Realm Makers 2019 was a WONDERFUL adventure. And this year, my brother Josiah came with me!
I wasn’t pitching this time, so the experience was a bit more chill than it’s been in the past. Instead, I got to celebrate with several friends who received good news, manuscript requests, and fresh direction. ❤
And as per my Realm Makers usual, I stayed up too late every night, leaving myself to run on coffee, Panera salads, adrenaline, and the magical high that comes from being in a hotel with 300+ other writers!
I won’t be sharing a play-by-play of absolutely everything I did, just the highlights. So here… we… go…
Wednesday: Day One
Okay, traveling was a gong show. Our first flight was delayed, we barely made our connecting flight—where I was told at the boarding gate that I wasn’t supposed to be on the plane (!!!) but was given a new ticket anyway—and then we couldn’t land in St. Louis because of a severe thunderstorm. After circling and trying to wait out the storm, we diverted to another airport to refuel. So instead of landing at the planned 5:30pm, we touched down at 9:30pm, exhausted and ready to kiss the ground.
And then we promptly discovered we’d lost our luggage. Yep. Our bags, we found out, were chilling in the Toronto airport without us.
Long story short, they were put on the next flight, and we got them back on Thursday morning. Thank God!
Thursday: Day Two
I felt much better after sleeping (and reclaiming important items like my toothbrush) and meeting lots of lovely friends! Some of them I hadn’t seen since last RM, and others I got to meet for the very first time!
Robert Liparulo’s pre-conference class on writing and publishing series was amazing and I took oodles of notes. Most of my story ideas turn into multi-book monsters, so I loved getting tips on how to make those things work better.
When I approached him afterward to get Deadlock signed, he told me he’d been to my blog.
Um, WHAT. That was pretty amazing to hear! (If you’re here again, Bob, hellooo!)
Another highlight of Thursday? Getting to see one of my stories in print.
In a BOOK.
(Photo credit to Christine)
Havok’s Season One anthology, Rebirth, released at Realm Makers—which was fantastic timing, because so many of the authors in the anthology are Realmies! It was incredibly surreal to have friends come up with their copies and ask me to sign it.
My contribution is a little four-page flash fiction called Ordained, and it’s a prequel to my WIP, The Brightest Thread! If you’re familiar with the character Aleida, this story gives you a peek at where she came from.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to see it in print! Feels like one more small step toward publishing novels.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from our keynote author, Brent Weeks, having never read any of his books. But wow, he delivered a powerful speech that evening. That guy knows how to enrapture an audience with story.
Lindsay Franklin had a release party for The Story Raider, which was so exciting! Sadly, the room where it was taking place was basically a can of very noisy sardines, so I excused myself halfway through to find air to breathe.
Friday: Day Three
Wayne Thomas Batson’s three-part class on “Balancing Life and Writing” was exactly what I needed to hear. He’s an excellent teacher—funny, heartfelt, challenging. And he slips into accents all the time, which is great. I’ll share a bit more of what I took away from his classes later.
I had lunch with the lovely Mrs. Davis (yes, Bryan Davis’s wife)! I hadn’t seen her in seven years since the first time we met, and it was so, so good to catch up with her again.
C. J. Redwine’s “Cinderella 2.0” class was amazing! I basically gobbled up everything she said, because right now I’m all about those fairytale retellings.
I had a mentor appointment with Robert Liparulo to discuss the still-troublesome opening of The Brightest Thread, and he gave me an interesting idea to try out.
And, of course, Friday night was the awards banquet, which is always one of my highlights! There’s something about over three hundred writers letting their creativity loose in the form of cosplay and celebrating their favorite fandoms.
I went as Tris Prior from Divergent this year because a) it was a super easy costume, b) I like the books and the *first* movie (do not speak to me of the last two), and c) I’ve had Tris’s bird tattoo lying around forever and just HAD to use it one of these days.
And now, prepare to be inundated with pictures!
Saturday: Day Four
Brent Weeks and Terry Brooks (this year’s guest of honor) did an uproariously funny Q&A session on Saturday morning. And both had such gems of wisdom to offer!
