Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Centreville Library in Centreville, Virginia
10:15 a.m.—11:15 a.m. Managing Your Romances: How to Lovingly Organize a Book Collection
With WRW Member Christine Trent
Let’s face it. You’re a Romance writer, which means you not only collect books written by other romance writers, but also oodles of research books and tomes on the craft of writing. Cataloging them can help you get organized and work more productively.
Even if you’re happy with the current organization of your books, you might still want to consider cataloging them. Have you ever:
( ) Spent 45 minutes trying to find a title in your collection?
( ) Purchased the same book twice because you didn’t know you already owned it?
( ) Loaned a book then couldn’t remember who you loaned it to?
In this session you will learn a variety of ways to not only organize your books, but to manage your collection so you can have any book you own at your fingertips in an instant. Topics include Dewey Decimal and You, Electronic or Old-Fashioned Cataloging, Book First Aid, and more. We’ll even take a peek at some of the world’s most gorgeous libraries. You’ll walk away with a handy list of books, web sites, and other references for getting your book collection in tip-top shape.
You don’t have to be a librarian to have an organized book collection at home; you just need the few hints and tips provided in this workshop to get you started.
Christine Trent writes historical romances from her two-story home library. She has a wonderful bookshelf-building husband, three cats (a prerequisite for a good library), and over 3,000 fully cataloged and mylar-covered books. She learned everything about book organization from her mother-in-law, a retired librarian, who also gave Christine a discarded school card catalog case which she still uses actively. Christine is a PRO working on her second manuscript, The Duke’s Ballerina.
11:30 a.m.—1 p.m. When Beauty Met the Beast: Using Folklore and Mythology to Give Your Stories Resonance (Whether or Not You Write Paranormal!)
With WRW Board Member Diana Peterfreund
Fairy tales and legends speak to something deep within the human spirit. The stories have existed for centuries and millennia for good reason: they work the audience. Now, make them work for you.
Is your book “a Cinderella story?” Are you working on a “fractured” fairy tale or a “retelling?” Are the characters in your stories folklore creatures like vampires, werewolves or fairies, and you want to know how to make them “fresh” and different? Or maybe your books aren’t paranormal at all, but you’re you using folklore conventions like clever youngest sons or wise old women without realizing it? Learn how many of the most successful stories out there are creating connections with their readers by borrowing from myths, legends, and folklore, and how you can do the same.
Diana Peterfreund is the author of the Secret Society Girl series for Bantam Dell. The fourth book in the series, TAP & GOWN, will be released in summer of 2009, right before the launch of her first YA fantasy, RAMPANT, which incorporates folklore about unicorns from around the world, as well as classic mythology and Christian legends.
Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
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.
Mark your calendars!
December: Holiday party!
January 2009: Kathleen Gilles Siedel on Breaking Down the Book
February: Sophia Nash and Diane Whiteside on characterization
March 7 Joan Johnston
April 17-19, annual retreat, this year near Leesburg, VA. With room for everyone!
Location: Coming soon
An Exploration of Character with Sophia Nash and Diane Whiteside
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?
The October 2008 WRW 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.
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.
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.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Service Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
240-777-8200
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda. Our phone number is 240-777-8200 (TDD 240-777-8212). The Center is located in the two-story County office building on the plaza level of the Metropolitan complex, above a County parking garage. Parking is available in the garage $.75 per hour short-term (3 hours or less), $.50 per hour for over 3 hours, free on weekends and County holidays.
By Car:
The entrance to the parking garage is marked with a large blue Bethesda Center parking sign. If you are coming south on Old Georgetown Road (from the Beltway use exit 36)turn right on Woodmont Avenue and the parking entrance is almost immediately on your left (second driveway). If you are coming south on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike, turn right onto Woodmont Avenue, go south for approximately one mile, cross Old Georgetown Road, and the parking garage entrance is the second driveway on your left. If you are coming north on Wisconsin or west on Rt. 410, take Old Georgetown Road north, turn left at the second traffic light (Woodmont Ave.) and the garage entrance will be on your left (It’s the second driveway). Take the elevators from the parking garage to the plaza level (P). The building is located at the center of the plaza. County and American flags and a sign bearing the County seal mark the entrance to the building.
By Metro, Bus or on Foot:
The building is conveniently located across the street from the Bethesda Metro station. From the Bethesda Metro Station, take the escalator from the bus bay to the plaza level, turn left, walk past the clock tower and across to the Metropolitan plaza using the pedestrian bridge. If you are walking from any other location, the Center’s street entrance is at 4605 Edgemoor Lane (corner of Old Georgetown and Edgemoor) and is marked with County and American flags. Take the elevator to level 1 for the administrative offices or to level 2 for meeting rooms or the Senior Source.
