LTUE Highlights

In no particular order...

1. I listened to James A. Owen make a rather convincing argument that goats, in fact, would be a valuable space commodity.  I wish I could replicate the awesomeness of his comments for everyone who wasn't in that jam-packed room.

2. I met most of my writing group in person.  We're spread across three time zones, and I now know faces where before I only heard voices.

3. Discovering the green room, and that the green room had eclairs and croissant sandwiches.  I was on just one panel, but the amazing LTUE volunteers always made me feel welcome.


4. Long chats with friends I haven't seen in a long time.  Meeting people I'd only known from online interactions.  Meeting new people. (These could all be their own bullet point)

5. Learning how looms lead to computers.

6. Getting to play Alhambra after carrying it around in my bag for three days.

7. Explaining some of the reasons why The Great Queen SeonDeok is awesome during my panel (it was even 100% relevant!).  Also got to recommend Vessel, by Sarah Beth Durst (I did a flatbread recipe from this book here).

8. "The only real rule is to make it awesome" -- Larry Correia, from my notes.

9. Learning about the details of comic-writing that I've always taken for granted, like paneling and dialogue flow.  Aneeka taught this, and you should check out her web comic Not A Villain.

10. Listening to professors who knew Lloyd Alexander personally tell stories about him.  The Prydain Chronicles sit on a high place on my shelf, next to the Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.  I could have listened to these professors for hours.

Regrets?  Just one.  I forgot to ask the k-drama fan at my panel for recommendations. 

The conference was, simply, amazing.  Whenever I sat in the lobby to take a break, I'd end up running across someone I knew and having a great conversation.  I learned tons of stuff.  I spent fourteen and a half hours at the conference on Friday, and similarly long days on Thursday and Saturday.  I should be physically sapped, but instead, I'm just excited, and I've been cranking on word count on the new manuscript.