Monday Moments: A Magical Kingdom

The picture I use for my profile picture here on the blog was taken in June 2010 while my husband and I were at Disney World. The 2010 Romance Writers of America conference was in full swing, but we snuck away for a quiet dinner over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to have an evening just for ourselves.

And we fell in love. Not just once again with each other, but with the location. Built to resemble Yellowstone Lodge in the early 1900s, the place is a masterpiece of wood, stone and trees. Like other things at Disney, guests are swept into the ambiance of wherever they are and become a part of the story. It truly is a magical kingdom.

So why am I writing this now? Because this fine Monday morning, I get to wake up there again. In the building that looks out on the building in the picture. I get to wake up here every morning this week.

I am on vacation this week as my husband and I are using our Disney timeshare for the very first time. We are Disney-philes, and would live here if we could arrange it. (Okay, even close to the area would be good…..) We honeymooned here, and it is without question one of our favorite vacation spots. Some of my happiest memories come from time spent here, including our visit last year.

After a crazy year, we are treating ourselves to a week in a magical land.

And for those curious how Thanksgiving turned out…. here’s a picture of our 38-pound turkey:

I hope your Monday has some magic in it!

I’m off to see a Mouse…….

RWA 2011 Wrap-up

“Broaden your horizon
Open different doors
You may find a you there
That you never knew was yours….”
~ Mary Poppins

In addition to the fantastic and very helpful workshops available at RWA 2011, the thing I most enjoyed about my visit to New York City was the chance to attend my very first Broadway theater production. At home, we enjoy going to the Broadway shows that come through on tour, but there is nothing to compare to seeing a show in New York on Broadway. The show is housed in the magnificently restored New Amsterdam theater, a work of art itself. Wow, wow… and just wow.

I’ve always adored Mary Poppins. For that matter, I’ve always enjoyed Julie Andrews. But the magic of Mary Poppins enchanted me, drew me in as a child. The story as told in the Broadway production, however, is slightly different from the movie version that is now so familiar. The primary change is a subtle shift in focus on the character of Mrs. Banks. In the movie, she often got lost behind the slightly humorous renditions of “Sister Suffragette” and in the antics of the staff. She never really stood out as a character of strength. Not so in the stage version. One of the primary storylines becomes hers, a woman trying her very best to be wife and mother, household manager and socialite. And her feelings of failure at everything she tries. One of the most beautiful new songs is “Being Mrs. Banks” which highlights this internal struggle for self:

Being Mrs Banks
Should be an easy role
And yet it’s one
Which I don’t seem to good at
On the whole

I have a comfy home
I have a simple life
I have a name which tells the world
I’m someone else’s wife

Being Mrs Banks
What does that entail?
Facing tests of character
I always seem to fail

View from my seat, first row, balcony

Some familiar elements of the book from the movie, namely the penguin dance sequence and the ceiling tea-party, have been removed completely, but in their place are charming returns –Mrs. Corry’s shop and statues coming to life– familiar to those who have read P.L. Travers’ books. “Feed the Birds” still carried a strong emotional punch. If you’d like a taste of the “old meets new” in Mary Poppins, check out the YouTube video of “Supercalifragillisticexpialidocious” – it will leave you breathless! In short, Mary Poppins on Broadway was even better than the movie, and it carried the concept of everyday magic, of discovering the extraordinary world around us, even when things don’t look or feel that way at all, to new heights, literally and figuratively.

All in all, the trip to New York and the RWA 2011 conference were a very worthwhile venture. Seeing Manhattan was incredible. I learned to much from the workshops. Catching up with dear friends and meeting new ones makes any trip more enjoyable, and I was fortunate to do both.

Thanks for joining me on the RWA 2011 recap this week!

