This weekend Mamie's been on strike.
According to reports from home, she hasn't eaten or pooped since Friday, and she's set up camp in the armchair in my office. When My Guy brought her outside while he launched another attack on leaves, she wasn't exactly a bundle of energy.
According to reports from home, she hasn't eaten or pooped since Friday, and she's set up camp in the armchair in my office. When My Guy brought her outside while he launched another attack on leaves, she wasn't exactly a bundle of energy.
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| Tiny dog sulking in the leaves |
What's the cause you ask?
I'm at the New England Crimebake, a conference for mystery writers. It's being held in Dedham, a particularly apt name, I think.
It's an egalitarian gathering where unpublished writers who have been rewriting the same murder mystery for the past eight years rub elbows with success stories like B.A. Shapiro, the author of The Art Forger.. Who, by the way had nine books that went unread or were just "meh" before this current success.
In fact, that seems to be the theme of the weekend: the very long and very bumpy road to getting published and read, and the need for perseverance. I listened to a number of authors and even took in a podcast.
This year's guest of honor was William Kent Krueger, author of a mystery series set in the Northwoods of Minnesota.
Crimebake certainly gets their money's worth out of their speakers. He spoke after our Saturday lunch, showed up in a panel on Writers Banding Together for Promotion, jetted next to a panel on Creating Your Fictional Town, and then judged the limerick contest at the banquet.
The banquet itself was an eye-opener.
In recognition of Krueger's Minnesota home, the theme was flannel and the ballroom was awash with checks. After dinner the music began and people usually branded as introverted social misfits were out there snapping their suspenders and stomping their Timberlands.
Today's remaining panel is called Canine CSI, a good way to end the weekend before I go home to prove to my depressed dog that I haven't left her forever.
That sounds like a fabulous conference. I think it must take a lot of persistence and bravery to become a published author. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI can't remember one author interview saying it was easy or quick. Keep it up, you are in good company.
ReplyDeleteHope your dog recovers. We had a dog like that that just wasted away when we left her for any length of time. Have you tried giving her a phone call? Just half joking.
When I called home on Saturday, my husband put me on speaker and Mamie kept trying to find me. Not sure if that helped or made things worse.
DeleteIt does indeed sound like a wonderful conference.
ReplyDeleteYour poor depressed dog is going to make you pay for your faithlessness. But you know that.
Poor pup! Maybe you could bring her along next time?
ReplyDeleteAs you might remember, I am from Minnesota and actually have met Bill Krueger. Nice guy. He gave a book talk at our little library in Rosemount. And I almost got teary when you mentioned all those folks steppin' out in flannel and Timberlands.
So sad that your dog misses you so much. Will, you certainly were having fun. Wish I was serious enough about writing to take in a conference or two.
ReplyDeleteShe misses you, which shows how much she loves you.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could persevere with writing so many books that "went nowhere", I'm a quitter, I'd go back to just reading.
Awwww. Our furry family sure knows how to make us feel bad. It does sound like a good conference, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteAwww, poor depressed dog! Sounds like an interesting conference. I can't even imagine how daunting it would be to try to write a novel. Creating a whole fictional town, for example -- sheesh!
ReplyDelete