Saturday, May 19, 2012
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Everything You Wanted to Know About Erotic Romance But Were Afraid to Ask (Panel)
& “Fifty Shades of Green: Writing Smut for Fun & Profit” a workshop by Lori Perkins & Louise Fury
10:00 - 10:30 - Meet & Greet
10:30 - 12:30 - Panel: “Everything You Wanted to Know About Erotic Romance But Were Afraid to Ask”
12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch
1:30 - 4:00 - “Fifty Shades of Green: Writing Smut for Fun & Profit” a workshop by Lori Perkins & Louise Fury
** Note: Lori Perkins and Louise Fury will be taking informal pitches throughout the day **
Panel: Everything You Wanted to Know About Erotic Romance But Were Afraid to Ask
Panelists:
- Lori Perkins, co-Owner & Editorial Director, Ravenous Romance
- Treva Harte, co-Owner & Editor-in-Chief, Loose ID
- Louise Fury, Agent, L. Perkins Literary Agency
- Linda Heller (w/a Lynne Silver), multi-published erotic romance author
- Danielle Meitiv (w/a Joy Daniels), debut erotic romance author
Moderator: Denny S. Bryce
“50 Shades of Green: Writing Smut for Fun and Profit,” A Workshop by Lori Perkins and Louise Fury
Ever wonder if you could turn your erotic ideas or fantasies into short stories or novels that other people would like to read? Ever wonder where those crazy writers get their ideas and how they turn a short story into a novel or series? Ever wonder if you can make money doing it? Louise Fury and Lori Perkins will show you how it is done.
Lori Perkins, a NYU writing professor and Editorial Director of ravenousromance.com, an erotica epublisher, will show you how to turn your hot idea into a satisfying story. You can write it for yourself, or your loved ones, or even try selling it. She will then show you how to conceive, polish and shape your idea into a marketable story.
Louise Fury, a New York City literary agent, will tell you about the growing market for erotic fiction/romance, list some erotic romance publishers who are looking for new content, explain why the market is ripe for fresh stories and give you tips about navigating the digital-first submission process.
Louise and Lori will share the success stories of some of their writers and then answer your questions.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Please note we’ll be meeting in Multi-Purpose Room D instead of our usual space.
EMMA: WRW’s Fourth Annual “Jane Austen: The Books and the Movies” Day
“A character no one will like but myself,” wrote Jane Austen as she began Emma. Alicia Silverstone was adorable as Cher in Clueless, but what about Gwyneth Paltrow as an archeress? Led by one of our eggheads, Kathleen Gilles Seidel, WRW will spend another glorious day discussing Austen’s most intricate novel and the various adaptations of it. Please read or reread the novel and watch whatever video versions you feel like watching.
Kathy encourages members to come and enjoy this year’s discussion because Mansfield Park will be next. 
9:30-10:00 – Meet and Greet
10:00-10:15 – Announcements and Introductions
10:15-12:15 – Emma, Part One
12:15-2:00 – Lunch with your peers in area restaurants
2:00-4:00 – Emma, Part Two
For more info on meetings or to suggest a topic or a speaker, contact Danielle Meitiv at .
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are recorded. If you would like to check out the tapes or mp3 discs from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
Friday–Sunday, April 27-29, 2012
See you at the retreat in our new location!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Marketing for the Writer (Denny Bryce and Alethea Kontis) and Pitches (agent Louise Fury)
9:30-10:00 – Meet and Greet
10:00-10:15 – Announcements and Introductions
10:15-12:00 – The Marketing Mix for Authors: Building Your Brand (WRW Members Denny S. Bryce and Alethea Kontis)
12:00-1:45 – Lunch Break
2:00-4:00 – Interactive Pitch Workshop (Louise Fury)
Authors are Business Owners, too!
There is a lot of information available from experts on marketing for authors and what success means in today’s publishing industry. Denny S. Bryce has worked as a marketing professional for 25 years, handling campaigns for Fortune 1000 businesses, nonprofit organizations, and women-owned businesses, which constitute more than one-fourth of all of businesses in the US (and that stat doesn’t include romance authors, at least not yet-:).
On March 24, she will discuss some of the marketing success strategies that have helped her clients generate visibility, community and identity – and sales. She has tailored a workshop presentation that focuses on marketing for authors and looks forward to sharing some case studies and answering your marketing questions.
Denny is a 2011 Hold Me! Thrill Me! Contest finalist (SWFRW), and also was a finalist in the 2010 Heart to Heart (SFA-RWA) and Fab Five (Wisconsin RWA) contests. Hot on pursuit of her first sale, Denny writes urban fantasy, YA paranormal, and multicultural contemporary romance. You can find out more about her by visiting www.dennysbryce.blogspot.com, or her new website, www.dennysbryce.com, which will launch March 5. She also is a member of the Waterworld Mermaids (www.waterworldmermaids.com), a group blog of WRW “Fantastic Writers” assembled in 2011 by Alethea Kontis.
Teaming with Denny in the workshop presentation will be New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis (www.aletheakontis.com). Alethea is the author of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter Companion, as well as the AlphaOops series of picture books. She has done multiple collaborations with Eisner-winning artist J.K. Lee, including The Wonderland Alphabet (coming in May), The Umbrella of Fun, and the illustrated Twitter serial Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome. Her debut YA fairy tale novel, Enchanted, will be published by HMH (Harcourt Books) in May 2012.
Come prepared with your questions, your success stories, and your marketing fears. No matter if you’re in the earliest stages of establishing your brand, or are a long-time pro, we want to help you get the greatest return on your marketing investment (be it your time or your dollars).
Louise Fury is a literary agent with the L. Perkins Agency. She believes in the power of marketing and is constantly on the lookout for authors who know how to promote themselves.
She is seeking well-written teen Sci-Fi and Young Adult horror. She is also on the hunt for deep, dark contemporary YA and select Middle Grade fiction with a literary feel--it must be realistic and thought-provoking and the characters must be authentic and original.
Louise is a huge adult horror fan but also loves romance (especially Regency & Victorian) and is also looking for steam/cyberpunk.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Location: Vienna Volunteer Fire Department
400 Center Street South
Vienna, VA 22180
Query Letters and Synopses with M.L. Gamble (Marsha Nuccio) and Mindy Klasky
9:30-10:00 – Meet and Greet
10:00-10:15 – Announcements and Introductions
10:15-12:00 – How to Research Your Way to the Right Agent with M. L. Gamble (WRW Member Marsha Nuccio)
Marsha’s workshop on querying is aimed at those writers currently looking for agents. It is titled “How To Research Your Way to the Right Agent.” If attendees would like to submit a one page query letter to be shared at the workshop, Marsha requests they be sent to her at by January 25, 2012.
12:00-1:45 – Lunch with your WRW compatriots.
2:00-4:00 – The “S” Word (you know: Synopsis) with WRW member Mindy Klasky
“Send me your synopsis, and I’ll take a look.”
Great words to hear from an agent or editor. Or are they? Do you find it easier to write an entire novel than to summarize that novel in a synopsis? Do your palms grow clammy as you try to interpret professionals’ requests, try to parse precisely what they mean by that feared three-syllable word?
Mindy Klasky will shed some light on the dread synopsis, helping you to find a path through the publishing woods. This interactive program will focus on what, exactly, a synopsis is, how one can best be written, and why you should always have a synopsis in your back pocket—even after you’ve sold your novel.
If you would like to receive direct feedback on your synopsis (from Mindy and from program attendees), be one of the first ten writers to send your synopsis (from 25 - 1500 words) to by no later than January 31.
Marsha Nuccio, writing as M.L. Gamble, was multi-published by Harlequin Intrigue. After a five year break from writing, she returned to the field in 2003 determined to write single titles. In the last eight years she has completed four full length main stream books, none of which have yet been sold. She has worked with three different agents in the twenty plus years she’s been writing and is currently searching for new representation.
Mindy Klasky is the author of 15 novels, including several single title and category romances. Her work has been published by Red Dress Ink and Mira (Harlequin), Roc (PenguinPutnam), and Simon & Schuster. She has also published one novel independently. Mindy originally juggled her writing career with practicing law at a large Washington, D.C. firm; she later became a law librarian. Mindy now writes full time. In her spare time, Mindy knits, reads, quilts, reads, cooks, reads, wrangles cats, and reads.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Due to the weather, this workshop was postponed to June.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are recorded. If you would like to check out the tapes or mp3 discs from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Where: see announcement that will be sent in early November
When: Sunday, December 4 from 2:00-5:00pm
Member Jennifer Bock hosts the WRW Holiday Party Potluck at her Annandale, VA home.
An announcement will be sent out in early November with Jen’s phone number, home address and driving directions.
Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6, 2011
Location: Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Story Mastery with Michael Hauge
This workshop was not recorded.
Saturday, November 5, 2011 - STORY MASTERY
7:45 - 8:45 am: Registration/Continental breakfast
8:45 - 9:00 am: Introductions/Announcements
9:00 - 10:30 am: The Hero’s 2 Journeys: The OUTER JOURNEY, Part I
10:30 - 10:45 am: Morning break
10:45 - 12:00 pm: The Hero’s 2 Journeys: The OUTER JOURNEY, Part II and Pitching your Story
12:00 - 1 pm: Buffet Lunch
1:00 - 3:15 pm: The Hero’s 2 Journeys: The INNER JOURNEY
3:30 - 5:00 pm: Love Stories and Adapting Novels to Film
5:00 - 5:30 pm: Questions and Answers
These sessions includes valuable handouts, interactive pitching information, and opportunities to ask questions of one of the best story consultants in the world.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 - STORY MASTERY IN DEPTH**
** In order to sign up for Sunday’s workshop you must have attended the Saturday workshop.
8:45 - 9:00 am: Introductions and Announcements
9:00 - 12:00 pm: In-depth Analysis of a selected Hollywood Romantic Comedy film using all the steps explained on Sat.
2:00 - 6:00 pm: Private One-on-One Story Coaching with Michael Hauge
$150.00 for a 1/2-hour session. Only EIGHT sessions are available, so sign up early!