I later had a wonderful mentor appointment (more like a heart-to-heart) with Jill Williamson. And because I was on the waiting list for C. J. Redwine, and a slot opened up, I also got an appointment with her—which I was woefully underprepared for, but she’s awesome and gave me some juicy ideas for The Brightest Thread.
I accidentally missed Ronie Kendig last year, but have gotten to know her on Instagram since then, so it was great to meet her in person for the first time!
Also, I attended a faculty lunch and later enjoyed pizza for supper with all the “Havok Hive” peeps that were present at the conference.
Another thing that’s always a highlight is the book festival! And… *cough*… I might’ve walked away with 15 signed books, two of which were taken from home. Meaning I have 13 new books to find shelf space for. Heh. Seriously, I’ve been trying to catch up on all my Realm Makers books for a YEAR, and there I went and bought MORE! #bookwormprobs
As per usual, I stayed up waaaay too late chatting with friends about everything from weird food to quantum physics.
Sunday: Day Five
So glad I could stay for the post-conference session this year, because Jill Williamson was teaching about how to launch a book! Which, admittedly, is pretty far off on my radar—but it did spark some fun ideas for the future.
Realm Makers wound down with one last stop at Fuzzy’s Tacos with some good friends. It’s so hard to say goodbye!
And I shan’t bore you with more travel stories. Flights were much smoother this time around, but we didn’t make it home until the wee hours of Monday morning. Thank goodness we’d had the foresight to book the day off work!
Reflections
It’s hard to compare this year to last year’s emotional epiphany. Last year, I felt God very strongly leading me into a new season of doing life with Him rather than performing for Him. And that beautiful lesson is something I’m still learning.
But this year was different. I’ve been chewing on my main takeaways all week—and will be for quite some time—and here’s what stands out to me.
If you abuse yourself for the sake of your art, you’re not a tragic hero. You’re a fool.
—Brent Weeks, closing keynote
At least three of the authors I heard from this year, Brent Weeks included, shared openly about the toll that the writing life can take if you become a slave to it. There’s a mental, physical, and emotional cost.
Because writing is hard. And I don’t mean that in the good-natured complaining way that denotes snarky Pinterest pins bemoaning our rebellious characters. I mean that this dream can push us to make sacrifices we weren’t designed to make, if we’re not careful.
You’re a human being, not a literary vending machine.
—Brent Weeks, closing keynote
And that reminder, combined with wise words from Wayne Thomas Batson about priorities and time thieves, along with some realizations about boundaries and learning to say no… Well, it’s given me a lot to think about.
I am human. And I am not my writing, just as I am not any one of the other thousand and one things that I do.
It’s funny how a writers conference can make me want to write less and more at the same time.
See, I want to write less out of panic, pressure, and perfectionism.
And I want to write more out of love, light, and well-balanced LIFE.
Which is all fine and dandy on paper, but a lot harder to figure out in the mess and muck of actual living. So I’m doing my best to give myself grace as I re-evaluate priorities and establish better boundaries and manage myself.
If I miss the occasional post around here, it’s not because I don’t want to keep my commitment to you; it’s probably because in the grand shuffle of priorities, blogging may not always keep a top spot every week. I don’t know. It’s a learning process. (And I do feel funny even giving such a disclaimer, when less than month ago, I was promising to return to a weekly schedule!)
But lest I sound too gloomy or sober, here’s one more fire-sparking quote from Mr. Weeks:
I’ve been looking forward to the RM ’19 recaps!
That first flight sounded exhausting, but I’m glad it all turned out fine in the end. How awesome that you had your brother with you this time… will Josiah be posting a RM recap soon, too?
I love seeing all those costumes, but Avast! methinks Faith’s Florid Sword custumery hails frometh that noble chronicle, the Wingfeather Saga.
Oh good! I missed seeing you there this year, though! <3
It WAS exhausting, my word. But it's already becoming one of those crazy misadventure stories that's fun to share. Yep, he's working on a recap! I'm sure he has lots to share. 🙂
Ack!!! You're right!!! I TOTALLY forgot that she was Florid Sword. Man, that post-conference fog sometimes snatches away some details. I'll go fix that photo's caption. Thanks for catching it!
