RWA Conference Drove Me To It
In case you haven't heard, and that is highly unlikely if you spend any time at all on this ship, I'm heading off to San Francisco next week for the annual RWA National Conference. I've attended a smaller conference in New Jersey, but never the Nationals. I've also never been anywhere near the west coast. To say I'm excited is like saying Nora is kind of successful.
Though I'm a plotser (or plantser or whatever we're calling the plotter/pantser combo this week) in my writing life, in real life I pants it all the way. I rarely plan ahead, take everything as it comes, and never, absolutely NEVER, make lists. Until now.
Last week on the Romance Bandits blog, Blaze author Tawny Weber covered the topic of getting organized and prepared for the conference. She ever suggested making a schedule spreadsheet complete with color coding. Her timing was perfect as I'd just had a dream – make that a nightmare – the weekend before that I had arrived in San Fran without any of the things I needed. Say what you will, but the Universe was telling me to get my arse in gear and get prepared.
First thing I did – make a list. This is SOOOOO unlike me it's scary. I hate lists. I have a friend who makes lists about making lists. It's a constant battle not to choke her when she tries to push these lists on me. So the fact I succumbed to this task says a great deal about my anxiety.
I learned several things from the list. One, for the amount of bathroom items required by me daily, I should be much better looking. Seriously, the bathroom stuff took one side of the page. And I kept adding to it. But almost all of these items are packed (travel size items are my friend!) and marked off the list.
Another thing I learned is that shoes are not a big deal to me. I'm taking my tennis shoes (wearing them on the plane actually) and the heels I'll wear to get all prettied up for the awards ceremony. Not another pair made it on the list. With my bad knees, everyone will just have to deal with me in tennis shoes. Otherwise, the pain will drive me to tears. And for the record, I'm not pitching so no worries on me going in to impress an editor or agent in tennis shoes.
The final lesson was that one list leads to more lists. I now have the list of things I still need to buy, the list of items I will wear that day, and the list of items I need to do prior to leaving. It's like a disease that keeps spreading. Though I admit, for a person with my memory issues, I should probably embrace list making more often.
What about you? Do you make lists before a big trip? Do you make lists for everyday things? Or does making a list send you over the edge? Could you make it through a four day conference with only two pairs of shoes, or would you need a separate suitcase for foot gear alone? If you're going to Nationals, what's on your list that I might have forgotten to add to mine?
PS: Tune in next week when I talk about creating spreadsheet schedules and picking the right workshops.
Books by the Crew
42 comments:
I can feel the excitement and anticipation from here!
As you hobnob with the great and good something is bound to rub off...in both directions.
I never make lists as I have a wife for that. Come to think, whenever something is forgotten its always mine....like pyjamas!
When travelling alone I just remember passport wallet and tickets.....anything else can be bought on arrival. The airline might lose the baggage anyway!
Have a great time Terri....I know you'll make a big impact. 8)
I'm so excited for you and plan to live vicariously through you as I toil away here in Maine.I expect a full and complete report so I can curdle with jealousy.
I make lists, especially for parties and Thanksgiving dinner, so I remember to make and serve everything. Shopping lists. To-do lists. Plotting lists. Then I lose them and have to make it up as I go.
The best thing about travel nowadays is the hairdryers and toiletries in hotel bathrooms. That saves space in the suitcase.
My husbands still teases me about the first trip we took to Europe. I was seeing my Viennese grandmother and meeting a lot of relatives for the first time. I took 4 bags. I was dressed to the nines everyday. At one point he checked a suitcase in a Paris train station because he was just so damn tired of toting everything. Now I pack extremely light for carry-on. I mix and match and still look chic. I've come a long way, baby.
Q - Really, the mention of lost luggage was so unnecessary. I'm already a basketcase! And I bet you make lists for your experiements. I was doing research yesterday for a paper and had to read through these studies. It was painful.
Maggie - That's funny about the lost lists. I made a list for the grocery store yesterday then left it in the car by accident. By some miracle, I remembered everything on it.
Right now I'm aiming for one suitcase, but the chances of me taking a second are looking more and more likely. Besides, what's a little baggage fee when there's 30 books inside the suitcase?! More than worth the money to get those babies home. LOL!
Probably to no one's surprise, I'm a list maker. I am incredibly forgetful, so if I don't write things down, I end up feeling stressed that I'll forget something. It's easier to remember where one list is than to remember all the things I write on that one list.
