Day Four draws to a close. The pace has slowed down for me now. The hectic pace of the first two days has become managable, almost laid-back. Definately gone is the frenetic quality of my arrival.
Of course, that’s a good thing and a bad thing. I already feel like I’m at a very strange crossroads. I’ve learned a ton, I’ve gone through fire, realized mistakes, and hopefully have started coming out the other side.
It feels strange for me because I just realized that Nathaniel wasn’t nearly as complete as I thought it was. I finished the first draft of the The Nameless. My interview with Rob Sawyer is over. My critiques are finished. My live reading is finished.
It’s almost like this is wind-down time. I’m between projects. Nathaniel is still a little too raw to edit, and the Nameless is still a little too new.
My reading left me feeling drained and exhilarated. Imagine, all these people listening to my work. The gasps of shock. An awesome experience. And it’s over….which I never thought I’d say, makes me sad.
I went through the ringer earlier over Rob’s critique. Then I picked myself up during my meeting with Rob (it was like I was hammered down…then picked back up by him a couple of hours later).
So now, I sit back, form game-plans, help my friends prepare for their readings…and really wish that the week was not drawing so quickly to a close. Only two more days!
Here, writing is everything. Talks are about stories, characters, books, performances. Here, writing matters. Back in real life, writing is low on the priority list. And why shouldn’t it? It doesn’t pay ANY of the bills, and I’ve been hitting a brick wall for 10 years (well, I guess I should face it…probably about 4 years).
So I’m feeling a little melancholy. If I knew that I could experience this again next year…but this program is ending this year. It won’t return for another two years. Rob says that this is a one-of-a-kind experience.
I’ve made a great friend in Bev…and while we had already planned on attending in 07, our plans were quashed when they announced Sci-fi/fantasy won’t be returning.