All the adventures before that must be credited to my mother, may she rest in peace.
Readercon was an eye opener. Non-stop. I went to a panel every hour one was scheduled. It was exhausting and exhilarating. It was eye opening.
These were published author speaking to us, to me, like what I experienced in September 2014, at the Baltimore Book Festival. Only this time the panels were more diverse in panelists and topics. Might have been that there was simply more to attend and more days? Either way it was eye-opening.
And I rocked my eighties outfit for the dance. Those buttons on my jeans jacket were genuine. Purchased from 1980-1983 at The Mercantile in Amherst, MA. “He’s Pretty But Can He Type” – a classic.
I spent a bit of time before Readercon driving to new places for author events and even more time afterwards. Including attending two writer retreats. I thought doing so much of those activities, many on my own, would make me more adventurous. Less fearful of the driving on my own. Oddly I was wrong. Isn’t the saying “Practice Makes Perfect” a thing? Maybe for some but apparently not for me. I’m a chickenshit.
While I might not want to jump in my car and travel all over chasing author events and conferences at least I had a fire lit under me. I want to write.
Sometimes I want to more than others. Often, I feel inadequate. l need to remind myself of the stories I heard that long weekend at Readercon. Of the honestly. The brutal realities. Also, the hope. The work that it takes and how that work can pay off. There are many paths and I will find mine. I hope you find yours.