The “Priceless” Moments of the 2009 RWA ® National Conference

I’ve always said, “If a man wants to meet a really good woman, he should go to the RWA ® National Conference.  Those women are smart, creative, funny… and they KNOW GOOD SEX!!!”  I’ve also said, “If you’re a man at the RWA ® Conference, the women will flock to you because they think you’re 1) an editor, 2) an agent, or 3) a male romance writer.  Any way you look at it, they want to know you better.”

For women, the reason to go is a bit different.  Sometimes, we let the cost scare us away from something that could be the experience of a lifetime.  And for those women who doubt if they should go next year, here are the real costs of attending:

Conference Registration:  $425

Hotel: $400 (Give or take)

Food:  (Depends on how many $1 burgers you’re willing to eat.)

Drink:  (Hard to say…after all, there is a bar in the lobby.)

Airfare:  $150 to $400

And then… The Priceless Moments (in no particular order):

1. The Golden Heart ® and RITA ® Awards:  Although I had no interest in going to the awards ceremony, I went just to see if a fabulous member from my chapter might win for her historical novel.  When Jeannie Lin walked across the stage to collect her Golden Heart ® award, I felt the strongest surge of emotion – as if I had won instead of her.  It was a moment of sheer joy and fulfilled dreams wrapped into a ball of fire that glows from deep within your heart.
2. Then, seeing all these other writers collect their GH and RITA ® awards and talking about the family members who couldn’t be there… well… the best way to describe it would be like a tidal wave of emotion that radiates from the microphone, flooding the enraptured audience in pure love and emotion, until every eye in the room glistens with empathy.  If you ever wondered about the existence of a Higher Power, you feel it in that room… at that moment.
3. Hearing Linda Howard talk about her “stupid slut” ex-sister-in-law riding along in a wheelchair strapped to her ex-husband’s riding lawn mower.  Then, imagining said ex-sister-in-law being slingshot-ted over a hill because the couple used bungee cords to tie the wheelchair to the lawn mower (all the while, the “poor idiot” is wailing like a screaming fire engine)… All I can say is: there’s nothing funnier than a scene like that finely painted by a master storyteller.
4. Hearing the catch in Janet Evanovich’s voice when she spoke about getting “The Phone Call” more than 20 years ago.  Every writer in that room felt her keenly emotional experience and realized that their own “Phone Call” would be a memory that would overwhelm them for the rest of their lives, no matter how famous they became.
5. Listening to Eloisa James speak about how she got into romance writing for the money, despite her parent’s refusal to acknowledge her career choice.  Then, somewhere along the lines, realizing how very friendly and approachable Ms. James really is.  At that moment, you ask yourself:  When I’m as famous as Ms. James, will I be a diva, or a soccer mom?
6. Watching one very hot married Indian guy (who looked like a cover model tailor-made for the romance industry) being repeatedly hit on by flirty romance writers while his very amused, romance-writing wife stood by, a highly-satisfied grin on her face.  (If you saw the poor guy in the elevator…you would know exactly who I’m talking about.)
7. Lounging around the hotel bar with other writers while wearing either 1) your beaded ball gown from the awards ceremony, or 2) your ratty pajamas.  Those are the moments when true sisterhood shines through.
8. “The Cupcake Cowboy” in that same bar (…so dubbed by my critique partner, Valerie Bowman, for his timely delivery of chocolate cupcakes to drunk romance writers).  I am sure his tight blue jeans and flirtatious grin will show up in many romance novels to come… and of course, frosting will be involved somehow.
9. My roommate, Suzanne Lazear, decked out in her Steampunk costume (what a babe!) for the annual Steampunk Extravaganza.  (All I can say is… where can I find my beaded whalebone corset?  Also, you better keep that incredible jewelry close…)
10. Sniffling over the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian with my other roommate, Heather Gordon.  (I never realized I was patriotic until I saw that incredible, war-torn, historic flag.)  Then feeling a lump in my throat as our tour bus took us past Arlington National Cemetery.
11. Staying up late with both my roommates, reliving our experiences of the day long into the wee hours of the morning.
12. Jumping around in joy with your friends when editors or agents ask you (or your friends) to submit a manuscript.
13. Actually waking up cheerful after three hours of sleep, ready to catch the Jacqui Jacoby’s Firefly workshop.  (Anyone else a Browncoat?)
14. Seeing the flash of fear in Julia Quinn’s eyes as you barrel toward her across the glittering marble lobby floor, intent on getting the autograph you missed at the fundraiser.  (There’s nothing like terrorizing a New York Times Bestseller to make you feel all powerful.)
15. And finally… Knowing that you are in the right industry… Feeling, deep in your bones, that there’s nothing you want more than to see your book on a grocery store shelf, and knowing that RWA ® is the place where that dream can come true.

So, ask yourself… How much would these memories (and feelings) be worth to you?

Talia Clare writes historical romance and Chick Lit.  You can find more of her articles at www.TaliaClare.com.