I'm really having quite an excellent conference. There's something that feels a little different about this one than several of my previous ones - and maybe part of it is where it falls in my release schedule, since this is the first time I've come when I just released a book. My books have typically come out in the November-March timeframe, which means July is usually when I'm in the doldrums of despair over the next one - and this time I'm feeling quite good about things, which is a welcome change.
But it's more than that...I don't want to jinx it, but it feels like a lot of the cloud from last year has lifted, and I feel confident about both my writing and my business plans again, and I also feel more confident and happy as a human being, which means I've had no shame about seeking out people and making new friends and networking and doing all those things that I should have been doing. So instead of hanging out exclusively with my safe, easy clique (which is, admittedly, filled with absurdly successful people), I've forced myself to seek out new experiences and reconnect with other friends.
So today was more of that. I woke up, showered, and grabbed breakfast before making it to a 9:45am workshop on branding and marketing (I knew a lot of it, but some of it was useful). Then I went to a workshop on publishing data and trends, which was super interesting because I'm a data nerd; I would have found it more interesting if I were working for my former employer, but it was still good for me.
Then I took a break and had lunch with Elizabeth, who writes historical romance/mystery - she's moving into self-publishing, so we had a long talk about that over cobb salad at a restaurant down the street. Then I came back, went to part of a workshop on historical romance, and skipped out to grab some caffeine and go back to my room to change. I also chatted with Leigh and Amy/Carey (same person, two names) for awhile, which was delightful.
But then I forced myself into more social activity and went to a Nook-sponsored cocktail hour, where I told the Nook manager (with whom I've hit it off) all about my five-bottles-of-rosé experience from last week, which is such a funny story that I have to tell it to everyone. No business was conducted, but I think I won cocktail hour with that story, so yay. Then I had dinner with Grace, Tina, Jami, Veronica, and Poppy, followed by a mai tai with a subset of them + some SF writers (including Rachael for a bit, whom I adore).
So that was all good. My face continues to win - I don't know why people want to give me things and tell me things, but the lunch bartender gave me a bunch of new sangria (delish, especially with all the hard alcohol in it), and someone today told me a family secret that most of her family doesn't know. and I continue to be stunned and delighted and intrigued by the human condition. But now I really, really need to sleep - I have a breakfast thing, and tomorrow night will be late, so I should get some sleep. Goodnight!
But it's more than that...I don't want to jinx it, but it feels like a lot of the cloud from last year has lifted, and I feel confident about both my writing and my business plans again, and I also feel more confident and happy as a human being, which means I've had no shame about seeking out people and making new friends and networking and doing all those things that I should have been doing. So instead of hanging out exclusively with my safe, easy clique (which is, admittedly, filled with absurdly successful people), I've forced myself to seek out new experiences and reconnect with other friends.
So today was more of that. I woke up, showered, and grabbed breakfast before making it to a 9:45am workshop on branding and marketing (I knew a lot of it, but some of it was useful). Then I went to a workshop on publishing data and trends, which was super interesting because I'm a data nerd; I would have found it more interesting if I were working for my former employer, but it was still good for me.
Then I took a break and had lunch with Elizabeth, who writes historical romance/mystery - she's moving into self-publishing, so we had a long talk about that over cobb salad at a restaurant down the street. Then I came back, went to part of a workshop on historical romance, and skipped out to grab some caffeine and go back to my room to change. I also chatted with Leigh and Amy/Carey (same person, two names) for awhile, which was delightful.
But then I forced myself into more social activity and went to a Nook-sponsored cocktail hour, where I told the Nook manager (with whom I've hit it off) all about my five-bottles-of-rosé experience from last week, which is such a funny story that I have to tell it to everyone. No business was conducted, but I think I won cocktail hour with that story, so yay. Then I had dinner with Grace, Tina, Jami, Veronica, and Poppy, followed by a mai tai with a subset of them + some SF writers (including Rachael for a bit, whom I adore).
So that was all good. My face continues to win - I don't know why people want to give me things and tell me things, but the lunch bartender gave me a bunch of new sangria (delish, especially with all the hard alcohol in it), and someone today told me a family secret that most of her family doesn't know. and I continue to be stunned and delighted and intrigued by the human condition. But now I really, really need to sleep - I have a breakfast thing, and tomorrow night will be late, so I should get some sleep. Goodnight!
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