 Sara Dahmen Dear Reader, I apparently fell off the face of the blogisphere. Real life has been non-stop since last fall and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. But, I thought I'd take a moment to jot down a quick little post before I head to #RWA19. I've pulled out the suitcases and started a packing list, my calendar is double and triple booked, yet I still feel grossly unprepared. There is so much to do before I leave next week. Yet, I'm really looking forward to go to my fourth RWA Nationals. I can't wait to meet new people (yes, this coming from an introvert), seeing old friends, and learning and networking. Perhaps, what I am most excited about is that my dear friend Sara Dahmen and I are teaching a class together on the Saturday of the conference. If you write historicals or just love history, you won't want to miss it. Given that between the two of us we have about 20 years of historical reenacting experience in multiple eras, we wanted to teach a class to help break some stereotypes and allow writers to touch the past. That means, if you attend, you'll get to touch either extant objects and clothing, reproduction clothing, and maybe try your hand at making or creating objects as they used to be made. Our class is called Hands on History: A Physical Experience into the Past. The blurb from the RWA website describes it as follows: "Nothing can make your book come alive like hands-on research and experiences. This workshop makes the past come alive with a hands-on approach to understanding the past, the truth behind some historical stereotypes and myths, and a tactile experience to help you better explain history and take your readers on a deeper journey." Our aim in the class is for attendees to take away a better understanding that the way people walked, talked, thought, moved and interacted within their world could be very different than what we assume, or what we have been made to believe from television and film. We'll break down stereotypes, and share practical sources and ideas for really delving into the period(s) you are writing. Don't be surprised if we ask for volunteers to try things out. And, we'll likely encourage you all to attend some reenactments because, let's face it, even though you're learning, they are fun. And, that's what we want: for our attendees to have fun with history.
If you're in NYC and will be at #RWA19, come to learn, come to play dress up, come to touch the past. I hope we'll see you there. Let us know in the comments if you're attending #RWA19 or our class! Till next time. I'll be seeing you. Molly
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 From Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs, 1882 - 1962 Dear Reader, Whenever I think of Thanksgiving, I get Bing Crosby's "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For" from Holiday Inn stuck in my head. This year especially the song holds a great deal of meaning. If you followed me on social media earlier this year, you'll know I went through two surgeries back to back and lost about three months due to recovery. It has been a very humbling experience. The lyrics Bing sings in the movie talk about how he doesn't have much, but that the simple things he does have are enough to get by. And, it's a great reminder in these times that at the end of the day, I have plenty I can be thankful for.  Freedom From Want by Norman Rockwell: National Archives and Records Administration Public Domain Photograph This month, I thought I would reflect on the top 10 things I am most thankful for. I know I have plenty to be grateful for, so I'll keep it simple:
Time for me to get back to NaNoWriMo! What are you thankful for this year? Till next time. I'll be seeing you! ~Molly  Carla Luna Cullen, me, and Lori Oestreich ready for takeoff. Dear Reader, What a whirlwind! RWA Nationals is over for another year and I still feel like I am running around. It probably doesn't help that this past weekend I took a trip to the 16th century. This year, RWA held it's National Conference at the Swan and Dolphin Resort on Disney World property. RWA + Disney = One awesome time for me! I apologize in advance that I didn't get more pictures of the RWA action. I am a Disney girl at heart. I arrived on Tuesday with fellow WisRWA members, Lori Oestreich and Carla Luna Cullen, and immediately dove into the parks. Hot and humid doesn't even cover it. The weather made you feel like you were in a veritable oven. But, when one is at Disney, one powers through.  Pandora and the standby line for Flight of Passage. I was most excited to try out the new rides in Pandora in Animal Kingdom. I had a fast pass for Flight of Passage and it did not disappoint. Check out some of the beautiful scenery while I waited for my turn to ride. After spending some time in Animal Kingdom it was time to head back to set my hair. I did make it a point to hit the parks at least once each day. Even though I'll be back later this year, I wanted to visit some of my favorite haunts, eat some of my favorite foods (Can we say Jambon Buerre Sandwich and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels?), and check out some of the new things. They also announced the day after I arrived that The Great Movie Ride and Ellen's Energy Adventure would both be closing in the middle of August. I adore The Great Movie Ride, so I had to cram in a visit to that. One of my favorite park moments was Wednesday when I went to Hollywood Studios in the morning. It has been my dream to have my pictures taken while dressed in 1940s attire down the Old Hollywood portion of Hollywood Studios. Thanks to a wonderful PhotoPass photograher, my dream became a reality. He took some stylized pictures of me next to my favorite spot. They were perfect! Sadly, I don't have any to share right now as I have not ordered them, but do watch my Pin Curl Adventures page because I guarantee at least one will go up there.  Damon Suede teaching Your A Game. The rest of the conference was amazing. I attended some great presentations. Most notably, I learned a lot from Damon Suede and Heidi Cullinan on marketing no matter what level of writer you are. They have a choose your own adventure e-book called Your A Game: Winning Promo for Genre Fiction. I highly recommend it. I also met some wonderful new friends as well as connecting with those I don't see on a regular basis. I can't say enough about the community RWA has built. We are a community set on building each other up, making everyone feel welcome, and helping each other grow no matter what level a writer is at. I am honored to be a part of this organization.  WisRWA with Beverly Jenkins. Saturday, I attended RWA's Chapter Leadership Breakfast and Town Hall. Since I am the Vice President of Communications for WisRWA, I gained a lot of valuable information and was able to connect with other board members from other chapters. I am looking forward to taking back the information to WisRWA to help make us stronger. I also had a blast at the RITA awards. Our small contingent of WisRWA members even had a chance to congratulate Beverly Jenkins on being the recipient of the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. She was inspiring!  Sunday was Lori's and my last day so I made it my mission to visit all four parks before we left. I rode all my favorite rides, though I passed on Flight of Passage simply due to stand-by wait times. While it poured all day, I thoroughly enjoyed having Disney time. The only sad part was that France sold out of my favorite sandwich. Oh well, guess I'll just have to get it next time I go.
I'll leave you with a picture of all of my day outfits from the conference. I, of course, dressed 1940s every day, but made sure to keep my hair off my neck. For more pictures, check out my Facebook Fan Page and tell me which outfit you liked the best. I'm already looking forward to RWA18 in Denver! Hope to see you there! I'll be seeing you! ~Molly |
Molly MakaAuthor of World War II romance and a 1940s girl at heart! Archives
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