Come on Barbie, Let's go Party
Monday, July 13, 2009
It's RWA time again. This week a thousand romance writers, from someone who just thinks maybe she might want to write a book some day, all the way up to the Goddess of us all, Nora Roberts, will converge on Washington, DC to party down, give speeches, see old friends, make other old friends feel inadequate, eat too much, dance our asses off at the Harlequin party, and basically spend the week not writing.
It's a hell of a party. I seldom miss it. And when we come home we can either feel totally demoralized and depressed or wildly encouraged. I tend to prefer the latter.
So here's what I plan to get from my week of constant gaiety and wild frivolity.
1. I'm going to see old friends, as many as I can. There are too many to name, women I only get to see once a year, if that. Women I've been through everything with -- triumph, disaster, births, deaths, years of writing and living. No one really understands what it's like to be a writer unless they're a writer themselves. That's the most important reason to go: Sisterhood.
2. I don't have to cook. Someone else is going to do it for me, and sometimes I won't even have to pay for it.
3. I get to dress up in entertaining clothes, not the usual t-shirts and sweats that I live in. I can play with makeup, wear pretty shoes, polish my jewelry and pretend to be grownup. The problem with that is that every year I have more lines and wrinkles to cover, but WTF. I'm cool.
4. I will actually write, because that's what I'm all about. Even though it's party time I'll sneak away and work on my historical because I love it.
5. We'll stay up late at night, talking about writing, talking about story and craft.
6. I get to participate in book signing so huge it boggles the mind.
7. I get to snore so loud that Jenny Crusie will never be able to sleep.
8. And I'm not going to let anyone make me feel inadequate. As a matter of fact, I'm going to spend the next week doing my best to make everyone else feel as glorious as I do.
And then I get to run away with Jenny, where no one can find me and ask me to do anything, and it's going to be glorious. I'll be pumped full of creative energy, ready to tear into my work, and nothing and no one is going to stop me.
At the end of the month I have to return to real life. To taking care of my 95 year old mother, to helping my niece get rid of my sister's house and all the accumulated crap she bought over the years while she was bed-ridden. I have to write a book in a month (aiyee) and somehow manage to keep my sanity.
But the last two weeks of July are going to keep me going. A week of fun and parties, followed by a week of peace by the big river with Jenny and Lani and Lani's daughters. I'd call it Estrogen Central except I think I'm out of estrogen. But we'll all be princesses anyway.
So that's how I spend my summer vacation. Channeling my inner Barbie, partying up a storm, and then peace, blessed peace, watching the river run.
How are you going to spend your summer vacation? Anyone coming to the Big Autographing? Everyone under the sun will be there.
******
It's a hell of a party. I seldom miss it. And when we come home we can either feel totally demoralized and depressed or wildly encouraged. I tend to prefer the latter.
So here's what I plan to get from my week of constant gaiety and wild frivolity.
1. I'm going to see old friends, as many as I can. There are too many to name, women I only get to see once a year, if that. Women I've been through everything with -- triumph, disaster, births, deaths, years of writing and living. No one really understands what it's like to be a writer unless they're a writer themselves. That's the most important reason to go: Sisterhood.
2. I don't have to cook. Someone else is going to do it for me, and sometimes I won't even have to pay for it.
3. I get to dress up in entertaining clothes, not the usual t-shirts and sweats that I live in. I can play with makeup, wear pretty shoes, polish my jewelry and pretend to be grownup. The problem with that is that every year I have more lines and wrinkles to cover, but WTF. I'm cool.
4. I will actually write, because that's what I'm all about. Even though it's party time I'll sneak away and work on my historical because I love it.
5. We'll stay up late at night, talking about writing, talking about story and craft.
6. I get to participate in book signing so huge it boggles the mind.
7. I get to snore so loud that Jenny Crusie will never be able to sleep.
8. And I'm not going to let anyone make me feel inadequate. As a matter of fact, I'm going to spend the next week doing my best to make everyone else feel as glorious as I do.
And then I get to run away with Jenny, where no one can find me and ask me to do anything, and it's going to be glorious. I'll be pumped full of creative energy, ready to tear into my work, and nothing and no one is going to stop me.
At the end of the month I have to return to real life. To taking care of my 95 year old mother, to helping my niece get rid of my sister's house and all the accumulated crap she bought over the years while she was bed-ridden. I have to write a book in a month (aiyee) and somehow manage to keep my sanity.
But the last two weeks of July are going to keep me going. A week of fun and parties, followed by a week of peace by the big river with Jenny and Lani and Lani's daughters. I'd call it Estrogen Central except I think I'm out of estrogen. But we'll all be princesses anyway.
So that's how I spend my summer vacation. Channeling my inner Barbie, partying up a storm, and then peace, blessed peace, watching the river run.
How are you going to spend your summer vacation? Anyone coming to the Big Autographing? Everyone under the sun will be there.
******
The 2009 "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing takes place on Wednesday, July 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Exhibit Hall. This event is open to the public; there is no admittance charge. Since the proceeds from this event are donated to charity, we ask that you purchase books at the event instead of bringing your own books. (RWA accepts cash, check, or credit/debit cards for book purchases at the event.) If you do bring books, please limit yourself to one or two books and consider making a cash donation to the cause.
Questions may be directed to Erin at efry@rwanational.org or 832-717-5200, Ext. 122.
posted by Anne Stuart at 8:32 AM
5 Comments:
Sounds like a wonderful plan, Krissie, particularly the parts about partying until late with your girlfriends and not letting anyone else make you feel inadequate!
I'm not going to National this year. Unfortunately, other responsibilities call.
Have a blast! You are the goddess.
Sounds like a fabulous summer vacation - I can't wait to see pics of the RWA fun!
I wish I could go. It sounds fun. Someday I hope to have the type of library job where I get sent to conferences.
Ms. Stuart:
It was SOOOO great to FINALLY meet you face-to-face! I was so nervous, I forgot to tell you, that one of my favorite lines from Black Ice, which seemed so incongrous, considering the type of man Bastien is, was when the heroine (whose name is escaping me at the moment), told that skanky villain to "get your goddamn hands off my boyfriend!"
I really wanted to stick around and just talk about all your books...how wonderful they are and that NO ONE ELSE writes Heroes in such a way that the reader doesn't know if he's going to Kiss her or Kill her, lol.
You da bomb!!! And I couldn't be happier that we get not just one, but 3 (yay!!!!) historicals next year!!! I'm in Anne Stuart Heaven right now....
~Sangeeta, a.k.a. Geets
Just saw the intros to you on YouTube but there was no film of you arriving on stage. So sad I missed RWA. That intro alone was worth the price of admission ... the blurry photos I saw of you on stage on a site I can't remember looked like you were having a fabulous time!
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