GCLS by Moondancer Drake

Since my first GCLS Literary convention I can’t really compare 2008 to the three prior events, but I can say I had an amazing time. Readers, authors, editors, and publishers mingled together from the very first day in a laid back and friendly social manner. Stress was minimal (for me, I imagine the amazing goddesses that put the convention together were not so stress free, even though they made it all look so easy)  and aside from having to stuff my shyness in the presence of some of the most proclaimed and talented writers in lesfic my relaxation was on maximum.

True this in part was a working convention, though not as much as I originally had intended. Most of my writing was lefts in the to and from traveling, rather than at the con itself. I did get co-mentor a wonderful author along with Mary Phillips which was a thrill in itself, and I certainly hope we gave the author a lot of good feedback to work with. I’m for sure going to sign up as a mentor next year too. I really enjoyed that.

The hotel was my first stay at a real 5 star place, and wow it didn’t disappoint, though everything was so expensive. Bottled water in the room was $5 a bottle and internet was $13 bucks a day, but knowing a big chunk (I hope a big chunk) went to support the Gila River Indian Community I hope those that could afford to, spent a lot in the hotel. The food was the biggest bite out of the budget for me after plane fair, since the scholarship I got covered the room and reg. What a relief.

The first day we got our registration stuff in order and there was a fun event called the “Meet and Greet”. I don’t drink so I didn’t touch the cash bar, but we had giant SCP swag bags with lots of fun stuff in it, including a message in a bottle that turned out to be wonderful poetry from Lois Glenn. What a treat! PD Publishing had some adds done in the GCLS program and wow was it a treat to see the very first ad for Ancestral Magic and Chilling Tales right there in print.

The rest of the week-weekend we had breakfast and break snacks provided by the convention itself which was extremely generous of them, and I hear mighty expensive. I didn’t make it to near the amount of panels I’m planned to, I had so much fun getting to know all the folks I’d been talking with online, some for over two years. The fabulous Mercedes Lewis moderated a Coffee Chat with Karin Kallmaker and Georgia Beers that I’m glad I didn’t miss. What a great time that was, they were a hoot. Since Georgia was the facilitator for a reading panel I was in later in the week it gave me the chance to get introduced to her before hand.

Upon spotting the hotel prices for food, Barbara Clanton and I hopped the boat and took a trip to the casino deli. I got some wonderful fry bread and took it back to the hotel. I had no idea so many white women had never even hear of fry bread. I nearly let my dinner get cold trying to explain what it was to them. It went sort of like this.

Them: “Frybread? What’s that? What’s it look like”

Me: “It’s…well it looks like frybread.”

Heh, yeah so in the end the conversation generally ended with me using the condensed version on how to make fry bread and giving them a bite of mine to try. Needless to say the deli got quite a bit of business that weekend because of those conversations. Hard to deny it, fry bread is good. 

Another fun thing on Thursday was the beginning of the silent auction and the murder mystery event. I was blushing furiously at all the compliment the chokers I made got, even when people didn’t know was even there to hear them. The skit they did for the murder mystery was fun, and the performers had us in stitches. I got my clue envelope, sure I wouldn’t win the prize, but glad to donate to the scholarship fund that made it possible for me to come this year.

Friday morning was a bit of a blur, but then I always get nervous before a reading. I sat with a few friends I know that speak various flavors of Spanish to help me go over a scene from Natural Order in which Bella uses some Spanish phrases. I didn’t want to butcher the words since I understand some, but speak very little Spanish. Though in the end the reading went very well, I butchered the words anyway. Oh well. My friend seemed to forgive me anyways.

Location, location, location was another fantastic panel done by my bud Andi Marquette, Joan Opyr, and the funtabulous Jane Fletcher. What a great crew to talk about the importance of setting. So many writers forget that the setting of a book is as important a character as the heroine(s) herself. You should lever leave a setting so disconnected that moving the story from one location to another would have no affect. The setting and story must be carefully intertwined without slowing the pace. In this panel they all gave great examples on how and why to do this. Jane even talked about how with writing fantasy researching real world settings in order to build a world well is crucial.

Friday night we had a great party Lisa Girolami put together in a stylish fashion with gourmet cheeses and appetizer trays. What a spread it was. We had great conversation between authors and readers on what they liked and didn’t like, whether beta reading ot in the fiction they bought, as well as couples that worked together in writer – beta combos. There was something to wrap your brain around.

By Saturday morning I knew the end of the convention was in sight and I had a melancholy feel about the idea of leaving. After the author auction (for the first dance at the after awards celebration dance), and Katherine V. Forrest’s magnificent key note address, I tried to fit in as many last panels as I could. The panel on copywrite and research with Paula Offutt, Victoria Oldham, MJ Lowe, and Lori L. Lake was particularly useful with some story bits I had going that I wanted to add quotes to but wasn’t sure how to do that respectfully. I needed something to bring me back after the great erotica reading we had just before that. The audience was great, responsive and fun, and the other author read some hot hot stuff.

The awards…well that was unexpectedly touching experience for me personally. So often it can be hard to really connect with other women in many feminist and LGBT organizations, especially when it comes to cultural and spiritual differences. Often women act interested when as a Cherokee woman I talk of my ancestral roots and spiritual beliefs, but you can tell it’s just nice people being polite, and that in truth most of them just don’t get it. Well, let me tell you my friends, Cathy Smith and the Golden Crown board, those women sure do “get it”.

I struggled to hold back the tears as the Cree (I think I am remembering his tribe correctly) hoop dancer talk of the Indian and the Lesbian community finding strength together, of the oppressive crimes against both and what both people had survived. He taught those present about the meaning of the each hoop as a trail the dancer must face, and that together these hoops make a whole, beauty from pain, strength through hardship, unity through individual challenges.

The rest of the evening was a tidal wave of emotions from that moment forth, from watching the memorial reel for those who have left us, to cheering the winners of each award. I was so thrilled when Nanne Dunne got the Directors Award for what she’s done for lesfic and all those touch by it through her JAW publication. I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of such an honor. And what a night for K.E. Lane, three awards for her very first novel. She was so stunned, and I can’t say I blame her.

Now, remember what I said about not thinking I could possibly win the murder mystery event, be my darlings it seems all those years playing Clue paid off, ‘cause yes indeed both I and my partner in fighting crime, Mary Phillips arrested Karin Kallmarker for the dastardly deed. Poor Karin seemed rather disappointed that we hadn’t brought real handcuffs, so we’ll have to be sure to set her up with a pair next year.

Between the price and the books I bought this year, I was way over weight on my luggage. With the weight of the book mailing them wouldn’t have been that much cheaper so I happily paid the extras free to take my beauties home. I was amazed to be able to walk after dancing until about 2am, but it sure was worth it. I think we gave the younger ladies a workout too, which was just as much of a boast personally.

By Sunday it was all but over and it was truly hard to say goodbye. I’ve been to so many conventions over the years, but this, my dear friends, topped them all. After having the honor of caring for an injured queenly femme though two airports the flight home seemed dull and uneventful. Everything and everyone felt so very mundane after nearly a week with such amazing and beautiful people. I can barely wait until next year.