I wanted to say something thoughtful, but I cannot word properly today. Probably going through conference withdrawal, or maybe general travel withdrawal, and I don’t know whether I want people or solitude now. I’m finding it hard to get going on anything.
I keep hearing good things about Wayne Thomas Batson’s class, and think I must get the audio as soon as it is available.
Anyway, it was lovely to meet you in person and Josiah too. Hopefully it will happen again someday.
I totally get that conference withdrawal feeling! And traveling is exhausting. I hope with another week or so, you’ve been able to rest up. <3
Yes!!! I'm planning to snag the audio too.
It was so fun to meet you, Brie! And I must apologize for neglecting to add the photo I got of the two of us to this post! I had so many to wade through, and I suspect some fell through the cracks. 🙁 (But I'll be sharing it on Instagram when I find time to add more pics!)
TRACEY RM RECAP POST. YAAAAY!!! I just LOVE seeing everyone’s recap posts. It gives me a chance to relive the amazing experience all over again! And it’s awesome getting each person’s POV, if you will, of the event. I love it!
I still feel so bad you and Josiah had such a rough ride there. Man, you poor things! So glad the flight home was a little better and that the rest of the conference was smooth sailing. IT WAS JUST SO MUCH FUN! Getting to hang out is so surreal. I wish we could hang out ALL the time. It seriously makes my heart ache that we can’t. But I am so beyond grateful for the couple of times we have gotten to be together in person. Such a blessing! YOU are a blessing. You’re such a beautiful soul, and spending time with you fills me up. <3
I loved your reflections! And that's basically the exact same thing I got from this conference too! :O Between Brent Weeks' closing note and WTB's continuing session, I was really feeling this nudge from God to find that balance and remember my life is more than just writing books. Writing is important, but it shouldn't be absolutely EVERYTHING. The whole conference really helped me think about my priorities. Still chewing on it, but, man, such awesome wisdom gleaned from just a single weekend. RM is truly a magical place.
Thank you for sharing your adventures! I'm so glad we got to be there together again. MISS YOU!!! <333
I LIVE for everyone’s recaps, too! Especially in the first couple of weeks after the conference, when I feel like a Pevensie returned home after a magical adventure. It soothes the bittersweet ache to see other people’s reflections. <3
Haha, at least we made it! And now we have an epic misadventure to laugh about. YES, IT WAS AMAZING! And I'm so glad you were there again this year! Awww, your sweet words! Spending time with you fills me up too, and I wish it were possible to hang out more often! Thank goodness for all the online methods of connecting. ^_^
You too?? That's so cool. I'm still chewing on all of it too, and definitely haven't nailed the right balance yet. But... it's a work in progress. 🙂 Ah, yes, RM *is* totally magical and soul-feeding and inspiring.
Missing you toooooo! <333
RM sounds like it was AMAZING this year! Of course, it was last year, and it probably is every year, but I digress. XD Anyway, I’m glad I get to read the recap posts of all my friends who did go! I’m not sure who I would’ve cosplayed as… I don’t have much for costume pieces at home, so I’d probably do something cheap like wear all black and be a spy or assassin or something. Ooh, maybe if I manage to scrap together enough money for Realm Makers next year, I can be a Russian spy! Who knows. XD Your Tris cosplay was pretty cool!
Okay, I think I’m starting to ramble… *sheepish grin* I enjoyed your recap post, and hopefully next year I’ll get to see you there!
I think it’s probably amazing every year, too! 😀 So sad I didn’t get to see you this time, though. <3
I don't have much in the way of cosplay in my closet either... But spy/assassin is always a great way to go, LOL! Thank you!
Hope you manage to come next year--and I hope I can go too. It's a wee bit further away from me, being in NJ.
That tattoo looks so real! And yeah, the last two divergent movies are horrible ;0 I love that quote about not being a vending machine. I’m afraid I might treat myself as such way too often ;p
Also, that’s sooooo neat that author’s been to your blog!!!!!!