About our speaker: Michael Hauge is a Hollywood story expert and consultant, author and lecturer who works with writers and filmmakers on their screenplays, novels, movies and television projects. He has coached writers, producers, stars and directors for every major studio and network, including projects for Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, Kirsten Dunst, Charlize Theron and Morgan Freeman. Michael works extensively with Hollywood executives, producers, agents and managers to help them recognize powerful material, and work effectively with writers to achieve a commercially successful screenplay. Michael is the best-selling author of Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read and of Writing Screenplays That Sell, now in its 32nd printing for HarperCollins. His bestselling DVD/CD seminar with Chris Vogler, The Hero’s 2 Journeys, is one of the top-ranked tools for story and screenwriting by professional writers and screenwriters.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Brainstorming and Conflict with Leanne Banks, Grace Burrowes, and Robin Kaye
9:30-10:00AM – Meet and Greet
10:00-10:15 – Announcements and Introductions
10:15-12:00 – Brainstorming Your Way Out of a Corner with Leanne Banks
Bring your problems with your work-in-progress to this workshop! Leanne Banks will discuss 17 brainstorming techniques. Then the workshop participants will divide into groups to brainstorm solutions to their books problems. This is a fun and empowering experience that will help you expand your way of solving writing problems.
12:00–1:45 – Marlene Judge Training led by Keely Thrall
Enjoy lunch with friends in Bethesda. For those who haven’t received contest judge training or who want a refresher, Keely Thrall will lead an interactive session during lunch at La Mad’s across the street from our meeting site.
2:00-4:00 – The Conflict Sanity Check with Grace Burrowes and Robin Kaye
A well-written romance with excellent character development, abundant steam, and plenty of snappy repartee can still fail as a book because it lacks either adequate conflict or properly resolved conflict. “The Conflict Sanity Check” checks draws on conflict theory and examples from romance fiction to illustrate nuts and bolts concepts that will help you write a more interesting, more satisfying love story.
Leanne Banks is a national #1 best-selling author of over 55 books. Leanne has been a finalist for the RITA three times and has received many writing awards such as the Maggie, the Golden Quill, and the Booksellers’ Best Award. She is also the winner of two lifetime achievement awards from Romantic Times Bookclub. Although Leanne has made the New York Times Bestseller list, she especially enjoyed the experience of when her name and book were included as a clue and answer in a New York Times crossword puzzle. Leanne’s favorite workshop topic is brainstorming, and she loves helping fellow writers discover solutions to their writing challenges.
Grace Burrowes is the sixth out of seven children, and says that being born that far down in the pile made her both determined to express her needs and articulate. She practices family law in western Maryland but attributes her modest complement of conflict management skills to having single-parented a determined, articulate daughter. Grace holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution and is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of “The Heir,” and “The Soldier.”
Robin Kaye was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge next door to her Sicilian grandparents. Living with an extended family that’s a cross between Gilligan’s Island and The Sopranos, minus the desert isle and illegal activities, explains both her comedic timing and the cast of quirky characters in her books. She’s lived in half a dozen states from New Jersey to Florida, but the romance of Brooklyn has never left her heart, nor has the beauty of Idaho, where she started her own family. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband, three children, two dogs, and a three-legged cat with attitude.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Barbara Samuel on Voice and the Heroine’s Journey
~ and ~
WRW Annual Meeting with Brown Bag Lunch
9:30-10:00AM – Meet and Greet
10:00-10:15 – Announcements and Introductions
10:15-12:15 – Voice Workshop – Voice is one of the most misunderstood aspects in all of writing—and possibly the most powerful. By working with hands-on, interactive exercises, we will explore the many aspects that create a writer’s unique fingerprint—and ways to fit that voice to the marketplace. Barbara Samuel has taught this workshop in dozens of settings, all over the world and online, and it always triggers very deep discussions and discoveries.
12:15-12:45 – Break for members to purchase lunch in the neighborhood if needed and return for Annual Meeting
12:45-1:45 – WRW Annual Meeting during brown bag lunch at Bethesda Chevy-Chase Center
1:45-2:00 – Short break
2:00-4:00 – The Heroine’s Journey – We are all familiar with the hero’s journey, as presented by Campbell, Vogler, and others. In contrast, the female journey is more internally and community focused, with different goals and beats. Join Barbara Samuel for an in depth discussion of the heroine’s journey, as presented in 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt.
Barbara Samuel O’Neal fell in love with food and restaurants at the age of fifteen, when she landed a job in a Greek café and served baklava for the first time. She sold her first novel in her twenties, and has since won a plethora of awards, including two Colorado Book Awards and six prestigous RITAs, including one for THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS in 2010. Her novels have been published widely in Europe and Australia, and she travels internationally, presenting workshops, hiking hundreds of miles, and of course, eating. She lives with her partner, a British endurance athlete, and their collection of cats and dogs, in Colorado Springs.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Meeting point TBA
Exclusive WRW Tour of the Library of Congress, Jefferson Library
Join your fellow WRW members for an Exclusive Tour of the Library of Congress,
Jefferson Library. Space is limited and members must sign-up for this event in compliance with LoC guidelines. A special Programs sign-up email address will be announced in April. Reservations must be made through that address. Be sure to include your own email address as directions and the rendezvous point will be sent to you in May. The tour is restricted to 2010-2011 WRW members only.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Crafting a Firm Foundation for Your Novel with Sherry Lewis
10 AM: Award-winning, multi-published author and former RWA National President Sherry
Lewis shows you how to craft a firm foundation for your novel. From creating
conflict to challenging characterization, Sherry presents a day filled with
how-to workshops.
11:30 AM: Be part of the discussion as WRW hosts our guest for lunch.
1 PM: Sherry takes the floor again, covering the building blocks of books that
every novelist needs to know.
April, 2011
WRW’s retreat, In the Company of Writers, took place April 29-May 1.
March WRW Meeting: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Author Panel and Workshops on the Hero’s Journey and World-Building
March 5, 2011
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Starts at 10:00am
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Author Panel and Workshops on the Hero’s Journey and World-Building
10:00am: Special guest Colleen Gleason will join us for a morning panel featuring noted sci-fi and fantasy authors, and WRW members: Catherine Asaro, Mindy Klasky, Pamela Palmer, Diana Peterfreund, and Rebecca York. Moderated by WRW member Jean Marie Ward.
Lunch with guests, panelists, and WRW members
Afternoon: Colleen will teach two one-hour workshops:
- The Hero’s Journey
- World-building
February WRW Meeting: Small-Press, Print On-Demand, and Self-Publishing
February 12, 2011
Location:
3000 Spout Run Parkway
Falls Church, VA
Starts at 10:00am
Meeting Room: The meeting will be held in the party room of a condominium building. Visitors need to be buzzed in but our hostess will probably have her son in the lobby to facilitate this. A sign will be up up, too. Our room is on the first floor to the left of the lobby.
Parking: There is visitor parking on the first tier on the right as you come off Spout Run. Overflow can go across the street to the shopping center.
Small-press, Print On-demand, and self-publishing
Presented by Misha Crews
Small press, print-on-demand, and self-publishing: the technology boom has brought many alternatives for the modern “indie author.” What are the pros and cons of these mediums, and how can writers use them to the best advantage of their careers (and pocketbooks)? From the delightful and delicious to the downright disheartening, WRW member Misha Crews will discuss her ups and downs as a small press and self-published author.
January WRW Meeting: 3rd Annual Jane-Austen-And-The-Movies Discussion featuring Persuasion
January 22, 2011
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Starts at 10:00am
Our Third Annual Jane-Austen-And-The-Movies Discussion
WRW member Kathleen Gilles Seidel returns to discuss Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Following the success of last year’s discussion of Sense and Sensibility, we will watch key scenes from the movie and discuss what choices the director made in their adaptation, not so that we can learn how to write screenplays, but so that we can write better novels.
You do not need to have seen the movie, but to participate in the discussion you will want to read (or reread) the book.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are recorded. If you would like to check out the tapes or mp3 discs from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
December 5, 2010 – Holiday Party
Member Jennifer Bock hosts the WRW Holiday Party at her Annandale, VA home.
Check Loop announcement titled WRW Holiday Potluck - December 5 from 2-5pms sent on November 17, 2010 for Jen’s phone number, home address and direction.
WRW Holiday Potluck
Hostess: Jennifer Bock
Where: Please refer to the November 17, 2010 Loop Announcement
When: Sunday, December 5 from 2:00-5:00pm
Lost? Call Jennifer. For phone number refer to Loop announcment from November 17, 2010
November 20, 2010 – Special Guest Simon Shercliff of the British Embassy
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
10:00 AM – Special guest Simon Shercliff discusses his experiences as a diplomat in places such as the United States, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Chat with our guest and his family over lunch.
1:00 PM – Strengthen your writing when Chapter President Keely Thrall preps us to judge the Marlene. Training will cover how to judge contest entries, as well as what judges want when we enter other contests. TRAINING WILL BE INTERACTIVE – Bring your stories, good, bad or indifferent, of judging and being judged!
2:15 PM – William Orr, Financial Advisor to Nora Roberts, gives writers the tools to pursue their passions worry-free. Because it’s never too soon to plan, Orr and partner Cherie Edwards present Lifecycle of a Successful Author, a workshop that dives into the heart of practical financial planning for writers and artists.
October 16, 2010 – Historical Day
American Legion Post 24 adjacent to historic Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria
400 Cameron Street Alexandria, Virginia 22313-0402 directions
10 AM – Historical Day gets off to a swashbuckling start with a fencing workshop.
Enjoy lunch with friends in Old Town Alexandria.
1PM – Slip on your dancing shoes and kick up your heels, just as Jane Austen and George Washington did. Members of Dance Master Corky Palmer’s dance troupe will put us through our paces.
3PM – Storyteller Wellington Watts instructs us in the art of Colonial-era flirting and, with Halloween just days away, regales us with Alexandria-area ghost stories.
September 25, 2010 – A Day with Literary Agent Nephele Tempest
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center directions
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
10AM – Nephele Tempest of The Knight Agency presents a day of workshops. From tackling a tricky synopsis to finding the agent that’s right for you, Nephele offers an agent’s eye view of publishing.
Lunch – Chat with Nephele and friends new and old.
1PM – Chapter projects, upcoming events, and our budget will be discussed at our Annual General Meeting.
Immediately after the Annual General Meeting, Nephele takes center stage again.
