RWA Conference 2024

This month I attended the Romance Writers of Australia 2024 Conference in Glenelg, Adelaide.

Just wow!

Around four hundred writers, authors, publishers and agents gathered to talk books and writing craft.

This conference is the highlight of my year!

Special guests included Christina Lauren, Elana Johnson and BJ Daniels and there was an abundance of amazing Australian authors. Too many to list. They shared their writing journeys, writing tips and writing expertise with us. The publishers talked about the current market – what’s hot and what’s not and took the pitches we booked in.

Yes, I pitched!

The conference’s theme was Trope Actually, and the Friday night cocktail party was dress-up. I went as the ‘secret identity’ trope, wearing a silver studded stick-on mask.

Saturday night was the Gala Dinner where finalists, place getters and winners in RWA’s annual writing competitions were announced. I was thrilled to walk up on stage to receive my second-place certificate for The Bubble Specialist.

The workshops I attended (there were so many more, hard to choose) were:

How to Write a Page Turner – Fiona Lowe

Success with Series – Anne Gracie

Social Media Strategy Unlocked – Jennifer St George

Your Page, Their Heart – Kate Cuthbert at Panterra Press

Writing Between the Sheets – Amy Andrews

Your Blurb Blueprint – Elana Johnson

Sub-rights Secrets – Kimberly Brower at Brower Literary

I took so much away from each session!

Two weeks later and I’m keeping that conference feeling alive. Yes, I’m still writing up notes. The A4 lined book I bought (and do for each conference) is crammed with handwritten notes for each session, handouts and slide snapshots.

And the best part of the conference? Seeing my writing bestie IRL. Meeting up with writers I’ve connected with on social media, RWA’s Aspirer’s loop and the monthly zooms. Chatting to authors I’ve read and plan to read.

The writing community is lovely and so supportive.

Counting down the days until 2025 conference in Tassie!