FenCon III
Thursday night, I found out I won the FenCon III short story contest. I was ecstatic. :-) It was hard to sleep, so I went into the FenCon weekend without any sleep padding.
Friday, I arrived at the hotel just before noon. The roof was a different color than in the picture on the internet, so I was confused and ended up parking in back. This turned out to be a benefit since I hit the swag table before registration. :-) I picked up a WAR OF THE WORLDS book and three back issues of Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, among other things. I stood in line for a good ten minutes knowing they didn’t have the programs from the printer yet. What I did not know is that they didn’t have all of the packets ready. I was shuffled to a “name tag” pile to pick up some of my stuff, but would have to return for the program with my story in it and my T-shirt.
The workshop with Lawrence Watt-Evans was cool. It ran 12-4 all three days. My story’s crit only lasted ten minutes, but I got good feedback from LWE, and feel pretty good about my writing. The most memorable thing LWE said was there are two rules, they’ll get you kicked out of any slush pile. Don’t bore the reader, and don’t confuse the reader. That’s it. He also pointed out markets for everyone’s stories, which was cool to hear.
I skipped 30 minutes of the workshop to get some books signed by Alan Dean Foster. :-) Luckily, Gloria’s friend got me moved up in line, or I might not have had time. Another famous person there was Jim Butcher. I don’t really know who he is, some one in tv land. I miss cable! He was really funny though. Very likable. On Friday evening, I went to the hotel restaurant with Rosemary, and Rachel Cain invited us to eat with her and Cat Conrad. That was very cool!
Being treated like a real writer was surreal, but I guess I’m going to have to get use to it. :-) I signed seven programs. I was very pleased with the printing. There is a picture of a face, and the title is in a fancy font. It hit me that those were my words in there as a watched Bill thumb through the pages. (He brought me markers to sign with.) I had a lot of expectation at the opening ceremony, but they only mentioned the winners because Dan shouted a reminder at the stage. I stood and waved even though we weren’t asked to. I didn’t bring my camera Saturday, because I didn’t know they had planned to give us our certificates on stage that night! Now that was fun. I wasn’t even nervous. :-)
I talked with a guy while waiting in line to get my books signed. While there, chatting with Gloria Oliver and her friend, someone else came for Gloria and her friend’s signature. I offered to sign her program too. So later, in the hall, this guy finds me and gets me to sign his. Cool. Then, at the cabaret, before I got my certificate, he is sitting in front of me. He turns, sees me, listens to the conversation a minute, then turns again and takes my pictures. That was freaky weird! I was thinking, “Should I pose, smile, or what?” Steven has set aside the program and certificate to frame after we have an income again. It feels great, like my dreams are coming true.
Now on to the party! Saturday night was amazing! I went to dinner with NTSFW and workshop friends. We hung out in the hotel bar, saw a panel or two, then hit the room parties. Let the fun begin! On the first floor, a DJ held a dance party with free liquor. I had three red rockets (fruit punch and vodka, I think). The best part was Michele. That girl can dance, and as usual, with my shyness about dancing, I need someone there I know going full blast to give myself permission to go full blast. Thanks Michele!!! I felt like I was 21 again. To top it all off, I got asked to dance by a cute guy. I normally am (or was at 21 anyway) very picky about that, because I don’t like the “meat market” feel of most clubs. But he was nice, so it was cool. I danced with him for one song and then told him I had to go back to my friends. :-)
And on to the crazy part. There was this guy running around with my group. He was from the workshop. He lightly flirted with me mostly AFTER he saw the rings on my finger. I didn’t think anything of it. I gave him no signs of interest what-so-ever! While dancing, most of my eye contact went to Michelle. She was my shyness buster. Near the end of the night, he gave everyone his email, me last. I didn’t think anything of until Monday when I was looking for Michele’s email, opened his and read it. Underneath his email was written, “RM#254. What happens here, stays here…” I started laughing hysterically. I’d already told my husband about the weird flirting, and he was happy to have called it correctly (what was on this guys mind). I called Rosemary to share it with her, and we laughed over the phone for five minutes. It’d be a funny joke to get T-shirts that say, “What happens at the Con, stays at the Con.” :-) Btw, I’m a *happily* married woman. I have absolutely no interest outside of my husband. :-)
Rosemary and I talked for an hour after going to bed Saturday night (she graciously offered to let me sleep over so I could party). After a few short blessed hours of sleep, I woke up with charlie horses in both calfs (leg cramps). Yes, I was screaming. It didn’t fase Rosemary much, we were that tired. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go back to sleep due to an intestinal stomach ache that lasted for two days. I went home and missed everything Sunday, but it couldn’t be helped. All in all, FenCon was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.
