I met Geoffrey Landis and a bunch of other Cleveland authors today. Wait a minute, I'll back up.

Last Sunday I met Toby Buckell, a fellow writer who I "know" online from posts at the Rumor Mill. We met for lunch as he was on his way to mee with his fellow Hamsters. Nice guy. Two years younger than I am, and about three years ahead of me in writing goals. That's humbling. He's already done Clarion and won the Writers of the Future contest, two of my first goals. Encouraged me to go to my first convention and even to audition (if that's the right term) for his workshopping group (the Cajun Sushi Hamsters), which includes an author I've admired for years (and probably the only SF author I actually looked for in magazines before a few years ago), Geoffrey Landis.

So Landis had a reading today at an area Borders, so I went and demonstrated what an idiot I could make of myself in front of people I admire. Usually I can keep my cool around anyone, but this just frightened me, I guess. I've never been around someone who I've admired so much, I guess. Or, if I have, I usually know the person first and then grow to admire him or her next. But I've read Landis's work and I've been blown away.

I had Landis sign a copy of his novel Mars Crossing and mumbled that I'd met Toby the previous weekend. Toby had mentioned me and so he said, "Ah, yes. You're a writer, too?" I mumbled the affirmative and managed, "Just starting out, though." I thanked him for signing my book and took off to the other side of the store. Don't know what got into me. But I calmed down a bit as I picked up a few other books I was looking for, and then I returned, took a deep breath, and asked a group of people still hanging out if they were the legendary Hamsters. They were. Maureen McHugh and the others gave me some friendly advice. I'll probably submit something to the workshop later this year, hoping they'll take me.

I picked up a copy of Landis's book and one of McHugh's books, both autographed. I hate buying hardcover, but I'd never asked for anyone's autograph before and thought it might be a neat experience. It actually didn't do anything for me, getting autographs, so that's one hobby to scratch off my list.

That's about all the news that's going on so far today. Aside from that immense waste of time trying to get Dragon Naturally Speaking to work, I don't know what else to mention. Maybe I'll try that all again tonight and hope for the best. It would really help me out. I don't want to make it so I reach my million words and never be able to physically write again. Maybe this means it's time to give up this effort and focus on other ones. Time will tell.

Filed under Journal, Peers & Peerless, Prose and Poetry, Vanity Smurf

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