Like many madcap writers, I’m gearing up for the Romance Writers of America Conference in Anaheim tomorrow. Yay! It’s thrilling to take time off my day job (which is a misnomer because it really is a night job and a round the clock seven days a week job)  and just focus on fiction. In fact, I had originally requested holiday time for just the conference itself (Wednesday through Friday). But then I realised I needed a day off just to prepare and get my head in the right space. So, today is that day. It’s amazing how wonderful it is to just focus on ME and fiction today and not worry about breaking news, crashes, political fallout, famous people dying, City Council or School Board meetings or the latest public works project, or having to race to the scene of an accident in the middle of the night.

So here I am, with a list a mile long of EVERYTHING I have to do to get ready for conference. I’m checking things off one at a time as I get through them. Some will be quicker than others – like – take the dog to the park. I’m going to get that done faster than “finalise and practice my pitch for agents and editors at conference.” Of course, one of the things on my list is “BLOG POST” (guess I’m working on that now).

I’m printing out my schedule (I may need printer ink.. hmm..); compiling my twitter and phone lists for people at conference; double checking my agent/editor meeting times; making sure my first three chapters of my novel have no typos; and hoping I have “appropriate” attire.

Mostly, I’m excited to get together with hundreds of other writers from all over the country -to go to great workshops, hang out with people and hopefully not fall flat on my face in front of agents and editors.

Working on my pitch has been daunting – especially since I’ve been working my day job round the clock, but wow, it’s SOOO great that the RWA LARA group and the LARA SPEW Group and the RWA Women’s Fiction group are such a supportive bunch. I’ve exchanged a pitch with a fellow conference newbie and she’s helped immensely to pinpoint the best parts of my pitch and keep me focused. (Hopefully I did the same for her). And enormous thanks to Dee J. Adams (who has three books coming out from Carina Press) for her “How to Pitch” Workshop at the latest LARA meeting – just in time for conference.

I love how my twitter feed is lighting up with everyone’s preparations for Conference and I’m so excited I have an ENTIRE day today to just focus on getting ready. Of course, I’ll still be doing last minute scrambling, I know, right up until Anne Kemp and I head off to Anaheim late morning tomorrow. Road trip buddies and roomies – I know we’re going to have a blast.

Most of all I hope I can just enjoy conference and not be too overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of the event; the fact that I’m a conference newbie, or that I have agent/editor pitches to get through. I’m looking forward to four days of fun, excitement, learning, making new friends and not sleeping!