Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Crossroads, Round Two


I apologize for the late post. I have been sick, and lazy. OK, mostly lazy.

Crossroads Writer's Conference in Macon Georgia is, without doubt, on of my favorite things to do ever, period.

There I said it. You can see my previous thoughts on the subject from last year. This year I think I will lay off the absolute fanboy-ism and tell you a little more of the story.

*hunches forward and looks around to see if anyone is listening*
The people are what makes this conference so great.
*nods*
I was like you once. I thought writers were something more than just people like us.
*takes a shaky sip of his beverage*
*looks quickly around again*
They are, you know. People, I mean. Real people. You can have conversations about the most idiotic things with them and they will laugh just like anyone else.
*stares at you for a long moment*
*shivers*
Some of them are really amazing, too. Delilah Dawson, for example. She writes things. Really great things.
*holds himself*
She wrote a book titled Wicked as They Come. I bought it last year. She signed it for me. IT WAS LIKE A DRUG! She just keeps putting more books out.
*leans at you suddenly*
I read things called YA now. Things I had never seen before
*gapes open-mouthed at nothing*
Such places, SUCH PEOPLE!
*reaches for something unseen in the air*
I want more of it, this writing. There are so many others like her. Lauren Morrill, she was in charge of the whole thing this year.
*points*
THAT. That's how they get you. I blame Cate Noble too. E! (;-) ) Carrie Howland was there. She's an enabler, that one. She is what they call a 'Literary Agent'.
*nods knowingly*
I guess that means she is one of the 'big shots' of the whole pipeline. Cat Scully is working on something in horror for her, and God help me, I WANT TO READ IT NOW!
*weeps quietly*
Jackson Pearce was there too. She has some wonderful retellings of classic stories that are truly amazing.
*sighs*
I want to read all of those again too. A.J. Hartley writes in all kinds of genres. How will I explain buying children's books when I don't have any kids?
*looks at you with a plea in his eyes*
This is all Chuck Wendig's fault. I was fine until I sat at that table with Chuck,  Delilah and Emilie Bush and all of their little literary addictions packaged in neat paper disguises.
*looks haunted*
I tried one. What could it hurt? It was such a little book, after all. It had a nice 'signed by the author' sticker on it. Delilah even drew a natty little shirt on the cover.
*looks away*
Chuck added nipples to it and got me in trouble, but… it was all in good fun. Wasn't it?
*looks confused*
Wasn't it?
*mumbles to himself, "How will I get all of these adverbs and superlatives back out of my writing?"*
Now I sit here in this Library... (that's like a halfway house for those with troubles like mine).
They let me read a little bit, but they control it so closely.
*looks at you in earnest*
They only let me check out 20 books at one time, but I can sit here as much as I like.
*starts rocking himself and nodding to no one*
*nods in a vigorous fashion*
Oh yes Mister Criminy, tea would be lovely, but I don't think Mister Coburn drinks tea.
*sips imaginary tea*
You know, they're going to let me go back to Crossroads in 2013?
*continues rocking and nodding as you slowly escape*

***


So, that is what has happened to me since last year. :-) Add to that crazy new addiction all of the writing I have been doing and you get an idea what my waking hours look like. To be fair, and as gateway drugs go, this wasn't my first experience with YA. I loved the Twilight books (don't judge me) and I read the Charlaine Harris novels in addition to my main needs which tilt decidedly in favor of SF&F (it's a literary version of BDSM. Most people wouldn't understand… even some that read it. ;)) Anyway, If I said all that to say anything it is this… what was I saying? Oh yeah, I love all of the genres out right now. I don't have a particular favorite unless you allow me to say speculative fiction. Even that does little to encompass all of the books I read and love.

I am truly thankful to all of those mentioned for being there as well as all of the people I didn't get a chance to meet. Some of you are friends on twitter, etc. It was truly a pleasure to talk over words, sentences and larger collections of words with you over that weekend. Seems like we should do it again some time. Finally, I can't walk away from this without giving blame… errr credit where it is due. Chris Horne, and his blameless wife Heather are the Original Dealers of my new yearly addiction.(however, I blame Chris exclusively) You can blame him for me being there or for it even happening. I recommend you do. In person. Next Year.

Please keep writing.

~JFo

P.S. What do you mean I was still being a fanboy? *looks at the post again* I just don't see it. *totters off laughing*

5 comments:

  1. It is a drug. And I am still going through withdrawal symptoms. It's not pretty.

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  2. It really is. You will forget about it at some point until it starts to get close again next year. *shakes his head*

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  3. A week after Crossroads, I left for a 30 day "just me and my book" retreat. The initial high of conference was a glorious kick-off, and so far, posts like this one have helped keep withdrawal away. If you'd continuing writing these types of Crossroad-focused posts for another three weeks, Jeremy, it would be most helpful.

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  4. Cate, I'll see what I can do. ;-)

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  5. Aaah! I left out Kat Zhang. How could that have happened? I think there must have been something in the banana she gave me Sunday. :-/

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