(from Dave Walker)

This weekend passed so quickly. I ended up going to every party I was invited to- a whirlwind of personal celebration at having finished the first draft of my novel, Beer & Chocolate. I got the crazy idea this morning to rewrite it completely. Since I realize now the complexity of some parts, it could really bear a second attempt. Then again, that may be a bad idea. This is why a month off is a good idea, because I get to toss around these ideas and not exercise each and every one of them.

The Nanowrimo party was kind of a downer. In years past this wrap-up party was super fun, lots of new people, friends from write-ins, new friends, and general positive vibes about writing. This year, I arrived too late perhaps, and was accosted by a person who was full of wine and negativity. He was down on writing groups, yet pressured me to be in his, he was down on the word count, the rush of writing, being with other Nanos, and generally was there to push up his ego as a year-round writer around amateurs. Nice. Perhaps Nano has run aground, but as I was leaving and talking with an old friend I’d ran into- and that made it all worthwhile- he told me about a Nano in front of us that was talking with a literary agent, and that also helped. It’s still bringing in talented people, and helping them accomplish a dream.

Fastforward a few hours to more celebration. Sitting in a basement recreation room with three other party revelers talking about good science fiction books, black holes, databanks, and DRM. I like parties where we sit around the bookshelf like a fireplace.