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In no
particular order:
Is it
okay if I bring my 9mo baby? She's really quiet - most of the time.
Yes,
as long as you have a handy partner who can look after her in another
room. A crying baby is not a popular addition to sessions. If you stay
in the hotel, you can always nick out to breast-feed or trouble-shoot.
Can I
use my alphasmart to take notes?
Yes,
absolutely. Quite a few of the writers there will be using alphasmarts.
Don't know what an alphasmart is? It's a battery powered word
processor. http://www1.alphasmart.com
Should I bring a copy of my manuscript to show Donald Maass?
It's
regarded as bad conference manners to give manuscripts to visiting
agents or editors. By all means bring it to the hotel, but if they do
ask to see it, they will mean you to post it to them. Donald
Maass doesn't want to return to the USA with a suitcase full of
manuscripts.
What
should I wear to an RWA conference?
For
the daytime activities, comfortable casual clothes are the norm. For
the cocktail party, there is a dress-up theme (more on that below).
People do dress up a bit for the awards dinner, but it's not totally
formal as such. A bit dressy is fine. As is a fabulous designer
outfit.
What
should I wear to the cocktail party?
The
cocktail party has a theme for dress-ups, but while many people get
into the spirit with fun, glamorous or silly costumes, it is not a
requirement. The dress-up aspect is for fun and to be a bit of an
ice-breaker. It's easier to talk to strangers in costume. But if you
hate dressing up, that's fine. About half don't dress up. For ideas on
what to wear for 2005, check the website:
<http://www.romanceaustralia.com/conference/2005/raj.htm>
What
will the weather be like in August in Melbourne?
It's
Winter. Melbourne's weather is famously unpredictable and changeable -
4 seasons in one day. A bitter morning can be glorious by lunchtime
and be hailing by late afternoon. To cope with this, Melbournians
typically wear layers of clothing, adding and removing layers as
needed. It won't snow (probably) but the winds from the south come
across the sea direct from Antarctica, so they're often cold and wet.
On the other hand a northerly wind comes from the central desert and
can be wonderfully mild, even warm. A coat and a brolly is pretty
necessary. In the hotel it's air-conditioned, of course. Temperatures
in Melbourne in August range between about 6ºCelcius (59ºF) and 15ºC
(59ºF)
http://www.melbourneontheweb.com/essential_info/climate.shtml
How
long after coming to conference should it be before my first royalty
statement comes in?
How
long is a piece of string? A conference is no guarantee of anything
except learning more about writing, meeting people and having a good
time.
Do I
have to wear pink?
Yes,
there will be random inspections and all those not wearing pink will
be tossed into the Yarra River! (That's a no, by the way ;-))
Is it
okay to talk to published authors at the conference?
Yes,
of course. Published authors were all unpublished once and those who
come to conferences are there to mix and mingle too. Plus all writers
love to hear from people who have read and enjoyed their work. Just
be sensitive -- published authors have to pay to come to conferences
too; they're not there as a service.
Can I
leave my mobile phone on?
Not
during sessions, and if you do have an urgent reason to leave it on,
then please respect others' rights to not be disturbed. Set it to
vibrate.
I'm
shy. I feel a bit nervous about meeting all those strangers.
Don't
worry, RWAustralia conferences are really friendly. People come
from all over and what brings us together is a passion for writing and
for romance writing. Writers are often shy, but we rarely get to meet
other writers with similar interests, so when we do, it's fun.
There
are a few things other you can do in advance.
1)
Join the RWA e-group. You'll get to know people via email and there
will be an e-group dinner before the conference starts, on Thursday
night.
2) Do
one of the Thursday activities, and you'll meet people that way.
3)
Talk to the people sitting near you in workshops or lining up for
coffee.
4)
Join one of the on-line crit groups. You'll soon be friends with your
crit partners, and you can arrange to meet up.
I'd
love to come, but I can't afford the hotel prices.
There
are a few alternatives. The Travelodge is half the price and only 20
metres from the conference hotel. Also you can share rooms. RWA
doesn't have a room-mates service, but you could always join the
e-group and ask if there's anyone else who wants to share. There are
also backpacker places a short walk from the hotel.
