RWA Chapter Contests
Central Ohio Fiction Writers’ Ignite the Flame Contest, open to authors unpublished in book-length fiction. Judges: Young Adult – Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Group; Erotic Romance – Deb Werksman, Executive Editor, Sourcebooks; Category-Length Contemporary – Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill / Silhouette; Suspense Romance – Esi Sogah, Avon Books; Historical Romance – Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group; Single Title — Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group; Paranormal Romance — Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency. Closes May 8. More info
The 2010 Royal Ascot, sponsored by The Beau Monde RWA Specialty Chapter for Regency Writers, closes April 20, 2010. Published authors may also enter for feedback only. They will not be eligible for the final round. Rules and entry forms
Northwest Houston RWA’s 18th Annual Lone Star Writing Competition is open for entries. All electronic, contest closes June 6. Final judges: Inspirational – Lindsay Guzzardo, Guideposts Books, and Tamela Hancock Murray, Hartline Literary; Young Adult – Kat O’She, Leap Books, and Tina Wexler, International Creative Management; Romantic Suspense – Leis Pederson, Penguin, and Tina Tsallas, Great Titles, Inc.; Contemporary Series Category – Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin, and Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management; Single Title Category – Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks, and Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency; Historical – Alicia Condon, Kensington, and Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency; Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Category -Tara Gavin, Harlequin Nocturne, and Alexandra Machinist, Linda Chester Literary Agency. Enter now!
The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award for published novels, sponsored by Ancient City Romance Authors, closes July 5. Final Judges: Booksellers, Librarians, Romance Readers. See web site
RWA Chapter Workshops
RWA’s Mystery/Suspense Chapter presents its May COFFIN College of Felony and Intrigue MURDER ONE online workshop: Body Language, Lying, and Manipulation, taught by Dr. Cynthia Lea Clark, PsyD. For more information
The chapter’s COFFIN College of Felony and Intrigue KILLER INSTINCT workshop in May is Crisis, Climax, Resolution: Writing to The End, taught by Robin Matheson. For more information
Carolina Romance Writers Chapter has two May workshops. Symbols of Super Heroes will be taught online by Kristy Mabe, a.k.a. Skylar Masey May 3-16, 2010. Enrich their characters to make them believable… learn how to use outward symbols to match your characters’ outside to their inside. carolinaromancewriters.com.
What Earl and Mary Teach Us About Humor is an online workshop from Jane Myers Perrine, May 3-16. Learn techniques that make writing humor easier and the humorous sections more enjoyable and funnier. carolinaromancewriters.com.
From the Heart Romance Writers, a special interest chapter of RWA, is accepting proposals from interested instructors and presenters for its 2011 schedule for in-depth, well-structured workshops to be conducted via a a Yahoo Loop. For info
Outreach International’s online workshop for May is Guerilla Tactics For Writers In A Slump, with instructor Lori Wilde, running May 3rd – 30th. More information
Elements of RWA Online presents Fat-Free Writing or How to Eliminate Wordiness in the Editing Stage, May 3 – 14, by Annie Oortman & Darlene Buchholz. Do ever-shrinking word counts and dwindling editor reading time have you thinking you need to put your prose on a diet? Wordy sentences and unnecessary phrases clutter writing, turning an otherwise good manuscript into an overweight tome. Cut the fat and enhance your chances of garnering an editor’s attention. To register
Passionate Ink Chapter of RWA presents Twelve Foolproof Ways to Polish Your Manuscript (and Improve Your Writing!) with Lynn Kerstan, April 26-May 16. Website
Fire Up Your Fiction with L.A. Banks, sponsored by Pocono-Lehigh Romance Writers, Saturday May 8, Bethlehem, Pa. For information
RWA Chapter Conferences
Chicago North-RWA chapter conference is pleased to announce, Spring Fling 2010, April 23-24, 2010, Hyatt, Deerfield, IL. Headliners and Keynote speakers: Cherry Adair and Julia Quinn, as well as Jenna
Petersen, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jade Lee, Courtney Milan, and Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and many others. Pitch appointments will be available with guest Editors: Amanda Bergeron
(Avon), Lindsey Faber (Samhain) and Kat O’Shea (Leap Books & The Wild Rose Press) or Agents: Diana Fox, Laurie McLean, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, and Paige Wheeler. www.chicagospringfling.com/
MERWA (Maine RWA) will run its 4th Annual Writer’s Retreat, May 14-15 in Portland, Maine. Featured speaker is Terry McLaughlin, RWA Regional 6 Director and multi-published Harlequin Super Romance author. Other speakers are Joyce Lamb, Berkley author, and Diane Amos, a Harlequin, Five Star and Wild Rose Press author. http://mainerwa.com
Registration for the NHRWA’s 2010 Spring Fling Conference is now open! May 14-15 at the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel in Portsmouth, NH. This year’s conference features a pre-conference workshop with NY Times bestselling author Lara Adrian, a luncheon speech by RITA® Award winning author Kristan Higgins, a dozen workshops and a book fair and signing. For more information or to register
Capital Region Romance Writers of America, Inc presents Building a Better Novel: A Writer’s Tool Box, Saturday, June 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Troy, New York. Featuring Jenna Petersen on the business of writing, Caridad Pineiro on the craft of writing and an editor / agent panel and appointments including: Lindsey Faber, Sahmain Publishing; Keyren Gerlach, Silhouette Romantic Suspense; Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary Agency; Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management. For a conference brochure and/or registration form, please visit our web site.
Call For Workshop Proposals – Fun In The Sun Conference, January 20-24, 2011: Florida Romance Writers of South Florida cordially invite speakers to submit proposals for our Fun in the Sun Conference, a four night cruise to Key West and Cozumel Send your proposals by June 1, 2010.
