Summer Camp for Writers

I love writing conferences. I love to take writing workshops and hone my craft. Sadly, my budget and my calendar don't always support my addictions...so what's a girl to do?

Last year I stumbled across a yahoo group called "Marketing For Romance Writers." I'll give you a minute to check out all their sites:

Group http://is.gd/mfrwgroup
Website http://is.gd/mfrworg
Twitter http://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
Facebook http://is.gd/mfrwfb
Pinterest http://is.gd/mfrw_pin
BlogTalkRadio http://is.gd/mfrw_btr
Coffee Time Forum http://is.gd/mfrw_ctr
MFRW Author Blog http://mfrw-authors.blogspot.com
MFRW Marketing Blog http://mfrw.blogspot.com
Resources http://is.gd/mfrw_resources
Ezine http://is.gd/mfrwpaperli
Newsletter http://is.gd/mfrwnews

Pretty awesome at first glance, right? One of the things that makes this group unique is the one steadfast rule - NO PROMO! Which means everything you get on this group is about helping authors learn and grow their business (because yes, no matter how you're published - or aspiring to be published - THIS is a business!)

This year my budget was looking a little thin for conference travel, so I will not be attending RWA National in Atlanta...but that doesn't mean I can't get my fix of awesome writing workshops!

And it's ALL FREE (and totally interactive...ask questions, get answers!)

And you can attend in your pajamas!

Seriously, what's not to love?

Official Summer Camp blurb:

 We're gearing up for Marketing Summer Camp! The free, three-day workshop begins July 12th and goes until July 14th. All classes will be held in this forum. You'll be able to attend by simply signing in to the forum, reading the topics that interest you, and responding if you have questions. We'll provide handouts (downloads) for each workshop so you can take it with you.

You'll also want to join the Marketing for Romance Writers Yahoo Group -- that's where the nitty gritty of follow up will be. You can post a question, ask for promotional opportunities, share them, and find things like great places to buy cover art, goodies for contests, bookmarks, and so on. Anyone in the literary community is welcome.

Excited? Don't want to miss it? First you need to belong to the MFRW Yahoo group and you need to be a member of CoffeeTimeRomance- both are FREE, so just pop over and register!

Did I mention there are also giveaways and prizes?

So, now you know where I'll be hanging out July 12th through the 14th...will you be there too?

Plotting, Post-it Notes and Persistence

When I find something I like...It's usually pretty obvious.

Yes, these post-it notes are a good sampling of what you'll find on my desk, in my drawers and stashed away in the office supply cabinet of my house. (Don't judge me, I can't help myself. It's a sickness. I wonder if there's a 12-step program to cure an addiction to post-it notes?)

Now imagine a whole workshop devoted to plotting (usually my biggest roadblock and cause for hours of time spent staring into space) and that workshop requires POST-IT notes!

Okay, so give me a minute while I jump for joy.

Over the years I've been perfecting (haha) the craft of writing romance fiction, I have been persistent in my attempts to plot before I sit down to write.

I've got a huge white board of destiny with squares that I often stick my sticky notes to where I plot the major events and follow characters through conflicts and resolutions. But no matter how hard I try my method just seems to be lacking something.

This weekend I have a feeling I'm going to find out exactly what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it.

The Long Island Romance Writers are hosting a plotting, layering and texturing workshop with the wonderfully talented New York Times Bestseller, Cherry Adair.

As every writer will tell you, there are a hundred ways to plot (and some of us don't plot at all.) And I am always fascinated to hear the process of another author. But at the end of the day, the thing to remember is that we are all different and our ways of achieving a working and believable plot CAN be as different as the stories we write. Taking all the ideas of others who successful plot time and time again and making it work for you and your style, is what this game is all about.

This weekend I get to play with sticky notes, spend hours plotting my next book and enjoy the company of 50 authors!

Do you get excited about plotting? Do you love post-it notes?

Welcome to the judgement free zone!