Meetings
Upcoming Meetings:
:
November 11, 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
The Writers' Open Forum: Ask Fellow Romance Writers and Authors for Ideas and Tips to Enhance Your Writing
Hosted by Tracee Garner
October 14, 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
The Poison Pen: Getting Away with (Literary) Murder
by Kelle Riley
Register on EventBrite
NOTE: An email will go out to members who have joined our new Groups.io communications email platform with a direct Zoom link to access the workshop the night before. (If you haven’t created an account yet, please do so. The RWA Forum used previously for chapter communications as been closed by RWA).
Find out how to poison your characters with common household chemicals. Dr. Kelle Z. Riley will guide us through the "killer contents" of our homes and show you how to research the “right” poison. Join us for an eye-opening view of the commonplace. Have they got a poison for you!
Kelle Z. Riley, writer, speaker, global traveler, Ph.D. chemist, and safety/martial arts expert has been featured in public forums that range from local Newspapers to National television. In addition to her works of fiction, a personal story was included in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer's and Other Dementias." Her fiction publications include cozy mysteries and contemporary romance.
In the Undercover Cat Mysteries a cupcake baking scientist turns sleuth—an much more. The Cupcake Caper, Shaken, Not Purred, The Tiger's Tale, and Studying Scarlett the Grey, as well as free short stories set in the Undercover Cat world are available on Amazon or wherever books are sold. In the Riches and Royals series, modern career women fall for princes-in-disguise, only to discover that “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed. Can love turn their cautionary tale into a glittering fairy tale, or will their hearts shatter like glass slippers?
A former Golden Heart Finalist, Kelle resides in Chattanooga, TN. She is the past program chair and popular speaker for the Chattanooga Writer's Guild, a member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers’ of America and various local chapters. When not writing, she can be found pursuing passions such as being a self defense instructor, a Master Gardener, and a full time chemist with numerous professional publications and U.S. patents.
September 9, 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
Stellar Scenes: How to Create Memorable Scenes
by Sia Huff
Register on EventBrite at https://bit.ly/3sCdPvm
NOTE: An email will go out to members who have joined our new Groups.io communications email platform with a direct Zoom link to access the workshop the night before. (If you haven’t created an account yet, please do so. The RWA Forum used previously for chapter communications as been closed by RWA).
Scenes are considered the building block of a story. A piece that should connect to the whole. We’ve been told that each scene needs to carry its weight. But what does that mean? In this workshop we’ll review the basics of what a scene is and what the experts say. You’ll learn key elements of a scene. And how to add texture and dimension to make each scene stellar.
Join WRW this month for our workshop with author Sia Huff, winner of the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award of Excellence, a finalist for the Golden Heart Award, and a regular online instructor on craft topics for Savvy Authors.
Past Meetings:
August 12, 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
Synopsis as a Road Map
by Meg Eden Kuyatt
When an agent or editor requests a synopsis, the process of honing our novel down into such a small space can be dread-inducing. However, writing a synopsis can help us reflect on the larger themes and values of our work, helping us focus and tighten our narrative structure--or even lay out a road map for a future project. In this workshop, we’ll use the synopsis as a frame for discussing the bones and beats of plot, as well as using it as a guiding light through the drafting and editing process. In our time together, we'll practice getting to the heart of our projects through writing a one-line pitch and using that pitch to outline our synopses.
Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee and teaches creative writing at colleges and writing centers. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World” (Press 53, 2020) and children’s novels, most recently “Good Different,” a JLG Gold Standard selection (Scholastic, 2023). Find her online at https://linktr.ee/medenauthor.
August 7, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
June 5, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
June 2 (Friday) 5:00 pm – June 4 (Sunday) 12:00 pm Eastern
2023 In The Company of Writers Retreat and Conference
by Washington Romance Writers
Join us for a weekend of networking while learning to master the craft of writing romance. The Retreat is open to all, not just members.
We hope to see you there!
May 23, 2023 (Tuesday), 6:00 – 8:00 pm
LIVE: Writing Sprint at Wegmans in Reston, VA
WRW's Tracee Garner is hosting live Writing Sprints at Wegmans located at 11950 Hopper St, Reston, VA 20191. This is a recurring event on the 4th Tuesday of every month. Great venue, great food, and great company yield great writing.
May 13, 2023 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
From Screen to Page and Screen: What You Need to Know About Self-Publishing and Formatting Your Manuscript
by Meredith Bond
You’ve written your book and now all you want to do is hold it in your hand and bask in your glory. But how to get it from your screen to that of thousands of readers out there? How do you get it into print? This presentation is a shortened version of Merry’s two-week course on self-publishing but will give you the basics of all you need to know to self-publish your masterpiece.
Meredith Bond is an award-winning romance author. She has been both traditionally and self-published and has written over thirty books including three works of non-fiction. After teaching writing and self-publishing since 2005 both in person and on-line, she now owns and runs her own formatting and coaching business, Anessa Books, where she not only makes the words of her clients look beautiful on page and screen, but guides authors through the sometimes complicated process of writing and self-publishing. You can find her weekly blog on writing and publishing topics at her website, Substack, and Medium. Learn more at http://anessabooks.com or https://meredithbond.com.
May 8, 2023 (Monday), 8:00 – 10:00 pm
VIRTUAL: Writing Sprint with Christi Barth
Here's a great opportunity to make good on your writing objectives this year. Mark your calendar and join WRW's Christi Barth on Zoom the 2nd Monday of each month from 8-10 pm and "sprint" toward your goal of finishing that manuscript!
May 1, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
April 13, 2023 (Thursday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
VIRTUAL: Dissect a Bookseller with Sabrina Lemieux
Join Sabrina on Zoom as she hosts the dissecting a Bestseller (Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren) book chat on Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm Eastern Time. This is a recurring event.
Here's how it works:
1) We share the title of the Bestseller to be dissected/discussed approximately a month in advance of the virtual Book chat session.
2) You access the bestseller on your own through available means.
3) Read the title and consider the following factors for discussion at the next scheduled book chat:
- Does this book work as a romance?
- What trope(s) are in this book?
- What is the GMC for the protagonist (s)?
- What is the high concept for this book?
- Are the romantic beats clear?
- How is the pacing?
- What is the level of sexual tension?
- Was the dark moment dramatic enough for you to believe "all hope was lost"?
- Did the book provide a satisfying HEA?
4) And finally, join the chat hosted by Sabrina Lemieux and participate! That's it.
What's in it for you?
- Establish/re-establish bonds with your fellow writers.
- Get inspired/motivated to write!
- Keep abreast of romance market trends.
- Learn what makes a great story --- it's a bestseller for reason.
- Master your craft while improving your own manuscript.
April 10, 2023 (Monday), 8:00 – 10:00 pm
VIRTUAL: Writing Sprint with Christi Barth
Here's a great opportunity to make good on your writing objectives this year. Mark your calendar and join WRW's Christi Barth on Zoom the 2nd Monday of each month from 8-10 pm and "sprint" toward your goal of finishing that manuscript!
