Wow. I survived the weekend. I feel like I’ve been on a reality T.V. show. Ya know the one where they strand you in the Rockies for four days. There are four teams of writers and each team is lead by a published author, editor or agent and you ALL have to get out of the mountains without killing or pissing each other off. Seriously, though, it was an AWESOME event. Thanks so much to Theresa, Barbara and all the wonderful volunteers who make it happen every year.
I met so many great authors and Ginger Clark, agent extraordinaire. She gave me several wonderful suggestions and permission to query later on. By the way, I won second place in the competition, which was better than I’d expected, so I’m tickled pink. I hope to go back again – maybe not next year, but who knows? If I do, I’ll remember to pack more bottled water. And oxygen. My four-year old came downhill with a nosebleed. For me, it wasn’t physically hard except for the sleep deprivation. It was 2 1/2 days of non-stop learning that felt like four days. My head’s so full it will take me days just to blog about all of it, but I hope to give you briefs on each of the talks I attended. If I’m lucky, I’ll start that tomorrow. As of Tuesday night, it’s time to play Mommy/Wife and prepare a meal.
I wish it could be something like the conference’s poached salmon, but at least it won’t be marmoset on a stick. After all, we left the camera crew behind us at 9,000 feet.
Okay, the truth is, I wrote this several days in advance of our departure and the “fateful day” will still be twenty four hours from when we leave. That said, it’s the week of and I’m more nervous than the last turkey in the pen on Thanksgiving morning.
My “To Do” list keeps growing, and I refuse to guess at how I’ve overshot my grocery allowance for the month. Snack foods are expensive. I need to pack most of my daughter’s wardrobe to insure against nudity. Sigh. I’m sure to forget SOMETHING, which is why I intend to take notes.
Huh?
Yes. My list keeps growing because of my notes and that won’t change at the conference. Most folks take notes at conferences and I’m sure they share much of what they learn. I am an avid scrapbooker among other things and know from experience, I’ll forget much of what happens and/or is said unless I write it down. That’s why I wanted to let you all know there will be a blog fest upon my return from Crested Butte. In fact, I’ll probably write a daily journal there and post those comments if I can find an available computer. I don’t know if I’ll see any of you, but if you are coming, I hope we meet!
Addendum: Much to my shock and delight, I discovered that I DID get a pitch request from one of the attending professionals. My relief and stress levels have skyrocketed. How on earth did God make it possible for humans to experience both sensations at the same time? Well, however He did it, I want to thank Him for the opportunity. I could never have come this far without Him.