Conference Pros and Cons

So I'm back from the NECRWA conference and, as always, there were pros and cons about attending.

Going to a conference really does mess up the momentum of book writing for me. At this point, I can barely remember my characters' names, let alone just what exactly they were thinking and feeling when I last worked on the book. I hope that's fleeting, but it makes it easier to procrastinate.

I don't sleep well when I'm traveling. I was up at 3 a.m. the day I left and couldn't get back to sleep. I was awake at 4 a.m. the day I returned and couldn't get back to sleep. Not good.

I put on about a pound, which isn't much, really. But the traveling really does mess up the eating regimen, too, and I missed my orange pekoe tea.

Those cons, though, are weighed against some very positive pros.

It's fun to meet face-to-face with writing friends you mostly communicate with online. I've really missed that.

It's wonderful to be around a crowd of like-minded people, who really get what you're talking about when you say you're stuck or you're not sure about your character's motivation. I've missed that, too.

I went to a most excellent workshop about resistance and resilience presented by Linda Cardillo and Geri Krotow. They explained what can really be going on when you're facing resistance (writer's block) and how to be resilient - and boy, do you need that if you're a writer!

My workshop was very well attended, and I got lots of positive feedback, for which I'm grateful.

I met a true fan at the booksigning, which was a delightful and humbling experience.

I helped the US economy through spending and may have purchased my Mother of the Groom outfit. The color and length may not be right, but if I don't get something when I see it, I often wind up regretting it later, and it's not something I couldn't wear at, say, a writer's conference dinner.

All in all, I had a great time, reconnected with some great people, met some more great people and learned something, too.