Wednesday was that day - every RWA has a day where people want to see me at breakfast at some ungodly time, and they also want me to be somewhere at night. (Actually, this RWA had two of those.) Breakfast was an interesting gathering, then lunch where Madeline Hunter gave a great speech. Then there were workshops and signings. The YA chapter, since we "meet" online, had our general meeting, plus a gathering of YA focused people. So, my writer day ended about 8, and then I went to dinner with a friend. Somewhere, you know, not Times Square.
Thursday there more more workshops and signings (again, all wonderful, I just could talk all day about them, so I will resist). Ran into more people on Thursday too. It's one of those strange things that I pretty much run into everyone I know at some point, however briefly. However, invariably you get back home and realize you meant to re-find someone and chat with them more. This seems to increase every year. And there are some people I ran into so many times they probably think I was stalking them.
Lunch on Thursday was a madhouse so I plunked myself down at a mostly empty table confiding to the person next to me that I was over trying to find people only to have the next five people that sat down all be people I know. (Seriously, in a book, no one would ever let me write that, too coincidental.) Sherrilyn Kenyon gave a great speech about powering through adversity that she has posted on Facebook. I had heard her speak at my chapter's conference, so I was prepared, but it's good stuff.
Then workshops, meetings, signings. I was very restrained at signings. Well, Thursday at least. Thursday was a free(ish) night and I went to dinner with a fellow attendee and then headed back to the bar. Now, the staff at Marriott were all lovely, but I have no idea why with a convention of writers, you would staff the bar in the lobby with two people. Haven't they heard the rumors? I'm not saying all writers are drunkards, I'm saying the faster you serve the people in the bar, the longer it takes them to realize the martinis are $15. (I'm also not saying that $15 is bad, I'm saying some of these writers are unused to NYC prices.)
Anyway, I hung out with some lovely NJ chapter folks for the remainder of the evening.
Rants About New (and old) Things