What
do you actually do at the conference? What do you do that first
morning? Where do you go?
On
the first day of the conference, whether it's the Friday workshop or
the Saturday morning, you go to the conference area, which will be
signposted. We usually start at 8.30 or 9 am, so get there a bit
earlier, to register etc.
You'll get a name badge, a program with the times everything is on,
and a bag with various "stuff" in it. Then you toddle into the
ballroom, where the conference will be opened and any "housekeeping"
details explained. From then on, you go to talks, workshops and chats,
grabbing meals and snacks in between and talking your head off to the
people you meet. Some sessions are for the whole conference group,
workshops are smaller groups and author chats are smaller again.
Workshops may involve some writing, so take a notebook and pen.
There's always a table of noble volunteers outside to help you.
What
is an author chat?
It's
when a small group of people chat with an author or several authors.
It's casual and relaxed and it's the time when you can ask authors all
about their work and any questions you have about publishers, editors,
agents, etc. Please don't ask about money though -- that's an
infringement of their privacy.
Are
there any shopping centres near the Langham?
Yes,
indeed. For a start, the Langham is on Southbank -- which is on the
Yarra River, and is surrounded by shops, restaurants and galleries.
And a craft market on the Sunday. Check out:
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=4492
On
the other side of the river, over a pedestrian bridge, is the city and
all the shops there. You're 5 minutes walk from the Arts Centre, or
the Botanical Gardens, Federation Square, the Melbourne Aquarium,
Crown casino, the Polly Woodside historical sailing ship, the
Immigration Museum, 6 minutes from all the little Melbourne arcades,
and the gorgeous shops on Collins St, 8 minutes from the main stores
of Myer, David Jones etc. 10 from the Shrine of Remembrance, or the
State parliament. The map on the Langham hotel site is quite helpful.
http://www.langhamhotels.com/Langham/melbourne/map/index.html
If
Toorak Rd or Chapel St. is your shopping mecca, you can get there on a
tram, which is 2 minutes from the hotel .
Or if
markets are your thing, the Queen Victoria Market is a 10 minute ride
on a tram, and the South Melbourne market, (smaller) is also about 10
minutes by tram in the other direction. At Federation Square, a short
walk away, there's a Friday afternoon Farmers Market and on Saturday
11-4pm, a secondhand bookstall. Sunday there's a craft market on
Southbank itself and another a 15 min. tram ride away on St. Kilda
Esplanade. More at:
http://www.you.com.au/market-melbourne.html
How
long does each session go for?
Check
the program. Workshops are usually around an hour. Author chats about
the same -- they've been extended due to popular request.
I'm
afraid cost of breakfast at the hotel will blow my budget, can you
suggest somewhere nearby that is more reasonable?
Yes,
there are plenty of cafes and breakfast spots where you can have a
good brekky for around $10.
Could
you tell me why access to some workshops is preferential to published
authors?
16 of
the 18 workshops are specific to the needs of unpublished writers, 2
are for published writers only. If we want to attract published
authors to come to the conference (they pay, the same as anyone else)
we have to offer workshops that are relevant to them. After
publication, there is a whole new learning curve for writers to deal
with. RWA gives unpublished writers huge support; published writers
need support just as much, only about different things -- often
personal things. If you were a newly published writer, wouldn't you
want a source of support and advice?
Why
are published writers given priority access to the Donald Maass
workshop?
This
is a "masterclass" -- Donald Maass will be discussing writing
concerns which go well beyond those of the basics of writing. For
this reason, it seems logical to ensure he have an appropriate
audience. This is also the first time RWA have secured a speaker who
will be of real benefit to their published members.
In
any case it will be a large class. The key word is "priority," not
"exclusive". We are not trying to exclude people, just make sure that
those who will get most benefit from this master class get first
priority.
I've
heard some conferences ask people not to wear perfume.
Yes.
A room full of people drenched in different perfumes and aftershaves
is a recipe for allergies and sneezing. Please refrain from perfume if
possible.
Any
other questions you have may be directed to
Anne Gracie
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