Friday, May 3, 2013

Celebrating Romance!


 

By Judith Ashley
Celebrating Romance and our writing lives what this month is all about!!! Romancing The Genres launched on May 1, 2011 and we’re happy, surprised, pleased, excited, dancing with joy (celebrating) that so many readers and writers of romance check us out.

Our topic this month is Celebrating Our Writing Lives and RTG has become a big part of my writing life. I’ve read every post both at RTG and our sister site, Free Reads From The Genre-istas where several of us and special contributors put up short stories.

The Genre-istas have become an adjunct writing family. They congratulate me and jojin the cyber-party celebrating my writing successes. Paty Jager and Sarah Raplee read my short stories before they are published. Their comments always make my story stronger.
Sarah and I had a vision when we first envisioned this blog that was inclusive. Because of that we have writers from several romance sub-genres, a male romance writer, and Genre-istas who live in Australia, New Zealand, and The United Kingdom.

Our “Contributor” theme this month is Romance Around The World. We searched for writers from different countries or whose stories are set in different countries and show the unique character, time, and place of that setting.
While RTG is an important part of my writing life, there is much more. I’m active in Rose City Romance Writers, my local chapter. I belong to two other chapters Greater Seattle Romance Writers and Desert Rose. I love the conferences both chapters host! GSRWA’s Emerald City Writers Conference is held annually in October in Bellevue, Washington. Desert Rose’s Desert Dreams Conference is held in April on even years in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Both conferences draw great speakers, have quality workshops, and a good line-up of agents and editors if you want to pitch. Click on the chapter links for more information and consider attending as a way of celebrating your writing.

Because of my involvement in the writing community, I’ve figured out the writing practice that works best for me. I’ve even put together a workshop to give other writers an opportunity to figure out what works best for them.
Even though I’m ‘pre-published’ or ‘yet-to-be-published’ my writing life is chock full of daily events to celebrate. The encouragement available to anyone in the romance writing community is awesome! If you’ve ever thought about writing a romance novel, I highly recommend you join Romance Writers of America and your local chapter. If there isn’t a chapter near you, there are several on-line chapters you can join. Plan to attend a smaller, less expensive regional conference like Desert Dreams or Emerald City to begin to build those connections. 

My final words are simple. To Celebrate Your Writing Life keep your tush in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard! As Sarah says “Happy Writing!”

© 2013 Judith Ashley

www.FreeReadsFromTheGenre-istas.blogspot.com

4 comments:

Tam Linsey said...

Wow, you are active, Judith! I think being active in the community is important, too, especially since we writers tend to be such solitary creatures. I just taught at the Alaska Young Writer's Conference last weekend and was amazed at the number of kids who want to write! Their enthusiasm made me feel like I got to go to a party with other writers.

Now back, to my butt in the chair!

Judith Ashley said...

How cool that you shared time with young writers. You've accomplished so much with your writing, I'm sure you inspired them to follow their dreams! Always good to be around people who boost our own enthusiasm for writing. What are you working on now?

Tam Linsey said...

Ah, too many irons in the fire, it feels like. My second cookbook is nearing completion. I've almost finished the next in my Botanicaust series. And I've got some Alaskan Contemporary Romances out on query.

I'd love to become a "hybrid" author, with feet in both traditional and Indie.

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Judith,
Ooh I like that, keep your tush in the chair, and that is exactly what an author has to do. Well said.

cheers

Margaret