April 8, 2023 (Saturday) 10:00 – 11:30 am Eastern
Honing Your Synopsis Skills
by Joanne Rock
USA Today bestselling author Joanne Rock enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small-town family sagas. A four-time RITA finalist, she has penned over one hundred books. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly--love is worth fighting for. Joanne is a frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences where she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a master’s degree in literature from the University of Louisville and has taught film and fiction for multiple colleges. Learn more about her and her work at her website http://joannerock.com
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. Non-members can attend for $15.
April 3, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
March 28, 2023 (Tuesday), 6:00 – 8:00 pm
LIVE: Writing Sprint at Wegmans in Reston, VA
WRW's Tracee Garner will be hosting a live Writing Sprint at the new Wegmans located at 11950 Hopper St, Reston, VA 20191. This is a recurring event on the 4th Tuesday of every month. Great venue, great food, and great company yield great writing.
March 11, 2023 (Saturday) 10:00 – 11:30 am Eastern
Simple Story Structure - What is it and Why is it Important
by Sia Huff
Whether plotter or pantser, structure is essential to our story’s success. So what is structure? And why is it so important? In this class we’ll study the Three Act Structure using examples from popular movies. Join us to learn what every writer needs to understand about basic story structure. This workshop is recommended for beginners and intermediate writers.
In junior high, Sia Huff mesmerized her art class daily with tales of a continuing adventure about her not-so-secret crush. And yet, she was not a lover of books. When she turned sixteen, her dad said to her mom, “I don’t care what it is, just get her to read.” Wise woman that her mom was, she handed Sia a romance novel and she was hooked. She found a genre she could relate to, a world of happily-ever-after’s. Sia made up for her earlier lack of reading by consuming a book a day during the summer between her junior and senior year in high school and participated in reading contests with her college suite mate to see who could finish a novel the fastest.
It took many years, a degree in Fashion Merchandising, two different careers in banking and government contracting, a marriage and birth of her first child, before Sia realized her calling to be a writer. Sia now spends her time honing her writing skills and crafting compelling stories about the power of love. Sia won the prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence and was a finalist for the Golden Heart.
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. Non-members can attend for $15. To purchase tickets, please use the following Eventbrite link: http://bit.ly/3S5IM45
March 6, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
March 3, 2023 (Friday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
VIRTUAL: Dissect a Bookseller with Sabrina Lemieux
WRW is kicking off the Dissecting a Bestseller book chat on Friday, March 3, 2023, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm Eastern Time.
Here's how it works:
1) We share the title of the Bestseller to be dissected/discussed approximately a month in advance of the virtual Book chat session.
Note: (It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover is the selected title to be dissected at the March 3rd kickoff).
2) You access the bestseller on your own through available means.
3) Read the title and consider the following factors for discussion at the next scheduled book chat:
- Does this book work as a romance?
- What trope(s) are in this book?
- What is the GMC for the protagonist (s)?
- What is the high concept for this book?
- Are the romantic beats clear?
- How is the pacing?
- What is the level of sexual tension?
- Was the dark moment dramatic enough for you to believe "all hope was lost"?
- Did the book provide a satisfying HEA?
4) And finally, join the chat hosted by Sabrina Lemieux and participate! That's it.
What's in it for you?
- Establish/re-establish bonds with your fellow writers.
- Get inspired/motivated to write!
- Keep abreast of romance market trends.
- Learn what makes a great story --- it's a bestseller for reason.
- Master your craft while improving your own manuscript.
February 20, 2023 (Monday), 8:00 – 10:00 pm
VIRTUAL: Writing Sprint
Here's a great opportunity to make good on your writing objectives this year. Mark your calendar and join WRW's Christi Barth on Zoom the 2nd Monday of each month from 8-10 pm and "sprint" toward your goal of finishing that manuscript!
Note: This particular sprint is a make-up session for February 13.
February 11, 2023 (Saturday) 10:00 – 11:30 am Eastern
Strategy to Master the Character Arc - Enneagrams
by Susan Reiss
Readers want your characters to face and overcome adversities. They want characters to change. To meet that challenge, you need to create the CHARACTER ARC. The beginning and end of the arc may be obvious. But it is in the dreaded middle where many stories grow weak, even flounder.
A strategy called ENNEAGRAMS can guide you through that gray area, give you ideas and a better understanding of each character. It’s not a formula. It’s not a template. You decide from the possibilities the Enneagrams present.
In this session, working together, we will apply the strategy to create a protagonist and antagonist.
Susan Reiss trained as a concert pianist then worked as a television writer/producer for many years. Her work received a New York International Film Festival Silver Medal, the Cine Golden Eagle, three Tellys, and a national Emmy nomination.
Recently, the three books in her IN Time series have ranked in the Top 100 category, Time Travel Romance. Letters in Time, the first book in a historical fiction/mystery/romance series, won a Gold Medal in the Bookfest Awards. Messages in Time, the third book in the series spent time in Amazon’s Top 100 Bestsellers-Historical Fiction.
In 2016, she was named Scribe of the Eastern Shore.
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. Non-members can attend for $15. To purchase tickets, please use the following Eventbrite link: bit.ly/3ZNhNNU
THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
February 6, 2023 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
February 5, 2023 (Sunday), 2:00 – 4:00 pm
LIVE: Write-in at Panera Bread (Bowie Town Center)
WRW's Sabrina Lemieux will be hosting a Write-In at Panera Bread located at 3931 Bowie Town Center, Bowie, MD. For you members interested in some face time with fellow writers in your neck of the woods, come on down and let's get writing!
January 14, 2023 (Saturday) 10:00 – 11:30 am Eastern
Fast Drafting 101 - Carving Writing Time Out of Thin Air to Effectively Complete Your First Draft
by Jillian David
Participants will learn how to prepare for the first draft, including creating character histories and filling plot holes in advance of the fastdrafting process. We will discuss the nuts and bolts of the fastdrafting days. Examples of fastdrafted versions versus final "polished" versions of a manuscript will be compared.
This workshop is geared toward writers who want to increase their first draft production time/rate, or writers who have schedule challenges.
*Results may vary
Award-winning author Jillian David quickly writes then slowly edits paranormal, suspense, and adventure romances with medical characters and scenarios. She loves to use medical situations to drive drama in her books. He favorite cell is the platelet and her least-favorite organ is the pancreas. She fully believes that curse words, when appropriately deployed during surgery, are hemostatic. Which also explains why no book of hers will ever bleed out...
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/WRWJDavid.
January 4, 2023 (Wednesday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
Due to the New Year's Holiday, the meeting will be held on Wednesday.
December 10, 2022 (Saturday), 10:00 – 11:00 am
Special Session - For Members Only!
