SCWW conference coming up!

I had a guest post over at the SCWW blog about conference prep earlier this week. You should totally check it out. It's brilliant. I swear.

Conference prep is the big theme in my life right now. Less than a week to prepare, and let me tell you, I am SO not ready.

I've been amassing a little pile of things that only somebody like me could possibly find necessary for a writing conference. I've been on the hunt for truly awesome pens, because it's not like I don't already have an entire drawer full of pens. But none are truly conference worthy, in my sorry mind.

Don't believe me?

Behold, my giant pile of pens. I have an addiction. I need help. Because I know I will be buying fresh pens. Just for the conference.

But seriously, how would it look if I showed up with a giant Caramello Koala pen?

Aside from the pen issue, I'm having trouble trying to figure out logical things to bring, clothing wise. I know my combat boots shouldn't play a role in conference gear, but I just know that, ultimately, I won't be able to leave them behind. I'll pretend I'm bringing them as traveling shoes.

Then there are the important things. Like stuff that will totally make my gut look flat, even though my diet lately has consisted of buffalo chicken dip and ice cream. I have a dress that features extreme gut sucking. The only problem is I can't figure out how to get into the damn thing. I think forty percent of my Saturday will be spent trying to find a proper entrance into the beast. And then devising an escape.

And, as always, there's the pantyhose debate. Are pantyhose still out of favor with the ladies? Because this means I'll have to shave my legs. And I already shaved them in August.

Got a haircut in anticipation of the big event. Now my hair is way too short, and I don't know what to do with it.

Been trying to tame the complexion with a complicated array of cleansers and anti-zit creams. Not working so well.

I also seem very intent upon baby-soft skin for the conference. Because nothing says Professional Author like smooth elbows and silken shins.

The one sensible thought process I've been having is what to get, food-wise. Outside of the standard conference food fare, I simply don't have the funds for hotel or restaurant food. So I'm thinking of grabbing a loaf of bread and some ham. Maybe a bag or two of pretzels and some other snackable.

I still have that plot-point in Janie to work on. Yeah, I know I technically don't have to have it fixed by then, but I consider the conference my kick-off for the querying process. So I want to be READY.

Oh yeah, query. Need one of those.

This is the part where my brain gets ready to explode.

Because on top of that, I have volunteer nerves. I fear getting something incredibly important assigned to me, and bunging it up right good.

And then there's talking to people.

I won't know anybody at the conference, so I'll be pulling the high school cafeteria routine of sidling up to somebody at a table and begging to be allowed to sit next to them, as opposed to sitting alone at an empty table and thus revisiting my adolescent outcast years.

And then there's sitting down with an agent who will critique the first few pages of Janie. While I'm SITTING there.

While this is going on, I have a portion of my brain devoted to trying to figure out where I want Viv and Jack to go. I have some ideas, but I feel a little brain-frozen on that story. Also, I'm excited about my NaNo story, which doesn't help poor Viv and Jack. But if I can crank out 50K in a month on the NaNo story that puts me in a really great creative position. I can get back to Viv and Jack and either treat the NaNo story as a novella, or expand at will. I'm hoping I can eclipse the 50K mark in that month. With the ideas I have, it might be possible.

Annnnnd on top of all that, I'm having a hellacious work week. More hours, some of them voluntarily taken because I need to compensate for my lack of hours next week while I conference. But the twelve hour shift on Sunday, man, I can still feel that. All week, there's been little time to take a breather. Tomorrow's my day off, so naturally I'm working. And then I fear the first half of the week won't have many hours since I'll be taking a chunk of time off. i.e. not getting priority on the schedule as a trade for being given time off.

It's a wonder I haven't had a coronary event. I have let the stress level go into the red.

Don't get me wrong. I'm excited for the conference. I just have a tendency to let myself turn into a nervous rabid bunny over this stuff.

Too bad freaking out doesn't burn more calories. I'd be the next Kate Moss within days.