Day Two - Bob Mayer and Cocktails!

After a late night chatting in my room to the gorgeous Becca J Heath, we still managed to wake up before my barking dog alarm!

Friday was Bob Mayer's Warrior Writer Workshop - he's actually changed the name, but I like Warrior Writer Workshop better anyway :)

FEAR - was talked about a lot in the first half of this workshop and this really resonated with me. He quoted Stephen King - ''Fear is the root of most bad writing.'' And spoke about ''you'' being the only person holding ''you'' back.

Some gold nuggets I got from Bob's workshop:

• Rejection is high - TRY anyway!
• Conquer your fear and change.
• Networking is critical.
• Titles - use words that don't belong together. Bad example but like ''Hot Snow''.
• Go from craftsman to artist.
• Be ruthless with yourself.
• Success is a struggle.
• Don't wait for the muse or you'll be unemployed!
• You need rules as a writer - for yourself on parts of writing, marketing, etc. Like how often you'll blog and how much time to spend on Twitter.
• Blog AT LEAST once a week but every three days is better.
• Set goals! If you don't, you won't achieve them.
• Write what you WANT TO KNOW!!!
• Please yourself first but be aware of the consumer.
• THREE is the magic number.
• Keep your goals positive.
• Reverse your thinking - think like a publisher.
• Write in the POV you like reading.
• Define yourself in ONE sentence.
• 99% of what we do each day is habit.
• Readers want to be entertained and informed.
• Sometimes you have to write about a character you don't like and make them do things you don't agree with.
• Emotion is more important than logic.
• Action is the truest indicator of character.
• If you really want to get to know a character, put them in crisis.
• Have a growth mindset not a set mindset.

I left Bob's workshop early to go brainstorm with the very talented Fiona Lowe (who incidentally found out her book Boomerang Bride got a Romantic Times Top Pick this weekend). We chatted about the conflicts in my new mss - now titled ''Hollywood Heartbreak.'' I finally think I'm making some progress with these two characters :)

The evening of course was the fabulous Harlequin party - always a dress up, this year the theme was Roaring Twenties to tie in with RWAus's twenty birthday. As always it was a crazy night of drinking and talking and not having nearly enough time to catch up with everyone I wanted too. My highlight was meeting Carina Press Executive Editor, Angela James. Photos below :)

Me with the gorgeous Becca J Heath!

Becca J Heath and Jackie Ashenden at the bar! Aren't they stunning?

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Cathryn Brunet/Hein (amazing writer), Angela James (editor extraordinaire) and me :)

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This is me taking a photo of myself - as you do :) And the one above is the beautiful Leah Ashton and Joanne Dannon with moi on the right!