Alison Maynard, Janice Preston, Lynn Forth and I arranged to get on the
same train at different stops heading for Birmingham. Laughter started with
many witty comments from Lynn, later called ‘Lynn-isms’. One of the most
memorable concerned her two fans! We were in awe of Alison’s tiny case. I
wanted empty space for extra books, of course. At Moor Street, we admired Alison’s
attempt at selling her book in the lift. The London train was quiet, apart from
our table! Lynn produced snacks,
wine glasses and serviettes. Jan poured wine.
The journey to Marylebone passed in an instant.
Travelling during the tube strike, we’d booked a taxi to Mile End, but
grid-locked traffic stopped it reaching us. Thankfully, the weather was sunny.
When we got a taxi, forty minutes later, the driver couldn't promise an arrival
time or price. Traffic was nose-to-tail, with police at bus stops to stop
fighting. We could probably have walked faster at times, but it was a long way.
We all started to get weary in the hot
taxi. Lynn still managed some witty repartee about buttocks, but I think we
were grateful to arrive at the university an hour and a half later.
The
Spectacular Setting of our RNA 2015 Conference
Karen
Aldous
 |
| Canal side |
What a delight to discover so many
fascinating features at the Queen Mary University of London, the conference
venue just off the main Mile End Road in East London. Not only is it situated
on a now stunning stretch of the Regent’s Canal with a community of moored
house boats and a bustling canal path giving access to local parks, but in the
centre of the campus is the site of a grade II listed, Jewish cemetery, the
second-oldest surviving in England.
As well as a modern student village, the
site houses the original ‘People’s Palace’, the Queens Building, built in the
mid-Victorian period with the education of local people in mind. And, it really
can only be described as a classically-built Victorian palace and, within it,
was the beautiful Octagon Library where busts of famous poets and writers such
as Byron, Wordsworth and Samuel Johnson watched over us while we wined and
dined at our Gala Dinner.
I was truly amazed to discover all this
along with another interesting snippet. In the School of Medicine and
Dentistry’s Pathology Museum here, the skeleton of the Elephant Man, Joseph
Merrick is housed. I can’t wait to explore this place some more.
Queen
Mary College – then and now
Helena
Fairfax
Tube closures, terrorist attacks
and traffic jams – and I don’t mean last weekend. This was the London of the
1980s, when my husband – then boyfriend – was a student at QMC. I remember once
arriving at King’s Cross to find the whole tube network closed down because of
an IRA threat. And the station itself – my God! What an intimidating and run
down place it was. The old café served weak tea and limp ham sandwiches, and
all the knives were plastic to stop people stabbing each other. And who could believe
nowadays that people smoked underground, on wooden escalators?
The station was
a disaster waiting to happen, and tragically, in 1987, fire engulfed it. The
modern concourse bears no relation to the grim place I knew.
As for Mile End, it’s still as congested,
but they’re building cycle paths and the canal is a lot cleaner than it used to
be. And the lecture rooms! Hazel Gaynor’s fabulous Powerpoint presentation
shows just how far we’ve come since the days when white boards and marker pens
were the height of progress.
Roll on the next thirty years!
(Image: Frisking my boyfriend outside Kings Cross!)
The
Conference Opens
John
Jackson
 |
| Jan Jones & Eileen Ramsay |
Before this weekend’s Conference
started I asked Eileen Ramsay, our Chair, if she would give me a copy of her
opening speech, as I was going to write it up for the RNA blog.
“Oh, you won’t need that, it’s
going to be very short!” she replied.
And so it proved to be.
Eileen welcomed us all with great
warmth in a crowded Milner Lecture Theatre. While her opening speech may have
had all the advantages of brevity, it was certainly no less warm and, as a
newcomer at his first conference, I can only emphasise its warmth and welcome.
Many thanks for that.
 |
| John Jackson |
After Eileen had finished, she
handed matters over to Jan Jones who gave us a summary of immediately important
information, and we cracked on with an excellent series of talks, lectures and
workshops. Jan proved herself a fountain of knowledge for all sorts of queries,
especially on Friday as people came in to register and attend their first
sessions – not to mention a full programme of meeting old friends.
My
first Conference
Heidi
Swain
2015 is turning out to be a year of
firsts for me – first book deal, first cover reveal, first publication day and
now I can add first RNA conference to the list! Initially disappointed to only
be able to attend on Saturday I’m now rather relieved. Romance authors party
hard I’ve discovered and I’m not sure I could have coped with the pace first
time around.
On arrival I was escorted to
register by Eileen Ramsay herself and after picking up my loaded goody bag and
name tag I set about making a note of where the talks and workshops I had
signed up for, were happening.
I don’t need to tell you how
amazing the organisation of the conference is and how invaluable the advice and
expertise on offer. What I would like to say however is thank you. Thank you to
everyone for making me feel so welcome and relaxed and hello to the dozens of
authors I was finally able to meet in real life. It never ceases to amaze me
that we can recognise one another from a tiny thumbnail image!