This is your opportunity to bring your suggestions to the Board. What is your vision for the chapter? Short-term and long term? How do you propose we grow and enhance WRW? This may include creating new groups, hosting events, (workshops, conferences, retreat, luncheons, picnics, etc).
CANCELLED: December 10, 2022 (Saturday)
Holiday Brunch
The Holiday Brunch is cancelled. In its place, we will meet virtually for a special session.
December 5, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
November 12, 2022 (Saturday) 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
Using Backstory Effectively
by Kathryn Johnson
Kathryn Johnson's 40+ published novels (finalist for the Agatha Award, winner of Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards), include historical fiction (e.g., The Gentleman Poet, wherein Shakespeare escapes to the New World aboard a ship bound for disaster) and contemporary suspense. Her book, The Extreme Novelist (nonfiction) is the text based on her courses at The Smithsonian and The Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Kathryn’s premium mentoring services can be found here: https://KathrynJohnsonLLC.com. Reach out with questions or for a free 20-minute private consultation: Kathryn@WriteByYou.com
November 7, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
October 8, 2022 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Eastern
Writing the Thriller
by Steve Shrott
October is Halloween! In this workshop, you'll learn the basics of constructing a thriller. Topics include the following:
- What is a thriller and why are they so popular?
- The many different categories of thrillers
- Secrets of creating commercial story ideas
- Developing a 'hot' plot
- How to start your story with a bang and keep up the momentum
- Techniques that help us write high octane scenes and chapters that keep readers turning pages.
- Designing heroes that your readers care about as well as three dimensional villains
- Crafting twists and reversals that no one sees coming
- Strategies to keep the tension taut, and the suspense sizzling
- Uncovering the techniques off top thriller writers
Steve Shrott has published several mystery novels including Audition for Death and Dead Men Don't Get Married. His mystery short stories are in twenty anthologies, as well as numerous magazines and e-publications. He has worked in the publishing industry as a consultant and currently teaches six courses for Savvy Authors. He has studied every kind of thriller for many years and analyzed what makes them successful.
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/WRW_SShrott
THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
October 3, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
September 10, 2022 (Saturday) 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern
10:00 - 10:30 am - Annual General Meeting (AGM) - all members encouraged to attend!
10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Workshop (Playing Nice with Your Dragon) by Jane Porter
This workshop examines the writer's life, using dragon symbolism to demonstrate how we commercial writers must remain devoted to craft and the art of fiction, while refusing to allow our muse to run the show unchecked, showing up at will, deserting at will, and generally creating havoc.
A dragon run amuck is not a good thing. A dragon out of control eats villagers, creates terror, spits fire - this dragon is not helping anybody and would generally be hunted down by the hardier castle knights and warriors and put to death. Not a good end to a beautiful, mythical beast.
HOW TO KEEP A DRAGON HAPPY?
1) The dragon wants pretty much primary importance in your life.
2) Your dragon wants to be told he or she's beautiful.
3) Dragons like regular cycles of activity and rest (i.e. your dragon has to be allowed to sleep-a lot. In fact, a sleeping dragon is a sign of a healthy life.)
We dragon keepers (not slayers!) walk a fine line: we must allow the dragon healthy independence without letting the dragon control the future.
How to do this? Define Your Expectations, Be Prepared for Pit-falls, and Problem Solve, including developing a psychology of power. Most of us weren't raised to think of ourselves as warriors, or dragon keepers, and yet the creative life demands we assert ourselves and take responsibility for what we think and what we hope to achieve.
USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author of 65 romances and women's fiction titles, Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times, with her Tule Publishing novella, Take Me, Cowboy, winning the Novella Category July 2014. Today, Jane has over 15 million copies in print, including her wildly popular Flirting with Forty, a novel picked by Redbook Magazine as it's Red Hot Summer Read in 2006 before being turned into a Lifetime movie in 2008 starring Heather Locklear.
Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband, three sons, and two dogs. You can learn more about Jane at janeporter.com.
September 7, 2022 (Wednesday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
Due to the Labor Day Holiday, the Board meeting will be moved to Wednesday 9/7.
August 13, 2022 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Eastern
The Modern Author's Press Kit
by Sarah Fisk
The Author’s Press Kit: An author’s press kit should include all the information that might be needed in order to book media appearances, event appearances, publicity opportunities, or selective marketing avenues. A press kit is not a one-size-fits-all document, but should be customized for different applications. Author, event planner, and former book publicist Sarah Nicolas will break down every item an author should have in order before contacting journalists, retailers, bloggers, event planners, publicists, or anyone who might take an interest in you as an author.
Sarah N. Fisk is a former mechanical engineer who made the switch to publishing in 2011. They have worked in the publishing industry as an editorial assistant, author’s assistant, publicist, and art director. Sarah is a former Pitch Wars mentor, board member, and Agent Liaison. They host the podcast Queries, Qualms, & Quirks and have a passion for spreadsheets. Sarah is one of the founding members of Disability in Publishing.
August 1, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
July 6, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
Please note this is a WEDNESDAY meeting this month, and not our typical Monday meeting!
June 25, 2022 (Saturday), 1:00 – 5:00 pm
WRW Summer Picnic And Former Member REUNION!
All current and former members are welcome to attend the summer picnic! Location and details will be provided for this event via the WRW forum emails. Former members are invited to contact Nate Hoffelder at programs@washingtonromancewriters.com or Anna Dulik at Memberservices@washingtonromancewriters.com for details. Happy summer!
June 11, 2022 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Eastern
In-Person Networking: Making First Contact (and Second, and Third)
by Elle E. Ire and José Iriarte
Networking isn’t a one-time thing, and it won’t replace the need for an outstanding manuscript, but it can get an author a longer look or tip the odds in their favor if an agent or editor is on the fence about a project. This presentation will discuss ways to prepare for an in-person networking opportunity, where to find opportunities to network, different venues for networking and different approaches for them, how to pitch someone in person, and methods for following up on the contacts you make.
As a married pair of published authors, José and Elle bring a unique blend of varied (and often humorously clashing) perspectives to their writing workshops and presentations. One is a plotter; one is a pantser. One has published novels; the other has multiple published works of short fiction. One is an introvert; one is an extrovert. Together, they deliver their wide range of experience, often with all-in-good-fun sarcasm and teasing of one another. Elle and José have presented at Oasis Con, Necronomicon Tampa, Florida Writers Association Annual Conference, SpecFic Southeast, and individually at Gulfport ReadOut, International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts, ReaderCon, the SFWA Nebula Conference, and many others.
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. All others are welcome to attend for just $15. The EventBrite link will be posted soon.
THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
June 6, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
May 21, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
Deep POV: Life Through the Lens of Your Characters
by Dawn Alexander
Learn the power of using Deep POV to intensify the reader's emotional connection to your characters. In this workshop, indie editor Dawn Alexander will teach you to slip into the minds of your characters, determine what influences their perceptions of the world around them, and use that to create compelling, authentic characters that grab your readers by the heart.
