So this year, for the second time, I got to do something cool… and this year was the first year I’d done something quite like this, so it was really cool that I was able to do it twice.  Back in March, I was asked to speak for the Washington Area Romance Writers and give a workshop.  I was still reeling over the awesome of that when I got another email, asking if I’d be interested in doing a workshop for the New Jersey Romance Writers at their annual conference.

I did a workshop on Writing Hot, since that’s kinda one thing I know.  I also figured out a way to expand on the exercise I do in that workshop and make a whole new workshop–character sketches… 🙂  So, hey, I’m ready to do this workshop/speaker thing again.

The good points with NJRW:

• I didn’t fall on my face with my workshop!
• People laughed and seemed to enjoy it
• I met some new people which is always cool
• Hung out with a bookclub that came down to visit
• Sat in on some very good workshops and wished I had a double so I could be in two places at once
• Had a breakthrough during Madeline Hunter’s synopsis workshop.
• Thanks to the synopsis workshop, I plotted out…four…I kid you not…four books on the drive back home. Yes, it’s a synopsis workshop, but hey.  My brain works weird.
• Very much enjoyed the workshops by Connie Brockway & Eloisa James, Carla Neggers, Margaret Mallory and the talks given by Diana Crosby, Virginia Kantra & Connie Brockway.

All in all, it was a great weekend.  I went out to dinner with some readers Friday and Saturday night, hung out with Jane Porter a little-we never get enough time to talk, but she’s a sweetheart.  Talked with a bookseller & fellow writer friend Stacey out of NYC.

Bad points? Not a one.

Many, many thanks to the NJRW group for having me out.

If you’re looking to go to a workshop-say you’ve been dying to try Nationals, but can’t swing it, but New Jersey is more doable?  Go.  You’ll get a wide variety of workshops geared for both the pubbed and unpubbed writer.  You’ll meet a lot of people and trust me, these are wonderful ladies, very welcoming to the newby.