Lessons learned from ARCHON 31

Just a bit of silliness in the form of a numbered list...

1. SF cons are the place to get your geek on. (Hmm, that sounds vaguely dirty. Not intended that way, but oh, well). I loved it. You can talk Trek or BSG with just about anyone and they all know exactly what you're talking about and can contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way instead ofgetting that vague, glazed over look or fleeing in panic. Science fiction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it was so cool to be around a whole bunch of others who are just like me in that respect. Two of my favorite non-writing panels were the two BSG panels I got to participate in. So much fun I could hardly stand it! I got to explain what a "sitrep" was.

2. When driving a PT Cruiser, you must refer to it as "the PT Cruiser" or just "the cruiser." There is no car or rental car in the sentence at all. As in, "I left my sunglasses in the cruiser." Sounds way cooler. : )

3. On a related note, when obtaining a rental car for a long journey, always confirm the existence of cruise control before leaving the rental car place! Five hours is a very long time to hold your foot at a 45 degree angle.

4. There is no substitute for drinking cheap wine coolers (purchased at the Moto Mart around the corner) while hanging out with good friends and enjoying the hell out of each other's company and an episode of Star Trek, the original series. (And my memory was right--the tombstone does say "James R. Kirk." Haven't seen that episode in probably twenty years ormore, but darn if that little production goof didn't stick in my brain. Don't ask me which episode, I can't remember the name but it's got to be one of the first or second ones as Spock is not even in his blue shirt yet. It's the one where the crew member's eyes turn silver and the doctor--not McCoy but a very pretty blonde woman--falls for him.)

5. Brushing your teeth is part of foreplay, evidently. But recycling, while important, is not.
(Links to YouTube, keep volume low but this is a MUST SEE). : )

6. Leave plenty of room in your suitcase for new t-shirts. I LOVE t-shirts, particularly those with funny sayings. Among my favorite purchases this time around? A "Legolas is my house elf" shirt. : ) Perhaps I will wear it and post a picture for you all. Mmmm, Legolas...

7. Don't be afraid. I was very worried that people would not like me or my writing because I blend science fiction with romance. But there were plenty of other genre-crossing authors there (among them, Rachel Caine, Linnea Sinclair, Laurell K. Hamilton, Isabo Kelly, and more!), and not a single person--writer or not--scoffed at my choices. At least not to my face and that, quite frankly, was all I was worried about!

8. You can always learn something new. My very favorite session was the one Linnea and I did together on plot. Not just because it was fun to get up there and talk about these things, but because she and I do things so very differently, I learned some new ways of thinking that will help me in my journey. My new mantra is, "Don't panic! You've just fallen off the conflict line, that's all."

9. Rooming with a buddy is a lot more fun than rooming alone! Isabo Kelly and I had so much fun...just not very much sleep. : ) At least, I had fun.She had to put up with my tendency to spread my possessions over every available flat surface. Next year if we do this, we're going to get room(s) next to Linnea. It'll be just like college. : ) Only with more drinking...

10. I can't wait until next year!