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Reflections on the Winter Writing Festival
 Posted by Elisa Beatty Mar 4 2011, 12:01 am in inspiration, motivation, Winter Writing Festival Yes, the Festival is over–so most of our Fridays will return to Free-for-All Friday format. On Free-for-All Fridays, anybody out there can ask a burning question (relating to writing, publishing, or romance, we mean…though we’ll do our best with your tax questions and trying to determine the latest whereabouts of Elvis). Of course, we usually kick things off with a question of our own. Since we just wound up the FIRST EVER Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival on Monday—and those of us who participated have had a few days to catch our breath—I thought I’d start us off with some questions about your Festival experience: -What parts worked best for you? -What might have helped you get more out of it? -What did you learn about yourself as a writer (or about your writing habits) that you’ll carry forward from here? -Are you taking part in any other writing challenges going forward (NaNoEdMo, anyone??) -And most importantly, ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN US FOR THE FESTIVAL AGAIN NEXT YEAR?? Jump right in…thanks to those still-simmering Ruby Torch embers, the water’s warm !! Share:
              
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I loved everything about the festival. It was all great except for the little defective ding in the chat room. I’m sure you all know what I’m takling about. I will SO be coming back next year. So here’s my question (I am aware some Rubies will want to stragnle me for asking this but… its still on my mind, eating at me): does a degree in literature really do anything to improve or help a romance writing career at all? In any way? Or does it harm it instead?
Great question, Tia!! I can actually speak to that because (*blush*) I have pretty much every kind of literature degree there is: a BA in English, an MA in Creative Writing, and a Ph.D. in English Lit. I never intended to do all that–I wanted to be a writer even as a kid. But I loved the study, I loved the immersion in language, and it turns out I fell in love with teaching.
Has it made it harder or easier for me to move into a romance writing career? Well, I spent YEARS getting those degrees (and don’t even get me started on how overwhelmingly busy teachers are!) So from a practical standpoint, it put off my decision to really focus on romance writing until quite (ahem) late in the game. And with all the time I spend on my students, I don’t have a lot of free time for writing.
I’d guess most published romance writers don’t have literature degrees (though there are probably a good many college English majors out there), so a lit degree certainly isn’t a *necessity* for a romance writer, and it ain’t no union card.
On the other hand, I don’t regret a minute of what I’ve done. I think differently, read differently, write differently as a result. I can’t imagine my brain without all the things I’ve been through. I’m not exactly moving *quickly* with my romance career, but I’m glad I’m where I am.
I’d say it all depends on whether or not you **CRAVE** the study of literature. If so, go for it. There are many things you can do with an English degree (good writing skills are valuable in many ways), and find some way to combine money-making with your burgeoning writing career.
I agree with Elisa, Tia. It depends on what your ultimate goals are. On one hand, you get an MFA in writing or an MA in literature (or higher) and you can teach at a college or university which might be nice and/or come in handy.
Statistically, only about 5-10% of writers make enough money with their writing to quit their day jobs, so this is something to consider.
On the other, you will be putting off focusing on getting published, most likely. Will that degree matter to an agent or editor who loves your book? No. It won’t. They will buy the book based on the book and probably won’t think twice about your education.
So, it depends on what you want in the long run. Since I know where this is coming from, I will say that an education will certainly not hurt. You will learn things in college you never dreamed. You will pick up plot points in sociology and history. You will come up with the perfect murder from something a teacher says offhandedly. You will learn to analyze the whys and hows of romance, personality, need, desire… in ways you never imagined. I think college as a whole is most definitely worth it. Will it help you get published? Probably not, at least not directly.
A lot of writers dis creative writing programs in colleges, insisting that they suck the soul out of the story. They all want to produce mainstream literary writers. I can promise you this: depending on the program and college, your professors will most likely NOT look on romance kindly. It is still the red-headed step child of the literary world.
But if you go in knowing that and are prepared to deal with that attitude, then you should be fine. I would still love to get my MFA in writing, just to do it.
