Love In Isolation

By Cassandra O'Leary 

The Romance Writers of Australia conference was a little different this year, as most things are in 2020, the year of the plague. COVID-19 Has meant many changes to our daily lives here in Australia, and especially where I live in Melbourne. For international readers who may not be aware, Melbourne has the dubious honour of being the home of Australia's worst virus outbreaks to date. 

I'm currently living in Stage 4 lockdown with my two boys, with a limit of one hour of exercise outdoors each day, or a trip to the shops for essential items only, a curfew after 8 pm and restriction on travel within a 5 km radius of my house. Masks are essential for anyone over the age of 12. My husband is having a different experience to me since his work hasn't stopped, being considered an essential worker, so he's out most days and still seeing co-workers and customers. I'm at home, my kids have online schooling only, and it's getting a little claustrophobic! And I'm mighty sick of Grade 3 maths tasks! 

The Romance Writers of Australia 2020 conference, dubbed Love In Isolation, ran from 12-16 August and it was a welcome distraction and mental challenge. Unlike previous conferences I attended in person, I didn't get the full experience of staying in a nice hotel with my writing friends, hanging out in the hotel bars or cafes. But the online content was great, and the conference team should be congratulated for pivoting after the Fremantle, Western Australian conference could no longer go ahead. Travel restrictions are in place between Australian states and international guests would not have been permitted to enter the country. Instead, the conference team organised an online version that included live streamed workshops and pre-recorded seminars, running on the Webinar Ninja platform. 

I particularly enjoyed locking myself in my bedroom with my laptop while my husband looked after the kids for most of the weekend, and immersing myself in writing and marketing topics. Liz Pelletier, editor and publisher from Entangled Publishing, gave a fascinating live workshop which covered what it takes to create and market a bestselling romance book. I enjoyed learning about her way of looking at genre fiction books as a type of content similar to computer software, with the story structure, function e.g. filling an emotional/relaxation need for readers, 'user experience' and packaging (such as branded ads and book covers) all having equal weight. There was a lot to think about and consider, especially for an author like myself being hybrid (self publishing as well as traditional publishing), as Entangled is doing things differently to many indies and their competitors.

Another highlight included author Rachel Bailey's session on Sparkling Dialogue, with examples from the classic movie Charade starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, as well as recent romance novels. Who wouldn't want to write funny quips like Cary and Audrey sling at each other? The combination of an online workshop with a Facebook group chat afterwards to ask questions, was a popular option with attendees.

The most information dense and complex presentation I watched was one by Ricardo Fayet from Reedsy, on Taking The Next Step in Facebook Advertising. This included an overview of how to set up multiple FB ads based on Interests and similar authors (think bigger names in your own sub-genres) and testing various artwork or short videos to see which are the most popular in terms of clicks and sales. I really want to go through his presentation again with a fine-toothed comb when I have a bit more time and brain-power, to learn his tricks and put them into action. 

The conference content will be online for three months, allowing time to go back and digest information or watch sessions missed the first time. This is fantastic, since I can work in ‘chunks’ and hopefully fit in some more conference sessions in between all my other mum-life stuff. 

Love In Isolation was a winner, but it left a kind of melancholy behind in its wake. I missed the real life connections with my fellow writers this year, the social interactions and the pure fun of dressing up and getting together with like-minded women (for the most part, but there are a few blokes usually at RWAus). My work hasn’t taken off like a proverbial rocket after conference this year, but instead I feel reluctant to write, hoping for inspiration to come in a difficult time. 

I suppose it’s always hard to write in isolation, but this year, I’m finding it more difficult than usual. Lockdown is starting to feel like an endless Groundhog Day, parenting and cleaning and cooking ad infinitum with little chance to escape the house or to retreat into a different mental space where happy endings are standard. This isn’t business as usual, and I can’t pretend it is, even if I am a fiction writer. I know The End will come soon, but all this foreshadowing is really starting to hurt my head! 

Author’s note: This will be my last regular blog for Romancing The Genres. I’ve enjoyed my time as a regular contributor here, but I find with ongoing health issues (headaches, autoimmune problems etc.) and the current lockdown with kids, I don’t have the time or concentration to devote to blogging. I hope to pop-in with a couple of guest blogs in the future though! 

About Cassandra O'Leary

Cassandra O’Leary is an author, freelance writer, avid reader, communications specialist and admirer of pretty, shiny things! In 2015, Cassandra won the global We Heart New Talent contest run by HarperCollins UK, and her debut romantic comedy novel, Girl on a Plane, was then published in 2016.

Cassandra has also independently published novellas and short stories, all while chasing her two mini ninjas around her home city of Melbourne, Australia. You’ll find Cassandra drinking coffee and hanging out on social media, musing about books and buying shoes on the internet…oh yes, and writing.

Twitter – @cass_oleary

Facebook – www.facebook.com/cassandraolearyauthor

Instagram - @cassandissima

Website – http://cassandraolearyauthor.com