Back from Conflux.

Had a great time at Conflux. I picked up my prize books for winning the short-story competition, and I got a lot of positive feedback and congratulations on the story, which felt great. (You can visit my web site to read it.) I got to see a few Clarion friends, and we're all still close in a very solid, tribal kind of way, which also felt great. I caught up with a number of other friends and acquaintances, which also felt great.

It was particularly cool that Margaret (my daughter) was there. She was focused and interested and courteous and took excellent notes (most usefully, at sessions I couldn't attend). She impressed everyone, if I do say it myself.

I was surprised to find that attending as essentially a hobby writer, as I did last year, is nowhere near as exhausting as attending as a working, subbing writer. Everything feels like it matters more, whether or not it actually does. Plus, last year I knew absolutely no-one there, absolutely no-one. This year there were dozens of people I knew, and they're all cool, so I wanted to hang out and interact with all of them. That takes a lot of energy for me, as I'm an unlikely introvert. (Yes, I am.) (No, really. I am.)

I'm hoping that next year I'll have a few paid-publication credits to my name. It could happen....