Saturday, June 5, 2010 - Creative Wellness - Fitness that Fits In!™
At the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Starts at 10 a.m.
February’s weather couldn’t stop WRW’s Catherine Kent. Join us as Catherine presents Creative Wellness - Fitness that Fits In!™ Success as a writer depends upon a ready supply of energy: creative, mental, and physical. Whether you write full-time or juggle your writing with other work, keeping your creative well full and your butt in the chair is challenging. Catherine offers a uniquely fluid, and therefore practical, approach to achieving the common goal of wellness. Dress comfortably and bring and open mind, ready to engage in a variety of enjoyable mental and creative processes, and stimulate mental acuity to increase your energy, writing productivity, and general well being. From focused breathing and making noise, to moving, stretching, and brainstorming, this workshop is useful, effective, and fun!
Lunch - Chat with Catherine from approximately noon to 1:30 PM.
Afternoon Session - Immediately after lunch. Catherine’s workshop (and the fun) continues.
Saturday, May 22, 2010 - Romantic Suspense Day
At the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Starts at 10 a.m.
Make your bad guys believable! NY Times Bestselling author and RITA® Winner Karen Rose teams up with her husband, Martin Hafer, to explore the psychology of Chilling Villains. With his background in psychology, Martin contrasts concepts like “psychopath” and “sociopath” and gives us the facts about behaviors that could enhance your characters. Learn the terms that can help you pull facts into your fiction.
Lunch - Chat with our guests from approximately noon to 1:30 PM.
Afternoon Session - Immediately after lunch
Karen returns to delve deeply into dialogue and secondary characters with helpful tips for writers of every genre. Then, Martin takes center stage, outlining human coping mechanisms and how understanding them can help you put conflict on the page.
Friday–Sunday, April 16–18, 2010 - See you at the Retreat!
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - YA Day
At the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Starts at 10 a.m.
Join two-time RWA® Golden Heart® YA Finalist Amanda Brice as she discusses the growing Young Adult market with published panelists, including WRW’s own Diana Peterfreund, as well as Elizabeth Scott, Pam Bachorz, and Simon Pulse author Rhonda Stapleton.
Lunch - Chat with our guests from approximately noon to 1:30 PM.
Afternoon Session - Immediately after lunch
Wanna learn how to make teens fall in love with your characters and have a good laugh or two (or hopefully more)? Join us for Rhonda Stapleton’s Writing the YA Romantic Comedy Workshop and learn tricks on writing comedy, as well as how to write realistic teen romance in a satisfying manner. Immediately following, Rhonda switches gears to present The Fiction Writer’s Self-Editing Workshop. Do you find yourself overwhelmed by confusing grammar, punctuation, and various editing rules? Don’t despair! This workshop is the place for you. Whether you’re a beginning writer or seasoned author, you can discover simple, straightforward tips for self-editing.
Saturday, February 6, 2020 Meeting canceled
Due to the inclement weather forecast for the area, we regretfully cancel WRW’s meeting planned for Saturday, February 6. The Program Committee will work with Catherine Kent to reschedule her program to a later date. Instead, we issue:
***Snow Day Writer’s Challenge***
Think a little snow gets you off the hook? Well think again!
While Saturday’s meeting has been canceled, your chapter president (c’est moi) hereby issues you this opportunity to step up to the plate: I challenge you to have your most productive snow day of writing ever!
The details: Between now and 6 pm Sunday, sit yourself down and write, write, write. Total your word count and send it to me (). Rewriting? No problem – if you’re adding new words, give me those. If you’re editing pages, give me a page count and I’ll total those for a separate count!
From 100 words to 10,000 and anything in between, I will accept all entries, total everyone’s word count, and let our chapter know just how awesome we are at making lemon cake icing out of snowy lemons.
Yum!
Keely
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Starts at 10 a.m.
Our Second Annual Jane-Austen-And-The-Movies Discussion
In her 1995 screenplay for Sense And Sensibility, Emma Thompson had the courage to address—and attempt to resolve—some of the novel’s weaknesses. Following the success of last year’s discussion of Pride and Prejudice, we will watch key scenes from the movie and discuss what choices Thompson made in her adaptation, not so that we can learn how to write screenplays, but so that we can write better novels.
You do not need to have seen the movie, but to participate in the discussion you will want to read (or reread) the book.
WRW member Kathleen Gilles Seidel will lead the discussion.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are recorded. If you would like to check out the tapes or mp3 discs from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
December Holiday Party
Dear WRW Friends –
It comes but once a year – the annual WRW Holiday Party – and you are invited!
WHEN: Sunday, December 13, from 2 pm to 5 pm
WHERE: Kathy Gilles Seidel’s house (email Keely Thrall for address and directions)
WHAT TO BRING: If you love, love, love to cook or bake please contact Merry Banerji to let her know what you’ll be bringing so we can keep things a bit coordinated. If the culinary arts fairy passed you by, bring a festive beverage (soda, juice, wine) to share instead. Or just yourself – we don’t need everyone to bring something. **Please no pork or shellfish**
Please join your friends and colleagues at this much anticipated, much enjoyed open house get together. It is a highlight of the holiday season!
November 7
Morning Session - 10 AM
Published authors—and those who hope to be—mark your calendars for this all-day event with RWA’s 2008 Vivian Stephens Industry Award winner, romance buyer Sue Grimshaw of Borders Group Inc. Sue shares the latest strategies and programs Borders uses to get romance novels noticed… and sold to consumers.
Afternoon Session - Immediately after lunch break
Sue talks sales, discussing such topics as book placement and shelving. A personalized tour of a nearby Borders store is pending. (More information will be offered as it becomes available. Maps would be provided at the morning session.) Learn the why’s and wherefore’s of the bookseller’s trade, and how you might be able to apply that knowledge to benefit your bottom line.
October 17
Morning Session - 10 AM
New RWA National President, WRW’s own Michelle Monkou, joins us for a two-part presentation. The author of ten titles, including the Ladies of Distinction series for Harlequin’s Kimani Romance line, Michelle will present a mini-workshop geared toward building stronger scenes… and the discipline it takes to stay in the chair. Before lunch, Michelle goes National, giving us the scoop on the complex connection between National and local chapters. In the afternoon, she’ll join WRW’s past presidents for a panel and take your questions.
Afternoon Session - approximately 1:30 PM
Ever wonder how participating in WRW can help you reach your publishing goals? WRW’s past presidents share how serving helped them toward their own career objectives, plus ways members can get the most out of membership. Questions will be taken. Later, our current chapter president, Keely Thrall, puts her vision for WRW to work for you through a hands-on mini-workshop focused on critique techniques and the Marlene.
September 12
Morning Session - 10 AM
Prepare to roll up your sleeves and take apart a publishing contract to examine all of the important clauses, with an emphasis on any differences between e-book and print book contracts. In the course of this, also learn about those “hot” new publishing issues that have recently cropped up. Our speaker, Elaine English, is an attorney and literary agent in Washington, DC, who has been a long time friend and legal counsel for WRW. She’s been reviewing and negotiating publishing agreements for more than twenty-five years.
Around noon
WRW’s Annual Meeting will occur before we head to lunch. We need a quorum so please stick around and/or arrive by noon!
Afternoon Session - Immediately after lunch break
Being able to sum up the uniqueness of your story in a sentence or a paragraph is a necessary tool in the life of a writer. Pitching, more an art than a science, requires the tool of summing up a story for an editor or agent in a way that allows her to follow the over arching storyline while sensing the underlying currents of conflict. It’s as hard as it sounds. Writing a query letter, although without the stressful time constraints, requires that same tool of conciseness while maintaining the emotional impact and evocative tone that defines your story. New York Times bestselling author of six novels, Susan Donovan will review the whole concept of pitches and queries, condensing an entire book into a “concept”—one or two fabulous sentences that leave the reader (agent, editor) wanting more. Susan will conduct group exercises, taking writers through the process of presenting their manuscripts in a concise and engaging way.
June 13, 2009
Join Us Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center for a day filled with fact, fiction and intrigue. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask all those FBI and U.S. Military research questions you have been saving. You may submit your questions for either panel NO LATER THAN June 7, 2009 to Mary Lenaburg at mary_romance@ cox.net. Please have “WRW June Meeting” in the subject line. The panelists will answer as many as they can in the order in which they are received.
10-11:30 a.m.
FBI: Fact and Fiction
Join us as a one-man FBI intelligence analyst, bomb analyst and fiction aficionado talks about the FBI. He will help us separate fact and fiction by using popular fiction to dispel myths and correct gross errors. Do you think that limits your imagination? Well, he’ll also discuss some fairly public bombings and what goes into such an investigation. Additionally, he’ll answer pre-screened questions from WRW members. Come for this rare opportunity for an insiders view who’s already been supportive of one WRW member’s book research. Guess who he taught to shoot for book research?
Lunch 11:45 - 12:45
1 - 2:30 p.m.
Unmasking the Military
Join us for a diverse panel of military members representing the five services. The panel will offer insight to how each service and career field contributes to all missions, including the homeland security, disaster relief, drug interdiction, sea rescue, humanitarian aid, and international peacekeeping.
Panelists scheduled to attend include:
- Air Force: Lisa, Operations, Pentagon; 30+ years include service as enlisted and officer. Lisa remained behind at Homestead AFB during Hurricane Andrew in the command post. More recently, she deployed to Afghanistan.
- Air Force: Melissa, Mission Support, Fort Meade. Enlisted in the Marine Corps and cross commissioned into the Air Force. Melissa has lived in Germany in support of NATO troops and now works with “joint” staff at Fort Meade.
- Army: Bill, Communications, Pentagon. Bill has lived in Korea, Germany, and Belgium. He has deployed to Kosovo and Iraq.
- Army, Tracy, Intelligence, Fort Meade. Tracy has deployed to Iraq, traveled to exotic locales on her leave, and currently mentors the single soldiers on post.
- Coast Guard: Rodney, Coast Guard, Fort Meade. Rodney has served in a variety of land and sea assignments, including drug interdiction and sea rescue.
- Coast Guard: Steve, Coast Guard, Washington, DC. Enlisted in the Navy and cross commissioned into the Coast Guard.
