Friday, October 21, 2011

Live Blogging from the FWA Conference

The Florida's Writers Association Conference is in full-swing and the excitement is contagious!I will live blog throughout the conference to allow my hoards of fans to follow my progress. Networking and negotiating moves fast! Refresh often!

*Woke up at 5:20am

7:03am: Arrived at the hotel and received my name tag and goody bag.

7:08am: Found a seat next to a Senior Exhibitor and Publisher at the breakfast table.

7:14am: Choked down some buffet-grade scrambled eggs.

7:18am:  Modified my name tag.



7:21am: Stuttered out my pitch to a publisher and decided I neeed moooore coffeeeeee.

7:48am: Passed out my business cards like Halloween candy and headed to my first breakout session on e-publishing.

7:51am: Went pee.

8:42am:  Butt started going numb.  Shifted in my seat.  A lot.

8:45am - 5pm: Wrote 2500 words in notes which has made it difficult to live blog.

11:43am: Was called upon for a question in a break-out session and the presenter called me "Lady in Red."  The name has stuck.  I'm wearing this color all weekend.

12:00pm: Ate a conference grade cheeseburger from the buffet and half of a deviled egg.

12:36pm:  Suffered from heartburn.  Took a Zantac.

1:20pm:  Felt relief.  Peed for the 7th time.

5:15pm:  Met with two agents and pitched my book idea.  Things look promising!

5:26pm:  Ran home to let the dog out.

5:48pm:  Took a prophylactic Zantac.

5:49pm:  Restocked business card stash.

5:51pm:  Rushing back to conference for reception and dinner.

6:14pm:  Casually approach the friendly and informative agent I spoke with earlier during the panel discussion, thank her for her time and offer to buy her a drink.  She accepts.

6:15pm:  Order a glass of White Zinfandel for my lovely book agent friend and a glass of Chardonnay for myself.

6:16pm:  Dig into purse to retrieve wallet and begin blindly groping the walls of said purse for a wallet that is clearly missing.

6:17pm:  Realize I have left my wallet in my briefcase at home and I have NO MONEY. NONE.

6:18pm:  Desperately look at the bartender, pleading with my eyes, “Dude, hook me up!  She’s an AGENT!”  Bartender is so not getting it.

6:19pm:  The Agent graciously offers to pay for her and my drink and I want to crawl under a table and cry.  She calls me over to a table to talk. 

6:24pm:  We are hitting it off fabulously (despite the fact I’m a bumbling idiot) and the jokes start rolling.

6:32pm:  She laughs at my wit and sarcasm and then I did the UNTHINKABLE.

6:33pm:  I RAPPED my book pitch to her.  To the tune of Paul Revere by the Beastie Boys.

6:33pm:  Other people looked at me.  Me - The Lady in Red.

I RAPPED. TO AN AGENT. AND I’M A GROWN UP.

6:34pm:  She loved it and laughed!  She told me I need to include that bit on the “About the Author” back jacket of my book.

6:45pm:  We were ushered from the lovely patio into the dining room for dinner. 

6:45pm:  Lovely Agent offered me a seat at the FACULTY TABLE so we could continue our conversation. 



Holy shit, I ate dinner with an AGENT!

Today was a good day.  More to come tomorrow!

*Thanks for the support, Everyone!*

4 comments:

JMo said...

Love the nametag modification!

JMo said...

Me again! You are where you belong! I have tears best friend! So proud of you.

R.F. said...

Exciting stuff! Glad you went with the Rap!

R.F. said...

How exciting. Glad you did the rap! Very cool!