Wednesday night, Nicola and I joined our friend Colleen Lindsay of BookCountry to speak to members of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association about social media for writers. A lovely and lively crowd, and a very well-organized event (which makes me so grateful every time, because it’s not the easiest thing in the world to make everything run smoothly for folks).
It’s nice to pay forward in this way, and to offer help to other writers as I can. And it’s good to get out into the world after a long stretch of immersion in editing and writing, although I do sometimes feel like a bear emerging from a cave, squinting into the unfamiliar sunshine. Hopefully I do not behave like a bear, since that would probably scare the audience, which is certainly not the point… At any rate, it was good to reconnect with my own notions of “the community of writers,” and to realize that although I sometimes find it draining to maintain an online presence, I also find that it sustains me in a particular way. And so the search for balance continues.
And because every story needs a reversal (smile), now I will show you the EVIL that the PNWA did.
They gave us a present.
Each.
A goodie bag with a book and a lovely mug.
FULL OF EVIL.
Here’s the thing: Nicola cannot resist this stuff. She is like a two-year-old with the chocolatey-sugar-enormously-bad-fat combination. And we all know what happens when kids meet candy….
There is blood sugar whackness in my house today, friends, and I blame the PNWA.
Enjoy your day.
If I had known writing paid in chocolate, I might have tried harder. Thank you again for all the good work you do. Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach.
I think the sugar-and-bad-fat combo is to blame for the madness with Tumblr: I sat at the keyboard with a few Mars Bars, everything went black, and then thiswas on my screen…
@ Nicola So that’s what happened! : ) I knew you had that thing about chocolate, but I am surprised that you eat that crappy kind!
Kelley, I hope you have your bag hidden well…. No telling what we could be in for next!
I can’t think of another comment about this. Busy again?
Okay. I give up. Please write something.
I am enormously busy, very tired, and not inclined to whine about it here. I’ll be back when I can, okay?
Dear Kelley,
Heard you are busy and tired, wanted to say thanks for all you do for others both irl and on the web. The fact that you go out of your way to help so many when you could just blow everyone off and spend time on your own life is amazing. So go walk in the park, have a cup of tea, have a shower, groove to your tunes for a bit. We’ll all still be here when you get back. ~ J
I knew it, but I gave in to my evil nature. I know you have a healthy sense and boundaries and will take all the time you need. Thanks for responding any way.