May 16, 2009
Join us May 16, 2009 at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center for a fabulous program with USA Today and NYT Times Bestselling Author Nora Roberts with Sarah Wendell of “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books”
Plagiarism: If We Don’t Talk About It, It Won’t Go Away”
Nora Roberts and Sarah Wendell
10 a.m. - Noon
Description: You’d think that the reaction to plagiarism in the romance fiction community would be automatic outrage, but unfortunately, it’s not. In 1997, Nora Roberts faced plagiarism as a victim. In 2008, Sarah Wendell and others online revealed plagiarism on the part of another romance author. Both women faced similar reactions from members of the romance community, from outrage to threats to scolding for being so mean. Both the authors who committed acts of plagiarism and profited from them continue to publish to this day. Even with over ten years separating the two incidents, the reaction was nearly identical: the outrage, the vitriol against the whistle-blower and the sympathy for the perpetrator were all there. Yet nothing damages our community as writers and our careers as authors more than tolerating plagiarism. So it’s time to talk about the ugly facts about it, because if we don’t talk about plagiarism, it won’t go away.
Biography: From a quiet start writing in a notebook at her kitchen table in 1979, Nora Roberts has become the standard of outstanding success in the publishing world. Since breaking onto the New York Times bestseller list in 1991, her books have appeared on that list over 775 weeks. At several points, she has had four books on the New York Times list at the same time. Even more impressive, Nora Roberts’ books have spent a combined 155 weeks at number one. In February 2009, they saw the completion of their largest project to date: Inn BoonsBoro, a boutique hotel in Boonsboro, Maryland. The six rooms and two suites are themed after and decorated in the style of literary lovers whose stores ended happily including Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice; Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man; and Roberts’ own Eve and Roarke from her JD Robb In Death series.
Nora is a member of several writers groups, including charter membership in the Romance Writers of America, and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry.
Noon- 1:30 p.m. Lunch
“Blogging for Authors: No. You do not have to have a blog.”
Sarah Wendell
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The description: As a prominent blogger in the romance world with 10 years experience writing solely online, I have a set of rules that I developed to keep myself out of too much trouble. Those same rules can easily apply to authors - who might reveal too much in their blogs without realizing it. I will also discuss how blogs are used as promotional tools - and why, despite what you may have heard, not every author has to have one. I will outline what types of writers are ideal for blogging, and what authors can do to promote themselves without hosting their own blogs, from participating on another romance community to writing articles or longer essays for other publications online.
Biography: By day Sarah Wendell is mild mannered and heavily caffeinated. By evening she dons her cranky costume, consumes yet more caffeine, and becomes Smart Bitch Sarah of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. The site specializes in reviewing romance novels, examining the history and future of the genre, and bemoaning the enormous prevalence of bodacious pectorals adorning male cover models. In April 2009, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels was born, published by Touchstone Fireside and co-authored by Sarah and her partner in nefarious deeds, Candy Tan. Sarah has spoken at Romance Writers of America’s national conference, at the Romantic Times BookLovers’ Convention, and at several RWA chapter conferences and meetings. Sarah was invited to speak as part of the closing plenary panel at the first academic conference devoted to the romance genre, Love as the Practice of Freedom, at Princeton University in April 2009. Her writing has appeared in Narrative Magazine, Tango Magazine, and in the SmartPop book Grey’s Anatomy 101: Seattle Grace, Unauthorized. Sarah has appeared on The Today Show, the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Steven and Chris Show, and on Too Many Books. Sarah has been quoted in The New York Times, The New York Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times Book Blog, Metro:New York, and Publishers Weekly.
April 17-19, 2009
Our annual retreat, this year near Leesburg, VA. With room for everyone!
Registration opened Friday, Jan. 16 and will close Saturday, Feb. 21. There’s plenty of space for everyone, but we need a firm head-count on the 21st.
Retreat Application Form in rich text format (or try this one, in .doc form). More details are on the Retreat page.
March 7, 2009
Marita Golden and Jeanne Adams
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
10 am - Noon
Award-winning novelist and nonfiction writer Marita Golden will talk about her work both as a novelist and nonfiction writer and teacher of writing. Ms. Golden is the author of 12 works of fiction and nonfiction including most recently the novel AFTER and the forthcoming anthology It’s All Love Black Writers on Soul Mates Family and Friends. Ms. Golden will discuss her writing process, the inspiration for her books, and how she researches her books. In addition she will share her advice on seeking agents, surviving the current cataclysmic “shifiting sands” in the publishing industry and how to create a life that supports your writing.
Marita Golden is the author of many works of fiction and nonfiction, many used as required reading in colleges and universities around the country. A veteran teacher of writing, she has taught in the MFA Graduate Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University and annually offer a popular two-day writing workshop, “I Want to Write!” She is Writer in Residence at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C.
In mid-February, she will be teaching a writing workshop as part of the Sacred Circles conference at the Washington National Cathedral (Feb 13-14, 2009).
Lunch 12 - 1:45pm
2 - 4 pm
The Write Environment; Making Your Writing Space Work for You
The writing environment is one of the most important tools writers can have, yet its influence is often overlooked. Join Jeanne Adams, an RWA decorating diva, in looking at author’s environments and get tips, tricks, and advice on making your writing space right for you.
Have you ever evaluated your writing environment? Do you know if you write more when there’s silence or background noise? Are you more likely to stay focused at home alone or sitting in a coffee shop surrounded by strangers? Does your office area make you feel like writing?
Through a special written assessment, we’ll explore your writing and environmental preferences and determine if your environment is enhancing or inhibiting your style. Then, we’ll show you how to incorporate your unique preferences into your creative space.
A slide show will illustrate a variety of working writer’s creative spaces as we discuss the importance of elements such as light and temperature as well as the impact of your style, including concepts such as organization and ambience. See examples from beginning to bestselling authors and hear how they have met the challenge of creating a place to nurture their muse.
Come discover what you need to do your best work. Take away tips, tricks and techniques for surrounding yourself with the things that enhance your creativity, increase your productivity and help you to enjoy your writing more.
February 21, 2009
AN EXPLORATION OF CHARACTER with Sophia Nash and Diane Whiteside
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Jane Eyre. Jo March. Anne Shirley. When people recall their favorite novels, one of the first things that come to mind often is how much they loved the main character or characters. What would Gone With the Wind have been like without Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie and Ashley?
This meeting will explore how we as writers can improve our characterization and develop the type of characters that will resonate with readers and make our novels beloved by many. Two, multi-published, WRW authors – Sophia Nash and Diane Whiteside – will share their insights on characterization and how it can be used to deepen the romance.
10:15 – 12:15
Creating Unforgettable Characters
Presented by Sophia Nash
Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff & Catherine, Lucy & Ricky … Do you remember every detail of their stories, or do you vividly remember the characters? Get beyond the basics to breathe life into the people populating your pages. Each workshop participant will dwelve beneath the veneer of one or two characters in the manuscript to add depth. The group will work on the birth and growth of a character, use of plot, and character growth arcs. In addition, dialogue and deep point of view will be discussed.
2:00 – 4:00
Star-Crossed: Creating Romantic Characterization and Conflict through Astrology
A Workshop by Diane Whiteside
Star crossed lovers – have you ever wondered where that phrase came from? Do you know why a lion and a ram are one of the all-time great romantic couples? Or a crab and a bull? Have you ever wanted to try a different reason for why your hero and heroine fight with each other? Astrology is a great tool for developing characters with innate conflicts, no matter what you think of your own horoscope.
This workshop is based on one simple principle: make your characters fall in love with folks who astrologers call a bad bet. It will include:
A quick review of the signs, including their most important romantic characteristics.
A quick review of the key elements in a person’s horoscope. This workshop will focus on the sun signs, although moon and rising signs are also very important. For romances, the latter are what often create the ambiguities about compatibility.
A detailed discussion of how to select which signs your hero and heroine fall under.
A chart summarizing some thoughts on astrological compatibility, or the lack thereof.
Some examples for how to use this in your work. On the large scale, it affects issues like love at first sight, soul mate, internal versus external conflict, etc. It can also impact lovemaking, housekeeping, career choices, musical tastes, and more.
Examples will be provided, primarily from my works since I know the characters’ horoscopes.
Questions will be encouraged throughout.
January 24, 2009
Kathleen Gilles Siedel on Breaking Down the Book, featuring
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 101
It’s not perfect—there’s a point-of-view lapse and come on, would Lydia have really done that?-- but it is pretty much the best we’ve got. In a day-long session Kathleen Gilles Seidel, instead of talking about how she herself structures a courtship plot or maintains conflict, is going to talk about how Jane Austen did it all better than everyone before or since. ** Please bring a copy of the book and reread (or read) as much as you have time for. **
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Schedule:
10am - Noon, Breaking Down the Book, part 1
Noon - 1:30pm, Lunch
1:45- 4pm, Breaking Down the Book, part 2
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are taped. If you would like to check out the tapes from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
December 7
We end our year with our annual Holiday party hosted by the lovely Jeanne Adams.
November 15, 2008
Brenda Novak
Award-winning and bestselling author Brenda Novak will teach WRW members how to make their stories more emotional and how to overcome discouragement in their writing careers. While her first published novel was a historical romance, Novak built her name through her popular Harlequin Superromance stories and romantic suspense novels for HQN and Mira. She also started an online auction to benefit juvenile diabetes and has raised more than a quarter million dollars in just three years. Novak will present two workshops.
Schedule:
10:00 – 12:00, Emotion: The Heart of the Novel
12:00 – 2:00, Lunch
2:00 – 4:00, Overcoming Discouragement and Other Obstacles to Success
Emotion: The Heart of the Novel, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
A writer has the power, through her stories, to reach into the very soul of a reader and confirm his or her basic belief that good conquers evil and love reigns supreme. But to a new or even experienced writer, that sounds like a pretty tall order. In EMOTION—THE HEART OF THE NOVEL, Brenda Novak takes this abstract concept and breaks it down into several concrete methods a writer can use to tap into those universal emotions that touch us deeply and make a lasting impression.
