Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Meeting authors and chocolate cake.

After I got home from London, I started to get really used to having a lot of free time. I didn't really schedule many things in because I wanted an ample amount of time to just hang out with people, wander around Seattle, regain my bearings, etc. But now that school is in full swing and I am taking four classes and planning my NaNoWriMo novel and working on my paper that's due soon for my study abroad and working at my job and making videos for Red and so on, I'm finding myself a little more… pressed for time.

And yet, blogging will always be my priority.

It doesn't help that I have made plans with a different person every day this week, which probably is what's causing the me-being-busy problem in the first place, but I don't care because life is fun and I intend to keep it that way.

Last night Liz came down from Bellingham to go with me to see Scott Westerfeld and Sarah Rees Brennan speak at Third Place Books in Lake City. The bookstore was so cute and not very far away from my house at all, and apparently they have authors speaking nearly every night. How I didn't know this, I am not sure.

I read Scott's blog and adore so many of his books, so seeing him speak was just amazing. He showed us lots of pictures from his new illustrated novel and explained the history of what inspired him to want to do an illustrated novel in the first place. He was funny and interesting and I even got my nerve up to ask him something during the question and answer session - ("Do you ever slip and accidentally put Uglies slang or "bubble talk" into your other novels?")

I had never heard of Sarah before, but she was hilarious and reminded me a bit of Maureen Johnson, only more Irish and high pitched and less twittering. xD

While waiting in line for them to sign my books, I checked my twitter app and saw that someone had posted something along the lines of "OMG came to see @scottwesterfeld and @sarahreesbrenna and @kristinahorner is here!"

I started looking around wildly, hoping I could identify the twitterer by - I don't know, magic, and then miraculously the girl standing in front of me in line sheepishly said "everyone is @ replying me insisting I say hello to you." And then it was like a snowball effect; she took a picture with me and a few other girls asked me for my autograph, and the entire experience of being treated like a celebrity while I was waiting in line to meet a real celebrity was a bit too surreal for me, to be honest. I'm glad Scott and Sarah couldn't see me when this was all happening, haha.

However, on the other hand, I am very glad that my subscribers are the kind of people who go to book signings on a Monday night. :)

When I got to the front of the line, I told Scott that "I had Uglies on my shelf for three years and didn't actually read it until John Green name-dropped him in a vlog brothers video, but now it's one of my favorite series so he should definitely thank him." xD

Scott Westerfeld cracked up and said, "I will, next time I see that bastard."

Then we chatted about how crazy authors are, particularly Maureen Johnson (only out of love) and I told him the first time my friends and I met Maureen we made a fort together. Okay, so I may or may not have been showing off that I have mutual author friends to a writer I highly admire. You really can't blame me, can you?
Then I felt slightly guilty for not having heard of Sarah Rees Brennan before that night, said goodbye, and headed off.

Liz and I had intended to have a NaNoWriMo brainstorming sleepover, but ended up watching Star Wars with my housemates and eating chocolate cake and going to bed. All in all, I would say a pretty good day.

25 comments:

imagryffindork said...

you ARE an author!

loveacrosstheocean said...

I'm so glad you can go to amazingly fun things like that, Seattle sounds like a fabulous place to live. I laughed at your "celebrity" experience, and I'm jealous of the people that got to meet you AND the fact that you met Scott. I'm glad to hear blogging will always be a priority, I'm looking forward to reading as long as you keep writing.
<3

eibbore said...

Sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I lived somewhere where things like that happened.

Best of luck with NaNoWriMo!

Is your novel from last year going to go out through DFTBA still? I'd love to read some of your writings.

Crystal said...

I feel bad that I haven't been able to get through Uglies yet, and I've tried a few times.

tumblenc said...

It's sarah rees brennan, not sarah rees brenna (it says that on her twitter because they didn't allow for that many characters.)

It's great that you got to know her! She started out writing harry potter fanfiction, and blogs here: http://sarahtales.livejournal.com/ Sarah puts up lots of backstory :D

Sydney Swift said...

if i ever saw you. i am pretty sure i would make myself known xD

tigressflowers said...

Haha, I went the other way. I was a huge fan of Scott (I've met him twice and have many books signed by him :D ) and read his blog,and then Justine's, and then Maureen's, and then John Greens', lol.

(Scott actually grew up near where I live, lol, so part of the reason I picked up his books was that he was a fellow Texan)

KaraDawlish said...

SOunds fun :D

FzngWizbee said...

Yes! Building the fort was epic. I still haven't posted my LeakyCon photos, but I do have a few good ones from building and inside the fort.

Johnny Rollerfeet said...

