Writing Conference

I tried a writing conference this weekend. It probably was not the best time to go, I came down with a horrible cold late Thursday. I really didn’t feel like driving two hours to my friend’s home and then another hour or so the next morning to the conference, but I’d promised.

The speaker was pretty good, I guess. The first thing she asked was for us to go around the room and tell what we wrote, what genre.  I’m in a room full of strangers, I know only one person and this woman wants me to tell everyone I write spanking stories. Hmm…

I could have said adult romantic comedy. But what the hell, I told them I wrote domestic discipline stories about an older couple. There were grins and a smatter of laughter, but no one was unkind. I listened as some of them talked about writing about strong women and I realized that they had no idea how strong the women we write about are. I found myself wanting to debate them. They seemed to have no trouble accepting the idea of underwater worlds with love triangles, or haunted castles, or paranormal small town romances – but the idea that a strong woman could choose to give to submission to the man she loves and trust was unrealistic.   

There was nothing wrong with the conference, I just felt a little left out. I would love to go to a conference for DD writers and I may look into one after I retire, but I didn’t enjoy the experience enough to give up another weekend right now.