or at least my will to pay dues for the privilege of being insulted.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really think is this: RWA is undergoing something of a sea change at the moment. The industry and markets are in flux, reflecting the general turmoil of the country as a whole, and there's going to be strife as new values replace the old. Sort of like the sixties, but on fast forward because of the instant communication that's possible.
I won't rule out joining the RWA again. But for right now, I don't miss it, and I don't need the distraction. I have YOU for that. :p
There are costumes at RWA? I think really only three people wore "costumes" at the booksigning, otherwise, costume-free. Now, if you want to discuss RT...
ReplyDeleteSelah, post a message about joining RWA when you decide to, and I'll make the whole organization throw a party for you.
ReplyDeleteRT! Yes, of course I haven't been but the costumes. I've seen 'em. Wow.
For RWA there's Kristi Cook and others who wore Regency set gowns. Love those things. And what about people getting dolled up in the fancy evening wear with spangles and lace for the RITA GH night? Those are costumes! Dress-up time.
Seriously, isn't everyone in a costume? I mean does anyone wear Spanks in real life? Or pantyhose? Or a push-up bra? Or shoes that don't have a fur lining, and give you a shuffling gait? Or anything except sweats and jeans with gigantic holes in the knees?
ReplyDeleteTo me the whole darn shindig was a costume party.
Lori