After eighteen years of teaching public high school, Dawn was ready for a new adventure. She decided to put her communication and strategizing skills to work helping other authors brainstorm and strengthen their stories as a developmental editor and story coach. In recent years, she returned to her love of teaching by offering classes on writing craft through Teachable as well as co-hosting two podcasts—Story Strategy Live with fellow Evident Ink editor Nancy Smay, and Rad Reading with award-winning romance author Roni Loren. Dawn lives in Texas with two college students, a big baby of a dog, a bratty bird, and one handsome husband. When not bouncing around ideas with a fellow writer or giving feedback on pages, you can either find her reading—usually mystery, suspense, or romance—or feeding her superhero obsession with Marvel movies.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/DAlexander
May 2, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
April 30 Saturday program, 10am--noon
Make Goodreads Work For You
by Diane K. Peterson
April 4, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
March 12, 2022 (Saturday), 10:00 am – 12:00 noon Eastern
What To Do When You’re Stuck: 4 Methods To Plot Your Way Out Of Writer’s Block
by Alyssa Alexander
There is no right or wrong way to plot. Every writer has a different process, and that process may change from book to book. Sometimes, what used to work no longer does, or you need to shake things up to get past writer’s block. During this workshop we’ll discuss four methods to plot your novel, and one Mack Daddy of a plotting chart to get you over the hump.
This event is free to WRW members as a benefit of membership. All others are welcome to attend for just $15. The EventBrite link is https://bit.ly/WRW_AAlexander
About Alyssa Alexander: Despite being a native Michigander, USA Today Bestselling author Alyssa Alexander is pretty certain she belongs somewhere sunny. And tropical. Where drinks are served with little paper umbrellas. But until she moves to those white sandy beaches, she survives the cold Michigan winters by penning romance novels that always include a bit of adventure.
Her books have been translated into multiple languages, received Top Picks from RT, Publisher Weekly Starred Reviews and nominated for RT Best First Historical. She also assists authors with websites and newsletters so they have more time to write The End.
Alyssa lives with her own set of heroes, aka an ever-patient husband who doesn’t mind using a laundry basket for a closet, and a boy-child who wears a knight in shining armor costume for such tasks as scrubbing potatoes. There’s also a lot of floof in the house, as she is mother to two golden retrievers and two cats. The vacuum is her best friend.
March 7, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
March 3-7, 2022
Members vote on the disaffiliation question
The question has been called: Should the Washington Romance Writers disaffiliate from the Romance Writers of America? WRW Board director of member services Anna Dulik has accepted the position of vote overseer. Last chance to vote will be March 7 at 11:59PM Eastern. Votes will be tabulated and the results reported on March 8. ALL GENERAL MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO CAST A VOTE. (Affiliate and associate memberships do not include voting privileges.)
March 8 update: Members voted to remain affiliated with RWA.
February 24, 2022 (Thursday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
A Conversation with RWA--members only
In advance of our vote on the question of disaffiliation, RWA chapter liaison (and RWA Board director-at-large) Louisa Cornell will meet with all interested members on a Zoom call to answer any questions and to discuss the disaffiliation question. RWA President Clair Brett has expressed an interest in this conversation and may be able to join us.
February 12, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
How to Raise the Stakes Without Killing Everyone
by Angela Ackerman
Characters, like people, are stubborn. Most prefer to stay in the good old comfort zone rather than face danger, failure, pain and worse. (The nerve!) To get them to act, we raise the stakes, removing all choice. So how do we do that without always threatening them with death? Get ready to fill your mental toolbox with ideas.
Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, (now an expanded second edition) and its many sequels. Her books are available in eight languages, are sourced by universities, recommended by agents and editors, and used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world.
Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative creativity portal for one-of-a-kind tools that give writers exactly what they need to craft unbelievably rich stories and characters. Stop by and give our free trial a spin...writing can be easier!
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/AAckerman
NOTE: THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED
February 8, 2022 (Tuesday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Writing Diversity: Some Things to Think About
by Tanya Boteju
continuing studies tanya “young adult author” shot on commercial drive
Books should reflect the world around us. But how do writers do that in a responsible, thoughtful way? This workshop will provide some important considerations and the space to discuss this complex and important topic. Participants should come with an open mind and a willingness to look inwardly at their writing practice.
TANYA BOTEJU is a teacher and writer living on unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC). Part-time, she teaches English to clever and sassy young people. The rest of her time, she writes and procrastinates from writing. Her novel, Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens (Simon & Schuster, 2019), was named a Top Ten Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association, as well as selected for the American Librarian Association 2020 Rainbow List. Her next YA novel, Bruised (Simon & Schuster, 2021), has been selected as a Gold Standard book by the Junior Library Guild. In both teaching and writing, she is committed to positive, diverse representation. Visit her at tanyaboteju.com.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/TBoteju
February 7, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome! PLEASE NOTE: This meeting has been cancelled as half the Board members will be unavailable. Please plan to attend the next meeting in March.
January 31, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Member Meeting
The Board will provide information on chapter disaffiliation, and members will be invited to share their thoughts. We'll be holding comments to a two-minute limit. THE MEMBER COMMENT PORTION OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE RECORDED; THE INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS IN THE ARCHIVE AFTER THE MEETING.
January 8, 2022 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
Brand Land: What Is an Author Brand and Why Readers Care
by Carol Van Den Hende, MBA
Marketing doesn’t have to be daunting. In this insightful session, Carol will demystify what it means to have an author brand, how it’s much more than a logo and web presence, and why it’s foundationally important to do the thinking behind what you want to stand for. We’ll discuss how to apply archetypes to define your unique brand and the components of an author’s brand framework. We’ll also walk through some real-life examples to show the importance of consistency in visual branding.
CAROL VAN DEN HENDE is the award-winning author of Goodbye, Orchid, a public speaker, and MBA with 20+ years’ experience in marketing, strategy and insights. Plus, she works in chocolate (there’s no ‘sweeter’ job!). Carol is passionate about simplifying marketing concepts into actionable steps that authors need for publishing success. She’s keynoted and presented at conferences like Writer’s Digest, NJ-SCBWI, NJRW, Rutgers Writers’ Conference, Sisters-in-Crime and Women Who Write. Please connect with Carol at carol.vandenhende.com/contact
This two-hour Saturday session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/CVanDenHende
January 5, 2021 (Wednesday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
An Intro to the Heroine's Journey
by Gail Carriger
We’ve all heard about the Hero’s Journey, but how often do we hear about the Heroine’s Journey?
Multiple NYT Bestseller and chronic writer of The Heroine’s Journey, Gail Carriger provides an introduction to what aspects of a heroine’s journey make for a compelling narrative and voracious readers, where these elements originate, why they’re successful, and how to write them.
Take control of story structure by delving behind the scenes for hidden messages. Learn hacks and tips to improve your writing and make it more commercially viable. Gain insight into under-studied narrative conventions and modern publishing markets.
Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with steampunk and urban fantasy (plus sexy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/GCarriger
NOTE: THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED
January 3, 2022 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
December 21, 2021 (Tuesday) 7:00-8:30 Eastern
ONLINE HOLIDAY PARTY
Members only, please!
December 11, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
How To Get Noticed in a Flooded Market
by Sylvia Hubbard
Five out-of-the-box ideas to help your author platform. Downloadable resources will be available for participants.
Award winning Detroit Author & Founder of Motown Writers, Sylvia Hubbard has independently published over 50 romance suspense books in the over 2 decades she's been in the literary business. As an avid blogger, podcaster, social media manager & digital strategist, Sylvia has received literary recognition for her literacy work, plus has had eight #1 Bestsellers. She is also a speaker, literary encouragement doula & busy mompreneur expert.
This two-hour Saturday session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/SHubbardWRW
December 6, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
December 2, 2021 (Thursday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
World-Building for Everyone
by Ava Cuvay
This workshop covers why world-building is important for all genres, provides basic ways to approach world-building, offers important items to keep in mind, and shares some “What to Avoids.” We'll have time for Q&A, and hopefully some interesting, maybe even life-changing, information.
Ava Cuvay is an award-winning bestselling author of sci-fi and paranormal romance featuring sassy heroines, gutsy heroes, passion, and adventure... often set in a galaxy far, far away. She lives in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder and kiddos who remind her daily that she’s not nearly as cool and hip as she thinks. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/ACuvay
November 29, 2021 (Monday) CHAT mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Breakout room topic: Do Friends and Family Support Your Writing?
Followed by three 20-minute writing sprints
Small-group break-out rooms allow members to meet and talk with others about the topics that unite us all. Tonight's topic ("Do Friends and Family Support Your Writing?") is a starting point; if your discussion goes in a different direction, roll with it! Each group will have a facilitator with questions to keep the conversation going if you need a boost.
Following the chat, WRW is hosting writing sprints. Leave your camera on and devote twenty minutes to nothing but your current work in progress. We'll take a few minutes between sprints to exchange gripes or cheers. Then you can do it again--and even again! We'll have three writing sprints after the chat. Come and go as you please--but if you stick, you'll be an hour closer to "The End!"
Don't have a WIP that you want to work on? We'll provide you with a writing prompt to keep your writing skills limber!
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members are not invited (although this might change for later chats and writing sprints).
November 16, 2021 (Tuesday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Marketing for Authors
by Yelena Casale
These days, writing a book is just a beginning for authors who want a serious writing career. Now authors need to be marketers, too. This mini-session will cover understanding and supporting your "brand," building a robust mailing list, establishing your website and social media presence, deciding on book release marketing options, and (for those who are traditionally published) the synergy of publisher and author marketing efforts. Plus we'll touch on Facebook, Amazon, and Pinterest ads.
YELENA CASALE, co-founder of City Owl Press, is a USA Today Bestselling Author and editor, who highly prizes quality and professionalism. She earned a Master of Science in Publishing from New York University and has always been interested in everything literature and publishing. Over the past decade, she has edited numerous fiction and non-fiction works, including novels, short stories, articles and business documentation for a variety of organizations, charities, and presses. She’s a highly experienced social media strategist and marketing expert. She is keen to share a wealth of knowledge with authors, bringing her editorial skills, expertise, and great enthusiasm to the mix. She loves strong urban fantasy and paranormal romance, as well as medieval, Renaissance and Native American historical romance. She’s currently also open to contemporary romantic suspense and sci-fi romance.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/YCasale
November 1, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
October 21, 2021 (Thursday) CHAT mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Breakout room topic: Impossible Dreams--Your Authorial Bucket List
Followed by three 20-minute writing sprints
Small-group break-out rooms allow members to meet and talk with others about the topics that unite us all. Tonight's topic ("Impossible Dreams--Your Authorial Bucket LIst") is a starting point; if your discussion goes in a different direction, roll with it! Each group will have a facilitator with questions to keep the conversation going if you need a boost.
Following the chat, WRW is hosting writing sprints. Leave your camera on and devote twenty minutes to nothing but your current work in progress. We'll take a few minutes between sprints to exchange gripes or cheers. Then you can do it again--and even again! We'll have three writing sprints after the chat. Come and go as you please--but if you stick, you'll be an hour closer to "The End!"
Don't have a WIP that you want to work on? We'll provide you with a writing prompt to keep your writing skills limber!
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members are not invited (although this might change for later chats and writing sprints).
October 9, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
Cracking the Facebook Algorithm
by Tara September
Tips to beat the Facebook algorithm to get more views and engagement.
• Social marketing ideas for authors
• Increasing your post reach
Besides being a hybrid/indie contemporary romance author, Tara is a Social Media Maven and former Communications & PR Manager for WWE, Disney, General Motors, Pepsi and more. Recipient of a PR News Platinum Award for best video program, and Public Relations Society of America winner for best one-time media or special event.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/TSeptember
October 5, 2021 (Tuesday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Writing Dazzling Dialogue: How to Make Your Dialogue Crisp, Credible, and Captivating
by Erin M. Brown
Our story’s dialogue can be a powerful tool that dynamically engages our reader – or a deadly weight to our story’s pace and power. What makes “good dialogue” and “bad dialogue”? How do we write great conversations on the page? And perhaps most importantly, what mistakes must we absolutely avoid, to make our dialogue smooth, easy, and believable? Come and learn Top Dialogue Assassins (what to avoid), three simple tricks to dynamic dialogue tags (“magical” must-haves), and how-to’s to make conversations “real,” captivating, and powerful – so readers engage with our story, stay in the story world, and become loyal readers who share our story with others.
Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA, is the author of 10 books (fiction, nonfiction, academic, children’s) and has been a professional writer/editor for 20+ years, helping authors master story writing through seminars, coaching, and dozens of online courses. She has been a university writing instructor two times and Lead Writing Curriculum developer for a third university, as well as developing multiple college writing curricula and programs. Erin has also judged numerous book and anthology contests and has been a first and second tier judge for the Vivians/Ritas. Coffee mug or espresso in hand and surrounded by her collies, Erin writes from Michigan. Visit authorerinmbrown.com for more.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/ESBrown
October 4, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
September 29, 2021 (Wednesday) CHAT mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Breakout room topic: Effects of the Pandemic on Your Writing
Followed by three 20-minute writing sprints
Small-group break-out rooms allow members to meet and talk with others about the topics that unite us all. Tonight's topic ("Effects of the Pandemic on Your Writing") is a starting point; if your discussion goes in a different direction, roll with it! Each group will have a facilitator with questions to keep the conversation going if you need a boost.
Following the chat, WRW is hosting writing sprints. Leave your camera on and devote twenty minutes to nothing but your current work in progress. We'll take a few minutes between sprints to exchange gripes or cheers. Then you can do it again--and even again! We'll have three writing sprints after the chat. Come and go as you please--but if you stick, you'll be an hour closer to "The End!"
