A few random thoughts on WFC

[pbray]

I had ambitions of doing a full-fledged con report, but that's not going to happen this week. Instead I'm desperately longing for a Harry Potter style time-turner, so I can cram in everything that I need to get done this week, including:

- The normal chaos at the day job of monthly close & forecast cycle, where I'm doing my own work plus covering for a colleague who is out ill
- Studying for next Monday's exam in my Criminal Investigations class
- Finalizing revisions for THE FINAL SACRIFICE and mailing it off to Bantam

Instead just a few thoughts--

WFC this year in Saratoga Springs is my favorite WFC so far, mostly because so many of my friends were there and I got to meet lots of lovely new people. The hotel was only average, but Saratoga Springs was a great venue with many cool restaurants, and I had only one bad meal.

The ZOMBIES NEED BRAINS party was a huge success, and well worth all the effort that we'd put in to it. People kept coming up to me all weekend telling me that they'd had a great time. Surprisingly we had leftover beer and soda but the bottled water ran out shortly after midnight.

The lizard keychains/bottle openers became the must-have souvenir of the con. I gave out several dozen during the Zombies party, an equal number during Friday's autographing, and then spent the rest of the weekend being hunted down by collectors, until I gave out the last ones at the banquet. No worries though, I've just ordered more so I'll have them for cons next year.

One of the personal highlights of the con was the number of people who came up to me to tell me how much they loved the DEVLIN books, including one person who'd been chatting with me for twenty minutes, then suddenly said "Oh my god, I knew your name was familiar. You wrote the Devlin books didn't you? I LOVE those books." As someone who turns into a fangirl when face to face with her own favorite authors, it's a tad humbling to realize that my books can inspire a similar reaction in others.

For the business side, had meetings with both my editor and agent, and numerous discussions with fellow writers about the state of the industry and our careers. Met a few folks who work on the television/Hollywood side of the business, who offer a very different perspective on the writing life.

Taking advantage of the fact that I had an SUV with plenty of cargo space for the return trip home, I bought far more books in the dealer's room than I'll ever have time to read. But these were all so new and shiny, how could I resist?

Finally, I'm not going to do a shout out, since I'd surely forget someone. Instead a general wave in the direction of all the folks that I met at WFC, and a hope that you had as great a time as I did.

Comments

[rhonawestbrook.livejournal.com]

Girl, I LOVED that party and I loved hangin with you and stalking you and most of all, I loved that you are not all literary snobby like you could be.

If I grow up to be half the writer you are, I'll count myself more than fortunant.

Thanks for makin me feel like I belonged and for my pretty blue lizard:-)

[cathschaffstump.livejournal.com]

But these were all so new and shiny, how could I resist?

I'm clueless about that. I don't know how you could have resisted. :)

Catherine

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Hey Stalkee! Glad I could help dispel the myth that published authors are somehow suaver and more sophisticated than ordinary human beings. Though hopefully there's no photographic evidence of me searching for tasty brains.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I understand my English correctly, you are the stalkee, being the one stalked ;-).

Having narrowly missed an apparently epic belching contest between two other suave and sophisticated authors, I'm not sure about how s&s most of us are. Not that I would have gotten involved. I think we're the wrong gender to be pulled in by that.

As far as the shiny, when I spoke to my mom after getting back and she asked how things went, I said I'd spend far too much in the dealers' room and her response was, "Where else are you going to find that kind of selection?" So let the shiny draw you in.

Though you, at least, do live near an SF bookstore....
\

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Well, the joke was that I appeared to be a far more effective stalker than Rhona, since it seemed that every time she turned around, there I was.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Resistance is futile. It is best to be assimilated.

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

I joined the Collective with great glee.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Ah. If you hadn't chowed down on my brain, I might've picked up on that ;-).

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

It must be wonderful for the dealers -- they open the doors and dive out of the way as hordes rush in screaming, "Booooooooksss!!!!"

Of course, upstairs the publishers were givin' it away....

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether I have more Given Books or Boughten Books, but WOW, that was a great con!

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

I remember my first World Fantasy. They lured me in with the whole, "Here, little girl, want some *books*?"

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

Sounds awesome! I hope there will be some of those lizards left for the Toronto trip in January ...

[mcurry.livejournal.com]

Was great to see you again. Thanks for the excellent party, and for the nifty keychain!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

They're already on their way! I figured I'd better order now, just in case the supplier ran out.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

It was great to see you too! We need more east coast cons so we can run into each other. Some of us are kicking around the idea of a single malt tasting for the next zombies party, if that's any incentive :-)

[allaboutm-e.livejournal.com]

Glad I got to see you at the mass signing, but sorry I left without a Lizard!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! You'll have to catch me at the next con so you can get one.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Left without a lizard?!
Horrors!

BTW, my brains seem to be growing back.

Which of course means you will be snacking on them again next con...