No Longer a Virgin

Conference Virgin that is. Yes, I attended my first writer’s conference this past weekend. The RWA-NEC conference. I’m a member of NEC and I must say there are a lot of EC authors! Friday my friend Donna and I arrived early. We met up with another friend for lunch. After we got settled in our rooms we registered.
The first workshop of the day was Brenda Novak. She spoke about emotion. This was a great two hour talk. The time flew by. During the Q&A someone asked if she was a plotter or pantser and her response struck a cord. She said she was a pantser. She said when she tries to write after plotting it feels forced because she feels in a lot of ways she’s already written the story. It was a light bulb moment for me.
I’m a self-proclaimed pantser, so this made sense to me. I like to let the characters explore and decide where they’re going. Looking back my rejected work has been plotted.
The food was to die for. At dinner my one friend H had the agent and editor sitting at our table laughing at her tales of drunken sluts in her books. This broke the ice for her agent appointment the next morning. She doesn’t really have drunken sluts in her books.
Dessert was a Q&A with Annette Blair. She is one of the sweetest women you’ll ever meet. I’ve known her for a little over three years and she continues to amaze me with her generosity and knowledge sharing.
The keynote speaker for breakfast was MaryJanice Davidson. OMFG, she is so funny. We laughed all through breakfast. Of course she received a standing ovation after her speech.
I attended a bunch of great workshops throughout the day including one given by fellow EC author Nina Pierce. She helped my friend H out with her workshop. H tends to write very long and Nina gave hints on how to write shorter.
There were free books and promo items galore. The conference ended with a book signing. I spent way too much, but that’s okay. That’s what it’s all about, right? Hopefully next year I’ll be sitting at one of the tables signing too.
I signed up for RomantiCon yesterday. Maybe I’ll have a print book for that conference. We’ll see.

Happy Tuesday.

Editing

I went to my local chapter writer's meeting on Saturday and a lot was discussed on what types of writers we are. I'm a self-proclaimed pantser thru and thru. It wasn't the type of writer I am that surprised me. It was how much writer's love editing. At least 2/3 the group went on and on about how much they love editing. Me I dislike it - immensely! lol

I don't know why really. Maybe by the time I get to the end of the book I'm tired of it. I don't mind when I go thru edits with my editor's. Well, that's not completely true. If I have to do more than two rounds I get grouchy. My husband will take me to dinner and keep the kids at bay.

I'm not a perfectionist by any means, so it's not that I think my work is perfect. Tho, I won't lie, I wish it were. lol I think it's just when I finish a book I'm done. If I let it sit too long I won't edit it.

It's sad really because I have three contemporary romantic comedies that have potential - if only I'd edit them. I wrote them during NaNo the last few years and when I was done, I was done. I haven't looked back.

As a writer who wants to do this full-time some day it's not a good thing. I need to find a way to commit myself to these books that haven't been edited. These are the books waiting to be submitted to agents. And if all else fails, they'll go to an e-pub.

If there are any writer's out there who are like me and despise editing can you share tips with me on how to just do it? Please? :)