I think I would have no problem with one suitcase. Though I would need something to bring back books too. A collapsible bag you can pack and then fill up when you get there to carry on?
Marnee - that's also on the list. I have to see what the suitcase looks once everything is in. But I have this little duffle type bad that I can stuff in there and bring books back in that. I also have a flat rate box to mail some back. If I have more books than I can fit in a spare suitcase, a flat rate box, and a duffle, I'm not sure what I'll do. LOL!
The good news is, free books for everyone when I get back!
I'm a compulsive list maker! I get a sick satisfaction of crossing things off of lists and I'll even plan out my morning routines down to the minute just so I can have more things to cross off.
Although, ha, no spreadsheet for me just yet! It's really a great idea, tho. I need to get on that. Heck, I need to get on RWA stuff right now because I'm incredibly behind!
I can't decide whether to bring an extra duffel for the giveaways or to bring a box for them. Or maybe just to pack all my clothing in a carry-on and leave the checked (large) suitcase for the goodies!
You know, Steph, I didn't think of packing the clothes in the duffle, carrying it on the place and saving room in the suitcase for the books. Gah! That's genius. Must rethink my packing arrangement.
Oh, just have to say, I never get this anal about other trips. When I take my weekend roadtrips to Knoxville, I hardly pack anything. LOL! And definitely no lists!
I love making lists, for a similar reason as Stephanie J--I love crossing things off and feeling like I accomplished something. And I make lists of things I "need to take" on trips. Esp if I'm staying more than a couple days and going far away. I probably had two separate lists for my trip to Virginia. Then the first list gets hashed down a bit because, well, I have to cart around all this crap.
What's really sad: at no time am I dressed to the nines like Maggie. They are all variations of me in t-shirts and shorts. And various flip-flops. I'm also almost always very concerned about having my hair dryer and hair flattener, though in my everyday life: I NEVER USE EITHER OF THESE ITEMS. You want to see me in make up with dolled up hair? Take me on vacation.
Almost everything I'm wearing at the conference is denim or knit. But I'm dressing it up with jewelry, if that helps. Even the dress I have for the one night I will get gussied up is knit. LOL! Can you tell I hate to iron?
And I get the feeling as long as you have your POTC pj's, you could to anywhere. But I totally get the crossing things off bit. Even a false sense of accomplishment works for me.
Terri, I'm so sorry for mentioning luggage mishaps! I sort of assumed that, like most Americans, you would be an old hand at air travel.
I remember my first international conference held in Warsaw behind the iron curtain many years ago, when communication with the West was almost impossible. I was pacing the hotel lounge waiting for a taxi to the airport when news came that the taxi drivers were on strike. I was starting to get frantic, imagining that I would never see England again....being in communist territory seemed to have that effect. An American colleague then noticed my plight and mentioned that a guy at the back of the hotel was offering airport transfers for payment in hard currency. He said I could share with him. As he casually sat down to read his novel he patted my arm and said " Just relax and let it all happen"
Best travel advice I ever had!
I'm so excited for your getting to go to Nationals, and I can't wait to hear all about it.
I'm a compulsive list maker as well, but I always forget to go back and mark things off!
Q - Great point. I do need to just let things take their course. And everyone makes a big deal about the state of the world today and what it's like to travel post-9/11. But you remind us there has always been complications with international travel. So glad you got back to your English shores.
Haleigh - I'll tell all about it, but not on the Monday after. LOL! I'm going to be lucky to get out of bed long enough to come do what little I can at work and then crawl back under the covers!
Do you think you might make it next year? That's what I'm really looking forward to. When all my fellow wenches will be there too.
I make lists for everything. I'm very OCD. I know that seems strange since I don't outline or list for books, but I need a list to remember things and to remember what I need to get or pack. Otherwise, I end up with 10 travel size tubes of toothpaste.
You're going to have the greatest of great time Ter! Have lots of fun. Don't be nervous and pimp your name out to everyone! Social network!
I'm going to try to make it next year. Maybe.
Sin - That's rather ironic, don't you think? The ultimate pantser is OCD. LOL! And networking is how I have rationalized the expense. Since I have no book to pitch, I'm going to do my best to meet as many people as I can. And pass out my business cards with notecards promoting this blog. It's all about the pirates. LOL!
Please try real hard for next year. *begs just a little*
I love a good list.
