Back home, after much traveling in the past week. This must be what a rock star on tour feels like. Kinda. Except without the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
OK, I guess there was a bit of rock ‘n’ roll. Read on, if you would know more . . .
First leg of the journey was to Denver, to attend a graduation. Productivity, of course, took a hit–but I got a couple of good ideas for the new novel during the drive, which I was happy about. And note-making continued to inch forward.
After Denver, we went to Kansas City for ConQuesT.
I don’t know why I think I’ll get any kind of writing done at cons. It’s the hopeless romantic in me, I guess. Suffice to say that I’m a little less starry-eyed now.
I was a bit apprehensive about ConQuesT, to be honest. I’d only been there once before, ages ago, and I knew next to no one. I feared it would be a lot like my first WorldCon, in San Antonio, where I felt like I was attending a huge party that I hadn’t been invited to. But I did run into a few homies from Omaha . . . and then I met someone I knew through LJ . . . and then I went to a party and met some new folks . . . and before I knew it, I was having a great time, and had to force myself to go to bed, lest I spend the entire weekend in a zombie-like daze.
The next day, Saturday, I did my first panel (Making a Living As a Writer, which I moderated), met some more new folks, and pretty much settled into the con groove.
My reading was sparsely attended, as expected, but a few intrepid souls stuck it out, for which I was grateful. The story ("The Multiplicity Has Arrived") seemed to go over well.
Then came the panel on politics in SF, which was a good discussion.
That evening, I participated in a thing called ConQuesT Idol–yep, just what you think it is. Karaoke with a panel of judges, complete with
Hey, no such thing as bad publicity, folks. As a smiling Robin said to me afterward, "I made you famous."
All in good fun, all in good fun. Just remember, Robin, yer gonna be in Omaha in a couple of months. Heh, heh, heh.
Oh, and Selina Rosen made for a great Paula, BTW.
Stayed out even later at parties on Saturday night, then dragged myself in a zombie-like daze to my 10:00 am movie panel on Sunday. Then came lunch and a visit to the very cool "Art of the Brick" Lego exhibit in Crown Center, followed by my final panel, a fun one on worldbuilding, where astronomer/writer Diane Turnshek sounded intrigued by my description of Petra. That was cool, getting a bit of validation from a for-real scientist.
After that, the wife and I went to closing ceremonies, said our goodbyes, and headed home. I arrived exhausted, sad it was over, but happy to be home–all signs of a good con. Everyone in KC was great.
So now I have less than a week to make some serious headway on notes for the new novel. I doubt I’ll be able to start drafting June 1, but I hope it won’t be too much later than that. I’m itchin’ to get back in the saddle.
No updates for Write Club.
Aaaand I’m out.
