This past weekend was my favorite local convention – Cleveland ConCoction.
I have a soft spot for this little convention. It’s the first one that I ever attended as an author. It’s still a thrill to officially be treated as if I know what I’m doing as far as writing goes. I’ve managed to pull the wool over their eyes for 12 or so years — here’s hoping they keep being bamboozled!
I was able to bring my husband and oldest two kids this year. I enjoyed having them around! Although I need to make sure K2 gets photography lessons before I ask him to take pictures at my author reading again.
I love ConCoction for the connections, for being able to network with other localish authors. I’ve been around long enough that I know a lot of the regulars, which is a very fun feeling. (Even though I’m sure I’m super awkward and cringe; sorry about that, other authors!)
To be honest, though, this is not a well selling convention for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been going so long and haven’t really had anything new come out. Maybe it’s because attendees like novels better than short story collections. Maybe it’s because I always choose the wrong shelf to put them on, who knows! But I never go into the weekend expecting to sell tons, so I’m not too disappointed. And the fact that the convention runs an Author’s Alley for us, where we can drop off our books and they sell them for us even when we’re not hanging around in the room? Outstanding.
After the convention was over, a few of us stuck around for the monthly meeting of our writing group, Cajun Sushi Hamsters from Hell. Even just sitting around listening to the other members talk is a master class in writing and editing! Whenever I get a piece critiqued, it’s even better.
I woke up this morning really fired up about stories, about writing, about getting stuff done. Then I had to do laundry and dishes and clean up and get my daughter from preschool and and and…
But it’s sunny out today, and I still have some of that convention mojo, so maybe I’ll pull up a new document and see what I can get done.
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