Countdown to Conference

The annual Romance Writers of America conference starts in nineteen days. During the month of July, I am usually writing fast and furious trying to finish a manuscript to pitch at the conference. This year is no exception.

I have a short women’s fiction manuscript I wrote last year that has received one rejection and has been on my hard drive collecting imaginary dust. This is a definite no-no in the aspiring writer’s world of trying to get published. No one will buy your manuscript if it sits in your desk drawer, computer, etc.

I wrote a few chapters of a second story set in the same fictional town, then set it aside to focus on my children’s stories. I had no problem with this for a few months. Then I started thinking about the main characters in the second book. I wondered what happened to them, but I didn’t know because I never finished the story. They wouldn’t leave me alone. So I printed out the first story again and asked one of my critique partners to read it. She did and gave me lots of wonderful comments. I talked to another writer friend about the manuscript and decided to expand the story, make it longer, so I can pitch it to someone else at the upcoming conference.

I have quite a few pages left to write. Here’s hoping I make it. I’ll just have to do it one page at the time.