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*

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. ;-)