RT Columbus, Ohio 2010
<~~~ the lovely and stylish Molly & Pat
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The first thing everyone has asked is WHY Ohio in the first place? I'm betting it's because it's mid-America and because EC, the biggest contributor (as in their authors and readers, as in their party, which is always a highlight at RT) is based in Ohio. But other than that...I agree. What the hell?
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Ah, didn't get a photo, but for those who know Raelene Gorlinsky, the publisher for RT? She looks fabulous. I swear, the diet she's on, the way she had her hair fixed (and I didn't see her in a hat - lol - she had just arrived when she came and sat at our table outside), whatever it was...she looks 10 years younger. Very pretty. And Jeania with EC is still cute as hell. The woman never ages.
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I met some nice local folks there (and wonderful staff at the hotel), but the location sucks. Columbus is a former industrial city, and I'm not sure what it is now, but the downtown area is pretty bleak and void of eye candy. There are some terrific boutiques and food places, but...meh. Lex and I had to take a cab to Wal-Mart and go through 'da hood' (and people, I've lived in da hood in Oklahoma City, and this one scared the crap out of even me)...e-friggin-gad. Did some people-watching, though, and the norm there for women of all ages seems to be Capris, ankle socks, athletic shoes, and ankle tattoos. Amazing. Didn't see but a few flip flops in Wal-Mart, only a few bottle blondes with heels, and no sandals. But tons of the Capri/Nike/tats.
<~~ a sample of Theresa's knitting expertise - omg this was pretty!
The thrills for me were meeting up with friends and editors. Shared drinks and conversation with Angie (Carina Press - I'm too lazy to link you today). Had meals and convo and tons of laughs with Theresa (Red Sage Publishing), Molly, Lex, Sahara, Jill, several authors, readers, and RT representatives. Of course, there's Kathryn The Great (Kathryn Falk, founder of Romantic Times Magazine, discoverer of Fabio and his ilk.
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<~~ Alexis at our room's window - it always pains me to say goodbye to my friend, and this trip was a short one for me, but it was better to at least spend some time with her than none at all.
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There are probably a few waiters at the restaurants who are either delighted or dismayed that I didn't stick around. (Yeah, Sunny showed her ass when we were kept waiting. You really don't want to know how I got them to wait on us.) I only flew in for 3 nights prior to the convention so I could see Lex, T, Molly, and others.
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I'm in the midst of packing up a house (we're not moving far, but it still has to be done), or I'd leave more tidbits (and there's a lot of shake up in the publishing industry at present) and photos. But for now, this is it. Enjoy.
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~ Sunny
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How about that? Two posts within a week.
I just spent the most wonderful day with another writer friend. Rain, my first Krispy Kreme donut experience, author to author chit chat, hugging a warm puppy (well he was warm after he nestled against my boobs for a bit). Thanks, Carol.
It's always nice to talk with someone who has been in the trenches and survived the war. Have had one acquaintance tell another this week that (for whatever reason) she wouldn't sell what she was writing. Not "you might not", but you won't. And it took me several hours to calm down after that. I would hate to be the cause of another writer floundering with doubt demons simply because I was a friggin' know-it-all. First reaction with me is usually to smack somebody, even if verbally, and worry about the aftermath later. But it got me to thinking.
Over the past ten years I've done some major housecleaning and reorganizing of my personal life. If it (or even they) weren't working for me, if it/they were toxic, then...bye bye. Hurt like hell a lot of times, but wounds heal better when they're not perpetually reinfected with the same affliction. Self-centeredness or self-preservation? Maybe both. And if the world works the way I think it does, there are probably those who got rid of me for the same damned reason! As it should be.
So...my advice was to let it go. (Okay, my first advice was f*** her, but I softened. A little. I'm channeling David Carradine's Kung Fu character.) Path of least resistence, that sort of thing. How can you climb higher if you're willingly swimming with sharks? And there are a lot of sharks in this business, so either learn how to swim better, strap on the equivalent of a bulletproof wetsuit, or get out of the water. And sometimes getting out of the water simply means rising above it, not giving up.
So that is my Thursday advice. Don't give up. Do what you have to do within reason, don't hurt others (shame on the "you'll never sell this" folks), hone your skills, and have a few safety nets in the form of good friends, mentors, self-confidence, and passion.
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Issues
Returned from writers' retreat energized. Tired, looking like hell, back hurting, but...oddly energized, because I learned a few things. #1 - I have issues.
Many of us are so afraid of putting ourselves onto the page that our characters tend to be "cardboard", one-dimensional, two- at best. Some are scared that we'll reveal too much about ourselves and that nobody will like us. Others try so hard that nobody likes them or their characters anyway. And a smaller portion of us fear we'll scare the shit out of folks. It goes beyond "what if they don't like me" to "what if they want to lock me up or avoid me altogether?" - and then...
Some of us are genuinely clueless. We know the mechanics of writing but not characterization, because we are either so shallow that we only scratch the surface, or we're so friggin' deep we're in danger of drowning ourselves.