Don't have a WIP that you want to work on? We'll provide you with a writing prompt to keep your writing skills limber!
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members are not invited (although this might change for later chats and writing sprints).
September 14, 2021 (Tuesday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Making the Leap from Five to Six Figures
by Ines Johnson
In this workshop, Ines Johnson will show you all the steps, including the ones that led to failure, on her eventual success in becoming a six figure independent author.
Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/IJohnson
September 11, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting will include two raffles--one for a $50 Visa gift card and a grand prize of a $200 Visa gift card. All members who attend will be entered into the drawing. (Sorry--this raffle is only for current members!)
At the Annual General Meeting, we'll be reviewing all the many benefits of membership, and providing break-out mini-chats for attendees (members and non-members alike) to answer two questions: What's keeping you from success in your author career? And how could WRW help you overcome those obstacles?
Plus we're inaugurating our ultra-short term program, "Writer to Writer," where members can be paired with each other to make a new friend and feel more like a part of the chapter. Email communications@washingtonromancewriters.com to be a part of this opportunity.
This Saturday program is free to all. Non-members will need an Eventbrite ticket (the cost is $0). The link to reserve a ticket is
September 6, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
August 23, 2021 (Monday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Introduction to Publishing
by K.S. Brooks
The different types of publishing will be covered, including traditional, vanity, predatory, assisted, and self-publishing. The class is designed to give writers an insight into the types of publishing available so they can make educated decisions on which method they would like to pursue while being aware of possible scams. A spotlight on self-publishing will include the production processes for two successful authors as well as the different platforms for publishing and distributing both eBooks and print books.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/KSBrooks
August 14, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
Amazon: Cracking the Code
by Keri-Rae Barnum
As an author, chances are good you’ve railed against Amazon at least once. From uploading files to figuring out HTML and navigating paid advertisement, publishing and selling books through Amazon is a process. And just when you think you’ve figured everything out, they go and change something on you. But, Amazon is responsible for roughly 50% of print book sales and 75% of eBook sales in the U.S. So, you don’t have to like Amazon, but you do have to figure out how to play nicely together. (And who’s to say you won’t fall in love along the way?)
In this session we will cover:
How to optimize your sales page on Amazon.
Why categories and ranking matter – and how to make the most of yours
Keywords – what they are, how to find them and what to do with them
Author Central – what it is and how to make the most of it
After this session you will have a deeper understanding of how Amazon works to sell your books, how to work with Amazon’s algorithms to naturally boost traffic to your sales page and how to use the tools available to you – both free and paid – to sell more books. Join us August 14th and learn to fall in love with all Amazon has to offer.
This two-hour session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $15. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly.KRBarnum
August 4, 2021 (Wednesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Author Websites: From Blah to Boss
By Nate Hoffelder
An author’s website is their online office and storefront, but it doesn’t have to be a stodgy one. In this session, you will learn how, with just a little work, you can rapidly transform your author website from blah to boss. A good website doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars; your site can be as simple as a single page and still present a professional face to reviewers and help you connect with fans. It all starts with knowing what you want to do, and why.
Note: This session will have time for a Q&A, so please bring your questions.
This mini-session is free for WRW members. Non-members can attend for $5. The Eventbrite link to buy tickets is https://bit.ly/NHoffelder
August 2, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - executive session; closed to members.
July 15, 2021 (Thursday) mini-session, 7:00-7:45pm Eastern
Scene and Sequel
by J. Keely Thrall
Folks throw the term "scene and sequel" around a lot, but what does it actually mean and how can it help our writing? In this mini-workshop, Keely Thrall breaks down the components of scene and sequel into building blocks and explains how knowing them can enhance both the drafting and revision processes.
Keely will deconstruct "January: Night One" and "January: Night Two" from WRW member Angelina Lopez's debut novel, Lush Money to show workshop attendees how Lopez' use of a tight scene and sequel structure powers the story forward.(Heat level warning: there's hot, open-door sex in this sample).
WRW members attend for free as a benefit of membership. All others are welcome to join this Zoom event for $5. The link to buy your ticket is https://bit.ly/JKThrall
July 10, 2021 Saturday program, 10am-noon Eastern
How to Analyze the Books You Read
By Susan Meier
Susan Meier wrote How to Analyze the Books You Read years BEFORE the indie revolution in publishing. The advice turned out to be prophetic. To get and stay published you must know where your book fits, OR how to make your book fit, OR how to please readers so much it doesn’t matter if it fits, OR how to write consistently to a publisher’s needs or a line’s specifications, OR what it takes to blaze new territory. Because publishing romances successfully typically involves tropes, we believe we’re only looking at story when we analyze, but a solid romance writer also understands what constitutes beautiful writing, great plotting and the importance of conflict. And a smart writer also wants to know how to do all that WITHOUT PLAGIARIZING. Analyzing is not copying! All of that seems like a tall order, but it really isn’t. It simply involves learning how to read between the lines of the books you’re reading to understand how to decide the direction you want your own books to take. We’ll talk for an hour and a half and have a half hour for questions. But, trust me, you’re going to be glad you heard all this. 😊
WRW members attend for free. All others are welcome to join this Zoom event for $15. The link to buy your ticket is https://bit.ly/WRWSMeier
June 22, 2021 (Tuesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Writer in Times of Stress: Dealing with Writer's Block and Accountability
By Meredith Bond
We are all dealing with an overload of stress these days, it's not surprising that it's affecting our writing too. Many authors have found relief through their writing, but what if you're not being able to focus? What if the words just won't come? Or somehow you simply find that you can't put yourself into that chair to even try? In this seminar, I'll go over all the different techniques you can use get back to work. Together we can work on getting you back to where you want to be--with your fingers on the keyboard and your characters and their stories living again.
June 12 and 13, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) Two-day workshop
Crafting a Great Romance
By Eliza Peake
June 9, 2021 (Wednesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
The Feeling Arc: A tool for using character emotion to guide your story
By Lynda Sandoval
Join multipublished author and romance editor Lynda Sandoval to learn a new tool for keeping your story on track. During one particularly difficult revision, Lynda had an epiphany. When she nailed her character emotion, everything else fell into place: the middle no longer sagged, the conflict sang, and the ending provided the appropriate amount of “Ahhhhh.” So she started tracking her main character’s emotions in an arc format, which would tell her exactly where she veered off track. This is best used as a revision tool, which is Lynda’s favorite part of writing--more so since she became an editor!
May 26, 2021 (Wednesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Layer Your Story With Purpose
By JT Bock
Anton Chekhov was a master of short fiction. When crafting his stories, he removed anything irrelevant from the scene and left only that which served a purpose later in the story—a technique now called Chekhov’s Gun. Using examples from popular movies, we’ll see this tactic in action, understand how it works, and learn how to apply it and create a deeper connection to our readers. This tool is easy to use and will add another layer to your conflict and help bring your plot full circle for a satisfying ending.