After I have everything ready to pack, I make a second list of everything for the return home. This list is the first thing into my suitcase and it stays in there until I am ready to leave. I do this because once, my mom left all her hanging clothes in the closet and had to have the hotel send them to her.
Have a fabulous time at Nationals. I am planning on going next year.
Di
I have to finish DV and enter the GH in order to justify going to Nationals. And at this point, it's going to be a major feat.
We'll have to have a pirate blog meet and greet at Nationals if we all go. Everyone who stops by the ship can come to our room for a party! I love a good party!
Sin - of course you'll be there next year. We'll both be finalists and required to be there, remember?
I'm definitely planning on going next year - it'll be so close by I can't not go
I know. I saw that you're writing furiously. I'm resigned to losing the word battle. I'm just trying to finish at this point with enough time to edit. When are you thinking you'll finish, Hal?
Yay! Di will be there next year. And Haleigh, I'm only three hours from DC so I'm so excited NOT to have to buy a plane ticket for that one.
I'm still holding out for the GH this year. I realize any sane woman less that 1/4 done would give it up by now. But I've never claimed to be sane. 8)
I'm not sure when I'll finish. I feel like I'm in the home stretch - another 25k words and it's all plotted out. I wrote 10k last week, so if I can keep up the pace, I'll be done soon. We leave for vacation Sept 1st so I'm hoping I'm done by then and can use that week to take a break before starting revisions.
At this point there will be no breaking for me. I'll have to go from writing to editing if I have any hope of entering GH. You're gonna be done and it's gonna be great Hal! I'm so proud of you!
Ter, we can still both finish! Come on girlfriend! We can still make the GH!
Yeah, hurry Terri! Then we can all sit at the finalist table together. And really, you have to enter GH by Nov. 15, but you don't have to mail the manuscript until Dec. 1, so that buys us two extra weeks!
I'm going to need those two extra weeks! And I suppose I could still make it. After all, if the counter on Sin's blog is right (and I don't want to know if it isn't) then I'm ahead of her. LOL!
I figure I have about 60K more to go on the first draft then 10 to 15K more to add in revisions. Which shouldn't be hard since there's almost no setting or layering in what I'm vomiting out right now. But I'm still vomiting!
Uhm...never thought I'd be happy to say something like that. LOL!
I know you guys can all do it. :) I have absolute faith in everyone's vomiting ability.
My sister is a list Queen. She has lists on Cd for different types of trips. Disney has 1 list. Family weekends has another. The RT trip has another. So, I let her print up the list & go from there. I like to catalog. Close to list-making, but not quite.
I made it thru 5 days at RT with 3 pairs of shoes. My feet sweat too much to wear the same pair of shoes 2 days in a row. I took 2 pair of daily shoes & 1 pair of dress shoe.
Terri,
I just got back from the ALA conference in Anaheim (can we say Disneyland). I fussed and fretted about that 3 oz. rule - it kept me up at night. My only condition was that I not have to check a bag. If it didn't fit in the carry on it wasn't coming with me. I stayed at a hotel that had laundry facilities and my roomate and I did one load to keep us fresh. We mailed back our conference goodies. Don't check a bag if you help it and have a great time!! An kinda like Quantum I don't makes lists - that's what my husband is for ; )
DJS - Your sister wins. Though I would probably make a list for Disney too. When kids are involved, not forgetting things is essential!
Marn - uh...thanks. LOL!
Avery - there you are! I was thinking about this weekend because I hadn't seen you around. I'm afraid not checking a bad will never work for me. Not on this trip. I almost NEVER check luggage but I need more stuff for this one. And I'm going to have even more coming back!
Your husband makes the lists? He has you so spoiled! I hope you at least bought him something at Disneyland. LOL!
Have a great time Terri! Tell us EVERYTHING when you get back!
You've got it, J.K.! Are you another one we can count on for next year?
RWA in DC? That would be great. I'm in Pittsburgh, so that would be about a 6 hour drive. If I drive & not the lead-foot sister.
Have a fun time Terri.
DJS - you could probably make it to DC in five. I can make it from PGH to here in about 8 1/2 hours and I'm 3 hours south of DC. Though I also a lead foot like your sister. I'm trying to talk my mom and sister into coming to DC just because I don't think my mom has ever been there and they could enjoy the signing along with the city. Oh, and they would be coming from PGH too.
Terri - I'm so excited for you. You are going to have such a great time. I picture you there smoozing and chatting up a storm. It will be a perfect environment for you.
