Mick’s Musings: RNA Conference 2016 is coming!

It’s rapidly approaching one of my favourite times of the year, and if Coke can have their own tune and felt of glittery trucks as it comes to theirs, then why can’t we RNA’ers have the same? Instead of trucks, why not a line of sparkly shoes dancing across a vista of wine bars, to the accompaniment of ‘These Boots Were Made for Walking? Devil in Your Shoes? Diamonds in the Soles of Her Shoes – that’s probably the best one and the one least likely to get me murdered in my sleep at the conference.

I hasten to add that this doesn’t apply to me – I just couldn’t find a pair to match my eyes!

Now I’ve completely alienated myself for the weekend…yes, it’s that time of year again. The Annual Romantic Novelist’s Association Conference is being held in Lancaster this weekend 9/10^th July. A time to catch-up with people we probably haven’t seen since last year’s. Gossip will abound, congratulations will ensue to those who’ve secured a Publishing Deal and/or an Agent and those of us still endeavouring to get the same will bite our ‘stiff upper’ lips and come away all the more determined to be amongst this group by the next year.

That wasn’t meant to sound morose, though I’m aware it could be read as such. It was meant though. All of us on the New Writer’s Scheme have this dream, but I’d challenge you to find anyone at the conference who’s anything but happy for their friends who have accomplished ‘The Dream’. I know a couple of people personally for whom this has been their stellar year and I couldn’t be happier for them.

There are a multitude of talks and presentations at the conference and one of the main purposes of these is to help NWS members such as myself better prepare ourselves in our attempts to get signed up/published. I’m very much looking forwards to sitting down and absorbing all the information that these people will impart to us, their time freely given and gratefully received.

So, for the rest of the evening this week, I’ll be making sure I have everything I need for a successful weekend of hard work…pens, notepads, wine, homemade ginger biscuits.

Which brings me onto news time.

It’s been just over a week since I finished the first draft of my latest work-in-progess and this will be picked up again after I get back from the conference. I’ve also sent off another short-story, this time to ‘People’s Friend’ and should like to report that I am no nearer cloning myself so I can work on two stories at the same time.

Finally, I should like to recommend the latest release by my fellow Novel Kicks blogger, Bella Osborne. ‘A Family Holiday’ can be found for your Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/zu7e2dv

Upcoming is ‘Sunshine and Secrets (Willlow Cottage Book one) at http://tinyurl.com/jumzafy available from 7th July.

To all, adieu and I’ll be back shortly with a Conference report.

by

Mick Arnold

Mick reviews books and will also be chatting about his experience as a male author in the romantic genre. Mick is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, New Writers Scheme. He lives in Northamptonshire and is the proud keeper of two cats, Gus and Elphaba. When he’s not trying to write books, Mick has a deep-seated love of reading that he’s brought from his teens to the current day with no signs of waning. He’s also mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United supporting wife. Mick can be followed on Twitter: @mick859