Guest Blogger Shannon Stacey
Written by: Amy on July 12, 2007Note from the WM girls: Don’t forget, we’re doing a giveaway next Monday! To be entered to win a bundle of 7 books, just leave our guests a comment each day this week. You’ll be entered once for each day you comment, up to 7 times. Good luck!
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Top 10 Reasons I’ve Never Been to an RWA National Conference
by Shannon Stacey
10. I’m shy, and paying several thousands dollars so I can hide behind the potted palms isn’t my husband’s idea of a good investment.
9. When I googled “business casual attire”, jeans, Crocs and a t-shirt reading Canadian Grand Prix 1993 didn’t come up.
8. One coffee carafe per table? Please.
7. I’d have to buy a suitcase. (If you attended the New England chapter’s conference several years back and saw the woman with the Harry Potter school backpack, that was me.)
6. Breaking news from the editor panel: They’re looking for fresh new voices!
5. I’m always last on the family list to get new glasses, so reading nametags would require having my face too close to too many breasts.
4. I’d need a roommate or several to afford the trip, but—theoretically—if I did snore like a nitrous-fed chainsaw, I wouldn’t want all of Romanceland to know it.
3. Breaking news from the agent panel: Editors are looking for fresh new voices!
2. Too many people know I’m a cheap drunk and deathly afraid of chicken feet. Not a good combination.
1. The conference chicken doesn’t come with cool little movie-themed toys.
July 12th, 2007 at 6:15 am
Shannon,
I love your 10 reasons! I’ve never gone to a RWA National Conference either.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Pretty good reasons. I’d love to go once & meet all the authors though.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Love it! :) I have never been to a RWA conference. I am shy too.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Interesting and unique list.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:37 am
The clothes stump me, too. I’d have to shell out for the trip, the shopping spree, AND a coffee IV because no way in hell is one carafe enough. :happy2: If we go to Nat’l next year, Shan, we can sneak off for happy meals in our jeans.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Fun list! :) Never been to RWA either :(
July 12th, 2007 at 8:59 am
ROTFL — I’ve never been either (we should all form a club, LOL).
I figure maybe I’ll go when it comes around to my home state. I don’t see myself traveling to the other side of the country for it, but who knows. I love your reasons, especually the “fresh new voices” :beer:
I think I am going to NINC in March, will be my first conference ever, it’s in my home state, and it sounds like a great conference, and I’d like to go to PASIC the year after. Something tells me one conference a year is enough, so I think by that time RWA might cycle around to my side of the continent, and we’ll see.
I’m not shy, but I don’t care for crowds and such. I would like to meet a lot of the writer I’ve made friends with online, but it’s a large amount of money to spend for a social gathering, so we’ll see…
I can’t say I am having any conference regret, though — I am getting tons done this week, writing wise and at home, and that seems like a good trade.
Sam
July 12th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Fun list.
I have never been because of money. maybe one day I will go.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Great list. I’ve never gone, but might be interested if they ever come to the east coast. And I love the Harry Potter backpack, my briefcase I take to work has a teddy bear on it.:treehugger:
July 12th, 2007 at 11:31 am
5. I’m always last on the family list to get new glasses, so reading nametags would require having my face too close to too many breasts.
:happy2:
That reminds me of the joke where the woman is at a convention and the girl checking her in slaps an incorrect name-tag over her left breast and the tagged woman looks down and says “Oh good! Now, what shall we name the right one?”
I’m kind of a cheap drunk myself and have been known to say an inappropriate thing or two after a drink or three!! :beer:
July 12th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I love your reasons. I’ve never been before. I’m not the RWA conference type of person. Too shy.
July 12th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Darn. I guess that special tiara I made for you will have to wait another year.
:armynana:
July 12th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I love your reasons. It seems so many authors this years are giving reasons why they’re not going or glad not to be going. It’s a shame some of the new rules RWA & RT have come up with to exclude e-book authors recently or to make things more difficult for them to be included.
July 12th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I especially like your number 8. There’s to be a conference in Pittsburgh next year that I sooooooo want to go to but my daughter is getting married and with the luck I have it will be the same time :wallbash:
July 12th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
lol I can so identify #10
July 12th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
LOL! Great list! I have never been to RWA or RT. Would love to go once at least just to experience it for myself. I am rather shy myself so once is probably all I could do since I will probably leave feeling overwhelmed.
July 12th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Hi Shannon,
I agree with you on the money. I need a conference fund :)
Hugs, Danette
July 12th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Enjoyed your list and I’ve also never attended.
July 12th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Great list! I am dying to go to one of the conferences but I probably wouldn’t be able to afford it. lol I would love to meet my favorite authors.
July 12th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Those a re 10 pretty good reasons. I’ve never been either. Hopefully I’ll get to the next time.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Those are some good reasons not to go but I think it can probably be great fun too.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
:hello2: that gave me a laugh
July 12th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
The days of the conference are the only days of the year I wish I’d gone. The other 360 days I’d rather do anything but. :faint:
Although I’d totally be there if it was held at McD’s. :beer:
July 12th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I’m more shy offline, would probably keep you company behind the potted palm, lol. Maybe someday, it would be fun to meet up with people I chat with online, so far the money has been keeping me away.
July 13th, 2007 at 4:39 am
A fun list. But I do hope you’ll reconsider things and go to the RWA one day.
July 13th, 2007 at 6:11 am
You are a hoot! I have never been to a book conference. Would love to go one day. Have been to a few signings and loved them.
A few years back, there was a biggie in NYC, but couldnt arrange to get off from work.:veggiedance:
July 13th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Thanks for the list. Makes me feel better about never having gone to one.
July 14th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Works for me. I’m really into the jeans and T-shirt scene. Anything more than that? Way too much.
July 14th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
I have never been there. Great list!
July 15th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I have never gone to one either.:cry2: But I really hope that I’ll be able to go once.:cheerleader:
Btw, I liked your reasons very much, lol.:P
July 15th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
I’m laughing heartily at #5; reminds me of myself. I too am shy and would look for a quiet place to hang out but would want to be getting the free books/goodies.
July 15th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I totally agree with #9. Once I gave up the day job, I rushed to put the business attire in storage. Yippee. Now it’s jeans, capris, and shorts. Dressing up these days is wearing my non-faded Levis. LOL.
Maybe one of these years, I’ll pull the clothes out of storage and go to Nationals. After all, I am the curious sort and want to find out what everyone is raving about.