The World Fantasy convention is this week. I have my tickets and hotel all paid for. Now I just need to go, be professional, be pleasant and try to meet people in the industry.
I am so going to suck at this.
I can pretend to be just about anything for a short period of time (I am an actor, or at least play one on stage). The effort it takes to be sociable is not negligible for me. Honestly, it's exhausting. I'm usually the guy at a party who stands by the wall, possibly scowling at people. (which explains a lot about my early dating experiences) I CAN be suave, witty and fun, but it's an act...at least around strangers. In my circle of friends, I am much more of a joker but as I grew older, I became very self-conscious. Do a lot of class have that happen to them? Or is it just me?
Anyway, I'm NOT going with the intention of selling Angel Odyssey. If that happens, cool, but that's not my intention. I'll have a manuscript with me, but that's going to be more for my own reading and revising. I'm NOT going to be pressing it on anyone.
I am going to ask people what they're working on. I may gently ask advice about writing or selling. I am going to let them ask me what I do and what I'm working on.
My goal is meet people and have fun. Yes, I'm going for business reasons, to network and make contacts but I'm not going to be a jerk or a fanboy about it.
I really hope I can pull that off. A lot of authors I am in awe of are going to be there. I'll really have to fight hard to avoid being tounge-tied or star-struck.
I'll just need to get in character. But which one? Maybe I'll go with Patrick Mcgoohan, circa 1970. He was very cool and he wore black. Of course, he also ended up as a Prisioner of an international espionage conspiracy.
I really hope this goes well and I don't just waste my time. I 'know' what I have to do. But can I really hang out in a bar for days, talk to strangers, ask where the publisher parties are and act like a professional writer?
We'll see.
I am so going to suck at this.
I can pretend to be just about anything for a short period of time (I am an actor, or at least play one on stage). The effort it takes to be sociable is not negligible for me. Honestly, it's exhausting. I'm usually the guy at a party who stands by the wall, possibly scowling at people. (which explains a lot about my early dating experiences) I CAN be suave, witty and fun, but it's an act...at least around strangers. In my circle of friends, I am much more of a joker but as I grew older, I became very self-conscious. Do a lot of class have that happen to them? Or is it just me?
Anyway, I'm NOT going with the intention of selling Angel Odyssey. If that happens, cool, but that's not my intention. I'll have a manuscript with me, but that's going to be more for my own reading and revising. I'm NOT going to be pressing it on anyone.
I am going to ask people what they're working on. I may gently ask advice about writing or selling. I am going to let them ask me what I do and what I'm working on.
My goal is meet people and have fun. Yes, I'm going for business reasons, to network and make contacts but I'm not going to be a jerk or a fanboy about it.
I really hope I can pull that off. A lot of authors I am in awe of are going to be there. I'll really have to fight hard to avoid being tounge-tied or star-struck.
I'll just need to get in character. But which one? Maybe I'll go with Patrick Mcgoohan, circa 1970. He was very cool and he wore black. Of course, he also ended up as a Prisioner of an international espionage conspiracy.
I really hope this goes well and I don't just waste my time. I 'know' what I have to do. But can I really hang out in a bar for days, talk to strangers, ask where the publisher parties are and act like a professional writer?
We'll see.
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