What I did on my Summer (spring) vacation

The weekend of May 18^th to 20^th I went to the Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster, PA.  The Keynotes were Hank Phillippi Ryan and Maria V. Snyder.

First off my mom and I write very different genres so we’ve never been anywhere together, she has her mystery things and I have my speculative fiction things, and this wasn’t just the first time we went to any writers things together, it was the first time we’ve been away together in a very long time.  We don’t travel much – or at least not for things that aren’t work. 

 The first day we were there we were not registered for anything.  They had offered several four hour workshops.  The workshops were kind of expensive but I think that if I am interested in one next year I’ll put the money up for it.    

 So Thursday we went to Landis Valley Museum – because we always go to museums, what with working in two of them – and then we went swimming. It was a nice relaxing day with my mom, something we don’t get a lot of anymore.  There was also good food and a drink that I didn’t like as much as I thought I would and the biggest buckwheat pillow I have ever seen.

 Friday Morning mom and I went to the introduction and it was a good introduction.  There were things in the introduction that I may do next year that I doubt I would have known about if I didn’t go to the intro.  Then Mom and I split up, I went to a session called “Get thee to a Writterhead!” and Mom went to an editing session.  We both enjoyed our sessions more than I think we thought we would.  Mine was one of my favorite sessions, it was about getting into and staying in that creative zone, something I can have trouble with from time to time.  I get interrupted a lot when I am working; both my paying job and my writing. 

 After that we both did “Showing vs. Telling with Maria V. Snyder, I love her work so I would have gone to this even if she was going to read the phonebook.  It was enjoyable and it is something that I know I have trouble with – I haven’t gone over my notes yet but she used examples from her own work and I have read all but 2 of her books so I found that helpful. 

 Lunch at a sub shop that thought it was in Brooklyn.

After lunch we split up again and Mom did Fictional Characters Anonymous with Hana Haatainen Caye (who I have been calling ‘the Finn’ for some time now) and I did a thing on social media – I would have liked it better if I had gotten there earlier and could have had a chair that I could have taken notes from.

 There are times that being left handed really sucks.  And I was still cranky for the next talk and somehow still didn’t get a seat that I could take notes from. 

 After Mom went to the Keynote Dinner,  I was invited but wanted to have supper with a  few friends.   

Saturday started with a two hour workshop called 10 Tools for Author Success with Deborah Riley-Magnus if you get a chance to go to this anywhere – go.  One of the best things I’ve been to in a long while.  www.theauthorsuccesscoach.com

 Then a thing on Extended Workshops, I have to say I would love to do an extended workshop some time, but it will probably have to be after I retire, I just can’t see swinging 6 weeks away from work, but you never know.  Odd things have happened in the past, I could win the lottery or something.    

Last thing of the day was a Meditation workshop.  It’s been to long since I have done any serious meditation I would do that one again and bought the cd.  Her website is www.Mindful-Writters.com

 Then Mom and I ate with a group of writers – I have to say that was very fun.  I don’t get out with whole groups of writers often. 

 Sunday was two talks and then the goodbyes.  The two talks I went to were on fight scenes and time management.  The fight scene talk was interesting; it was done by a Corrections Officer who works in a juvenile center.  I had read a book not that long ago about fighting in the NHL and many of the things that he said were very similar to things that were brought up in that book.  And time management – well I’m just never going to be good at that. 

 At the goodbye I won a Nook.  I’m not totally sold on e-readers but all of my pieces are out on e-reader so now I have them on my Nook. 

All and all the best weekend I’ve had in a long time.  I met good people and I had a good time.  I also came home and bought a buckwheat pillow.  It should be here tomorrow.