Lunch, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Overcoming Discouragement and Other Obstacles to Success, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
In OVERCOMING DISCOURAGEMENT AND OTHER OBSTACLES TO SUCCESS, bestselling author Brenda Novak discusses the fears and doubts that can creep in and paralyze even the most talented author. She also addresses goal setting, which overcomes procrastination; attitude, which overcomes discouragement; and problem-solving skills, which turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
September 13, 2008
Trish Milburn and WRW annual meeting
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
RWA board member, former PRO Liaison, and multi-genre published author Trish Milburn will teach WRW members about the importance of setting, time management and perseverance.
Milburn wrote 17 manuscripts and two partials before selling her first book on July 24, 2007, to Razorbill, a division of Penguin Putnam Young Adult Readers, as part of a contract for two young adult novels. On October 26, 2007, she sold two novels to Harlequin American Romance. She is also an American Title finalist. Her first Harlequin American novel, A Firefighter in the Family, is a September 2008 release, and Heartbreak River, her first young adult novel written under the pen name Tricia Mills, will be published in Spring 2009.
During her journey to publication, Milburn finaled in the RWA Golden Heart Contest 8 times and won twice. She has held several offices for her local chapter Music City Romance Writers, served as the RWA PRO Liaison, and is a current RWA board member. She blogs with the Wet Noodle Posse, the Romance Bandits and on her Web site www.trishmilburn.com.
At the September meeting, Trish will present three workshops.
Schedule:
10:00 - 11:30 - Making Your Setting Come Alive
11:30 - 1:30 - Lunch and Annual General Meeting
1:30 - 3:00 - Yes, You Do Have Time to Write: Ways to Make Yourself Write, Even in Five-Minute Increments
3:00 - 3:10 - Break
3:10 - 4:10 - The Importance of Perseverance and Treating Your Writing Like a Career Even Before You Sell
Making Your Setting Come Alive, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Have you ever read a book where the setting was so unimportant that the story could have taken place anywhere? And have you read books in which the setting was so alive that it was almost a character itself? It’s no surprise you want to shoot for the latter scenario with your own books. In this workshop, we’ll cover:
- How to use familiar settings/what you know to enhance your storytelling
- How to make the most of on-site research
- How to make it seem as if you’ve visited the setting of your book even when you haven’t
- Ways to research locales you can’t visit
- How to take bits and pieces of real-life settings to create a totally fictional one
- How to make secondary characters a part of your setting
Lunch and General Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Yes, You Do Have Time to Write: Ways to Make Yourself Write, Even in Five-Minute Increments, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day, so why do some people seem to get more done than others? It’s a matter of focus and priorities. In this workshop, we’ll cover the following areas:
- Not falling into the trap of excuses
- Multi-tasking and getting rid of clutter
- Being efficient
- Getting motivated
- Goal setting (will include several types of handouts/charts that will help you with this task)
Another handout will include common excuses for not writing, ways to utilize small snippets of time for writing, ways to motivate yourself to write, how to trick yourself into writing, and other useful time tips.
The Importance of Perseverance and Treating Your Writing Like a Career Even Before You Sell, 3:10 - 4:10 p.m.
The road to publication is often long and filled with heartache. Rejections hit your mailbox, editors who like your work leave the publisher, and the book of your heart doesn’t touch anyone else’s. It’s hard to keep plugging along, but the longer you do, the more likely you are to reach that ultimate goal of seeing your book on bookstore shelves. The key is to persevere and treat your writing like a career, even before you earn a single penny from your work.
In this presentation, I’ll talk some about the roller coaster I was on for more than a decade before I sold and how I managed to keep going. I’ll also include inspirational stories from other writers who took a long time to sell but who kept at it until they did.
June 14, 2008
Madeline Hunter, All Day Workshop
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane; Bethesda, Maryland
Directions: here
Phone: 240-777-8200
10 am - Noon The Book That Writes Itself
Does your story bog down on page 200? Are you swimming through mud on page 250? Do you get feedback from editors that says the story is not special enough? In this workshop, through presentations and a hands-on exercise, Madeline will explain how a good conflict is the key to a good story, and how finding a strong conflict will improve everything about your story---structure, scene development and characterization--- and energize the story so much that it writes itself. The workshop will conclude with Madeline’s conflict-driven synopsis template. A set of colored highlighters will make the hands-on exercise easier, but they are not necessary. Be sure to bring a synopsis or story idea with you too.
2 pm - 4 pm The Numbers Game
Join Madeline Hunter for her popular workshop on numbers---what they are, how they count, how to get them. From print runs to sell-through, from account buys to bestseller lists, Madeline will explain how numbers affect writers and their careers. Unpublished members will learn what all that fancy terminology really means, and published writers will be able to discuss questions and issues regarding numbers. Madeline promises to be indiscreet whenever possible.
Madeline Hunter’s first romance was published in June 2000, and she received the award for Waldenbooks Bestselling Debut Author that year. Since then she has seen sixteen historical romances published. Over two million copies of her books are in print in the US and her books have also been translated into nine languages. She is a six time RITA finalist, and won the long historical RITA in 2003 for Stealing Heaven. Fifteen of her books have been on the USA Today bestseller list, and she has also had titles on the NYTimes list and the Waldenbooks paperback fiction list. She has received two starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times has awarded thirteen of her books 4 ½ stars. Madeline holds a Ph.D. in Art History, which she teaches at the college level. Madeline’s next release, scheduled for Fall 2008, is titled The Sins of Lord Easterbrook.
May 17, 2008
Sally MacKenzie
Time: 10:15 - 12:15
Location: Fairfax City Library
Directions: click here
Once the euphoria of “the Call” wears off, a new author must face the nitty gritty realities of publication. Join USA Today bestselling author and WRW member Sally MacKenzie to discuss agents, contracts, production, print runs, promotion, paranoia, and other publishing perils.
If you have any topics you’d particularly like covered, please email them by May 1 to Sally at .
April 2008
WRW’s annual retreat, In the Company of Writers, will be at the amazing facilities at The Bolger Center in Potomac, Maryland.
Please join us for Washington Romance Writer’s Bookseller’s Luncheon, April 6th from 1-4 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring.
February 16, 2008
Location: Church of the Covenant, 2666 Military Road, Arlington, VA 22207
Phone: 703-524-4115
10:00 — 12:00 — Marketing 101 for Writers: a workshop on self-promotion, marketing, and public relations for published (and yet to publish) authors w/ Jeanne Adams
Everyone wonders about bookmarks. Do they work? What about pens? Giveaways? What about advertising, should you do it? And public relations (PR) what about that? Is is different from advertising? (It is, by the way!)
Whether you’re published or AYU (As Yet Unpublished) you can profit from learning the basics of how to market yourself as a writer and boost the sale of your books. We’ll talk about everything from how to get your name out, the top ten places to send your press release (and how to write one!), and the basics of giving a fifteen minute talk about romance, writing and, specifically your book.
Jeanne Adams lives in Maryland with her handsome husband, two charming sons and her Dalmatian. A former marketing executive working for research parks, governmental concerns and not-for-profits, Jeanne is now a consultant and full-time writer. A member and frequent speaker for Romance Writers of America and its various chapters, Jeanne loves to connect with readers and other writers. Her book “Dark and Dangerous” (Zebra Romantic Suspense) will be published in June 2008. Visit her at http://www.JeanneAdams.com
12:00 — 2:00 — Lunch
2:00 — 3:00 — “Improv Techniques for Writers” (Or How to Drive a Stake Through the Heart of Your Inner Critic So Your Muse Will Come Out to Play) with Denise McInerney
The Art of Improvisation has been around for centuries and isn’t just for actors or comedians. Writers can employ the same techniques to jump-start their writing, to solve problems, explore characters—and much more. Learning Improv techniques can help people get out of their own way, cram a sock in their internal editor’s nagging maw, and increase production and productivity by learning to make connections by trusting their own subconscious. Improvisation techniques can be just the tool you need to help flex your creative muscles and pump fresh blood into your anemic muse.
This workshop is fun, lively, interactive and non-threatening. The cardinal rule of Improv is, “There are NO WRONG ANSWERS.” So you can’t possibly say anything wrong or stupid. The rest of the group will accept what you’ve said and then carry the idea forward. Gee, what an empowering concept! Where else can you go, where, no matter what you say, everyone else agrees with you—and also agrees your response was the very best possible of all responses!
Denise McInerney earned an undergraduate degree in English and a Masters in Theatre, but in spite of these impediments, eventually managed to find gainful employment as manager of the expatriate program for British Aerospace, where she also did corporate training. Two years ago, Denise developed an innovative new workshop to show writers how to use improvisational comedy techniques to spur creativity in their own writing process.
Denise resides with her husband and one spoiled border collie in Northern Virginia. In their precious little spare time, the humans perform improvisational comedy (a la “Who’s Line is it Anyway?") at the D.C. Comedy Improv Club in Washington, D.C.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Mary Lenaburg and Michelle Butler — WRW Programming Co-Chairs
January 26, 2008
Throw Out the Lifeline: Rescue strategies when your novel is sinking fast
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane; Bethesda, Maryland
Directions: here
Phone: 240-777-8200
10:00 am—Noon: Throw Out the Lifeline: Rescue strategies when your novel is sinking fast
Noon—1:30 pm: Lunch
1:30—3:00: Small groups
So your first draft is finished, and you don’t need a critique group to tell you that the idea you carefully nurtured into a full blown manuscript never came alive. The potential is still there, but how do you really tap it on the second try? Do you splash around in the sea of your unconscious, changing this a little, adding a dollop of that? Do you toss the whole book overboard and hope the next one is better? Or do you throw out the lifeline and rescue only what’s good and consciously let the rest of it, well . . . float away?
Emilie Richards will explore the elements usually at fault in a sinking manuscript and give strategies for pumping life back into them. In the afternoon we’ll work in small groups on a “boring” synopsis, practicing artificial respiration and hopefully having fun while we’re at it. Come prepared to brainstorm.
Emilie Richards is the author of sixty-something novels, a RITA winner, and the recipient of a number of Romantic Times awards. Currently she writes a series for Mira Books using quilt blocks as metaphors for the lives of women in a small Shenandoah Valley town. Book four, Touching Stars, came out in July. She also writes a cozy mystery series, Ministry is Murder, for Berkley Prime Crime. The third in that series, Beware False Profits, debuted in November.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are taped. If you would like to check out the tapes from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
December 9, 2007
WRW’s Annual Holiday Party
WRW member Jeanne Adams kindly hosted this year’s holiday party at her house in Potomac, Maryland.