May 11, 2021 (Tuesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
No Fear: Set Up Your Files to SERVE YOU
By Heather Maddix and Glori Medina
If your writing program overwhelms you--if you're uncertain about Track Changes--if you have the nagging suspicion that things could be running more cleanly in Word or Scrivener, you need Heather Maddix and Glori Medina! More information to come on this mini-session.
April 10 and 11, 2021 VIRTUAL Retreat
All the info you need! https://washingtonromancewriters.com/retreat/
April 5, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
March 25, 2021 (Thursday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00-7:45 pm
YOU Choose the Topic
Overseen by Pru Warren
Select your level to determine your discussion topics (not yet published, published, published with a large catalog) and then join a handful of others in a facilitated Zoom group with conversation starters. A chance to be social, maybe make new friends, share information, focus on what fascinates you (and has really begun to bore the rest of your family!) along with the people who absolutely share your interests. Pre-event sign-up required; more information to come.
March 13, 2021 (Saturday) 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Six Foundational Elements of Romance Fiction
By Jessica Snyder
Master the structural elements of character-driven fiction to write romance novels that readers love.
This course teaches romance fiction from a structural standpoint. You'll learn about goal, motivation, and conflict, which are the cornerstones of fiction writing. But then we dive deeper to cover character arcs, flaws, and stakes, which are vital in character-driven stories like romance. You'll understand how each element hinges on the others to build the infrastructure of your story and you'll gain the confidence to utilize these elements to improve your own books.
March 9, 2021 (Tuesday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00-7:45 pm
Tips and Tricks for Writing a Series
By Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, and Mandy Roth
A trio of hugely-popular and best-selling authors comes together to discuss some of their tried and true tips for writing a romance series. They'll share some of the mistakes they've made in the past and now avoid. A "Must Attend" event! PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED.
March 1, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
February 22, 2021 (Monday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
Balance Is an Active Verb
by Keely Thrall
Join long-time WRW member J. Keely Thrall for an enthralling dive into time management (<wink>). We’ll take a look at our personal biospheres and examine how little changes in habit can add up to big rewards. It all starts with understanding not just who you are, but how and where you are. (And heck, let’s throw in why you are, too. Knowing why you write is no small thing.)
This presentation draws on the work of James Clear’s Atomic Habits, Becca Syme’s Write Better Faster Academy, and a slew of personality assessments from Gallup’s CliftonStrengths (also known as StrengthFinders) and Myers-Briggs to DISC and Gretchen Rubin’s the Four Tendencies quiz.
February 13, 2021 (Saturday) 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
A Crash Course in Online Advertising for Authors
By Laurie Cooper
Join Laurie from the Pub-Craft Team as she teaches you how to execute an effective promo push, including how to easily book ads online, cultivate your own network of useful contacts, use social media as a powerful promo tool, and engage in effective and affordable outreach and promotion.
Laurie has worked with hundreds of authors since the start of her boutique digital marketing agency in 2013, as well as helped 100+ authors hit the NYT and USA Today bestselling lists. Now, she’s here to teach you everything you need to super-boost your online promo power in a special intensive webinar:
How To Book Ads Online: Learn the basics of online advertising PLUS how you can prepare yourself to book ads like a pro.
How To Create Your Network Of Contacts: Learn how to start connecting with bloggers, readers, AND reviewers to build your network.
How To Affordably Promote Your Work: Learn three steps for effective and affordable outreach and promotion. You can do this!
This workshop will be presented online with dedicated time for Q&A. The speaker plans to respond to the specific concerns of the attendees ad spend a portion of the workshop answering questions. Ask any unanswered questions in Pub-Craft’s private FB group, #AskPubCraft www.facebook.com/groups/askpubcraft
February 9, 2021 (Tuesday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
39 Passwords: A Beginner "Self"-Publishes Her Novel
by Pru Warren
A nuts-and-bolts session for beginners interested in self-publishing. I’ll go over the shockingly large number of accounts needed to launch a career as a self-published author (39 so far!), and note the team of TWO DOZEN PEOPLE who helped to bring one small book into reality. Maybe by looking at what I did, you can do it more efficiently!
February 1, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
January 25, 2021 (Monday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
The Legacy Kit: Prepping for Success and Beyond
by Jean Marie Ward
An overview of the SFWA Legacy Kit, which is designed to help writers safeguard their success and secure their literary legacy for their loved ones.
January 9, 2021 (Saturday) 10:00 am – noon
How to Pitch and Work with an Agent
by LaToya C. Smith
With almost twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, Latoya will share with you the tools you'll need to successfully partner with the right literary agent.
January 7, 2021 (Thursday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
The Author Audit
by Tracee Lydia Garner
It's a brand new year. Let's audit your author career! I know that sounds painful, but it means more efficiency, more clarity, maybe even more time saving, money saving and better earning strategy. Sound good now? In this session, I'll quickly overview how to get your goals straight for your publishing career path, offer tools for increased efficiency, and help you make a plan to move it!
January 4, 2021 (Monday), 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
December 12, 2020 (Saturday), 10am – noon
Join us for our annual holiday party; taking place in the virtual world this year! Games, giggles, and a fun and potentially profitable auction. All are welcome--but register early, as Zoom space is limited! https://bit.ly/3q3rgyH
December 7, 2020 (Monday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
Exercise Away Your Writer’s Block Demons
By Christi Barth
December 7, 2020 (Monday) 8:00 – 9:00 pm
After Christi's session, stay for the Board Meeting - all members welcome!
November 18, 2020 (Wednesday) Evening Mini-session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Promotions, Marketing, and What Now?
By Heather Roberts and Veronica Adams
Heather Roberts and Veronica Adams of Elle Woods PR will give their thoughts on the current market, where the sales are coming from right now, promotions and marketing concepts to focus on and what you should be doing to maximize your brand.
November 14, 2020 (Saturday) 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
A Better Way to Get Romantic Tension On Every Page
By Angie Hodapp
Conventional writing wisdom tells us we need to build scenes around goal and conflict. But the best scenes are really about change: what knowledge, skills, or resources do your characters have at the end of each scene that they didn’t have at the beginning, or vice versa? In this workshop, we’ll look at a new way to craft tension-packed scenes not in terms of goal and conflict, but in terms of change. We’ll learn to set up intriguing power dynamics between the characters in the scene (or between a lone character and their setting or situation) and let those dynamics guide the various ways the scene might unfold. And, because we're romance writers, we'll look specifically at what it takes to develop two protagonists and their emotional journey scene-by-scene. Finally, we'll look at how using the change-driven model of scene development can be a great approach to plotting and revision.
November 2, 2020 (Monday), 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Board Meeting - all members welcome!
