AWP in Minneapolis 2015 Day 1, Part 2

I'm sitting at my computer and reminiscing over the day's events and I have to say, "I'm tired!" Oh, my gosh, AWP is beyond neurotic. And for someone who's never been normal a single day in my life, that's telling.

I followed the advice of a fellow attendee and hit the Bookfair first thing this morning. 9:00am. The best suggestion is to start at one end and work your way to the other. In each row, walk down one side and back up the other side. You just can't do both sides at the same time. Well, I can't.

By 10:30am, my cute little fashion boots were killing my feet and my AWP bag was loaded. I'm pretty sure I was leaning a little to the left. Add the purse on top of that, and I was definitely leaning. Left. Right. Somewhere in between. To make things worse, I'd only made it through the seven hundreds.

I rescued myself and walked the block and a half back to the Millennium. The boots were kicked off and traded for those comfortable shoes everyone had recommended pre-AWP. So glad I thought to bring a pair. I don't know how all those other women are walking around in heels. Guess I'm too hold to care about how I look, compared to how I feel. It's an age thing.

Wearing my new attire, I headed back to the Bookfair. I successively made my way down the aisles to the fourteen hundreds before I had to call it quits for the day. I had two afternoon panels I wanted to listen to, and I was thankful for a chair to sit on. And I swear it was the most comfortable thing I'd ever sat on.

During the panels, the one thing that surprised me the most was all the people sitting in the front row that stood up, gathered their belongings, and walked out ten, fifteen, twenty minutes into the talk. I felt really bad for the presenters. If you think a class, panel, reading, etc. isn't for you, sit in the back so you can sneak out quietly.

Tonight the Keynote Speaker is Karen Russel. I bought her book today because I'd read a review that said it would make me cry. Yes, I like emotional stories. Should be great, and I hear she's funny, too.

So all in all, it's been a good day. I got my exercise in, ate some new foods, bought three books, and to top it off, I got to watch people from warmer states watch a Minnesota snow fall. I stood off to the side and watched as they pointed and snapped pictures.

But then, there was one lady out there from Maine. She wasn't smiling or taking pictures or in standing in awe at the picturesque moment.

Until tomorrow...

AWP in Minneapolis 2015 Day 1, Part 1

I've waited five years for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) to come to Minneapolis, my home metropolis, and it's finally here! Somewhere between twelve and fourteen thousand people are expected to explode upon this great city's convention center.

I may live in the suburbs, but I'm staying at the Millennium Hotel, just a block away from all the excitement. No getting up in the wee hours to get ready. No traffic to fight driving back and forth. No mad rush to figure out where everything is and where I should be going.

Registration opened yesterday. I'd never been to the convention center before so in a way I felt like Mary Tyler Moore. "I'm an experienced woman. I've been around... Well, all right, I might not've been around, but I've been... nearby."

I typed my special appointed code into the kiosk and wa la, my name tag printed out. I officially became a single part of the thousands. I grabbed my AWP bag and lanyard and joined the others trying to find the classrooms, auditoriums, and of course, the Bookfair. Although there wasn't much to see. The empty rooms and hallways belied what I expect to become a stampede today.

Twitter is AWP's best friend. Anything you want to know, just punch in @awpwriter and #AWP15. It's the gold mine of sourced material. I've been told everything from make a plan and stick to it. Make a plan, but be prepared to change it. And, make a plan and do the exact opposite of it!

My program book is so thick, I'll have back pain just from carrying it around in my tote bag. Classes, readings, caucuses, etc. What's a girl to do? So I'm at my hotel last night having a smoke with another attendee and we do the beginners dance. Where're you from? Have you done AWP before? And of course, are you cold? Chit chat out of the way and we get down to business.

What's your schedule look like?

Well, I was planning to go to all these panels today, hit the bookfair tomorrow, and back to panels on Saturday. Well, my smoker buddy has a publisher buddy with her, and her advice is: Hit the bookfair on the first day. Why? Free Swag! If you're into the swag, then the first day is for you because most of it will be gone before day two even begins.

Oh, my gosh! I put my smoke out and practically run back to my room to recheck my schedule. Can I miss this panel or that one? What about this one? Whew!

My buddy's publisher's second piece of advice is to pick one thing to do in the morning, one thing to do in the afternoon, and one thing to do in the evening. "Because you can't do it all!" But what if I want to? "You can't do it all!" Unfortunately, this is true.

So I bid you adieu and I'm off to get breakfast, a morning smoke, and then let the rat races begin!