Writers are Some Crazy Peeps

I wanted to find a funny video but couldn't, which stinks.

Basically, writers do some crazy stuff. I've heard it before and I heard it again last Saturday. When you're at a conference, be POLITE.

We're all polite on here and I doubt any of us would do anything too weird... LOL.

Remember, no following an editor or agent in the bathroom. Ever. When I was at my one and only conference, I heard a woman talking through the stall door to a magazine editor. The editor was the one on the toilet. It made me cringe, and I was a relative newbie.

Then the authors told a story about an editor being followed to her room by a writer. Eek! No, no, no, no....

Have you ever witnessed bad manners at a conference? How about crazy behavior?

Comments

Katie Ganshert said…
Yikes!! I've never been to a conference, but I can imagine. Sometimes I wonder if agents/editors don't feel used a lot. I wonder if I'd constantly be thinking, "Are they being nice because they want to form a relationship with me, or are they being nice because they want me to help their career."
August 1, 2009 at 7:53 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
I've wondered that too, Katie. At the conference I went to there were lots of magazine editors. I was chatting with one and after a bit she asked if I was working on anything. I was never so glad to say no. :-) We had a good connection and it felt good to know that it wasn't hampered by the hope of her looking at my stuff.
August 1, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Eileen Astels Watson said…
Thankfully, no I haven't. The weirdest thing I've ever witnessed is me tripping on the way to a plenary session and getting the giggles from embarrassment. At least I was laughing at myself as everyone clammered to help me up. =)
August 1, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Stephanie Faris said…
Yes, you always hear these horror stories at conferences. It's unbelievable to us but when I tell my boyfriend, who works in sales, he doesn't get why it's bad. In sales, you do whatever it takes to get what you want. So I guess someone new to the biz would think that was what she was doing if no one told her differently?

Well, that, and there are some crazy people out there!
August 1, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Eileen!
It's awesome that you could laugh at yourself, but I still feel for you. :-)
August 1, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Stephanie, that's hilarious, and one of the main reasons I stay away from salespeople! LOL (actually, I'm married to one so I guess I didn't run fast enough, heehee)

It's true about sales, but crazy stuff only annoys people. But he's right that writers should make themselves and their products look as awesome as possible.
August 1, 2009 at 9:31 AM
Weronika Janczuk said…
Oh, yes, the conference stories -- you just have to laugh and shake your head, I guess, and hope that you'll never be in an awkward situation of that sort.

I've never been to a conference, but I don't have anything to share, but I'll check back for more stories!
August 1, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Hey Weronika,
I hope you get to go to a conference someday. Being surrounded by other writers is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world!
August 1, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Karen Hossink said…
No conferences, but I have a cute VBS bathroom story...
One of the teen helpers was using the bathroom when I took a few of my third-graders for a potty-break. My girls stared in awe at the teen (She was one of the music leaders "on stage"!) and one of them waited patiently so she could use the same stall as the teen.
That little moment of admiration totally tickled the teen.
At a writer's conference? Probably not so cute. *grin*
August 1, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Awww, that is SO cute. :-) See, we all want someone to adore, right? LOL
Thanks for sharing that, Karen.
August 1, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Jody Hedlund said…
I like your new picture! Did I already tell you that? Well, if I did, it won't hurt to say it again, will it?! :)

Boy, I sure hope I don't make a fool of myself at a conference! I think it will help that we can have a group of us together who all know each other. Then we can give each other a kick under the table if we're misbehaving!
August 1, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Katie Salidas said…
Wow, no privacy in a bathroom. Who would even consider bothering someone when they are...well... doing their business. That's just gross and rude. Ugh!
August 1, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Jennifer said…
Eep! Don't those people realize that those kinds of things get them an automatic "no"?

I've never been to a conference, but I do know some people like that. Makes you wonder why editors and agents keep going to the things. One of these days they're all going to refuse to show up. And then where will we be?

