This past weekend, I was at the New England Chapter of the RWA’s annual conference, in Burlington, Mass. NEC is my home chapter, and I was equally honored and horrified when I was invited to be the conference’s Saturday luncheon speaker. For two full days before I actually gave the speech, I didn’t sleep much, and I felt sick—high from the stress hormones—and my mouth tasted disgusting, and my sweat reeked of onions, and my pee smelled like toxic waste. I was terrified. But I survived it, and my various secretions have thankfully returned to their usual, alluring bouquet. And afterward, a lot of really lovely people said really lovely things about the speech…including Suzanne Brockmann, to whom I probably responded with something like, “You’re Suzanne Brockmann! I am so sweaty to be talking to you!” Anyhow, a few people have since said that they wished the speech had been recorded, so others could listen. It wasn’t, but I went ahead and recorded it myself—I did so using my phone, so the sound quality’s crummy. But better crummy than nothing!
Posting it here seemed a natural choice—I developed it around some key feelings I first explored on Wonkomance, in a few different posts, over the past couple years. Basically, it’s all the things I wish I’d been told by somebody, as I was first getting into publishing. It’s really dorky and full of swears, and I hope maybe it’ll prove useful to someone, so here’s a link. Enjoy!
Cara McKenna, 2014 NEC-RWA conference speech (re-recorded, not live)
I have no interest in writing a book, romance or otherwise, but I think you’re terrific and tremendously fun to listen to. Also, you sound just like Kristin Lems, a feminist singer my aunt introduced me to years and years ago when she introduced me to feminism. i.e. You sounded great. Do it again!
Thank you so much for putting this up, Cara!
I kept nodding at everything you said from Internet is a douche to stop nannycamming yourself.
Twitter has become this for me…I come upon so many things that upset me, make me feel out of control…but I’m also afraid of completely shutting twitter out, because then I would miss things like your speech…
I just listened to the whole thing… It was totally worth it! I especially love the part about how we all get a turn at boning shit up online, but if you stay boring for a while, it passes and then it’s someone else’s turn. :)
You rock. You just do.
Eating cheese and daytime drinking? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Lol. Okay, I totally know what you’re talking about.
Thanks for posting this! It was great to get a chance to listen.
Loved listening. It was fascinating to hear details of your journey as a writer. LOL’d in several places. Entertaining as well as informative. Thx for posting.
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