Thanks Jeanne!
A good time was had by all.
November 10, 2007—Michael Hauge!!
NOTE: This event is full. No new registrations are being accepted.
This meeting was not taped.
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007
Time: 8:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m.
Location: Bethesda Marriott Grand Ball Room
5151 Pooks Hill Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Directions
This will be a full day workshop with Michael Hauge. Continental breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon coffee break/snack are included.
Registration/Continental Breakfast — 7:45 am - 8:45am
Introductions/Announcements — 8:45 am - 9:00 am
The Hero’s 2 Journeys: THE OUTER JOURNEY — 9:00am - 10:30am
Morning Break — 10:30am - 10:45am
The Hero’s 2 Journeys: THE INNER JOURNEY — 10:45am - 12:00 pm
Buffet Lunch — 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Love Stories and Romantic Comedies — 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Afternoon Break — 3:00pm - 3:20pm
Log Lines, Pitches, and Adapting Novels to Film — 3:20pm - 5:00pm
During this special, all-day seminar, Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge, best-selling author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read, will present his unique approach to creating compelling fiction, and eliciting emotion in your readers through story concept, plot structure, character development and theme. Michael will then reveal his proven method for getting the people in power to read your manuscript or screenplay. For further details please check out Michael’s website .
October 13, 2007
Location: Chantilly Regional Library
4000 Stringfellow Rd
Chantilly, VA 20151
(703) 502-3883
Directions: here
10:15 – 12:15
Are Our Male Characters True to Live or the Way We Want Men to be?
As you develop your male characters do you ever wonder if you understand men and just what makes them tick? At a recent WRW meeting, the speaker made a statement that she thought most men did not have much of an inner life. Is this true? Come hear another WRW member’s point of view about men and their inner life and how they differ from the way women view the world and love relationships. Karol Orceyre, LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) is a therapist in private practice who has plenty of experience listening to men in both individual and couples counseling sessions. She will share with us what she hears from men. What makes them fall in love. What keeps them in love. Just how they are different from women--not that anyone knows that for sure.
This workshop was originally scheduled for February 2007 but was rescheduled for October 2007.
2:15 – 4:15
WRW member and romantic suspense author Karna Small Bodman talks about “Turning White House Experiences into Published Novels.”
Karna Small Bodman served in The White House for 6 years. She’ll tell us how she wove some of those experiences into political thrillers with strong romantic elements and got contracts for two hardcover novels.
September 29, 2007
What it Takes to Thrive — or at Least Survive — in Today’s Historical Romance Market
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane; Bethesda, Maryland
Directions: here
Phone: 240-777-8200
Schedule:
(For descriptions of the sessions, see below.)
10:00 a.m.
Keynote Address, followed by Q&A
Susan King
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
How to Thrive - or at least Survive - in Today’s Historical Romance Market
Panel Discussion with Mary Blayney, Victoria Bylin, Diane Gaston, Sally MacKenzie, and Tracy Anne Warren
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
General Annual Meeting and New Member Welcome Lunch
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Doddering Butlers, Pert Housemaids, and Faithful Retainers: Busting the Servant Myths
Presented by Janet Mullany
Session Descriptions:
How to Thrive - or at least Survive - in Today’s Historical Romance Market Panel Discussion
WRW has some of the best historical romance authors in the business. Hear a panel of them discuss their strategies for success in today’s market.
Panelists: Mary Blayney, Victoria Bylin, Diane Gaston, Sally MacKenzie, and Tracy Anne Warren
Moderator: Michelle Butler
Some of the questions addressed during Susan King’s keynote address and the panel discussion may include:
How did you break into the historical romance market? How has your career progressed? What is the most important thing you have done in terms of your writing career?
What is the state of the historical romance market today? Where do you think it is going? What changes have surprised you in the past 5 - 10 years? What do you think it takes to succeed in the historical market today? Do you need an agent? How important is historical research? How important are time periods and settings to the marketability of a novel? Have you ever changed your stories to make them more marketable? What kind of impact has your marketing efforts - such as participating in an online blog and having a Web site - had on your career?
Have you started writing in other subgenres? If so, why? How have you had to change your writing, your story-telling or your voice to suit the reader expectations for the new sub-genre? How has your earlier experience in historical romance helped you in the new sub-genre? What is the state of the market for your particular sub-genre? Where do you think it is going?
What would your advice be to somebody thinking about writing a historical romance? What sparks your creativity and provides inspiration? How do you balance the creative side of writing with the business side of writing? Why do you write? What have you struggled with most in your career? What craft element has been the hardest for you to master?
General Annual Meeting and New Member Lunch
Join the Board and general membership from WRW to review our 2007/2008 operating budget—Come on! We need a quorum!!—hear about the issues and programs for the next year, meet the officers, and welcome new members.
This lunch and meeting will take place in the meeting room at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center. Members are invited to bring their own lunches and drinks or you can arrange for a boxed lunch to be brought in. See boxed lunch options below.
Doddering Butlers, Pert Housemaids, and Faithful Retainers: Busting the Servant Myths
If you write historicals, you know someone has to haul hot water upstairs so the heroine can be surprised while bathing, straighten out the hopelessly rumpled bedclothes, repair the ripped petticoats, and lace up the stays. Servants in the noble and not-so-noble houses of England were everywhere, the discreet keepers--but not always--of the household secrets. Author Janet Mullany will tell you what life was like downstairs in the butler’s pantry and servants’ hall, and who did what where and when upstairs to add historical authenticity to your work.
Boxed Lunch Options
Lunch is being provided by the Corner Bakery.
Please make your selections from the menu below.
Fresh Salads
$6.00 per person (includes tip and delivery fee)
Chopped Salad: A Cafe favorite with roasted chicken, bacon, avocado, bleu cheese, tomato and green onions with sweet and spicy house vinaigrette on iceberg and romaine lettuce.
Chicken Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar with roasted chicken, spicy croutons and Parmesan cheese on romaine lettuce.
Harvest Salad: This unique salad features roasted chicken, green apples, walnuts, bleu cheese, currants and harvest croutons with balsamic vinaigrette on mixed greens.
D.C. Chicken Salad: Diced roasted chicken, green apples, currants, red onions, celery, mayonnaise and toasted almonds.
Tuna Salad: Tuna, crisp celery, red and green onions, and mayonnaise with a hint of Dijon mustard and fresh basil.
Sandwiches
$11.00 per person (includes tip and delivery fee)
Served with bakery chips, a fresh baked sweet and seasonal fruit.
Sandwich Selections:
Chicken Pesto, Ham on Pretzel, Southwest Roast Beef, Turkey Frisco, Turkey Swiss, D.C. Chicken Salad, Tomato Mozzarella, Tuna Salad
If you would like WRW to arrange for a boxed lunch for you at this meeting, please email Mary Lenaburg at
Orders must be sent to Mary Lenaburg by NO LATER THAN Monday, September 24, 2007.
I will be collecting your lunch money that morning, please bring cash if you are able, exact change is preferred. 
Thank you for your patience. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.
Fondly,
Mary Lenaburg
WRW Programming Co-Chair
June 9, 2007
Let WRW jump start your creativity before the two-month summer break!
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
240-777-8200
Click here for Directions
10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Jumpstart Your Next Book
Researching, plotting, or just plain procrastinating about your next manuscript? Attendees should come armed with a notebook and index cards for this intense workshop. Writers will be expected to: create characters, plot, and theme. In addition, “voice” and “tone” will be addressed as well as research and creating a working calendar.
Presenter: Sophia Nash’s first three novels won eight national awards including the prestigious RITA Award and a spot on the American Library Association’s “Top Ten Romances of the Year.” Sophia was born in Switzerland, raised in France and the United States, but says her heart resides in Regency England. Her ancestor, an infamous French admiral who traded epic cannon fire with the British Royal Navy, is surely turning in his grave. Before pursuing her long held dream of writing Historicals, Sophia was an award winning television producer for CBS, a congressional speechwriter, and a nonprofit CEO. Look for Sophia’s first Avon Historical ~A Dangerous Beauty~ to hit the shelves June 2007.
2:00—4:00 p.m.
Deep Inspiration Through Collaging
Using photos and other visual “cues” can jump start your book! Collaging is a fun and insightful way to begin your book or to breathe new life into your creative process when you’ve reached the dreaded sagging middle. Acting on your creative instincts in a visual way can help make your characters, setting, and plot come to life. No artistic experience necessary! Bring scissors, glue sticks and magazines AND bring a sketchbook, poster board or other surface for your collage creation. This workshop is 99% hands-on!
Presenter: Elizabeth Holcombe has spent most of her life writing and crafting. Her first romance, Heaven and the Heather, was a 2002 Holt Medalion Finalist for Long Historical and a Romantic Times nominee for Best First Historical. Her first contemporary manuscript, All Shook Up, won the San Diego RWA’s Spring Into Romance contest for Long Contemporary. While awaiting the sale of her next book, Elizabeth continues to write every day and to create totes and other whimsies for her successful eBay business Beth’s Bagz.
Get-A-Clue, the program originally scheduled for June 2007, has been postponed.
May 12, 2007
Digging Deeper with Deb Dixon
Time: 10:15 am - 4:45 pm
Location: Herndon Fortnightly Library (Please note, this is a NEW location for us)
Click here for directions
Deb Dixon is returning to speak to WRW members to help them dig deeper in their own work and write the best books they can. Building on the craft concepts of GMC (goal, motivation and confict) and the hero’s journey she explored during her book-in-a-day workshop in June 2006, Deb will present four different workshops that will dig deeper and take your understanding of writing craft to a whole new level. She will use examples from her two Bantam Loveswept Novels DOC HOLIDAY and HOT AS SIN, and copies of those novels are available at half.com for about $5 total including shipping and handling.
Please note that there will be no registration for this workshop, and the chapter will not be serving refreshments.
The Slippery Slope: Building the Big, Black Moment
Learn how to pack some character baggage and create a character arc that builds to an emotional crisis that can help you fuel the resolution of your book. During this talk, Deb will pull apart her Bantam Loveswept Novel DOC HOLIDAY to show how she built its big, black moment from the first page of that story.