I simply can’t wait to do it all
again next year.
Ten
Minutes to Make an Impression!
Natalie
Kleinman
The annual RNA Conference offers a
wealth of opportunities to its members. Just one of these is the chance to have
a ten minute interview, known as a one2one, with an agent, editor or publisher,
sometimes all three. Prior to the weekend, delegates are invited to submit a
synopsis and first chapter in anticipation of receiving what might prove to be
invaluable feedback on their work.
I asked Elaine Roberts, veteran of
three conferences, what had been her experience this time. “Firstly, for me, attending the annual RNA
Conference is the “don’t miss” event of the year and thanks to everyone
involved for making it possible. The one2ones each year give me confidence to
continue writing. Spending ten minutes with an Agent/Publisher/Editor is
priceless. My feedback this year is no different. My manuscript was well
received and now, for the first time, I’m daring to hope I will actually graduate
the New Writers Scheme.”
 |
| Such a choice! |
For Sarah Stephenson is was her
first visit to a conference. She had this to say.
“As a first-timer to the RNA conference, I had no idea what to
expect. There were excellent one2ones with agents and publishers. I sat in the
corridor, biting my nails; a small child waiting to see the
headmistress. What wasted anxiety. The response was extremely positive.
I was encouraged to continue writing and get the book finished as soon as
possible. I left the conference exhausted but very buoyed up.”
Both writers told me that whatever
the outcome of their interviews they valued both the opportunity and experience
and had taken on board a huge amount from the feedback they had received.
Speed
Dating for Writers!
Lisa
Eveleigh
I’ve heard one-to-ones referred to
as ‘speed-dating for writers’ which would be terrifying if either party was
really going into a session blind…
Fortunately the RNA members I had
appointments with last weekend were all impressively well prepared and had
clearly looked at my website beforehand , so I didn’t have to waste any of
those precious ten minutes in describing my agency and tastes in fiction.
It helped that most writers I saw
are members of the New Writing Scheme and accustomed to editorial feedback. I
think it’s essential to give truly constructive criticism and I always read the
chapters I’m sent as close to Conference as possible, so that the work is fresh
in my mind. But I’m acutely aware that these sessions are short and rather than
undertaking a forensic analysis of every word, I try to leave at least three or
four minutes for the author to tell me about their hopes and aims, and any
previous publishing history.
Apart from a bizarre - yet
enchanting moment - when I poked my head out of the door of my seminar room
looking for my next delegate, to be immediately offered a glass of Prosecco by
The Romaniacs, busily filming outside,
these sessions were serious. (And for
the record, I said ‘thanks, but no thanks’ and gratefully accepted some of
their fizzy water instead; it was HOT last weekend!)
Finally, it’s important to remember
that agents enjoy meeting writers –
you could be our next bestselling client! -
SO, if you’re thinking of making an appointment next year, leave your
nerves at home; we don’t bite!
*Lisa also found time to be part of our Agent Panel on Industry Day. From left to right in above image: Caroline Sheldon, Hannah Ferguson, Carole Blake, Tim Bates and Lisa Eveleigh.
Building
Character Workshop
Sally
Quilford
It’s always exciting, and a little bit
nerve racking, to be asked to speak at the RNA conference. And having to wait
till Sunday morning definitely ups the ante. I was even more nervous on account
of following the incredibly erudite (and totally lovely and down to earth) Emma
Darwin, and in the same room! I sat enthralled through Emma’s excellent talk on
Writer’s Voices, and wondered ‘How am I going to follow that?’
But I think it’s important – and I’m sure Emma will
agree – that the RNA conference covers a wide range of topics and for all skill
levels. My talk on character building might not have been as cerebral, but I
think my audience enjoyed it, especially when I used pictures of handsome men
to illustrate my points on appearance (any excuse really…). Everyone in my
workshop was very attentive, and said all the right things afterwards. I was
able to enjoy the rest of the day safe in the knowledge that I had not let the
organisers down.
I also think what both Emma’s and my talk proved was
that even those of us giving the talks at the conference can learn something
from each other. Her talk had taught me so much, and there were established
authors in my talk who I hope also went away with new ideas.
That’s the great thing about the RNA. No one thinks
they’re above learning something new and it’s this enthusiasm for knowledge on
the part of the attendees that makes every workshop so special.
121s
– The Aftermath!
