Hey everyone, guess who has two thumbs and is going to be attending the SFWA Nebula Conference?
This writer! . . . And also many other people. In fact, I’m going to venture a guess that there will be many two-thumbed people this weekend attending the Nebulas.
They will also, in large part, be fellow SFF writers, editors, publishers, industry vets, etc. and I cannot wait to meet them and hear what they have to talk about.
The 2017 Nebulas are right around the corner–starting tomorrow, in fact. Also, this year the event is physically around the corner from me, since it’s taking place in my own town of Pittsburgh. So of course I can’t NOT go, right?
Of course, I made this decision last week so it’s been kind of a mad scramble, but now I think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be! I even have some lovely new business cards with my name on them–how cool is that?
(Hey, one of these days, the concept of having a lovely business card will be old news to me. So I am going to enjoy my little excitement while it lasts!)
I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous. This is one of the biggest events in this field, and not only will there be writers whose work I’ve treasured over the years, there will be Big Industry Names ™ in attendance. I only hope I can make a good impression. I’m a small fish jumping into the ocean. But I’ve been dreaming about this ocean since I was little. Slowly but steadily, I’ve been making my way there most of my life. This is where I want to swim, so this is where I will go.
I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know who I’m going to meet, or what we’re going to say to each other, or whether we will become friends or whether a door will be opened to me in the publishing world. But I’m looking forward to this experience, because in this–as in all things about life–having an experience is the only guarantee.
Treasure your experiences, my friends. Let yourself have them. Jump into your ocean. Listen, pay attention, learn. And along the way, enjoy your lovely business cards.
Jennifer Hykes 