The Step-By-Step Interaction of GMC and The Hero’s Journey
Exactly what is Dixon’s GMC (goal, motivation and conflict) doing while Campbell’s Hero takes a Journey? Debra will deconstruct a book, showing you step-by-step how GMC supports each stage of the Journey. How does theory translate into scenes? How do you create scenes that fuel your plot and give you opportunities to get emotional baggage on the table? Using real world examples, Debra puts some meat and bones on GMC and the Journey. During this talk, Deb will pull apart her Bantam Loveswept Novel HOT AS SIN to show how its GMC interacted with the hero’s journey from start to finish of the story.
First Chapters
You gotta have ‘em. They might as well work for you instead of against you. Simple concepts will help you focus your openings so that you pull the reader into your character’s world. Please bring the first few paragraphs of the book you are currently writing.
Another Whack At Conflict
Conflict comes in so many shapes and sizes that it’s hard to get a handle on it. Debra promises to pick up a big stick and whack Conflict into submission. Or at least get it to hold still long enough for writers to wrap their brain around some of conflicts different angles and how to use them to create the tension we need to keep readers turning pages and caring about our characters. During this talk, she will cite examples from the movie Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade.
April 2007
WRW’s annual retreat, “In the Company of Writers,” will be at beautiful historic Hilltop House in Harper’s Ferry, WV, April 27 - 28, 2007.
March 31, 2007
Location: Centreville Regional Library located at 14200 St. Germaine Dr. Centreville, VA 20121-2299
Directions: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/ce/direct.htm
10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Behind the Red Curtain: an Insider’s View of the Inner Workings at Harlequin/Silhouette
Have you ever wondered what exactly happens each day at the Harlequin/Silhouette offices? Now is a chance to peek behind the curtain and find out how the staff of Harlequin/Silhouette operates and some of the tough decisions editors need to make each day. This session will give insight to writers on the demands editors face and how it can influence what type of work they request.
Meredith Hurt worked for Harlequin/Silhouette from 1997-2000 and continues her relationship with them as a freelance editor. You may email her questions in advance at , however not all questions may be answered due to time restraints and appropriateness.
2:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
PR Tips for Pitching and Networking
At writing conferences such as WRW’s own Harper’s Ferry Retreat and the RWA National Conference, RWA members often have the opportunity to pitch their stories to editors or agents. What lessons can they learn from PR professionals who have to pitch their stories to reporters cross the country?
After a discussion of how to pitch a book to an editor or agent, attendees will break into groups of two and work on improving their pitches for 20 minutes or so. Everyone will then regroup, and volunteers will give their pitches to all attendees. A panel of experts, including Meredith Hurt and Diane Perkins, who also writes as Diane Gaston, will offer suggestions on how to further improve those pitches.
February 17, 2007
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland
240-777-8200
Directions: Here
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Writer’s Life
In a recent survey on programming preferences, WRW members indicated that the one topic they were most interested in besides craft was the writer’s life. In this panel discussion, several successful WRW members will share how they have mastered the writer’s life. Panelists will include: Darlene Gardner, Elizabeth Holcombe, Diana Peterfreund and Mary Jo Putney. A fifth panelist - a successful writer published since the 80’s in several genres - may be able to participate depending on when her first grandchild is born.
Questions that the panel will cover may include:
Why do we write?
What sparks creativity and provides inspiration?
How do you balance your writing, your family and your day job if you have one?
With a very sedentary profession, how do you maintain your health?
How do you handle professional jealousy?
How do you deal with rejection?
How important is persistence? What helps you persist?
Do you belong to a critique group? Why or why not?
How do you listen to critiques or reviews without feeling attacked?
How do you manage your time?
How do you handle a deadline when confronted with a crisis?
How do you manage copy edits?
How do you address writer’s block?
How do you balance the creative side of writing with the business side of writing?
How did you manage to get published?
Once you’re published, how do you schedule your time so you can keep publishing regularly? Do you finish a book and then write a proposal for the next book? Or do you try to have a proposal on an editor’s desk while writing your current book? If so, how do you manage that?
2:00 - 4:00
The workshop originally scheduled from 2:00 - 4:00 — Are Our Male Characters True to Life or How We Want Men to Be? — has been cancelled due to the health of the speaker.
Instead, we’re being treated to the workshop that Jeanne Adams presented at RWA in Atlanta: “Limbo-Limbo: A Fun Survival Class for the Not Yet Published ”
By Jeanne Adams
Are you an RWA Member who’s still waiting, waiting, waiting to get The Call? You’ve finished the manuscript. You’ve queried agents, editors, and everyone you can think of to sell your story.
Now what? How do you stay excited about writing the next manuscript when you haven’t yet sold the first one? Or the fifth?
Dance into this presentation, get lei-d and join us for a laugh-filled, entertaining and useful class on how to stay motivated when you’re in limbo. Your somewhat-musical host is an RWA PRO member and Golden Heart Finalist who also awaits The Call. Learn secrets to blast the blues, when all feels bleak. With a great deal of humor, she’ll walk you through establishing personal milestones and show how to use those to keep writing. Working together, we’ll craft a Feel Good Plan for handling rejection. Most importantly, we’ll share tips and tricks for keeping your bum in the chair.
Be silly, get flexible and dance away the rejection blues while learning essential strategies for thriving, not just surviving, unpublished limbo.
January 27, 2007
Location: Tysons-Pimmitt Library in Falls Church, Virginia
Directions: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/ty/direct.htm
10:15 - 1:00 — Voice
Voice . . . editors always say they want books with strong, individual voices, but what on earth does that mean? When Kathleen Gilles Seidel last spoke to WRW on this subject, she focused on the moments in a book during which a reader is aware of the author’s voice. In this workshop she will guide the participants through a set of exercises designed to help writers grow more confident about the nature of their own voices.
2:30 - 4:30 —The fifth almost-annual “Judging Writing Contests” workshop
If you plan to judge a contest, if you plan to enter a contest or if you’re just thinking about doing either, we’ll have plenty to interest you.
Denise McInerney has been a WRW member since 1995 and has presented this workshop numerous times along with Pamela Palmer Poulsen. Denise and Pam, co-chairs of WRW’s own Marlene Contest for three years, were invited last year to bring the Judging Workshop to the Virginia Romance Writers Chapter in Richmond and also to First Coast Romance Writers in Jacksonville, Florida.
The workshop is fast-paced, lively and interactive, and each attendee receives a set of detailed handouts. Everyone is welcome--published or yet-to-be published, contest judging newbie or veteran. Many members attend more than once, often as a “refresher” prior to either entering or judging a contest.
We’ll discuss the differences between critiquing and judging and also how to avoid “bleed-through” and personal biases. We’ll also spend time on how to evaluate craft elements such as plot, motivation, conflict, etc. and also discuss Denise’s favorite subject, the all-important “Making Comments.”
Chocolate will be provided to keep up our energy. Hope to see you there!
Please note: you do not need to have a PayPal account in order to pay for your registration online through PayPal.
Click the button below to pay the $45 WRW Member Registration fee:
Click the button below to pay the $90 RWA Member Registration fee:
Click the button below to pay the $135 Nonmember Registration fee:
Thank you for your payment.
Once we have your information and confirmation of your payment, you will receive an email from our Programming Co-Chair, confirming your registration.
Your registration will not be complete until we receive both your information and your payment.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are taped. If you would like to check out the tapes from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
December Meeting—Holiday Party—2006
Join us at Beth Fedorko’s house on December 10th, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., for our annual holiday party.
An announcement with addres and other information has gone out via our announcement loop, or you can find Beth on the roster.
Hope to see you there.
Happy Holidays!
November 4, 2006
April Kihlstrom’s Book-in-a-Week All-Day Workshop
Regency Author April Kihlstrom’s workshop on a Book-in-a-Week has helped unleash the creativity of writers across the country. In this all-day workshop, April will tell you what Book-in-a-Week is. She will take writers through every step from planning a novel to writing it to doing revisions to some of the realities of the publishing world.
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland
240-777-8200
Directions: Here
Schedule:
9:30—12:00, Program
12:00—1:30, Lunch
1:30—4:30, Program
This workshop will have three areas of focus: preparing to write, writing, and after the first draft is complete.
Preparation:
Writing Planning: The part of the workshop will cover how to plan a book—fiction or nonfiction. These techniques will be useful whether or not the author is planning to write it with the Book in a Week approach. (Attendees should bring index cards and come prepared to work!) This portion includes creating characters, plotting events, and how to use setting and imagery effectively.
Real Life Planning: How to set up a successful BIAW experience.
Emotional Planning: The power of expectations. Useful imagery for writers. Emotional roadblocks to writing and how to overcome them.
Actual Writing:
This portion of the workshop will focus on techniques to make writing a book easier. Suggestions will deal with practical, emotional, and physical issues of the writing process.
After the First Draft is Complete:
How to evaluate the BIAW experience and get the most out of it.
Revisions—effective techniques to streamline the revision process and make it more effective. (One does NOT begin with page 1!)
Sending out submissions and coping with rejection and with success including: What do rejection letters really mean and what happens if you sell the manuscript?
October 7, 2006
USA Today Bestselling Author and WRW member Leanne Banks will present two different workshops at the WRW October meeting.
Location: Room 2 in the Reston Regional Library
11925 Bowman Towne Drive
Reston, VA 20190-3311
Directions: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/rr/direct.htm
Sexual Tension: Developing the Relationship between the Hero and Heroine: Leanne Banks will share techniques for creating a relationship full of tension and ultimately satisfaction.
How to Brainstorm Your Way out of a Corner or out of Writer’s Block and Keep Your Writing and Your Career Moving: After 43 published books, Leanne Banks knows a thing or two about turning the impossible into published. Learn her techniques and never get stuck!
Schedule:
10:15—11:00, Program: Emotional and Sexual Tension
11:00—11:10, Break
11:15—12:00, Program: Brainstorming
September 23, 2006
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center Conference Room A
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland
240-777-8200
Directions: Here
Alicia Rasley presents a two-part program on Building Bolder Scenes.