Elaine
Everest
For me the experience of conference
121s started way back on the 28th May when I received the message
from Jan Jones to ‘brace, brace, brace’ as the conference packs were in the post.
 |
| Taking part on the Reviewer Panel |
Early next morning my email box
began to fill with requests for appointments and it didn’t stop until days
before the conference. Did I write much during June? No! Was I busy? Yes! Did I
enjoy it? Yes, Yes, Yes! The most enjoyable part of allocating over two hundred
appointments is to be able to get to know new members, say hi to members I’ve
met before and to also be able to chat to industry professionals who have given
up their valuable time to encourage and advise our members. I was able to calm
the nervous - point out I’d been a bag of nerves myself not so long ago and
also to advise anyone who wasn’t sure about their submission. The saddest part
of the job was when I had to say I’d run out of appointments. I could have
filled many two times over.
The joy came later when I bumped into many delegates who had news to share. Who
doesn’t like good news and there was plenty of it. Authors being taken on by
agents, book commissions, helpful hints and advice, the good news kept on
coming. In fact one week on I’m still receiving emails full of good news.
Please keep it coming.
As conferences go this one will be hard to follow but I’m sure we will give it
a good try!
Let’s
Learn!
Alison May
This is the second time that I’ve run a workshop at the RNA Conference. This
year’s topic was Developing Back Burner Projects, which I’d subtitled ‘Writing
the Book You’ve Always Wanted to Write’ and actually running the session was
one of my favourite bits of the whole weekend. The impression at writing
conferences is often that the people sitting in the room are learning and the
person at the front is working and teaching. Let me tell you a secret – 99% of
the time the person at the front is learning just as much. Good workshops
depend on the input from the attendees, and, in my experience, there’s always
at least one question that pushes the session into territory you’d never
expected and could never have planned for. For me that’s a large part of the
fun; being in a group of fabulous creative people who are ready to learn and
develop and ask questions is incredibly inspiring.
The main message of the session was this:
if there’s something you’ve always wanted to write, get on and write it. That’s
it in a nutshell. The real thing was essentially that but longer, with a bit
about badgers fighting robots and some pictures of ironing.
Weaving
the Tapestry of Time!
Charlotte
Betts
I’m
no longer a RNA conference virgin but this was the first time I was invited to
take a workshop. Immensely flattered and not a little apprehensive, I agreed
immediately. Deep in the throes of finishing my fifth novel, I didn’t have much
time to think about the subject. Playing safe, I chose to talk, rather than
write, about ‘what I know.’ Readers tell me that what they like best about my
novels are the historical details and I decided to focus on writing about
settings that transport you to another time and creating believable characters
true to their era.
I’d
imagined there might be 20 delegates but when I heard over 50 were expected I
was amazed. I’d intended to provide six page hand-outs but realised that this
would be an awful lot of printing! Undaunted, I set about learning to use
Powerpoint. Amazingly, the presentation
and workshop went smoothly and it gave me a buzz to discuss my favourite
subject with others and to learn from them, too. I also learned not to be so
ambitious another time and stick to only one subject as an hour passes very
quickly.
However
many books you’ve had published, there is always something new to learn from
other writers and I’m a great believer in sharing that knowledge.
Kitchen
Capers!
Elaine
Roberts
I have been attending the RNA
Conference for three years and the after Gala Dinner kitchen parties are
legendary. You’ll be pleased to know this year was no different, although I
believe more were held outside in the cool night air and I don’t recall hearing
that anybody ended up in the canal.
The laughter carried across the
Mile End campus as friends met up. Many seeking out friends they made on social
media. However, trying to find someone was like looking for a needle in a
haystack, especially as some only had an avatar picture to go by.
 |
| Gala Dinner courtesy of Karen Aldous |
Everyone in my block arrived armed
with wine, wine and more wine, which we started on Thursday evening. Of course,
where there’s wine there’s also snacks.
Traditionally, the kitchen parties
are usually after the Gala Dinner but we started on the wine before the glitzy
occasion. Consequently, we were definitely flagging by eleven thirty and some
were clearly suffering on Sunday morning. However, we made it for breakfast and
our first talk at nine. When we left at five, we were definitely flagging!
It needs to be said, I still
haven’t got over the fabulous RNA Conference weekend. Can I have a nap now?
Does my Waist Look Big in This?
Elaine Everest
Mireille Weller gave a fascinating talk on how to dress as a Victorian woman, including: the layers of underwear; the realities of wearing a corset; going from daywear to eveningwear in five minutes; and why you need a man to help you sit down.
Those taking part all agreed it was not the weather for a corset and so many layers of clothing.
We marvelled at the many petticoats and the beautiful gowns all hand made by Mireille and held our breath as she tightened her corset. Elizabeth Hawksley was invited to measure Mireille's waist to show how many inches were lost once corseted.
We all felt as though we knew a little more about our Victorian characters at the end of this talk.
Did
you blog about your experiences at conference? Why not post a link in the
comments section below and share your story with our members?
The
RNA Blog is brought to you by,
Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman
If
you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com
Quite a lot,
actually, when you’re three quarters through your romance oeuvre, still referring to your heroine as ‘Whazzername’ and hero
as ‘Thingy’ – or, even worse, ‘XXX’ and ‘???’.