*Sigh.* Crazy people!

:)
August 1, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Tana said…
Wow. No toilet talk for me, thank you very much. I can't think of any crazy literary thing I did except for...oh yeah, querying a billion agents. At times the writing process in general seems like sheer lunacy.
August 1, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Jody,
I think you're way too savvy to make a fool of yourself. :-) I like that whole "kick eachother" idea! LOL

Thanks for the nice comment about my pic. I had to search for a decent one. LOl!
August 1, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Ditto Katie.

Very yuck.
August 1, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Jenna! I don't know why they keep showing up, except they must get some pretty good prospects through conferences. Or maybe they just like to get out of the office and network with fellow professionals?
August 1, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
I hear you T. Anne.

I don't know how many more times I can handle reading this same manuscript. LOL And to think, if it gets bought how many more revisions/reads will be required. Sheer Lunacy is right. LOL
August 1, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Susan J. Reinhardt said…
Hi Jess -

The whole pitching in the bathroom thing just makes a person look desperate. There is a huge difference between passion and desperation.

Blessings,
Susan :)
August 1, 2009 at 6:44 PM
Craig Hart said…
Geez. I'd be so humiliated to try that. I don't think I could be so desperate. Now, pushing the emergency stop on an elevator and refusing to let an editor off until he/she agrees to publish my manuscript...that I would do. :0)
August 1, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Susan, I'm glad you pointed that out. Also, one of the authors at the meeting I'd met before. I'll never forget her saying that it was when she stopped being desperate that she began getting the contracts (not that she was ever unprofessional, just desperate in her heart)
Thanks for commenting Susan. :-)
August 1, 2009 at 8:44 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Jack! That's funny and I have to wonder if someone's done that before...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. :-)
August 1, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Keli Gwyn said…
Jessica, thankfully most of the people at the conferences I've attended have been respectful, but there are always a few overeager wannabes who don't seem to know what boundaries are or that respecting them is not only professional but would serve them far better.
August 1, 2009 at 9:14 PM
Janna Leadbetter said…
Ack, how mortifying!

please don't let me do something stupid, please don't let me do something stupid, please don't let...
August 1, 2009 at 9:47 PM
Tabitha Bird said…
I have never been to a conference, but I have heard the stories. I often wonder what writers think they will achieve by making fools of themselves or harassing editors and agents. Surely the bathroom is not the pace for introductions???
August 1, 2009 at 9:58 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Keli,
Why don't they know it? I have to wonder... (not that I've been mistake-free, but I've always tried to be considerate).
August 2, 2009 at 6:28 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Janna!

I'm positive you won't do anything stupid. :-) So stop the chanting! LOL
August 2, 2009 at 6:29 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Hi Tabitha,
I'm assuming these writers don't think at all. LOL Okay, I'm sure they do but they're not thinking things through. Maybe they're thinking "here's my chance!" Or "great, she's alone (in the stall, but that's not relevant)"
LOL
August 2, 2009 at 6:30 AM
Kathryn Magendie said…
Good Gawd! *laughing*

I've seen published authors do and say things that surprise me - one thing that always bothers me is when the author "gets too big for their britches" and becomes arrogant...pah!
August 2, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Jessica Nelson said…
Kathryn, that's so funny. I hadn't even thought about pubbies making faux pas.
August 3, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Dara said…
I've only been to two conferences and I didn't see any crazy behavior like that. Good grief, talk about being desperate! You'll not leave a good impression if you stalk an agent or editor...

Then there's me who would probably so nervous seeing one that I'd end up going the opposite direction for fear of making a total fool of myself :P
August 3, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Dara! All of the editors and agents I met were super nice. :-) Don't go the other way. You'll be fine. ;-)
August 3, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Unknown said…
Writers do crazy things including getting up at 2 a.m. to write down a dream! I've got a few wannabe stories sittin' in the notebook waiting to be officially turned out.
August 11, 2009 at 5:41 PM
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