Time to break my rules again 😉 because I attended the Central PA Comic Con over the weekend, and I’m feeling way too jazzed up to wait until next Saturday to chatter about it.

There were the usual Con treasures (Klingon 101 was particularly delightful, as was listening to JG Hertzler from Start Trek Deep Space Nine give a surprise Shakespearean monologue…) but I was surprised at how many writerly-gems I found there!

I attended a workshop with the lovely Danielle Ackley-McPhail about using the five senses while writing. I’ve definitely thought about this topic before, but Danielle pushed us to think beyond the expected smells/sounds/etc, and to find the details that truly make the situation unique. I sense a great many writing exercises in my future to incorporate this idea.

Also, I had the enchanting experience of meeting author Elizabeth Corrigan, both in the dealers room, and in her later panel, where she gave us some insight to her books Oracle of Philadelphia and Raising Chaos. (Which I then bought, of course, and I’m very much looking forward to reading once I finish Shutter Island!)

The last event on Sunday was a reading from several Science Fiction and Fantasy novels published by Whiskey Creek Press. This was particularly informative since one of the readers was also in charge of submissions, and graciously answered my biblical flood of questions about the process.

I had previously debated whether I should go or not—whether I could afford a weekend away from my editing—and I am SO GLAD I went! That was such a motivating and informative experience, and I am so honored to have the chance to network with so many other delightful and charming members of the writing community.

And now, I’m off to channel some of this energy into stories 🙂