Vivid scenes are what readers will remember even if they’ve forgotten your setting or the solution to the mystery. In this interactive workshop, we will explore how to create memorable scenes, which give readers an experience full of power and emotion. We will work on:
1) Dramatic structure
2) Emotional and character arc
3) Scene texture
4) Voice and viewpoint
5) Theme and motif
Bring your stories and your characters and we’ll embolden your scenes!
Schedule:
9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The morning portion of Building Bolder Scenes will look at scenes on the macro level and will include an overview of how turning points or major scenes work in a novel.
12:00 - 2:00 p.m
General Annual Meeting and New Member Welcome Lunch
Join the Board and general membership from WRW to review our 2006/2007 operating budget—Come on! We need a quorum!!—hear about the issues and programs for the next year, meet the officers, and welcome new members.
This lunch and meeting will take place in the meeting room at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center. Members are invited to bring their own lunches and drinks or you can arrange for a boxed lunch to be brought in (see Boxed Lunch Options below).
Please note that while snacks will be available in the afternoon, no continental breakfast will be served.
Boxed Lunch Options
Meals provided by Eatzi’s.
$8 Sandwich Box includes: Sandwich, Fruit Cup, Pasta Salad and Cookie.
- sandwich choice of Turkey, Cajun Chicken, Turkey Pastrami, Roast Beef, Tuna, Pastrami, Grilled Herb Chicken, Chicken Salad, Ham, and Roasted Vegetable.
- bread choice of Sourdough, Multigrain, or Whole Wheat.
- Mayo and Mustard Packets included.
$9 Salad Box includes: Salad Greens, Fruit Cup, Roll And Cookie. Add Grilled Chicken To Salad For An Additional $2 (Total $11).
WRW will provide bottled water.
Please note: A surcharge of $1-$2 will be charged per box lunch to cover the cost of the $25 delivery fee.
If you would like WRW to arrange for a boxed lunch for you at this meeting, please email Shellie Williams at .
Orders must be sent to Shellie Williams by September 19.
2:00 - 4:45 p.m.
Focusing on the micro level, the afternoon portion of Building Bolder Scenes will concentrate on the internal structure of a scene and making individual scenes stronger.
June 24, 2006
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Service Center
Click here for directions.
All-Day Debra Dixon “Book in a Day” Workshop
Debra Dixon’s book GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict changed the way RWA members discuss the craft of writing, and her seminars are not to be missed. “Book in a Day” is an intensive full-day workshop designed around GMC and the Hero’s Journey with interactive portions. The process shows you how you can put together the important elements of a book and its skeleton in a day.
Schedule
9:00—9:30, Registration/Continental Breakfast
9:30—12:00, GMC
12:00—1:15, Lunch on your own (maps will be provided)
1:30—4:00, The Hero’s Journey
4:00—4:30, How GMC and The Hero’s Journey Work Together
4:30—5:00, Q&A and Bonus material such as quick overview of the theory for Building the Big Black Moment
Registration for Book in a Day
Please print a copy of the registration form and mail it to the address on the form. This workshop is free to all current WRW members, but non-members will have to pay $50 to attend it. All who plan to attend will have to register because the room at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Service Center can seat up to 100 people, and we will have to cap registration at that number.
Click here for a copy of the Registration Form in Word.
Click here for a copy of the Registration Form in PDF.
MAY 20, 2006
Location: Room 2 in the Reston Regional Library in Reston, Virginia
How 100 New Romance Authors Made Their First Sales
10:15 a.m.—12:30 p.m.
WRW member Michelle Butler interviewed more than 100 romance authors who had made their first sales between 1999 and 2006 to find out how they did it. Questions asked included: How did your first sale happen? What was your journey to publication? Before your sale, did you ever think about giving up? How important were contests to your first sale, particularly the GH if you were a finalist? How important was networking/attending conferences to your first sale? Do you have an agent? Was he/she important to your first sale? How has he/she helped you beyond negotiating the contract? What surprised you most about the publishing business after your first sale? What do you know now that you wish you’d known in the beginning? Are you doing any self-promotion? Do you think it is important for an author to do self-promotion? Why or why not? What is your advice to aspiring authors? How helpful has RWA been? What was the hardest aspect of craft for you to master? During this talk, Butler will share some of the insights she learned.
Break for Lunch
Yoga for Writers
2:30 p.m.—4:00 p.m.
Writers spend countless hours hunched over a computer keyboard. Unfortunately, by the time we’ve finally written, edited, and polished that manuscript, we’re often left with an unintended by-product: chronic neck and back pain. WRW member Laura Graham Booth found one solution for her aches: Regular yoga practice. Come and learn how you can use simple yoga postures to reduce neck and back strain, manage stress, and even combat writer’s block. No prior yoga experience necessary! Please wear comfortable, non-binding clothing and bring a beach towel or blanket. If you have your own yoga props (blocks, straps, or Pilates rings), please bring them along.
APRIL 28-30, 2006
WRW Retreat in Harper’s Ferry
The retreat is sold out. For more information, click here.
MARCH 25, 2006
Location: Tyson’s Pimmit Library in Falls Church, Virginia
Click here for directions
Putting Passion in Your Action: Craft Fundamentals for Making Your Reader Feel What Your Character Is Feeling
10:15 a.m.—12:45 p.m.
Author Diane Whiteside will cover the nuts and bolts of making the reader’s heart pound. Whiteside will discuss the structure of high adrenaline scenes of combat, terror or love by focusing on pacing, word usage and point of view. Learn techniques that will help you pull your characters’ emotions more strongly from your subconscious. Handouts and examples from both books and movies will be provided. Please bring a troublesome action scene to read and discuss. Two or three lucky volunteers will have their scenes critiqued by the group using the tips provided by Whiteside.
Break for Lunch
Critiquing 101
2:15 p.m.—4:00 p.m.
After a brief overview of critiquing, attendees will break into groups of 3 or 4 and pass around 5 pages to be critiqued. Please bring the first five pages of your manuscript, your synopsis, or a troublesome scene for your peers to read and critique. Two online articles that may help you with this session are Critiquing 201 at http://www.kathleenoreilly.com/critiquing_201.html and Hardcore Critique Guidelines at http://www.sfwa.org/writing/hc_critique.htm .
FEBRUARY 25, 2006
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
Click here for directions.
Writing Heart-Pounding Romantic Suspense with Characters that Grab the Reader
10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Rebecca York (AKA Ruth Glick) has written more than 45 romantic suspense novels, currently for Harlequin Intrigue and Berkley. She’ll tell you how romantic suspense differs from straight romance. And she’ll answer such questions as: How do you develop a plot and characters that work for a romantic suspense novel? How do you weave both the romance and the suspense throughout the book so that you never drop either thread? How do you pace romantic suspense and keep the tension humming through the book? How do you bring the suspense and romance plots to a satisfying conclusion?
Break for lunch
Champagne Publicity on a Lemonade Budget
1:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.
WRW publicist Binnie Braunstein and author Linda Morelli will share techniques for creating attractive yet economical bios, press releases, press kits, and promo materials such as bookmarks, postcards, posters, and teasers. They will review what to include on a Web site and how to build fan and media databases, obtain online interviews and reviews, and market your books via the Web. Handouts, examples, and an overview of helpful sources and resources will be provided.Learn how to shine in your own hometown!
JANUARY 28, 2006
Location: Room 2 in the Reston Regional Library in Reston, Virginia.
Click here for directions. <-- Please note this is a change of location!
“What’s Love Got To Do With It?”: Attraction in the Romance Novel
10:15 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Although love is both the most important value and the most important plot device in a romance novel, some writers fail to think about why each particular hero and heroine would really fall in love. Discussing the different theories of why people love, Kathleen Gilles Seidel urges authors to strengthen this essential part of their book. She first gave this talk at the 1992 Retreat.
Break for lunch
How to Make Your Happy Endings Happier
1:30 p.m.—3:30 p.m.
In this workshop, Kathy will pose a series of questions, and each participant will have to think about how the question applies to her own work. There will be discussion, but the focus of the session will be each writer thinking about her own book. Kathy’s doctoral dissertation was on the endings of novels. She has presented the concepts underlying this workshop to WRW at the 1988 Retreat and at a meeting in 1996. She turned it into a workshop last spring for the Heart of Carolina RWA chapter.
The morning and afternoon sessions are separate presentations. If you cannot come in the morning, you can join us in the afternoon.
Please Note
The meetings listed below have already taken place.Most WRW meetings are taped. If you would like to check out the tapes from a previous meeting or workshop, please contact our Library/Archives Chair, Julie Stewart.
November 19th, at the Tysons Pimmit Library, click here for directions.
of New York Times Bestselling Authors
10 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Ever wondered what big time New York Times bestselling authors know that sets their books apart from rest? There must be a secret, right?
You know what? There isn’t one. It turns out there are many—as award-winning historical authors Kathryn Caskie and Sophia Nash found out when they started interviewing industry superstars.
Join these two authors as they share tips of the trade and insider secrets from New York bestselling authors such as Anne Rice, Jennifer Crusie, Suzanne Brockmann, James Patterson and many more! During the interactive workshop, prizes (including autographed books and a reading from a NY agent) will be distributed.
break for lunch
2 p.m.—4:30 p.m.
“Inside the Criminal Mind: Creating the Perfect Psychopath”
by Mary Kennedy
A forensic psychologist provides a psychological profile of a serial predator. Learn how he thinks, how he operates, how he gains access to his victims. Study the manipulation, the lures, the mind games he plays as he chooses his prey. Detailed information on creating believable dialogue, compelling courtroom scenes, intriguing face to face meetings with predators. Everything you need to create a chilling portrait of a psychopath in your novels—a mixture of clinical information and examples from popular fiction.
Mary Kennedy is a multi-published author, and a clinical psychologist in private practice on the east coast. She specializes in forensic work, and her clients have included murderers, psychopaths and convicted felons.
She writes young adult novels, middle grade fiction and mysteries. She has sold 33 novels, and has made both the Waldenbooks and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists. Her books have sold twelve million copies in several countries. Her latest book, Confessions of an Almost-Movie Star, by Berkley Trade is on sale now.
When not traveling to exotic locales, she lives with her husband and five neurotic cats. The cats have resisted all her efforts to psychoanalyze them, but she remains optimistic.
In December we held our annual Winter Holiday Party.
