This last week I had the amazing privilege to go to the RWA SoCal Convention in Santa Ana California. It was filled with tons of great information as well as new friends, and lots of inspiration. I listened to speakers on a variety of subjects from Steampunk Gadgets to World Building to Writing a Novella. All of which were immensely helpful and tons of fun.
If I had to say the one major thing I took away from the conference, it would be a new nine book series of novellas that I have ideas for. I have never tried to write a novella, being the long winded woman that I am 😉 But I figured this would be a great way for me to wrote, polish, and publish a set of my work, that isn’t going to take me months and months to write because my first draft isn’t 150,000 words. Yes, the first draft of Dead Awakenings was that long.
I am so glad that I joined RWA and that I was able to go to the conference. Now I just need to figure out if I want to go to the National Convention in Atalanta, or Comic Con, which is at the same time and I already have tickets for. I heard about an amazing conference by Romance Times, and it is in Kansas City, MO this year the first week in May. I might go to that one. I am afraid I am going to become a convention addict though! There is just so much great information out there and I want to absorb it all.
If I could give one great piece of advice from the conference, it would be from amazing author Linda Thomas-Sundstrom. When you are building a new go to the SFWA.org website and get their World Building questionnaire. Answer as many questions possible and keep a bible of the things in your world.
I did get the questionnaire, it is HUGE! 36 pages Full of questions. But if you are building a world, I would Highly recommend you get it and look it over and answer as much as you can for continuity in your world. Set up your rules, and then, don’t break them!