The inside scene at a romance writers conference

One of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Peters, wrote a murder mystery set at a romance writers convention. Die For Love is a tongue-in-cheek, hilarious poke at the business with a good, solid mystery behind it. It stars one of her regular heroines, Jacqueline Kirby, a sexy, red-headed librarian who decides to write a romance novel and attends the conference for a write-off.

However, Ms. Peters, who, while she writes some of the absolute most romantic books (and my very very all-time-favorite book), isn't a romance writer...and she got a few things wrong.

First of all, the book was written in the '70s, during the time our industry was known for writing those infamous bodice-rippers.

And secondly, ours is a conference, not a convention--the difference being the conference is for those in the industry (writers, agents, editors); while a convention is for the fans of the industry and is open to readers as well. (Romantic Times has a convention every year, and although I haven't attended, I'm thinking there might be more pink and lace and tulle there. Definitely more cover models.)

Here's the inside scoop at a romance writers' conference...

Things you might experience:

• All the ladies' rooms turned into mens' rooms. (Check the signage, though, before you blast in, 'cause they usually leave one or two in the hotel for the guys.)
• All the hotel bars filled with imbibing romance writers, agents, and editors from the time they open till the time they close.
• A special table set up in the conference area for attendees to ship home boxes of free books they received at the conference.
• Little to no eye contact on first approach to a new person--instead, everyone is looking at boob-height to see what your badge says (who you are, whether you're published, if you've made your first sale or are a Golden Heart or RITA finalist, etc.)

Things you won't experience at the conference:

• Lots of women dressed in flowing caftans with boas, glittering jewelry, and/or gloves.
• Lots of pink.
• Bunting, tulle, lace, satin, feathers, etc. No, no, no. Only in the workshop sessions focusing on historical costume, thankyouverymuch.
• Clouds of perfume. (No one wears it, because, can you imagine 2000 women enclosed in small rooms, elevators, bars, and even ballrooms, each wearing a different scent?)
  
• Fabio, or his successors.

(Damn.)

The inside scene at a romance writers conference

http://colleengleason.blogspot.com/2006/07/inside-scene-at-romance-writers.html