Surrey International Writing Conference day 2

Okay, it's nearly midnight, day-two-going-on-three of the conference, I'm completely exhausted right now, (so prepare yourself for many dyslexic mistakes in this post... I promise to edit it once I am fully awake) but wow... I am absolutely having the best time!

I'm an introvert, right? Lots of us writers are.

But when I'm stressed, or with a lot of people don't know, I click into extrovert mode. What usually snaps me over is seeing another introverted person sitting all alone with a lost look on their face... and I soooooo know that feeling, when you know no one, and you can't seem to just break into a conversation 'cause everyone around you is hugging random people and talking about things from past conventions, or carrying a conversation that obviously started elsewhere...

So I leap.

Out of my introvert skin, and into power-extro-mode.

I smile, I ask questions, I laugh.

Somehow or other I end up introducing people to each other at tables, over meals, and in workshop rooms.

Today I hooked 2 different people up with writing groups since before the conference they had not been able to connect with a good local critique group.

I talked to everyone, and anyone.

And I loved it, I had so much fun, connected (even briefly) with so many interesting people, a few local writers I'm excited to write-in-with during NaNo, and especially one kick-ass writer from Edmonton, Alberta, and we've been sticking together and laughing together much of the past two days, and she always seems to pick the short line at the buffet, so I swear, if I ever take up gambling, I'm taking her along with me.

But I'm exhausted. I'm going to need some seriously long/quiet dog-walking time on Monday to just take everything back down by several notches (yeah, so tired, the cliches are creeping out from under the bed!)

BUT, being in power-extro-mode also means the filter that is usually welded over my mouth in mixed company cracks off in a few place...

Gems like, "I wouldn't climb into a stranger's van for candy, but if he held up a nice bordeaux, I'd hop right in!"

Out of context... questionable, right?

...it came out because we were discussing food likes/dislikes and allergies, and I'm allergic to cane sugar, which means any refined sugar. Someone said something like, it's sad how I can't be bribed with candy... and then the 'jumping into a stranger's van' line stumbled out of my mouth before I could catch it. Thankfully, I did stop the instinctive need/desire to slap myself on the forehead after...

At least the people there all had their senses of humour intact.

I'm not going to get into the workshops, my Blue Pencil Session, or my Agent Pitch tonight because, honestly, it took 11 tries to get a error-free spelling of 'honesty' (thank you red idiot squiggles! You make life infinitely easier) I think I've hit my typing limit for tonight after having my seagull-brain sucked through the jet engine repeatedly over the past 2 days (of course in a good way), and I'm really looking forward to the last sessions tomorrow.

Okay, time for some freaking sleep... woo-hoo! 12:03am!