I am a list maker. Make them all the time and did the color coded Excel spreadsheet for our last Disney trip. I was made fun of, but who did they come to when they wanted to know when a park opened, or what time our flight left, or whether my DH could join us that day or not? ME! That's who! And all because of the silly lists and spreadsheets I'm so famous for! Everyone had what they needed too. Sometimes I think I make the lists for self preservation more than anything else. Mom's the one that gets dumped on if anything is missing.
I'm also quite famous for making shopping lists and leaving them in the car, Ter. I like to pretend it's a memory excercise. Unfortunately, as with all the other types of exercises in my life, I don't do too well!
I'd love to go, but there are so many things that work against me, especially the time of year, the distance and expense...we'll see, but I make no promises.
I will be in NJ this October though, with Tiffany!
Dang! I'm not going to NJ this year. I went last year so this year I'm heading to Atlanta for Moonlight & Magnolias. But if it helps, Nationals are two weeks earlier next year. Just sayin'. :)
Terri I am totally spoiled, my DH is the best there is. He got a completely cool t-shirt with Grumpy on it - they have a lot of similarities ; ). I'm sorry you won't be in Jersey. I will probably make the trip again. Have a safe flight and a great time!
Irish! I almost missed you there. If I ever make it to Disney, I'm taking you with me. Let them make fun, they won't be laughing when you withhold information and they're stuck not knowing anything. LOL!
But to be honest, I'm not sure this much prep would go into any other trip I'd ever take. Except maybe overseas.
I'd love to do RWA. But, that is a whole year away & I'm just going to be starting a new job. Hopefully next week. The second interview went well. Keep your fingers crossed. So, I have no idea if I'm going to get any vacation by then.
I know I've become a conference pusher. LOL! And fingers and toes are crossed for the new job. Let us know how it turns out.
I thought I was such a listmaker until I met Tawny at our chapter meeting and was introduced to her color-coded charts for National. I now see I'm just a beginner in the list department. (Bowing down to Ms. Tawny) LOL
I'll have one suitcase for shoes, makeup, and jewelry, and one suitcase for everything else. I'll have plenty of shoes, but still won't hold a candle to Ms. Tawny there either. :)
Grrrr...I can never seem to access this site from work. Dang deli thugs!
I make lists all the time - not that I follow them or anything but they make me feel good. There's nothing like x-ing something out!
I have not made nearly as many lists as I should be for National. I keep saying yes to gatherings and have no idea which workshops I'll be going to. I guess I should get on that especially since I'll be blogging about National from there. I mean what will I talk about? *chirping* See what I mean?
I do have my clothes figured out. They're paired up in my closet. I'll be bringing three pairs of shoes. Dress shoes for RITAs. They match my outfit and purse. Comfortable black pumps which go with everything including the bag they hand out and my sandals which seem to be the only shoes that are comfortable these days.
I'd bring one more pair, Terri because every shoe should match every outfit.
Hey Terrio! Welcome to the list making club. LOL. The sad part is, I haven't begun to make my lists yet. And I usually do a spreadsheet of the classes offered so I know where I want to go when and can make a better choice, spur of the moment. the blog at the Writing Playground on July 18th, had a great idea for list making. www.writingplayground.com. Check it out.
Also, make sure to sign up online for a FedEx account before you go. That way you can ship your box of books easily from the hotel counter.
Sure would love to meet you and Santa! I'll look for you at the raffle table during the Literacy Signing. :-)
Hey there, Jill! My chapter mate just sent me your info the other night. So glad you found your way over here. And you know Tawny?! Lucky you. She totally gave me this list/spreadsheet idea. Happy to say I finished my spreadsheet last night and it looks so pretty. All kinds of colors. LOL! Look for me selling raffle tickets at the signing.
Santa - Tell those thugs to let you on the ship. We are a must! LOL! You're bringing sandals? Did you miss the part about it being cooler in San Fran and you know it's going to be cold inside that hotel. I've got tennis shoes and my heels for the ceremony and that's it. Matching smatching...
Kathy - Now THAT is a comprehensive list blog. I have something similar only it's hand written on a tiny little notepad. And I like the idea of the back pack. My daughter has a ton of them. If I can fit my laptop into one of her plain ones, I'm going to use that instead of my laptop bag. Thank Smarty Pants for me! I'm using the USPS flat rate box to mail and you better find me!
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