Delilah
P.S. See where I won.
Friday, I arrived at the hotel just before noon. The roof was a different color than in the picture on the internet, so I was confused and ended up parking in back. This turned out to be a benefit since I hit the swag table before registration. :-) I picked up a WAR OF THE WORLDS book and three back issues of Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, among other things. I stood in line for a good ten minutes knowing they didn’t have the programs from the printer yet. What I did not know is that they didn’t have all of the packets ready. I was shuffled to a “name tag” pile to pick up some of my stuff, but would have to return for the program with my story in it and my T-shirt.
The workshop with Lawrence Watt-Evans was cool. It ran 12-4 all three days. My story’s crit only lasted ten minutes, but I got good feedback from LWE, and feel pretty good about my writing. The most memorable thing LWE said was there are two rules, they’ll get you kicked out of any slush pile. Don’t bore the reader, and don’t confuse the reader. That’s it. He also pointed out markets for everyone’s stories, which was cool to hear.
I skipped 30 minutes of the workshop to get some books signed by Alan Dean Foster. :-) Luckily, Gloria’s friend got me moved up in line, or I might not have had time. Another famous person there was Jim Butcher. I don’t really know who he is, some one in tv land. I miss cable! He was really funny though. Very likable. On Friday evening, I went to the hotel restaurant with Rosemary, and Rachel Cain invited us to eat with her and Cat Conrad. That was very cool!
Being treated like a real writer was surreal, but I guess I’m going to have to get use to it. :-) I signed seven programs. I was very pleased with the printing. There is a picture of a face, and the title is in a fancy font. It hit me that those were my words in there as a watched Bill thumb through the pages. (He brought me markers to sign with.) I had a lot of expectation at the opening ceremony, but they only mentioned the winners because Dan shouted a reminder at the stage. I stood and waved even though we weren’t asked to. I didn’t bring my camera Saturday, because I didn’t know they had planned to give us our certificates on stage that night! Now that was fun. I wasn’t even nervous. :-)
I talked with a guy while waiting in line to get my books signed. While there, chatting with Gloria Oliver and her friend, someone else came for Gloria and her friend’s signature. I offered to sign her program too. So later, in the hall, this guy finds me and gets me to sign his. Cool. Then, at the cabaret, before I got my certificate, he is sitting in front of me. He turns, sees me, listens to the conversation a minute, then turns again and takes my pictures. That was freaky weird! I was thinking, “Should I pose, smile, or what?” Steven has set aside the program and certificate to frame after we have an income again. It feels great, like my dreams are coming true.
Now on to the party! Saturday night was amazing! I went to dinner with NTSFW and workshop friends. We hung out in the hotel bar, saw a panel or two, then hit the room parties. Let the fun begin! On the first floor, a DJ held a dance party with free liquor. I had three red rockets (fruit punch and vodka, I think). The best part was Michele. That girl can dance, and as usual, with my shyness about dancing, I need someone there I know going full blast to give myself permission to go full blast. Thanks Michele!!! I felt like I was 21 again. To top it all off, I got asked to dance by a cute guy. I normally am (or was at 21 anyway) very picky about that, because I don’t like the “meat market” feel of most clubs. But he was nice, so it was cool. I danced with him for one song and then told him I had to go back to my friends. :-)
And on to the crazy part. There was this guy running around with my group. He was from the workshop. He lightly flirted with me mostly AFTER he saw the rings on my finger. I didn’t think anything of it. I gave him no signs of interest what-so-ever! While dancing, most of my eye contact went to Michelle. She was my shyness buster. Near the end of the night, he gave everyone his email, me last. I didn’t think anything of until Monday when I was looking for Michele’s email, opened his and read it. Underneath his email was written, “RM#254. What happens here, stays here…” I started laughing hysterically. I’d already told my husband about the weird flirting, and he was happy to have called it correctly (what was on this guys mind). I called Rosemary to share it with her, and we laughed over the phone for five minutes. It’d be a funny joke to get T-shirts that say, “What happens at the Con, stays at the Con.” :-) Btw, I’m a *happily* married woman. I have absolutely no interest outside of my husband. :-)
Rosemary and I talked for an hour after going to bed Saturday night (she graciously offered to let me sleep over so I could party). After a few short blessed hours of sleep, I woke up with charlie horses in both calfs (leg cramps). Yes, I was screaming. It didn’t fase Rosemary much, we were that tired. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go back to sleep due to an intestinal stomach ache that lasted for two days. I went home and missed everything Sunday, but it couldn’t be helped. All in all, FenCon was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.
Delilah
P.S. See where I won.