2010 is and will be a busy year!
January: Joined two chapters as a long-distance member. Greater Seattle RWA and Desert Rose #60 (Phoenix).
Two day workshop with Margie Lawson; lots of good information and strategies to boost the quality of my writing. Check it out at www.margielawson.com.
Began editing Diana’s Story Show Me The Way using what I’d learned at workshop.
February: Attended Rose City Romance Writer’s Winter Intensive.
Friday evening: First Turning Point’s Ann Charles and Jacqui Rogers on pre-publication promotion.
Saturday: Michael Hague on structure and plot with lots of other tips thrown in.
Sunday: Bob Mayer on Who Dares Wins – how to use strategies to kick our writing to the next level.
Basically blew my writing resource budget on books, CD’s, and DVD’s by Michael and Bob.
March: Armed with new ideas and strategies to strengthen my writing, I completed the editing of Show Me The Way.
Created a 2.5 minute pitch for my series based on Michael Hague’s Selling Your Book In 60 Seconds.
Read Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel. www.writersdigest.com
Registered for Nationals in Nashville, made my travel and room reservations, and volunteered to Moderate Workshops and help with Registration.
April: Attended the Desert Dreams Writers Conference and pitched my series to Deb Werksman, Senior Editor at Sourcebooks.
She requested my three completed manuscripts, a synopsis of all seven novels, and my overall series concept. Needless to say I am thrilled and working on making this submission the best I can do.
I met with Brad Schreiber for a critique of my query letter and appreciate his feedback on how to make it better.
I moderated workshops for:
Erin Quinn: “Practice What You Pitch”
Laura Schnebly Campbell: “The Alpha Male, From Abe to Zeus”
Toni McGee Causey: “Sex and the Single Title”
Samhain’s Laura Rausch’s “Focus on Samhain”.
I always get more from Conferences when I volunteer so you can see this was a good one!
Emerald City Writers Conference accepted my workshop proposal “Supporting Your Writing Life: How to Balance your ‘real’ and ‘writing’ lives”. This conference is great and I hope to see you there (and at my workshop). www.gsrwa.org for details
May: Road trip to Write on the River Conference in Wenatchee, Washington. I had a great time traveling with my best friend, staying with Helen and Greg (Helen is my writing friend), and meeting new people. I’d never been to Leavenworth or Wenatchee before so was able to see another piece of our great Pacific Northwest.
Despite my technical challenges I completed Platform Building 101 Class taught by 1st Turning Point’s, Ann Charles and Jacquie Rogers.
Paired up with Tamera Lynn through the class. Check out her website and blog.
Started a blog: www.JudithAshley.blogspot.com on Intentions and Synchronicities. Let me know if you have a story to share.
Signed up for Facebook.
June: What’s new in June? I’m keeping my tush in the chair, my fingers on the keyboard, and the pages flying. I have four synopses to write on books I’ve yet to create and three manuscripts to polish.