Everything Westerfeld has written is awesome, but I personally enjoyed the Midnighters series more than Uglies. Then again, as an avid TV and movie watcher, I am always considering the "makeability" of a book. Uglies would be hard to make as a movie, and therefore probably be ruined in the process. Midnighters would be a no-brainer to script for TV (and would probably be better than Heroes), plus it would be easy for other writers to extend the world that Westerfeld created.

seurat2 said...

I enjoyed the celebrity story, and hey I might have said hello to you in that situation too. (or possibly not, depends on my level of shyness on any given day.) Scott sounds like a real good guy, but maybe he was etrainspired because he was talking to the obviously awesome Kristina.

seurat2 said...

I was going for "extra inspired" in the above post. And I really thought that was I typed too. Sigh.

Unknown said...

That sounds like a FANTASTIC way to spend a Monday! I'm so jealous, I ADORE Scott Westerfeld's novels. I think I've read the Uglies series at least four times, which is quite a bit of commitment ;)
Yay, NaNoWriMo; it's awesome you've already made it through once. I think I might do it this year!
I'm currently planning for my own (Semester-long! *bighappysigh*) study abroad trip (to FRANCE!) so ... time management? :o
Hope the rest of your week is just as awesome!

Margaret said...

I was there, I saw you, but I didn't say anything... Now I feel pretty stupid.

Ravenclaw2313 said...

There is nothing wrong with name dropping to an author you adore. Frankly I get excited when people I admire remember my name or just say hi. Also you better get used to the fame thing. You're gonna be an author and you are already a YouTube star. People admire you and look up to you and no matter how undeserving you think you are you really do deserve it. We don't give our admiration lightly.

Keep having happy days. Can't wait to hear what you decide to do for NaNoWriMo.

smorasnki77 said...

Kraft has made a video to support feeding the hungry. For every view on the video Kraft will donate money to help end world hunger and donate food to those in need. Not only can YOU watch this video, but you can forward this message to ALL of your friends and family and spread the word! You can use your voice for good and we can make a difference in our generation. Watching this video literally only take about 3 minutes, you can give up 3 minutes and watch this video because it CAN and WILL make a difference. If at all possible could you link to our talk about in a upcoming video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_xrpvU_KJg


By the way. I absolutely look up to you for so much and i knew that all though you may be busy with
college you could maybe post a link in a 5ag video or a italktosnakes video or even talk to vlogbrothers, or anyone you know can make a difference by spreading this word and help Kraft to donate food to help end world hunger.
I love your blogs, i read them every day and i just hope you can help out!!!
Thank You, Stefani Moranski

Anonymous said...

Well, I'd be swooning if I met you..

Emily said...

That sounds like so much fun! I've never actually been to an author signing, but I wish I had.

Actually, I've been on and off away from the computer for a few days, so I just found out that I started reading "Unwind" just a few days after you did, and I started watching "Firefly" just the day before you did. Which is...kind of weird, haha.

I love reading your blog, and I'm really excited for NaNoWriMo this year, too! Even though I only have a small semblance of a plot. But I've got characters and a premise, so hopefully that'll be enough to go on.

Sarah Woodard said...

It was nice meeting you yesterday. I am actually really shy most days.
My favorite Scott Westerfeld book is the Midnighter Series. Though the Uglies series is also amazing. My mom just read them and she is calling everything Bogus or Bubbly. Sarah's book, The Demon Lexicon is really good, too.
I wish I could do Nanowrimo, but I am busy with school and Cybils. I hope you are enjoy Levithan, as much as I did in August.

comelygrace said...

That's no moon, it's a space station!!

Stephanie said...

Hey!
I just wanted to let you know that I have been blogging for over a year and a half. Always short, snippets of information that only have meaning to me.

I've been reading your blog for quite some time and over the past two weeks, it kind of inspired me to write in sentences. To put detail into things. Plus, whenever I would read back a year, I would have no idea what I was even talking about at the time.

It helps.
You help.

Sarah McLeroy said...

Wait...are you aure you have never heard of Sarah Rees Brennan before? You may have known her under the name Maya. She was a really well-known fanfic writer of the Dramione and Draco/Harry variety. I know you have mentioned fanfiction, and your love of Draco before, and that was what SRB's fanfic was all about.
You can't find her stuff online anymore, she took it all down, but she did give out a pdf that lots of people have. Hew most famous piece was probably "Draco Malfoy the amazing bouncing...rat?"

nope said...

Just so you know, this is the ONLY way to spend a Monday night. :)

Ps, if I go to Wrockstock and see you, I'll prrrobably cause a scene. You're awesome.

allyson said...

I'm SO VERY excited to hear how your day with your old friend went.
AND I'm excited to participate in NaNoWriMo with you!

Ana said...

I want to be an author too, but I don't even have an idea for NaNoWriMo. Grrr.