by editor Joanne Grant
All of the UK editors who attended this year’s RWA conference in Washington D.C. are now back in the office, and wow, what a conference!
It is always great for editors to get a chance to meet with authors face-to-face, to chat about work, but also to have some light-hearted banter. And we did just that when Tessa and I met up with the Presents authors for a delicious lunch on the Thursday. We’d chosen a Lebanese restaurant to add a flavour of the exotic East to our gathering, and after a toast to Presents and all of our authors, we tucked into delicious dishes of spiced meat, vine leaves and fragrant rice.
We were joined by (seated from right to left around the table) Kate Hewitt, Lynn Raye Harris, Kate Walker, Sandra Marton, Sharon Kendrick, Jennie Lucas and, flying the flag for Modern Heat, Kimberley Lang. Tessa and I were seated at opposite ends of the table.
We did chat, we did laugh, and I think it fair to say, we all had a wonderful time!
The conference is also a great opportunity to meet with potential new authors, for all of our series, and we were busy spreading the word about our new writing competition. I was heartened to discover on my return, that we have already had some entries and we will be sharing some writing tips soon to help you aspiring authors on your way!
Ooh what a fabulous happy-snap! The Lebanese sounds divine… not to mention the company.
Can’t wait to hear more writing tips! Thanks Joanne!
Rach!
Oh, the food was fabulous. I went back on Saturday for lunch!
The company was even better (and, no, there were no battles over the last sandwich this year, but Jennie did give me a bite of whatever that wonderful dish she had was).
See, now I’m even more jealous than I was before.
I sooo wish I’d been there… And not just for the spiced meat either.
Joanne – if you’re reading this – I was wondering if one of the writing tip posts leading up to the contest could be about the difference between contrived plot-let set-ups/coincidences to hooks?
By this I mean… what constitutes a contrived plot and what is an allowable coincidence. I’ve read oodles of office romance books where the hero and heroine meet somewhere the weekend before she turns up in his office to work for him. This seems such a HUGE coincidence yet it’s worked well in many a category romance. I guess what I’m trying to say… is when is such a coincidence okay and when is it a HUGE no-no!
Hope that makes sense and editor’s or authors have the answer
Rach!
A huge thank you to Tessa and Joanne for arranging the amazingly atmosopheric lunch in the Lebanese Taverna on 2641 Connecticut Avenue, Washington DC. (A man on the plane from England had already recommended it!). It was wonderful to get together with so many vivacious Presents authors and our wonderful editors.
But for me, the highlight of the meal (more than the sparkling conversation, the glossy stuffed vine-leaves or the fragrant coffee in which floated a cardoman seed) – was when our very own “Sheikh” arrived.
Imagine our surprise when a man with jet-hard eyes strode into the restaurant – his garments of pure silk doing little to disguise the steely body beneath. (Wow! – was this really WASHINGTON?) Collectively, we stilled – barely daring to meet his stern and forbidding gaze – our hearts pounding so loudly that for a moment it seemed as if an entire percussion section were playing nearly. Briefly, his eyes scanned the table as if he was searching for someone – who could it be? – and then he, he……..
(To be continued).
Greetings from Sharon – who has had to sign in as Shazza since WordPress is wielding a metaphorical whip and not allowing me to use my real name!
You tease, Sharon!
I’m sorry I missed the fun. The descriptions of Washington made it sound good, then all the photographs (especially this one) made me REALLY envious!
LOL, Sharon aka Shazza! Yes, what a lunch! It was so good, wasn’t it? The garlic fries Kate Walker and I just had to have were incredible. I think I tasted garlic for the rest of the day. Everything was so wonderful. Those platters of appetizers we had, the warm spicy stuffed rolls I ordered, and of course the conversation.
What a great time!
OMG Sharon, now it definitely isn’t just the spiced meat I’m upset about missing out on….
And that was a purely unintentional euphemism. Honest!
LOL Heidi. Sure, sure it was unintentional.
It made me giggle the first time I read it. Though now I see Joanne used it first!
Wish I’d been there to see that sheik!
Sharon, I want more! That’s awful, leaving us hanging. Hm, I can see why you write Presents.
Joanne, thanks for sharing with us about the lunch. You all look like you’re having a wonderful time. I’m wondering if you’re smiling at the camera or Sharon’s hero.
Rach, my two cents’ worth on your question about contrivance and coincidence is that there’s no rule. It’s more a matter of what feels right for a particular story. Coincidences happen, and sometimes they’re quite amazing – if I put them in a book no one would believe me. It’s a matter of writing a story that readers can believe is possible and hopefully they get swept along by the characters and what they’re doing rather than wondering if a chance meeting was particularly likely.
Annie
Thanks heaps Annie – your 2c is worth A LOT!!!
Pingback: Romancing the Novel Carnival #4
Oh that photo brings back such great memories – that was a fabulous meal in a fantastic week. Thank you Tessa and Joanne for entertaining us so well. Can I just mention that there’s another author in the pic – just – Janette Kenny, another new Presents author, was sitting next to me so you can just see her fair hair between me and Joanne.
And yes Lynne – those garlic fries were so good.
Kate
Thanks for pointing out Janette – I was pretty sure I included her on my blog – I would never forget her – she is so lovely! But perhaps I still had conference brain… she is indeed hiding behind Kate
Rach – Annie has given you a great answer, and how’s this for a coincidence: coincidences were discussed as part of the RWA workshop I gave with fellow editor Kimberley Young, called Don’t Let the Plot Get in the Way of the Story. We listed coincidences as high up in our Top Ten of most seen clichéd openings in unsolicited submissions. The way to make sure coincidences work is to make sure everything you do is character driven – make your reader believe in your character and you can get away with quite a lot
Maybe I’ll get the handout from this workshop posted up.
Now about that sheikh…
Joanne
Sorry to get here so late. HUGE thanks to Tessa and Jo for this fantastic lunch, for everything at the conference! It was sheer joy, meeting new authors, getting to spend time with my wonderful editor (Jo!), spending time with Tessa again, and Sheila, and Kim, and Karin.
We were royally wined and dined, so much so that it’s diet time here at home…
Sandra
Heidi, you crack me up! We missed you (and Annie, and Christina, and…)!
WOW, seeing the picture brought it all back! Thanks for an amazing luncheon. I don’t really recall the waiter, but that might be because I was distracted by the incredible Lebanese food, which I’d never had before. (Me and food! A love affair that never ends!) (So never say diet, Sandra!)
Even better than the food was the company. So lovely to have a nice chat with you all, including Joanne whom I’ve never really gotten to talk with before. Kimberly and I couldn’t stop raving about Joanne’s chic, retro, gorgeous clothes and accessories. Those shoes! That scarf!
Now I’m home, it’s adios four-inch heels, Helloooo, peanut butter sandwiches and flip-flops!
Till next year!