HugGate, I was THERE!

I am the great and huggyful Oz...

What a great weekend! I met a plethora of excellent people who were being excellent and many an aspiring, inspiring or aspirating author who spoke at length in sessions, meals or drink events about everything from rusty automotive issues to the nipples on a steampunk vampire. Dispersed through the event were random chats with students, story ideas with event planners, drinks with screenwriters and drunken storytelling with movie producers.

Before you ask, no, I was not in Hollywood. This was Macon Georgia, and I will take it over Hollywood any day of the week after an event like this. I don't mean 'taken' in any Liam Neeson movie sense, more like taken as in 'I do'. You have stolen my heart Crossroads Writer's Conference. The fact that you replaced it with a steam-powered, sparkly vampire duck spouting "500 ways to solve for X in writing" makes it all the more life-changing.

                                 I was serious when I said I loved you.

Don't fear the mutual appreciation

I learned things about me that others knew who had never met me. I got insight into the lives of published authors that I had heard before but didn't believe. I ate a chocolate cake filled with chunks that was shaped and sized like a muffin. I drank and joked and dared some of the most well known people in writing on this side of the US and they laughed at themselves as well as others along with me.

Steamduck learns to fly

I watched as a steam powered duck learned to fly. You can find out what I already know on Wednesday, but you should know, I was riveted.

 I took terrible photos and told even worse jokes and they returned the compliment with photos and jokes of their own.

the doing of the art on the art

what was done to the art by the artist

I saw an artist conduct some art on art editing and was guilty of conspiring with another to further edit the aforementioned art. (say that five times fast... SAY IT!)

I was flattered to be told that I was 'really charming' by a lovely author before she left. Did I mention that I was flattered? :-) This event was the cherry on top of a giant cake of a year. The rest of the year has some very large patent-leather boots of a period nature to fill.

Crossroads Writer's Conference, I love you like a fat kid loves cake. Which works out well, since I am the fat kid in question. Now I have to get back to my diet of loneliness and deadlines, but more on that in the next post. :-)

Fat Kid out!

~JFo

P.S. I sent this out without review or edit. Consider it my last act of defiance before I enter the Writer's Reform School. ;-)