Good luck, beautiful girl!
~D~
Oh, I realized I have a question!!
Through the Smart Bitches newsletter, I heard about their Dabwaha (a sort of March Madness for romance readers), but I’m kinda clueless about how it works.
Anybody understand it? (Or know what dabwaha even stands for??)
For the life of me, I can’t remember what the acronym stands for (and I couldn’t find it after a cursory look at the webiste) but http://dabwaha.com for 2011 is UP.
The brackets (books in competition) are still being finalized, category by category. Once the full list of 64 books is chosen (8 books in 8 categories) you enter the contest and fill out your brackets via the website, ultimately choosing which book you think should or will be named the favorite for the whole contest.
For each contest pairing, books compete head to head, with bracketologists voting for which book they like more of each pairing. The “winners” move on, having won “their game” much like the NCAA Basketball March Madness upon which DABWAHA is based. They then compete in the next pairing, and so on, and so on.
How to Play and FAQ info is available at http://dabwaha.com/. It’s a blast.
I haven’t done it in a couple of years, Elisa, so it might have changed…but I think it was just a matter of registering, making your picks in each bracket, and voting. Surely somebody out there knows more about this than I do!
It’s the voting part I’m trying to figure out. Has the voting started yet?
No, the voting hasn’t started yet – (My initial response got snagged by moderation, so I’ll try to repost it here…)
For the life of me, I can’t remember what the acronym stands for (and I couldn’t find it after a cursory look at the website) but dabwaha(dot)com for 2011 is UP.
The brackets (books in competition) are still being finalized, category by category. Once the full list of 64 books is chosen (8 books in 8 categories) you enter the contest and fill out your brackets via the website, ultimately choosing which book you think should or will be named the favorite for the whole contest.
For each contest pairing, books compete head to head, with bracketologists voting for which book they like more of each pairing. The “winners” move on, having won “their game” much like the NCAA Basketball March Madness upon which DABWAHA is based. They then compete in the next pairing, and so on, and so on.
How to Play and FAQ info is available at dabwaha(dot)com. It’s a blast.
Bless you, Tammy!!
There’s really a NaNoEdMo? Sounds like a challenge I can sink my teeth into!
I loved everything about the RSSWWF, especially the part about setting my own (easily attainable) goals. It helped these bleak, winter months seem a little less blah.
And I did get a lot done, both editing finished MSs and new words on my WIP.
You know I’ll be back next year. What was it one of you said? Being an honorary Ruby (until I get a GH class of my own) is like being in the Mafia — I’m in for life.
Even after you have your own class, Arlene. And don’t you forget it!
In for life…absolutely!
And, yes, there IS a NaNoEdMo. It’s not run by the NaNoWriMo people, but has their blessing. It runs all through March, and the commitment is to do 50 hours of revision during the month.
You can sign up at nanoedmo.net.
I still find myself hitting the WWF link to look for my morning’s inspirational quote. Those were fabulous, Elisa. Thanks to you and all the Sisters who contributed to that wonderful bit of whip-cracking.
Me too!!! It’s so sad-looking without a schedule of upcoming writing sprints, or motivational quotes. Makes me a tad sniffly…
Same here, Gwyn & Eileen! When I sit down to write at night, I keep wanting to click over there and join in a sprint. My desk seems a little lonely now!
Eileen, congrats on your Marlene final! I saw the announcement on our chapter loop today and was like, hey, I know her!
WOOT!!!!
Thanks! I’m thrilled to say the least!
I absolutely loved the WWF. The sprints were great and I got more writing done during the sprints then I have in quite a while. Wish I could have made more of them. I can’t wait for next year to be a part of it again.
Thanks, Emma! Those sprints *were* fabulous!
We’re hoping we can set some up on our regular site before too long…I know I miss them!!
I definitely am missing them, and all the great people that were in there. It’s great accountability, and always so much more fun writing with a group, with chatting in between.
