Thank You to the Generous Sponsors of Clayton's

Yes, I know I was supposed to do this last week, but I’m a slack butt. Ask anyone they will tell you. Anyway, let’s move on. Last week I told you about the lovely women that donated their time to chat and run workshops for the Clayton’s Conference, this week I’m going to tell you about the wonder women that donated prizes for our contests, challenges and goodie bags.
First off, I’d like to thank Rachel Bailey and Bronwyn Jameson for posting notices in the RWA Heart Talks magazine and rallying the authors via the published authors loop. Bronwyn has continued to help me out over the last few months. Click on the books for links to the author's sites.

A Big Thank you to:

Please visit the sites and if possible support our sponsors by buying their latest book or novel. Also Wagtail Cottage for their support.

Thank you everyone once again for your support.

Sandie

Clayton's Conference 2009

RWAustralia Clayton’s Conference is over for another year. We had a lot of fun with the Inaugural Clayton’s Conference Awards. Some really great entries in all categories, as well as the weekend writing challenges. You all know how much I love writing challenges. LOL. So goodie bags are packed ready to send out, just need to print off Our Sponsor’s Information leaflet to go with each bag and I’m finished until next year.

On the writing front, not a lot has happened. ‘Robin Hood and His Merry Maid’ has been released by Kiwi Writers. I’d like to expand on this one, but I’m thinking instead of this short story being the last in the series, I’ll make it the first, which is why Robin goes on his lustful journey. All I need to do is keep it a bay long enough so I can get my editing done. I may write ‘Robin’s Adventures’ for NaNoWriMo this year. I have just over two months to get my act together.

Tannia Franklin did a ‘Time Management’ workshop with us over the weekend, I think I need to get some of that happening. Thanks Tannia. I’d also like to thank: Anne Whitfield, Zana Bell, Joanna Challis, Heather Brown, Rhian Cahill, Diane Curran and Valerie Parv, for taking the time to hold workshops and chats we us over the Clayton’s weekend. I also have a mile of people to thank for donations, I’ll do that tomorrow.

Okay, I’m off favourite son-in-law has just arrived. See ya.
Sandie

Clayton's Conference & Other Things

I know it may seem like I've been AWOL but I can assure you I've been busy. Busy working on getting things organized for the RWAustralia Clayton's Conference. It is shaping up to be a big one this year. We have writing challenges organised and we're going to have an awards night on the Saturday to coincided with the National Awards night. Rhian Cahill is helping out again plus we have our other partner in crime Diane Curran, how lucky am I?

Now I do have other news, my short story 'Robin and His Merry Maids' will be released in the Kiwi Writers Challenge Collection shortly. Very excited about that one.

I'm still editing, think I'll be doing that for a few months. Not sure if I'll be finished the editing in time to start a new story for NaNoWriMo this year, but I'm thinking if I want to get into the submitting thing, I'd better get the editing sorted.

What do you think of my new header? Yes I've had a do over with my blogs and Website I like this one, it's simple.

Right now, I'm off to bed, seeing it is 1 am. Catch ya next time.
Sandie

June Ends, July Starts

I’ve been slack AGAIN, and I’m not even going to try and say it’s because I’ve been writing and editing up a storm because that would be a half truth. I have been writing and editing but not near enough to reach my goals this month. The other half I’ve been procrastinating, mostly because my stupid computer has had major Male moments. Yes, poor excuse I know.

Anyway the month is over and I need to focus on moving forward. This morning I had a light bulb moment. I’ve been doing my reviews and thinking this is NOT working! Why? I don’t have enough conflict. I’ve also been going back over my notes from Bootcamp, which is why I had the light bulb moment. My conflict between my hero and heroine is wishy washy, dull, poring, bloody pitiful really. Aren’t I lucky July is editing month, as well as August and September, and the way things are looking so will October. Here’s my plan, I have the stories written. That’s a good start, now I’m going to go over each sentence, paragraph, page and chapter pulling them apart and putting them back together. I’ll make a list of the conflicts I have and how to improve them. Even the seven chapters I’ve already edited are getting another going over. WHO the hell said writing was easy?