October 25, 2020 (Sunday) 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Managing Author IP in the Digital Age
By Ethan Ellenberg
Digital Media has created opportunities and power for authors and other creatives that were unthinkable 20 (and even 10) years ago. The rise of audiobooks, a mature eBook market, a global market of readers, and social media that can connect it all together has shifted the power dynamics in the publishing industry.
With copyright giving authors exclusive rights to their work for their entire life plus 70 years, authors ought to think carefully about how to manage their intellectual property as they age and how they handle their now very valuable estates.
In this talk, I will use my experience s a long time agent to share tips, strategies, and tools that can help you manage these exciting but challenging developments.
October 22, 2020 (Thursday) Evening Mini-Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
What To Do When You Stop Believing In Your Own Characters
By Kathleen Gilles Seidel
Readers may select a book because of the meme, but they remember it for the characters. Will your characters be the ones that they remember?
October 10, 2020 (Saturday) 10:00am - 12:00 pm
Seamlessly Weaving In Backstory (Without Stalling Out Your Story)
By TIffany Yates
Your characters don’t just spring to life fully formed at the beginning of your story. Ideally, if you’ve developed them fully, they are “real,” three-dimensional people with complex backstories and experiences that have shaped who they are at your story’s “point A,” and inform the journey they take in your manuscript. Yet how can you fluidly weave all that depth and complexity into your story without stalling pace and story momentum by getting bogged down in info dumps, flashbacks, or just too much exposition? In this two-hour webinar, learn practical techniques for developing and revealing who your characters were and are without slowing down the story of where they’re going.
October 5, 2020 (Monday) Evening Board Meeting, 8:00 - 9:00 pm
After Merry's session, the WRW Board will meet for their monthly meeting. All members are welcome to join.
October 5, 2020 (Monday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Self-Publishing: Easy as ABC
By Meredith Bond
You know that you want to self-publish your book. All of your friends are publishing theirs and they make it seem so easy. Well, it is and you're going to learn how in this super-quick walk-through of how to self-publish your own book.
This course will walk you through every step involved in self-publishing your finished novel. From "I just typed 'the end', what do I do next?" to how you're going to let the world know what you've done (marketing), we'll cover exactly how you get your book out into the world. This 45-minute session is a variation on a ten-day detailed course I teach periodically at Savvy Authors and other RWA chapters.
September 23, 2020 (Wednesday) Evening Mini Session, 7:00 – 7:45 pm
Authors Helping Authors: Co-operative Marketing and Promotion
By Mindy Klasky
Multi-published author and WRW member Mindy Klasky will outline the various group promotions and highlight what used to work, what’s working now, and what we hope will work in the future. Models include small boxed sets, large boxed sets, a formally incorporated publishing co-op, a less formal publishing co-op, an online writers’ group of 100 authors focusing on career angst, an online writers group of 50 authors focusing on one specific (non-romance) genre, and a pseudo-imprint that brings together multiple authors with Harlequin-reverted titles. At the end, Mindy will host a short brainstorming session and answer questions about other possible co-operative promotion models.
September 12, 2020 - Annual General Meeting
Time: September 12, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Where: Zoom or Web Ex; to be determined
WRW is at a moment of transition. Your participation and enthusiasm can lift us up and help us create a network of fellow authors who can support and encourage each other on our quest for the Happily Ever After. Please plan to attend the Annual General Meeting to hear from your new board about our goals and hopes for the coming year. Results will be reported from the August general membership survey.
Following the Annual General meeting, please stay with us to take part in a valuable workshop:
August 3, 2020 Board Meeting
Time: August 3, 2020 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Where: Zoom or Web Ex; to be determined
All members are invited to attend the Board meetings. To ensure you receive the online link, please send an email to president-elect@washingtonromancewriters.com
June 6, 2020 Meeting
Topic: Jessica Snyder Presents 10 Editing Hacks.
Time: Jun 6, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Where: Zoom
Meeting information, please check your email from WRW through the RWA loops or message WRW thru our Facebook Page.
Jessica Synder is a full-time corporate recruiter and a US Army veteran with both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Intelligence Studies (like spies and military intelligence, not learning and psychology). She has a dog, likes to bake things that are very difficult and often French, and she's left the US every year since 1995 (except 1997). Jessica founded JessicaSynderEdits and loves helping authors understand the infrastructure of story - GMC, beats, three-act structure, character arc and all those other terms that writers and editors casually toss around but which may be terribly confusing still.
March 14, 2020 Meeting
March Meeting - Saturday, March 14, 2020.
Time: 10am - 3pm
Location:
Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20815
Panel: Siera London, Reana Malori and Xyla Turner
Topic: “Self Publishing and Building a Series that Sells"
February 8, 2020 Meeting
Washington Romance Writers - February Meeting
Saturday, February 8th, 2020.
Time: 10am - 3pm
Speaker: Kathryn Johnson
Topic: “How to Write a Lot…and Still Have a Life.”
This program is based on the 8-week course (The Extreme Novelist) offered at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Students learn the many ways they can make time in even the busiest life to write daily, establish a writing “habit” and complete a rough draft of a full novel in 8-10 weeks. The text by the same name that is used for that course will also be available for sale during the program. The tried-and-true tips and tricks Kathryn shares with other writers have enable dozens of authors, whether novice or experienced, to be more productive and learn to work to completion—even under challenging conditions.
Kathryn Johnson (aka Mary Hart Perry and Kathryn Jensen) is the author of over 40 traditionally published novels. She has been nominated for the Agatha Award, and is a winner of the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards. In addition to teaching at The Writer’s Center, she designs and produces writing courses for The Smithsonian. She is the founder of a writer's coaching and editorial service: https://KathrynJohnsonLLC.com with clients throughout the U.S.
Location:
Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, MD 20815
Romance Appreciation Lunch
5th Annual Hearts to You
Readers, Bloggers, Librarians, and Lovers of Romance Appreciation Event
When: February 16, 12 to 3 pm
Where: Maggiano’s at Tysons Corner Galleria (on Metro Sliver Line)
Join over 20 Washington Romance authors for an intimate lunch full of fun games, prizes, and much more! Find out how they come up with story ideas, develop characters, and get inspired for those steamy scenes as we celebrate romance writing with the people that make it all possible – you!
Last event sold out – Limited author registration
If you want to attend as an author:
– Get exposure to over 100 readers, bloggers, and librarians
– Meet and talk to 24 guests during a progressive 3-course lunch
– Name, links, and book highlights in program and in some advertisments
– Author donates 10 books
– Feel free to bring swag to add to gift bags
– Bring one gift basket for raffle
If you want to attend as a guest:
– Sign-up as a reader
– All WRW and RWA members are welcome to attend as guests
Cost:
– Readers/Bloggers/Librarians: $35
– WRW Authors: $55
– RWA Authors: $65
Cost includes a three-course lunch, non-alcoholic drinks, raffle tickets, swag bag, and door prizes. Alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase.
Any questions: Email lexifairfax1@gmail.com or heather.maddix19@gmail.com