Somewhere in the midst of character chaos lie those of us who haven't made peace with our baggage from the past. I'm one of those. I'll think I've buried the dead and emerged like some phoenix from the ashes, but whenever my stuff is read aloud, I marvel...
you are still angry as hell, and it shows. You're not psychotic, but you definitely have issues. I can say this because I know I drop my pants and put myself 'out there', on the page, every time I write something. And when it's read aloud, it ain't always pretty. Anger comes in many disguises - mine is cloaked in sarcasm and innuendo.
What to do? Keep writing, I guess. Hell, I dunno. I know that I never really smoked, drank, swore, or even skinny dipped (which I love - lol) until I was nearly 29. What happened doesn't matter. What matters is that whatever pushed me toward becoming an adrenaline junkie is still there, lingering in the murky past. It can't drag me back--I'm not afraid in the least of that. But it can cloud the waters of my mind, make me lose focus of what matters most. I used to do drugs and dye my hair purple. Now I just write. But my female characters (okay, protagonists) who are afraid to show emotion, reveal what they truly fear and feel, won't garner me any sympathy or requests for manuscripts until I allow them to soften a bit. They can smart-ass themselves out of danger or relationships, but the chill factor needs to heat up, thaw them, give their arthritic attempts at communication some vitamin E or something. Adrenaline junkies take risks, but they're not necessarily emotional ones...and emotion is what sells, folks.
Back to the drawing board. I've joined a new critique group. Haven't belonged to a do-or-die crit group in ages. Never for once thought I knew it all. Just dropped out of my own life for a spell and watched it from the sidelines. That's the trouble with allowing others to infiltrate your subconscious and become a part of your everyday life - lol. If they give a damn about you, they remind you (even if they are unaware of doing so) that you're still breathing, that you're not dead yet...and, therefore, neither is your writing.
~ Lazarus Sunny Lyn *shaking off the dust and starting fresh...again* (I've had more fresh starts than Richard freakin' Nixon)
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MARA Retreat
26 registration bags stuffed & ready to go
half-a-dozen goody bags as prizes...*almost* ready to go
(Thank God for Borders Books.)
clothes? who needs clothes?
food? Carla Cassidy is feeding me.
where to sleep? Gretchen Jones is housing me - yay - I love camping out, sleeping in the pop-out camper next to the bathrooms, showering in 40 degree weather, having to wear a sock hat and hoodie and sweats to bed - I LOVE it. aaaand, it's supposed to rain that first night. nothing like the patter of raindrops about 2 inches from your head as you snooze.
I'm gonna dance till I drop, play games with other writers, jump into some open critique sessions, smoke (uh-oh, shit - I don't smoke any more, do I???), eat (well, thank God some things never change), play in the rain, and chat it up with other like-minded folks.
ya'll have a good weekend. I plan on it. :) And NEXT WEEKEND...ta-da...I get to hug Lex's neck and spend some time with her.
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Shopping
If I haven't mentioned it, I'm only so-so when it comes to shopping. I get tired or bored, something sparkly catches my eye, and before I know it I'm gone.
So. #1 Son and #1 Daughter-in-law decide to go shopping. I know The Kid needs clothes for an upcoming business trip, and I suggest he take his wife to such & such store, because they're having a tee-shirt sale, $5 a pop. Of course, she finds some rock star pants she wants to go with the shirts, but if he has the money, why not? He's been gone the past week to Seattle, and while he did bring back fabulous coffee that can't be had anywhere but there, we missed him. She missed him. She needed to spend time with him.
Upshot of this trip, however, is that they think Mom wears clothes that are too big and baggy for her, so the boy is picking up a few things for his mother that he pretty much said "just shut up, wear them, accept the gift, and wear something form fitting for a change". *gulp*
Please, God, let it be black or red, something that looks good on me. And thank you for thoughtful adult children.addendum: half a dozen shirts in various colors - the kids did well - lol. (and nooo, no pics of me in them as yet) - Thanks for stopping by.Hope you are all having a good finish to the week.
~ Sunny Lyn, aka Amazon Barbie
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Happy Easter
Careful driving, singing, eating, et al. Enjoy yourselves, though. :)
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7 Comments:
I'd hate to have seen what scared YOU!!! I'm glad you had some fun though. Can't wait to hear the stories!
Typical big city downtown with interesting old buildings, but there were several blocks of spray-painted buildings, overgrown yards, thugs with thug wear - lol. It was just creepy.
Other stories...Lex will probably out me and post one or two before I get to see you. Don't believe everything. I'm not guilty, just misunderstood...like my characters.
Looking forward to the next crit session. :)
WAAAAAAHHHH! I wish I could have been there! I want the other stories, too.
Glad you got to spend some time with Lex and Theresa, et al.
hey, liz - oh, you'll get the stori4e - lol. you were missed. i'm currently pup sitting for carol while she enjoys the bliss in ohio. will be back home tomorrow evening and probably ring you monday. hope all is well.q
RT fosters a very surreal view of the daily grind. Was *wonderful* to visit with you and Lex. Hope we didn't wear you out! ~Molly
Molly, I had a BLAST - sooo enjoyed my visit with you. Now we just need to figure out how to work 2011. Need my Mol' fix, and two years is too long.
:)
that knitting looks very bat-like. thanks for the report. more pictures, if you pls? tanks.
And good luck on the (shudder) move.
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