In other news my new reviews for Fallen Angel Reviews are up on my review site. The Clayton’s Conference is coming together, hoping to have that sorted well in advance of time. I got the judges score sheets from the Valerie Parv Contest and my scores were much the same

as other judges so that was good. I’ve joined a group that is working their way through Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel workbook, now this I’m looking forward to, it should help me with my conflict problems. Oh and I got my books from Amazon that I ordered, so excited. I also bought a couple of books from Borders the other day, yes I’ve well and truly used up my book budget for the next few months, except for the Margie Lawson course I’m going to get. All I need is time to read them all.

Okay sitting here chatting like this is not going to get anything done. I’ll be BACK.

Happy writing.
Sandie

Clayton's Conference and Other Things

Heaven’s has it been that long since I did a post. What a slack butt I am. I’ve been busy with writing, editing and family. Plus RC and I ran this year’s Clayton’s Conference. That was a lot of fun we had some great workshops and chats. The feedback was positive which was a relief; it’s always hard to take on a project someone else has worked on for a number of years. So when Julie-Ann asked if I would be willing to run this years Clayton's I was a little nervous, but thought "If I don't give it a go I'd kick myself." Of course then I asked RC if she wanted to come play as well. Thank you Julie-Ann for allowing us to watch over your baby this year.

We had a ‘Novella Workshops’ by Shiloh Walker, ‘Ask the Author Anything’ with the talented Allison Rushby very interesting. It was wonderful of Allison to take time away from her family to chat with us. RC did a workshop on ‘Sensory Overload’, that had us all thinking and was a great lead into Sunday evening. Laney Cairo’s “Mechanical Sex’ was fantastic; we had a great time over all.

I’d like to take the time to thank all our sponsors for donation of their time and prizes, without these people the weekend would not have been such a great success. I hope you’ll go and visit their sites (just click on their names) and learn a little about these talented women. Allison Rushby, multi-published author of Adult and Young Adult. Anna Campbell , author of dark, sexy regency historical romance. Anne Whitfield, multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. Annie West, Annie writes, Presents and Modern romance. Elisabeth Rose, has her second novel with Avalon due for release in October. Janet Woods, Janet’s 22nd novel will be published in 2009. Laney Cairo, is a multi-published author of erotic romance. N.J. Walters, has over 30 novels published in romance and erotic romance. Rhian Cahill, now this is an author’s name to remember, Rhian writes erotic romance and it is only a matter of time before she hits it big. Shiloh Walker, Shiloh is a multi-published author with Berkley, Ellora's Cave and Samhain Publishing.


I have some great news from the Melbourne conference. Diane Curran got a request for a partial how cool is that? Go over to Diane’s blog and have a look. There were a few girls that got ‘The Call’ or request for partial’s or full manuscripts. Congratulations to all.


My writing is coming along slowly at the moment. Had four more ideas jump into my head the other day. I’ve jotted them down and I’m trying very hard to stop them from moving into the ‘Head City Motel’ I really need to empty some rooms up there.


I also did a couple of on line workshops, they were fun. One was about time management. Let’s face it; I need to get into a route. The fact that I haven’t posted here for so long is a sure sign of that let alone my other blogs. As for Facebook, well lord only knows how many applications I’ll have over there. But now I have my trusty time manage techniques and I’ll be able to do all the things I need to do and a well organised manner. (She’s says crossing her fingers).


I have a new challenge coming up soon. ‘From Start to Published’ yep, this is a big one. Twelve months, twelve months to write edit and submit a novel. Okay I have a few I’m working on now to get ready to submit and enter a few contests. But the one for FSTP is my historical novel. The research that I’ve been doing, oh and the cool sites I’ve been playing at, I’ve had a blast. Come November 1, I’ll be ready to rock and roll with my novel, I hope.


Alright I need to go and get some housework done so I can get back into my writing. I have contests to enter, query letters to send off and manuscripts to research, start, finish or edit. The life or a writer is never done. When one motel door closes another opens.

Hugs
Sandie