DoubleTree | Rachel Author Barnard

Norwescon is one of my favorite events of the year! I bought my full membership early for the early bird discount (which I highly recommend) and FreeValley Publishing had planned to have a presence like they have for the past couple of years (2015, 2014). I also sent in two of my short stories for critique from Fairwood Writers. Thursday they offered us a special “pitching” class with Jennifer Brozek, which was fun, interactive, and useful. Jennifer liked my Donuts pitch, my Donuts cover, and my Donuts title (whew).

A young adult novel about two best friends, the local food challenge, and a mysterious bucket list. The more main character Vanessa fails the food challenge, the more she takes it out on the boy she blames for her father’s death because letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

I also wrote a lovely Star Wars themed anthology pitch:

R2-D2 unit took the name Radar when he won his freedom. Successful pod race owner, he trades parts weekly at the local machine shop and falls in love with the snarky, young attendant Zendaya. But there are two problems. She’s working off a seven-year indentured apprenticeship and she doesn’t seem to like droids. The twist is that Radar owns the machine shop and she’s been selling parts under the table.

Brozek’s comment: Don’t use R2-D2

I snuck into one panel on Thursday on fat shaming and enjoyed it quite a bit. Shout out to Jami and learning about fat acceptance and the fat experience in advance of reading her upcoming novel about a fat protagonist.

I didn’t go Friday because work and I had budgeted Thursday and Saturday to go. I brought my books for the Clockwork Dragon/FreeValley Publishing table on Thursday and checked out the dealer room. I even got sized for a corset (which brought up some mild claustrophobia, even though it was beautiful).

I was nervous about parking and didn’t get there soon enough on Thursday to park at the DoubleTree itself so went across the street to the large undercover WallyPark, which turned out to be a whopping $21 for just under 5 hours. I was not happy with that bill and resolved to find a better solution for Saturday, the busiest day of the con. I ended up going to the non-covered WallyPark on the other side of the street for valet parking, which was only $14 plus tip and the two guys there were very polite and helpful. Next year, if I don’t find an even better parking area, I’ll use them.

I wore my ghillie suit Saturday for most of the day and switched to my leopard print dancer’s outfit after dinner to round out the evening. Everyone loves my ghillie suit. I was very busy with my Fairwood writer’s workshops Saturday and only went to one panel: the Art of Critique, but it was so stuffy and hot that I had to leave halfway through for cooler rooms. I wandered everywhere! I even got locked out of the hotel and had to go around the entire building to get back inside (note that you need a keycard, obviously). Hospitality is always super cool and handy and I even made use of the coat check for my ghillie suit! Thanks coat check people. You made my life so much easier.

The masquerade was not as exciting as I thought it would be. I couldn’t see above hats and hair and it dragged on too long for me, though I absolutely loved seeing the costumes. I went to the Fairwood writer’s social and the Cascade writer’s social and rounded out my evening checking out the Star Wars dance (the music was so low and only kids were dancing). I imagine if I stayed late into the night, the party’s would pick up, but as it was I was too tired to stay any longer and went home around 9:00PM. Until next year, Norwescon!