I love how your pics are arranged so compact on here! Love seeing the update 😉
keturahskorner.blogspot.com
Yay! I conveniently had a sheet of Divergent tattoos that came with the Blu-ray when I bought it. XD LOL, yeah, the last two are pretty bad, especially Allegiant…
Here’s to stopping the vending machine mentality! *clinks glass of iced tea*
I’m glad the collage approach for the pics worked out. I was scrolling through all my pictures and thinking it was going to become a gigantic post if I made them all full-size. Well, more gigantic than it turned out this way, anyways. 😉 Thanks, Keturah!
AAAHHH, IT WAS AWESOME MEETING YOU, TRACEY!!!! Sorry to hear your plane trip wasn’t that great, though . . . 🙁
But your Tris costume was great! And I’m glad you had a great time at RM! <3
IT WAS AWESOME MEETING YOU TOOOO!!!! <3 Eh, it was tiring at the moment, but now we have quite the story to share. So it all worked out. 🙂
Thanks so much! I loved your Ravenclaw robe!
Sucks that you guys had such a rough flight. So glad you made it though.
Getting to meet you was amazing!!! You rocked the Tris cosplay.
I missed the closing keynote, but that quote about abusing yourself for the sake of art is soo good!
It all worked out in the end, thankfully! ^_^
Oh my gosh, Skye, I LOVED meeting you too! (And you were *perfect* as Blue Sargent.) If you’re ever out in the Prairies, you’ve got to let me know!
One of my favorite quotes, yes! <3
Whoa, look at you with your recap up already! Nice. =)
It’s still hard to believe that I’m in some of these pictures. . . Realm Makers was absolutely amazing, and meeting YOU was so awesome!
I have both of those Brent Weeks quotes written down in my notes too. His keynotes were really, really good.
-Hanna
takingmytime.rothfuss.us
I don’t know hoooow I managed to get it up this early, actually. >.>
Ahhh, so surreal! I was so glad to meet you in person, Hanna. You’re 100% awesome and I hope you have an amazing school adventure this fall!
Right? They really hit home for me. <3
I love this post!!!! And look at you, you have ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL THE PICTURES! 😀
Ooof. Yes. So, so true. I’ve been trying to get serious about balancing my priorities, too; cuz while doing Enriching Life Stuff is still incredibly important . . . this book just won’t get written if I keep frittering away my time with stuff that doesn’t actually matter. (Social media, I’m lookin’ at you. :-P)
Brent Weeks had the most fabulous quotes, didn’t he? <3
Awww, thank you!!! I go a little crazy with the pictures, it’s true! 😀
“Enriching Life Stuff”–haha, yes! I have sort of the opposite problem, where I sacrifice “Enriching Life Stuff” for the sake of accomplishing my to-do lists. BUT social media is also a huge time-waster, so there’s a lot of balance I need to figure out. XD
He so did!
It was awesome meeting you in person, Katie! <3
Wonderful post, Tracy! I enjoyed seeing your highlights and photos, and hearing what you were up to.
And I loved the deep things you shared about what you took away from the conference! So so so true. I really needed to hear that. Because as you know, I’ve had to prioritize taking care of myself over writing, and sometimes that’s really hard to face. But it’s so important!
All the Realm Makers cosplay pics on Instagram made me consider that very question! My dream cosplay would probably be the Queen of Attolia, the titular character of one of my favorite books. (A book you should read! It’s the sequel to The Thief.) I have the height and long dark hair, but I don’t think I could quite match her beauty and poise! (I have some but not as much as her.) But if I could pull it off, I would in a heartbeat!
Thank you, Mary! So happy you enjoyed it–and made it all the way through this ginormous thing, LOL.
Glad that hit home for you as well! I have so much to figure out in terms of balancing priorities and managing my time and energy. You’re right, you need to take care of yourself as a WHOLE person, not just as a writer. <3
*gasp* I've been hearing so many good things about that series! I definitely need to bump it up my TBR. And it sounds like you could totally pull off the Queen of Attolia--if you get the chance, do it!
AGGGHHH THIS MAKES ME MISS REALM MAKERS SO MUUUUCH. ;( I so enjoyed seeing you again, and I hope we get to see each other again someday! <333
WHOOPS I ALMOST FORGOT TO REPLY. D: So sorry, Maddie!!!
Now I’m missing you and all the RM fun too! Hopefully it works out for both of us next summer again–and if not, then 2021! <3