Toe in Water – RNA Conference

On Saturday (9 July) I set off in great trepidation to drive to Caerleon in Wales for the RNA conference. It made me realise that I don’t drive far these days, but thanks to the satnav and Ellie Swoop keeping me awake we arrived safely.

It was lovely to see people I knew, people I had met on Facebook and Twitter and to make new friends. Isn’t it strange that from those little profile photographs you can’t gauge height or accent!

I decided to list some learning points from my first conference:-

1. If you put “big knickers” in your book people will remember it.
2. Queues are not always bad. You can make friends in a queue.
3. It is helpful to be able to say in six seconds what your book is about.
4. How motivating an “Ooo” from a crowd can be. (Got one for my 6 second pitch)
5. It is a truth universally acknowledged that romantic novelists like posh shoes.

The workshops I attended were very special. I learned loads in a short space of time. My novel was rearranging itself in my head during the day. For those interested I went to:

• Linda Gillard – Painting with words.
• Jane Wenham-Jones – Where’s my hook? What’s my angle?
• Flo Nicoll & Anna Boatman – Unpredictable journey to happy-ever-after.
• Liz Fielding – Blending humour with emotion.
• Rachel Summerson – Creating characters we believe in.
• Lorelei Mathias – Book marketing for small pockets.

Special mentions to Teresa Morgan, Talli Roland, India Grey, Sue Moorcroft, Anne Ashurst, Leanne Bibby, Alison Maynard, Elizabeth Hanbury, Sue Johnson, Jan Jones (for organising), Rachel Lyndhurst, Linda Gillard (for fantastic workshop), last but not least Ellie Swoop (for maltesers on way home).

Loved my ‘toe in the water’ experience and now want to join the RNA and go again. Pity I didn’t take any photographs, but there are loads on other blogs – thankfully not of me!

Have you had a great day recently? Please tell me about it.