I leave tomorrow for the NJ RWA Conference.  It’s close to me, just up the turnpike, so I’m not going until Friday morning and I’m coming home on Saturday night.  

I’m pretty excited, to tell the truth.  This is my first conference and I’m not exactly sure what to expect but it feels a little like I’m going to Disney World for the first time.  I mean, there are workshops (like rides for writers), there’s food, and best of all, there are bunches of other folks just like me who love books and writing more than pretty much everything else.

Wait, not Disney World:  heaven.

So, here’s my list of things I’m excited about:

1)      I hear there are free giveaways.  I love free stuff.  (Who doesn’t love free stuff?)

2)      I get to meet some of my favorite authors (I hope).  Eloisa James will be there, Elizabeth Hoyt will be there, and JK Coi will be there signing books. 

3)      I get to meet some of you!  Hooray!

4)      On a personal note, I haven’t been away from my son for a full night since he was born nearly two years ago.  This is a big step for me and probably a bigger step for my DH who is on solo daddy duty for two whole days. 

5)      I’m pitching for the first time ever….  Ok, moving on from that….

6)      I get to find out what the judges thought of my contest entry.  I am really excited about getting their feedback.

7)      Oh, and I bought a jacket to wear during pitching that is incredibly cute.  And, it was on sale!  Double score.

What am I missing?  Have you been to any writers’ conferences?  If so, what did you like?  What was not so great?  What advice do you have for those of us busting our conference cherry?