RWA Workshops

RWA Workshop panel

Each day learn something new, and just as important, relearn something old. ~Robert Brault

One of the greatest benefits of conferences is the ability to attend workshops to learn new things and rethink things you already know. RWA provides an astounding amount of workshops to pick from, and, like most conferences, oftentimes there are several engaging ones all at the same time. Luckily, RWA records many of the sessions and makes them available for purchase, so attendees can have access to nearly all the content after the conference. RWA also tags sessions into various tracks, such as Craft, Publishing, Writer’s Life/Muse, Research, and Career, to help attendees focus on a particular area during the conference if so desired. Some of the most informative sessions are done by the publishing houses, offering spotlights on their lines presented by editors of the house, highlighting upcoming releases and talking about what they’d most like to see in submissions. And the signings, where authors of specific publishers sign free books. If desired, attendees can end up with extremely large amounts of books to haul home!

On the first afternoon, workshops I attended focused on making the most of your pitch appointment and a fun and engaging session on “Can You Do that in an Inspirational?” which covered what you can and can’t do when writing inspirational romance. The last session of the day was an editor discussing the importance of romance fiction, and she was full of practical advice for writers at all levels. And keep in mind, each of these sessions were just one of nine or ten options being offered each hour!

Thursday brought workshops all day, from 8:30 in the morning until 5:30 that evening. Sessions I went to included information on world-building, e-books, contracts, and romance review websites. This day was also the Harlequin book signing and the spotlight on Harlequin single title books. One of the sessions I most enjoyed was the one by Beth Adams, Senior Editor at Guidepost Books, who presented on “Using True Facts from History to Spin a High-Concept Story.” Not only was the topic intriguing, but I was totally unfamiliar with Guidepost Books prior to this session. I was also able to contribute a comment about the benefits of using and partnering with archives when writing historical fiction, a topic I previously discussed here on the blog. Without question, however, the highlight of the day was the Awards Luncheon and the very emotional keynote given by Sherrilynn Kenyon, which left many in tears. In contrast to the emotional highs of the day, Thursday also brought the moment where I left a session going, “Did she really just say what I think she said?” In one of the sessions, the presenter unfortunately chose to introduce her comments –not just once, but twice– with the phrase: “Well, let me put this in dumb people’s terms…..” I was certainly not the only one offended by that one. But overall, an amazing day!

Friday was the last workshop day, again filled from morning to early evening with more sessions than I thought possible to absorb. If you aren’t familiar with Deb Dixon’s book, Goal, Motivation, and Conflict (GMC), it is worth every penny. Dixon presented a condensed workshop focusing on the “Big Black Moment” that offered suggestions on building and creating the BBM in your writing. Other great sessions focused on one-page plotting, revisions, submission packages, critique partnerships, punching up the emotion of your story, and historical clothing. Finally, Tara Taylor Quinn packed the house for the last session of the conference with her highly informative workshop on creating a successful blog tour. After her Chapman Files tour and the recent tour for It Happened on Maple Street, she was full of excellent advice, and attendees peppered questions to take advantage of learning the best practices of creating a successful promotional blog tour for their own books.

Friday night brought an end to the conference with the annual RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony where the best of both unpublished and published works are honored. For romance writers, this is our Emmy, Oscar, and Tony awards all wrapped up into one big evening. Emceed by Meg Cabot, the evening always brings emotional speeches and memorable moments.

Each year always brings, as the above quote suggests, the chance to learn new elements of romance writing as well as the opportunity to relearn (or better learn) things writers already do. I come away inspired to do more and to do better. And looking forward to next year’s conference.

Tomorrow I’ll share some of my favorite moments and a RWA 2011 wrap-up, including my visit to Broadway!

What kinds of things do you take away from conferences? Do you think they’re worth the money and time to go?

