 |
| Amazing! |
Open invitation for the last three Prosers I haven't met yet,( Sarah, Tricia, and Melanie), let's go to lunch!
We had TOO much fun at LTUE. We laughed, and learned, and talked about books and publishing and met real life authors. It was a book nerd's paradise.
It was my first convention, and I think I'd never gone to one before, because I had a million excuses not to. But mainly, I didn't want to have to commit to this dream I have, because whenever I say I'm a writer, I have a secret fear that people will read my words and see my soul and say, "Ick".
But mostly I didn't want to be weird. It's not normal for a mom and Mormon woman to daydream about what life would be like to live on a moon of some far off galaxy. It's not normal to drive my kids to school, and be whispering bits of dialog, or world building, or be thinking what if. It's not normal to worry about if people will think less of me for publishing a book on my own, or to look at a sixteen year old boy and think he'd make a cute hero. It's not normal. I'm officially not normal.
I know this, but I didn't want to be the not normal that goes to scifi conventions. That was my own personal line in the sand.
But I've crossed it now, and I liked it.
What I took away from the conference, more than the inspiration from Susan and MaryAnn on how to fix the climax of my book, or hearing brilliant people say things I've thought, and things I never would have, that gave me a new path for my own ideas, or even the ...fact... that Dave Farland discovered both Twilight, and Harry Potter, was the clear and secure knowledge that I'm not the only weirdo out there.
There were hundreds of men and women who got the Dr. Who references, and the spoke of some inspiration they got from one of my favorite books, and a ton of books to my TBR pile to inspire me later, who were amazed at the idea of goats in space, or the importance of the sewing needle and how it affected our society.
The amazing thing, is that there are thousands, maybe millions more of us out there who didn't go to LTUE, but who have the same dream. That might be intimidating number to think of, if you see all those people as competition, but I don't. I've read a thousand books that have taught me the same singular message I learned from LTUE. I'm weird, but I'm not alone.
I'm weird like you.
Now, I'm off to fix my climax.
Happy writing, happy reading, happy life,
~Sheena
That sounds like so much fun guys. I'm highly jealous! I don't know about doing OSC boot camp this year--I'm half way through my pregnancy and already feeling the strain! BUT my mother-in-law lives in Provo and I think we are going out to visit in the next few months. I think I could manage a side trip up to Salt Lake, or wherever would be good for you guys. I'll let you know when it starts to become a concrete plan, and we can do lunch or something.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Sheena. I think you're totally normal, but then again, I'm the same as you. Maybe my view of what's normal is a bit skewed. :)
I agree with Trisha. You seem completely normal to me. :)
ReplyDeleteLTUE was so much fun. It was amazing how we met for the first time and yet it felt like we had been best friends for years. It was beyond awesome. I'd love to meet the rest of the prosers. Sheena's Boot Camp dream sounds awesome. Don't know if I can do it with kids and stuff, but it would be awesome.
Trisha, I'm not far from Provo, so count me in if you can manage it. :)
Glad you had a great time. It had to be loads of fun.
ReplyDeleteIt was great. I felt just the same way, like we'd known each other forever. I think the highlight was actually just talking while walking and walking and walking to find that fabulous chicken alfredo pizza - so much fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd Sheena, of course you're absolutely normal, just like the rest of us. :)
It sounds absolutely amazing, and I wish I could have been there! Maybe we should plan a Proser's Retreat, if Boot Camp falls through...
ReplyDeleteOh man, a Prosers retreat would be so amazing. I've had so much fun meeting Sheena and Sarah (there was a picture of the latter meeting, but I had a camera fail).
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely fun finding people who are the same kind of weird as you, and realizing that's not such a bad thing.
So jealous! I'd love a Prosers retreat too :) I have no idea what OSC boot camp but as long as it doesn't involve military-style physical training it could be fun...(No pushups. I will drink coffee and gab and maybe even write something but I will not do pushups.)
ReplyDelete