Sluethfest recap - Part 1

What I'm reading: Killing Rain, by Barry Eisler

On Thursday, we looked at the aftermath of the movers putting everything in boxes. Reality hit. We have to deal with the rest! Our schedule didn't require we rush out of the house, but after thinking about dealing with what stays, what we'll trash, and what we might have to add to the "let the movers take this" pile, we decided to go the avoidance route and hit the road.

The drive was uneventful, and after stopping for lunch, we checked into the SleuthFest hotel. The best thing is the king bed. Then there's the coffee maker, the tumblers made of glass, and the bedside lamps, even if one didn't have the three-way bulb.

I reviewed my notes for the panel on Sex that I'm moderating Friday. I hate boring introductions, especially those where the moderator reads the bios from the program, which everyone is capable of reading on their own. So, I asked them to share something more interesting, and this is what I got:

Keep Reading...

1. At the age of 12, one read "Forever" by Judy Blume, and considers it a major literary influence.

2. One is a former hairdresser who once weighed 250 pounds

3. One graduated from high school before being legally old enough to drive a car

4. One was a misfit in high school who sported a brown, black and gold Mohawk.

5 St a publisher-sponsored launch of this author's book, models with painted-on bustiers strutted on a makeshift catwalk.

Can you match the above to the panelists below?

A. Leanne Banks
B. Barry Eisler
C. Amy Fetzer
D. Traci Hall
E. Rhonda Pollero

Checked email and found a message that Barry Eisler is stuck in NY and might not make it in time for the panel. I was looking forward to his XY take, but that's part of this business. Nothing is etched in stone, and flexibility is the rule.

Tonight there is an "open mike" session where people can read from their manuscripts in progress. I'm of mixed feelings about this. I'm a very visual person, so hearing someone read aloud doesn't work well. I'm too easily distracted, and likely to forget things like character names. I also have trouble following dialogue when it's read aloud. Yet I know there are others who can process the spoken word very well. Our Friday lunch speaker, David Morrell, said something during his speech that might explain it, at least for me.

"Writers are daydreamers," he said. As a matter of fact, he projected that most of the audience had gone off into a daydream at least five times during his talk.

I agree. I think that's why it's so hard for me to absorb speeches, or readings. Yet there's a huge market for audio books. Do listeners get the same effect as readers? Any thoughts?

I'll be sharing bits and pieces. I'll be scheduling blog posts in advance as we begin our trek across the country. I won't be able to check in as often – we plan to stay at hotels with wifi, but that will still give us access only morning and evening. As you read this, we'll be disconnected from our home ISP. The movers are taking everything to the truck, and tomorrow we close, then hit the road. At least that's the plan. So please say hello. After a long day driving, it'll be good to hear from friends.

Guest Tuesdays will go as scheduled. Tomorrow my guest is Carol A. Strickland with some good advice about time management.