Some developments since last week. Small, but big to me.
First, I have a roomie! I was on the fence for a long time about this conference, mostly because of the hotel expense. Then I farted around so long I lost one potential roommate. Another friend of mine decided not to attend Malice this year. So I resigned myself to rooming alone.
Now, I have a weird relationship with roommates. I like the company. At the same time, I’m a horrible introvert and I’m afraid that unless I’m with someone I know well, I’ll come off as a snobby loser. This is made worse when I don’t know the person I’m rooming with. Plus, this is a time when I’ll have to travel with an injection for my MS and some people are creeped out by that. Best be on my own. Maybe.
Therefore, when the message came across the Guppy email listserve that someone was looking for another Guppy willing to share her room, I was hesitant. I mean, what if the other person was horrible? What if the other person thought I was horrible? The possibilities – especially when one is a writer – were endless.
But I took the plunge. Turns out I do know (kinda) the woman who needed to share. I met her at a Sisters in Crime event in Cleveland. So we aren’t complete strangers. This should work out. And I’ll (hopefully) make another friend. It’s all good.
The other development? I received an email this morning about selecting my table for the Agatha Awards banquet. I’m not terribly sure how this works, but I believe every nominee for an award “hosts” a table at the banquet. Other writers (and readers because this is a fan-centric conference) can request to sit with one of these authors.
So again, I had an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, as it were. I could request to sit with authors I know well – but who are awfully popular (thus lowering my chances of being assigned to that table). I could request to sit with my friends.
But be proud of me, friends – I took the plunge. The three authors I listed are all people I know, but again–I don’t know them terribly well. Plus there are all the other guests at that table. More new friends. Yay!
So there you have it: this week’s Malice Domestic developments. Next week? The big wardrobe unveiling!
Wish I could be there. *sigh* But I’ve done conferences with roommates I knew ahead of time and with complete strangers. Some experiences were better than others but I wouldn’t call any of them bad, and I made a couple good friends that way. Kudos to you for taking the plunge.