Friday, July 17, 2009

People Who "Get It"

    posted by tony margareth

    I'm not really here. I'm in Washington D.C. at the RWA conference eagerly awaiting tonight's big Rita/Golden Heart awards ceremony. Here's hoping I'm not hung-over from being wined and dined along with the other CasaBabes by our publisher and editor last night! But I digress...

    So here I am at the National conference and I have no doubt I'm having THE BEST TIME EVER!

    Yes, they are expensive and often the timing is terrible, but I know there are lots of reasons to attend writing conferences.
    • the chance to meet editors and agents face-to-face
    • great workshops to improve your knowledge and craft
    • the latest and greatest info on what the publishers are buying and selling
    • rubbing elbows with 'famous' authors and being inspired by their speeches
    But for me, BY FAR the best thing about attending any writing conference, but especially National is being with other people who "get it."

    I remember my first RWA National, 2005 in Reno. I was utterly overwhelmed by all the crowds, books, general buzz of excitement. But the best thing was when I realized that everyone at the conference "got it" about romance writing and reading.

    Because many of them had been there, they understood about pouring heart and soul into the writing of a book only to have a form rejection slapped on it. Heck, they understood about rejection in general and how it was hard not to personalize even the "good"ones.

    They understood about sitting day after day in front of a keyboard and monitor pecking out a few words here and there, or typing in a frenzy to get the thought down before it escaped. They knew about forcing "the muse" to produce pages whether it or you wanted to or not.

    Just like me, they had walked up and down the aisles of a store staring blankly at the shelves and seeing nothing, because characters were 'talking' inside their heads. And the readers "got it" too! They knew that the characters we writers create are very real and considered and discussed them that way!

    Discovering people who "get it" has been a revelation and a life-saver for me! People who "get it" have kept me going in spite of all the rejections and doubt demons. Both the readers and writers have boosted my confidence in my writing when it was at the lowest possible ebb. They have invested themselves in my characters and stories as much as I have (I met one of my CPs and several good writing buddies at conferences).

    Knowing and being with people who "get it" truly makes all the hassles and aggravation and frustrations of the writing life worthwhile! So please accept my most humble THANK YOU for all you do and for "getting it!" I absolutely do not know what I'd do without you!

    What about you? Who are some of the people in your life who "get it?" Be they DH, CP, family or friends, how did you find them?

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