UW Writer's Conference 2014

Let me start by saying that my sister Jen Starkman and I had so much fun at the UW writer's conference this year. We had never been to one before.  Although we had both wanted to attend last year, my daughter was 9 months pregnant and yes I know Madison's only a short hour away if she had gone into labor while I was there, but I wasn't taking any chances so I didn't go.  Jenny missed in solidarity with me.

However, this year was a whole different ballgame.  We were free.  Unfettered.  Ready to go experience everything it had to experience and WOW, did this conference deliver.

Keynote speakers like Nathan Bransford and Michael Perry.  Workshops given by Kathy Fong Yoneda and Jackie Mitchard and Kristin Oakley.  Wandering through the room set up for people to sell their books. Networking with agents & small bookstore owners, trading business cards with everyone, meeting people from as far away as Australia (Lisa and Ion, talking to you) and of course having overpriced drinks with friends.  Pitching our first book Baylyn, Bewitched, to an agent who seemed to enjoy what she heard and requested contact information and the first ten pages of our book.

Jenny and I were asked to be on the success panel this year to talk about epublishing.

us, trying to be all cool and such, and failing miserably because we were worried about salad in our teeth

What an honor that was, and we found that afterward, we were both stopped together and separately by people with questions like, "What's it like to work with a partner?"  "How hard is the formatting?" "Is it hard to work with your sister?" etc etc.  I think between Jen and I we were stopped by no less than ten people. Of course, some of those stopping us just wanted to giggle over how much Jen and I look alike.

frankly, I don't think there's a resemblance.

We arrived Thursday night and didn't get home until last night.  We stayed up late reading and laughing. With two queen beds, we were able to hog the bed all to ourselves although it didn't do much good, as I got hardly any sleep Thursday and Saturday night (thanks, hot flashes) and I don't believe Jenny got more than 7 hours of sleep total.  It could be that someone else in the room was snoring keeping her awake a little bit, perhaps due to a whiskey assist.

Saturday night we ate at the Great Dane restaurant in downtown Madison on the square.  It was delicious and the craft beer was pretty darn tasty.  Saturday night I almost ate my flash drive.  Jenny and I laughed so hard that I almost really did choke to death on a piece of peanut.

In my defense, it wasn't any bigger than the m&m peanuts.  And such a pretty blue.  Doesn't it look delicious? 

All in all, it was one of the best weekends I've ever had.  The sister time I got was awesome and will hopefully tide me over til July.  We plotted and planned and discussed everything we had heard, compared notes from when we split up during the day to attend different workshops, and laid out groundwork for the next series and more importantly, the next book in the Whitfield Witch series, entitled Elise, Evermore.

I was inspired.  I was overwhelmed.  I was happy and relaxed and rejuvenated.

Can't wait til next year.