I love writing. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. But, that said, it is a very isolating job. There’s no one to have lunch with, no water cooler for swapping gossip, no weird fellow employee down the hall to gawk at when there’s nothing else to do.

Fortunately though, there is the occasional conference that forces the writer outside the confines of their office and into situations where they must interact with others. And I, for one, adore those opportunities.

This past week was no exception.

I traveled to Washington D.C. for my first-ever RWA conference and I was not disappointed. In fact, I’d venture to say that it was the most professional conference I’ve attended to date. The workshops were outstanding, the speakers top notch, and the RITA Awards’ (think Oscars for the romance genre) ceremony was amazing. I think, perhaps, that some of the other genre-based writing organizations should take notes…

Seriously.

My favorite workshop of the conference was led by Stephanie Bond, one of the hardest working romance authors out there, IMHO. Among the many gems of information I gleamed from her talk, the one that made me sit up tall was this one…

If you write just ONE PAGE each day, every day, you’d have a 350+ page manuscript at the end of the year. Up that to two pages and you’d have two. Breaking it down like that makes it hard to say “I don’t have time,” doesn’t it? I mean really, what’s a page? Four to five paragraphs? Needless to say, the fire I usually have after these kinds of events is twice as strong right now.

But my highlight of the trip–and I mean highlight–was the Harlequin ball at the Ritz Carlton on Friday night. Being a brand new author with this company, I really had no idea what to expect. But from the moment I stepped inside the ballroom I knew it was going to be an extraordinary night…

Why? Harlequin knows how to party. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a better party, ever. Everything from the 60th Anniversary cake to the floor-to-ceiling video displays depicting sixty years worth of Harlequin covers pointed to a company that was more than prepared to pull out all the stops for their authors that night. And while I can’t possibly speak for everyone in the room, I can say with utmost confidence that a good time appeared to be had by all (including the crashers). I know I sported a face-cracking smile from the moment I stepped inside that ballroom until I put my head on the pillow that night. It was so so so much fun!!!! The dance floor was packed all night (You Shook Me All Night Long got me on the dance floor where I stayed for two hours), the desserts were to die for (Sara…you’d have been in heaven), the music couldn’t have been any better (they literally flew in a favorite D.J. from parties past), and the women I hung with were the best. And, if that wasn’t enough, I got to get dressed up–something I almost never get to do.

All too soon the clock struck midnight and it was time to call it a night. But I will tell you this…it’s a night I won’t soon forget.

Hugs

~Laura