WRWDC

Welcome

Washington Romance Writers (WRW) is an affiliate chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA), a national, non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting excellence in romantic fiction. Founded in 1982, WRW’s membership currently exceeds 240. Our members are primarily located in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Membership in WRW is available to anyone who is a member of RWA.

Renewals 2010: June 1 through July 31

Members of WRW must renew their membership every year between June 1 and Friday, July 31. The renewal fee is $35. After Aug. 1, the fee for renewal is $45.

To join WRW as a New Member, or to renew, please use one of these forms:
Membership form, paying via PayPal
Membership form, paying via check.
See more information on our renewals page.

2010 Marlene Contest Winners Announced

Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to finalists in the 2010 Marlene Contest. See more on our Marlene page.

Next meeting June 5 - Fitness that Fits In!™

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.

For upcoming meetings, please check our meetings page.

‘How to Write a Romance Novel’ at Smithsonian on March 27

WRW member Kathleen Gilles Seidel, author of 14 novels that have won every major romance-market award, is conducting an all-day seminar, ”How to Write a Romance Novel,” at the Smithsonian Institution. The seminar is Saturday, March 27, from 10 am to 3:30 pm; you may register at the Smithsonian Associates site.

Marlene Contest Deadline is Jan. 15

Emotion, tension, drama. Does your book have what it takes to be the next bestselling romance?

The Marlene Awards are open to unpublished writers who have not signed a publishing contract for novel-length romantic fiction (regardless of publisher) within three years of the contest deadline. Published authors may enter if they have not signed a publishing contract for novel-length romantic fiction (regardless of publisher) within three years of the contest deadline OR if s/he has a book with a small press but has not earned at least $1,000 in royalties. The entry must have a projected minimum length of 50,000 words. Click here for a copy of the Rules & Entry Form, (in RTF, rich text format), or Entry Form only. Pay via PayPal or credit care via the Marlene page.

2009 Marlene Contest Winners Announced

Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners and finalists in the 2009 Marlene Contest. UPDATE Sept 2009: Series Contemporary winning manuscript sold to Patience Smith for Silhouette Special Edition. Congratulations, Amanda Berry!

Chapter meeting May 16: Nora Roberts and Sarah Wendell

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”

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. More info on our meetings page.

Registration Closes Feb. 21 for WRW Retreat

Sign up now for our 2009 “In the Company of Writers” retreat, to be held April 17-19, 2009, at the Carradoc Hall Holiday Inn in Leesburg, Virginia.

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.

New: The Retreat Scholarship Fund

Our Retreat is one of the highlights of WRW, and we hop that by offering scholarships we can make it possible for all WRW members who want to attend the Retreat to do so. If you can, please consider a donation to the fund. Find out more on the retreat page.