The WWF was awesome. It really helped me focus on my writing in a tangible way. I will most definately be back next year.
Hurray, Kristina! Glad you’ll be back for more!
My thoughts exactly.
49 days seemed sooooo long, but ended up over before I knew it.
So true, Kelly, and February whipped by—not that I’m complaining because it usually crawls, and I’m longing for spring.
You know, it WAS actually 50 days. I miscounted when I was first working up the schedule (*doh*). I realized it later as I was writing the day #s for the Brag Blog posts. Oops. I am really, really bad with anything related to time.
That must be why it seemed like a long 49 days to Kelly.
LOL
Yeah….and then on Feb 25 I managed to post a Facebook message that it was “just ten days until Golden Heart and Rita announcements!” My BRAIN thought I was writing “just one month,” but my fingers apparently had been drinking heavily. I panicked several people.
For me, the sprints *made* the Festival. It was like having “appointment writing,” and forced me to get my BICHOK at a certain time of day (mostly on the weekends.) And then the camaraderie, support, brainstorming and just plain silliness made it oh-so-enjoyable.
I miss ya, ladies! What’ll I do tomorrow morning?!
I am doing NaNoEdMo, but it doesn’t have the flair or life that the RSSWFF had. *sniff*
I know! I was really getting into the groove of early morning Saturday and Sunday writing!! (Not that it won’t be nice to sleep in tomorrow!)
I’ll miss my weekend sprint buddies, too! For me it was late afternoon so I made sure to get all my housework out of the way before chatting…I mean, writing.
Hmm…an incentive to get housework done. I didn’t think of that! (And you can tell if you look at my house….)
I loved everything about the WWF, even though events in my personal and writing life got in the way of my taking advantage of everything that was offered. My favorite part was the fact that I got to set my own goals. But the chat room was enormously helpful one evening when I was able to solve the fashion disasters that are a couple of my characters. So, thanks Ruby Sisters, for the fashion advice.
Didn’t time just FLY in the Chat Room? I used weekend chats to write blog entries for TASTE ME’s blog tour, and the 20-minute sprints were just perfect. I also enjoyed sprinting in the company of young and old(er) writers alike (I think Tia is corrupted for life!), and writers based in other countries.
It’s a small world.
First, let me say that I am definitely planning on participating in the WWF next year. I’m already looking forward to it. I live in a part of the country that can be pretty dreary during January and February and the WWF was a fun way to make those months seem to pass by faster. And not just fun, but productive, too. : ) I enjoyed the writing sprints I did; I just wish I had tried them out sooner. One of my favorite things about the WWF – the flexibility. I prefer to set my own goals that better reflect my needs.
Thanks Rubies for all the effort you put into the WWF. Great job!!
Thanks, Kate!!
Kate, did you get my email telling you you were one of the swag winners for the Finale day???
You’re our first place winner, so I need to hear from you to distribute the rest of the prizes.
Elisa,
No, I did not get an e-mail.
Ouch…I thought I used the right address. I’ll try again, or you can email me at eliseam at aol.com.
I loved the WWF. At first thought it might last too long, but it was actually perfect. I was really working hard at the end and was sad for it to finish.
I’m glad you’re looking into ways of having sprints on the site. They made my week! And my word count!
Now I look forward to the Golden Heart countdown. I couldn’t appreciate it last year because of a family member being diagnosed with cancer and needing lots of support. She seems to be cancer-free and healthy now, so I’m in a celebrating mood!
Thanks again to everyone who put so much effort into the WWF. The community you guys have built is amazing and I’m so happy to be part of it.
Wonderful news on your family member’s recovery!!! I hope you’ll hear some good news on March 25, too!!!
I’m a bit late, but I wanted to say how much I enjoyed this festival. Loved the chats. I so appreciate those of you who went above and beyond to make this thing happen. It truly was a worthwhile endeavor and helped me complete my goals.
Sorry to be a bit late, but I wanted to say how much I loved this festival. It really helped me get back on the road to finish my current MS. I will be back next year.