Calling For

Calling for Online Workshop Presenters by a special interest Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Outreach International Romance Writers (OIRW). This chapter is seeking proposals from interested workshop presenters for their 2010 and 2011 Educational Programs. The chapter is interested in fresh and interactive online classes on subjects ranging from the craft of writing to the business of writing. Interested instructors may send proposal to the chapter president at president AT oirw DOT net. Questions and additional information request may also be emailed to the chapter president.

Judges are needed for the 2010 Merritt Contest sponsored by the San Antonio Romance Authors. SARA is looking for volunteers to judge the 2010 Merritt Contest preliminary round first chapter plus synopsis contest. If interested in being a judge email your name, contact information, publication status, availability and categories willing to judge to sara_merritt10 AT yahoo DOT com. If you meet eligibility qualifications and plan to enter a written submission to the Merritt Contest, you cannot judge that particular category. Merritt Contest entries are a maximum of 25 pages total. The entry deadline is Valentine’s Day and distribution of up to four electronic manuscripts will be accomplished on February 15, 2010. All judged entries are due back by March 14, 2010. A five-session online judging refresher is available the first week of February for those interested. Please visit www.sararwa.net for more information.

Calling for items to give away to attendees, including goody bag
stuffers, freebie table giveaways, and raffle items, by the Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America. They will need this for their April 24 conference. Please send items to Toni Andrews, 131 West Shore Road, Ellington, CT 06029 or CTRWA.

Conference

The Desert Rose Phoenix Conference is coming up fast and will have Diana Gabaldon of the Outlander series give a workshop along with agent, Jill Marsal and a many other authors. Check out their website for more information. The conference will be in Scottsdale, Arizona beginning on April 16, 2010.

The Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America is having their annual
conference, Connecticut Fiction Fest, on April 24, 2010. Please visit http://toniandrews.com/FictionFest.htm for more information.

Contest

WisRWA’s 2010 FAB 5 contest is open to unpublished writers in RWA approved full-length fiction for the last five years. Unpublished authors wanting to enter their first ten pages of manuscript may electronically submit their entries by March 1, 2010. Entries may be up to 2,500 words in seven categories, including Women’s Fiction. To find more information visit the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America’s website at www.wisrwa.org.

Workshops

Druids: the Ancient Priesthood of the Celts online workshop will explore the ancient religion of the Druids. It is scheduled to begin on February 1st and will end on March 29, 2010. This is a workshop designed for writers researching information for historical or fantasy novels. Sharron Gunn will be the instructor for this class. She has taught Gaelic language and history as a non-credit university course and French in high school. Registration may be done by visiting www.celtichearts.org/workshops.html.

“Fast Draft and Revision Hell” with Candace Havens will begin February 15. The Orange County Chapter of RWA is hosting the four week online workshop ending on March 13, 2010. Bestselling and award winning author, Candace Havens has developed a step-by-step process to help authors finish their work in progress in just two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, participants will have their first draft. Candace understands it can be daunting going back in and editing, tightening and cleaning up a manuscript. That’s why she developed a system to help get through that process step-by-step. In two weeks participants may have a polished manuscript that is ready to sell. The cost is $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members and registration may be done at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb10.html.

May the Force Be with You Workshop will help writers add realistic law enforcement & legal system elements into their novel. This four week course is presented by Kerri Nelson and
will begin on March 1, 10. Kerri will use her experience and education in the legal field to show writers ways to add the legal system or law enforcement elements into their writing. She will discuss “cop talk”, criminal evidence procedures, anatomy of a lawsuit, and much more. This online course is sponsored by the Yellow Rose Romance Writers and cost $15 for Yellow Rose members and $25 for non-Yellow Rose members. Registration deadline is February 28, 2010, and may be done here. For more information about Kerri Nelson visit her at www.kerrinelson.com.

SARA will host a One-Day Writer’s Workshop featuring Best Seller Mystery Writer and actress Harley Jane Kozak on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at the San Antonio Airport Hilton Hotel. The topic will be “Everything I Needed to Know about the Writing Life
I Learned in Hollywood.” The cost of this workshop is $35 for SARA Members, RWA Members $40.00 and a fee if $45 to the general public. For more information please visit the SARA website at www.sararwa.net.

The Pitch Perfect with Kerri Nelson is an online workshop designed to teach the craft of writing pitches that will reel in editors and agents. Kerri will offer students her secrets to writing a solid pitch including creating a query letter. She will guide participants on ways not to stop short of getting the results the author wants. More information on published author Kerri Nelson may be found at http://www.kerrinelson.com. The cost is $20 for RWA members and $25 for non-members and will run from March 13th to 31st, 2010. The workshop is hosted by the Southern Tier Authors of Romance (STAR – NY). The registration deadline is March 10, 2010 and may be done by sending a check or Money Order, made out to STAR On-Line Workshop, and mail to: STAR On-line Workshop Coordinator, PO Box 6, Willseyville, NY 13864. PayPal is also accepted. Contact Carol Henry at carolhenry AT frontiernet DOT net for more information.

RWA-WF’s Chapter is pleased to announce their FIRST WORKSHOP, Direct Your Book! Theatrical Techniques to a Blockbuster Novel led by Leanna Renee Hieber will an online workshop running on March 25, 26, 27 and 29th. The best selling, award winning, multi-published author Leanna Rene Hieber will teach her unique hybrid approach in writing novels. She will use her background in theater to crack open a whole new way to create fiction. The fee will be $20 for members of RWA-WF and $25 for non-members. Registration deadline is March 20, please see the RWA-WF website for more details. Please contact Maggie Marr at marrmrgr AT sbcglobal DOT com if you have questions.

“The Regency Women” with Nancy Mayer will focus on Regency woman and their roles, expectations, rights, and power. Including common myths and mistakes writers make in their
stories. This online worship hosted by the Orange County Chapter of RWA will begin March 15 and run to April 10, 2010. The cost is $20 for OCC member and $30 for non-members. To enroll go to http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html. Nancy has given several workshops on Regency subjects. To see her webpage for examples of some of the subjects she has covered: http://www.susannaives.com/nancyregencyresearcher.

Story That Sells Featuring: Dianna Love and Mary Buckham workshop will be an all-day event: Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center – Decatur, GA. This intensive workshop will use techniques from their innovative Break Into Fiction® Character Drive Plotting Program created by Love and Buckham. The cost is $77 for RWA Members. Registration is now open and space is limited. Sign up today at http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/programs/2010-programs/one-day-writers-workshop/.