The Big Apple

Times Square, NYC

New York is to the nation what the white church spire is to the village – the visible symbol of aspiration and faith, the white plume saying the way is up! ~E.B. White

Okay, I’ll admit it. The first few minutes I spent in Times Square, the theme song to Green Acres was playing in my head.  I’m a farm girl who only occasionally drifts into places with large sky-sweeping buildings and crowds all night long.   For this trip, I was prepared to be daunted by the prospect of tackling Manhattan.  But my undying love of sightseeing, of being a tourist (and gawking like one, too) thankfully overrode any reluctance to hit the streets. Luckily, the hotel for the conference was smack in the middle of Times Square.  The moment I stepped out of the doors after dropping off my luggage, Times Square was in my face!  Tons of people, millions of lights.  The energy was like nothing I’d ever felt.  European capitals are sedate in comparison.  A pulse in the air, the surge of the crowd – I learned quickly not to pause too long on the sidewalk! Cliché as it is, the city is alive.  You really can feel the energy surround you.

Knowing I wanted to be back inside for the first conference event, I made a quick tour of the area in front of the hotel, grabbed a vendor dog and a drink, and headed back inside to shower off the day’s plane and taxi rides.  Each year, RWA hosts a book signing to raise money for literacy organizations.  This year, in New York, more than 400 authors gathered to sign books for fans who waited patiently in line for hours to see them.  Thankfully, as a conference attendee, I didn’t have to wait in line, and after last year’s event, I remembered that I didn’t need to be there right as it started, either.   For a hilarious look at the signing, be sure to check out this year’s video by Sarah Wendell (from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books)! I spent a crowded hour checking in with friends and meeting others, then escaped the chaos to head back outside.

Like any good first-time visitor, I spent the first evening wandering the area around Times Square.  I love people watching, so having a front-row seat on one of the most unique venues in the world to do so was intoxicating.  What an amazing first night in the Big Apple!

Conference activities the next morning included a keynote presentation and the annual meeting.  I figured it was about the only large chunk of time I’d have during the whole conference, so I set out to see New York.  Despite a short night, I decided to try for a front-row spot at the Today Show and got one!  Definitely worth the early morning hike!    Landing a place right on the rails, it was fun to watch the behind-the-scenes preparation and activity for the moments when the stars came out to do their segments.

On the plaza for the Today Show

Over the course of the morning, Al Roker worked his way around the entire front line of the crowd. Ann Curry and Matt Lauer chatted with fans closer to the doors and the spots where they were shooting. That morning, guests in the studios included Martha Stewart, Patrick Dempsey, and my favorite actor, Tom Hanks! Alas, no Hanks on the plaza, but I did get to shake hands with Al Roker.

Following the Today Show, I decided in the interest of time, to board a double-decker bus and tour Manhattan. Not the best way to get up close and personal with the sites to see, it at least took me out to places that I would never have had the chance to see otherwise. The tours passed by Ground Zero, Wall Street, Battery Park, the United Nations, and the Empire State Building. I spent a bit of time wandering Central Park, replaying favorite movie scenes in my head along the way. The Big Apple was welcoming, fun, and more friendly than I expected. It was fun to walk around and explore and being able to spend the first evening and following morning out and about helped encourage me to hit the streets each evening, exploring streets and restaurants around the hotel.

Beginning after lunch on Wednesday, however, I changed from tourist to conference attendee and headed into a flurry of fantastic workshops for the next three days. More about that tomorrow!

Bright Lights, Big City!

Last week was simply an amazing week! I spent a little over four days in marvelous New York City for the 2011 Romance Writers of America National Conference. Each year, more than 2100 authors, editors, publishers, and agents gather to celebrate reading and writing romances of all sorts. The days are full of workshops and book signings, while the evenings are parties, dinners and drinks with friends old and new, and sightseeing.

Throughout the rest of the upcoming week, I’ll share some of my adventures with you. But here are just a few of my favorite moments to whet your appetite for the stories yet to come.

Al Roker working the crowd line on the plaza at the Today Show

Times Square, NYC

On the plaza for the Today Show

The view from my seat at a Broadway show - can you guess which one?

What’s your favorite New York City memory or location?