Bookstore Guy (Steve the Man) suggested the thread....so here it is! Stories, feelings, thoughts about our adventures in L.A. Also, I told Melinda Goodin (the nice Australian librarian who went to a lot of the Kaffeeklatschs with us) that we'd start a thread and send her a link to it for the enjoyment of her Aussie friends. So without further adieu, here's my report....
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First of all, Bob Defendi said it best:
"I'm really glad I met all you guys...thanks."
Those are my feelings exactly. What made the whole thing fun was our group.
I mainly hung around with Bob, Brian, and Steve....meeting up with and hanging out with the rest of Brandon's crew when time and circumstances allowed. ÂÂ
DRIVING DOWN:
You put a bunch of writers in some cars together and you're going to say and hear some cool things. It was all mainly about writing, and people we wanted to meet. We stopped at "In N' Out Burger" in Vegas. Drove the rest of the way...got there kinda late.
INCIDENT #1: A LITTLE SOMETHING I LIKE TO CALL "ATTACK RAOUL"...
If you don't know what a "Kaffeeklatsch" is (and I didn't), it's a chance to sit down with either an editor, or an agent, or a writer in a small group and ask the person questions. Well one of these famous/semi-famous people sat down, introduced him or herself, and this guy named Raoul proceeded to ask the first question. It was something like, "So...what kind of stuff is your company looking to acquire right now?"
And then the famous person went off.
Not exact summary (but close enough): "Don't ask me that. Why did you ask me that? That's not what I want to hear. Why don't you go to the panels. They talk about that amateur stuff. Why did you ask me that? I have all this experience...you have me here...and you asked me that? I can't believe you asked me that. For the love of Jove. Did you really ask me that?" Etc...etc. Followed by "Any other questions?"
Dead silence.
Bob Defendi, braver than the rest of us, then meekly said, "I think we're all afraid to ask."
Bob then asked some question that also got shot down, though not as harshly. I then threw out some questions, then some other people, then back to Bob. The result was that the person answered any question that was directly about him/her, and just blew us off on everything else, abit much more nicely than the way Raoul was shot down.
Anyway...it was all kinda funny. And there was one really good thing that come out of it: We all met Raoul.
AFTERMATH:
When the Kaffeeklatsch was over I immediately went up to Raoul and introduced myself and said, "And thanks for taking one for the team." He laughed and said, "Life too short to worry about stuff like that...." He then hung around with us for the next few days...now forever one of the group.
Even before "the incident", he looked familiar to me. He told me that was likely because he's had bit parts in a bunch of t.v. shows. He also told me that he was a documentary filmmaker and that he'd been a manager and personal assistant for some really famous people including Sharaon Stone and Nick Cage. He laughed again and said, "People way more famous than that person." ÂÂ
Raoul was/is a cool guy who came to the convention because he'd just finished a five part sci-fi series that he told me about over dinner. It sounds amazing.
I think we were all happy that we met Raoul.
Some great Kaffeeklatschs I and some of the group went to were with:
Lou Anders of Pyr. Cool guy publishing some cool stuff. He was easily approachable and friendly the entire convention. ÂÂ
Jim Mintz (now with DelRay) who swore like a poet. He was very nice and helpful.
Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden who even gave us extra time with them and told lots of funny, useful stories.
Glen Cook. Great author who I'm now claiming is my uncle because we have the same last name.
INCIDENT #2 (NOTE: INSIDER JOKE): BRIAN IS A PUSS WHO COMPLAINS TOO MUCH AND IS WEAK BECAUSE OF HIS LACK OF TRAINING.
I'm not going to go into this too much so as not to disparage the already vulnerable. Let me just say this. Brain, it doesn't matter if you have early-onset Rheumatoid Arthritis. It doesn't matter that you are in pain a lot and that you think you need eight hours of sleep. You need to stop your bitchin’ and train yourself and be a lot stronger. Dammit! It's your lack of training that is causing it...don't you know that? Your lack of training.....
Okay--deep breath--so as not to come accross as too negative, you do have some good things going for you...
YOU WILL WIN ONE OF THE WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTESTS
YOU WILL BE A BIGGER WRITER THAN BRANDON OR ANY OF THE REST OF US.
How do I know? Because I read your short-story and you're talented.
In spite of your lack of training
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