*New* Bransforumfest Workshop Vote

[Mira]

Do you know if you are coming, Mira?

No! Sorry. It really depends upon work. I'd say - leave me out of any reservations. I'm sure I'll be able to get a room if I can come.

I also want to withdraw my objections to query critiques workshop. For one thing, since I may not be able to be there, I shouldn't try to sway people.

But more important, I remembered this is one of Nathan's specialties, and people might really benefit from his expertise on this subject.

So, don't know if it matters, but objection withdrawn!

[dios4vida]

Okee dokee folks, I think we've gotten all the votes from the "yes" people. (If I've missed you, please cast your vote!)

And the definitive winners are...<drumroll>

Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash
Critique Groups
Revisions/Editing (Nicole)
Dialogue (Margo)
Character Development (Claudie)

We have a bit of an interesting situation here. Everyone (and I mean EVERYone) has voted for the Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash, and several people have mentioned that they'd like these to happen all over the place, all week long. This brings up a question: Do we want to actually assign a workshop spot to said Writing Bash, or simply schedule it (them) in free time and give the spot to another workshop? (My apologies to the few who've already answered this.) I need a consensus on this because we may have to have another tiebreaker vote depending on the desires of the crowd. Once we have a decision on how to handle the Writing Bash(es), I'll post the rest of the winners or the tiebreaker vote.

Here's hoping that everyone has a Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukah/Joyous Kwanzaa/Bah Humbug/Happy Holidays!!

[Mira]

Lol. I like the 'Bah humbug' option.

Very cool of you to organize this, Brenda. Appreciation!

[Sommer Leigh]

Honestly, and this just might be me, I don't think we even need to schedule the coffee shop thing as anything official. We should just be like "Want to go some place and write?" and then we all load up our gear and call a cab or walk or whatever is necessary to a location. We can probably google someplace to go or ask the helpful service people at the front desk of the hotel. And we can do this as many times as we want throughout the week.

[dios4vida]

Honestly, and this just might be me, I don't think we even need to schedule the coffee shop thing as anything official. We should just be like "Want to go some place and write?" and then we all load up our gear and call a cab or walk or whatever is necessary to a location. We can probably google someplace to go or ask the helpful service people at the front desk of the hotel. And we can do this as many times as we want throughout the week.

Yeah, that's a good point. Must we really schedule this at all? Thoughts?

[dios4vida]

Very cool of you to organize this, Brenda. Appreciation!

Aw, shucks! Thanks.

[Claudie]

Honestly, and this just might be me, I don't think we even need to schedule the coffee shop thing as anything official. We should just be like "Want to go some place and write?" and then we all load up our gear and call a cab or walk or whatever is necessary to a location. We can probably google someplace to go or ask the helpful service people at the front desk of the hotel. And we can do this as many times as we want throughout the week.

Yeah, that's a good point. Must we really schedule this at all? Thoughts?

I've said this before, but I'd like it scheduled once. This won't sound very writerly, but there is a good chance that if it isn't on schedule, I'll have something else planned there, with the boyfriend. Vegas isn't exactly a next-door location for us, and I want to use the opportunity to visit, too. I'd love to have at least one Coffee Bash planned, so I can miss the others with minimal guilt if I have something else planned. This is kind of like official write-ins VS unofficial ones during NaNo. There's those I can't miss, and those I go to if schedule allows.

[Margo]

We're going to be there four full days, right? Plus one evening and one morning? We've got five clear winners in the preferences. How about we schedule two things for the first full day and one thing for the other full days? And after that we just improvise based on what comes up in conversation and from our writing while we're there. Maybe a topic comes up over lunch and people want to go back to one of the rooms and talk about that for an hour or a good workshop makes people want to do another coffee shop writing session. We can wing it.

[dios4vida]

We're going to be there four full days, right? Plus one evening and one morning? We've got five clear winners in the preferences. How about we schedule two things for the first full day and one thing for the other full days? And after that we just improvise based on what comes up in conversation and from our writing while we're there. Maybe a topic comes up over lunch and people want to go back to one of the rooms and talk about that for an hour or a good workshop makes people want to do another coffee shop writing session. We can wing it.

This is another great suggestion. I guess it all depends on how much free time v. workshop time people want.

(I may ramble and babble here for a bit, so hang with me for a minute.) The big reason why I've been thinking of more sessions is because I don't want to be left with too much free time. First of all, and I know this varies for everyone, but I'm not coming to Vegas to see Vegas. I'm coming to hang with you guys and talk writing and pick your brains and actually make real life writer friends cause I don't have any of those. I worry (note the choice of words: this is truly just a worry) that if we only have an hour or so in the morning scheduled, we'll be left wandering around the hotel/strip for the rest of day, not knowing where to find other Bransforumers and feeling a little lost. I don't want to miss out on time with you guys and writing and having this be an amazing writer's retreat where we make awesome friends.

Now I know I'm being paranoid here. I've had some bad experiences with being left out and I have an anxiety disorder so I tend to panic like this. (Yes, that means you guys can shut me up and say I'm overreacting if necessary.) I just want to make sure that we can have a way to make sure that if we want to plan an impromptu workshop or Writing Bash, everyone hears about it and can make their decision whether to join up or duck out - or we have a place that we know other Bransforumers who are looking to hang/chat/write/discuss will be so that no one's left wondering where the other writers disappeared to.

So, all of that said and my fear/worries out in the open...I don't really care how many sessions we actually plan. I'll let the majority rule on that. For me, the more the better, but I know I'm probably a minority on that one. I'd love nothing more than to spend almost the entire week with y'all talking writing and shopping and writing and doing writerly things.

<deep, cleansing breath>

[Claudie]

I like Margo's idea of building a tight schedule for the first days, and leaving more breathing room later on. We could also put on the schedule an evening meet on the third day to see if we want to create anything official for the remainder of the trip? Discuss it live with everyone around the table, etc.

One thing we could do once we get to the hotel is somewhere we could use as a sort of billboard space. Write what's on schedule/what spontaneous activities came up, etc. Oh, and there should be cellphone numbers exchanged so we can easily contact each other (though it should be noted my bf's cell won't work in the US). We could also designate 1-2 participants to be communication masters, and keep track of what's happening.

About finding places: if we have an address, I have a working GPS. I can help find the coffee shops, etc.

[Margo]

Normally I would totally understand your worries, Brenda, but the whole idea behind this was we wanted to meet each other and hang out with each other and talk writing and write together, so I think at least the core group wants exactly the same thing you do. Vegas is less than an hour's plane ride for me, so I'll be available to hang out even if others are excited to see the sights (and rightly so when it's not as accessible for them).

I like having a basic core of scheduled events so that people don't have to humhaw around about what they want to do, but I also suspect we'll do fine with improvising. These four people want to do crits, while these three people are going to do a coffee shop write-in. Now everyone really wants to go to lunch. Okay, now let's do this--and people break off into two or three groups to do what they most want to with the other people who want to do the same thing.

I like Claudie's idea of having a couple of people coordinating communication--I volunteer. I've been to big (15,000 people) conferences before with two or three dozen close friends, and we managed to coordinate and keep in touch much more easily than you might imagine.

[dios4vida]

Aaahh. Thanks, Margo. I feel much better.

This is starting to sound like so much incredible fun!

[Nicole R]

Hey all, this is sounding good to me! I like having a casual schedule so we can meet up and still have some free time.

If you want, feel free to DM me re: planning details or thoughts about the editing session. I'll probably have to head out that Wed. or Thurs. for a friend's wedding, so if it'd be great if we could do that session earlier in the week.

So excited to see everyone!