I am in Denver for a writer's conference, the big official one that happens every year. It's been good, but next time I propose a game: AWP Bingo. At the beginning, everyone picks 25 books she thinks may be mentioned by speakers in the panel, and whoever gets BINGO/5 in a row first wins. For example, as much as I dearly love One Hundred Years of Solitude (and I really do. It's a great book, if you haven't read it), if I had a dollar for every time someone mentioned it, I could have a free lunch.

In some ways, it's encouraging. Here are 6,000 writers struggling to be excellent, just like me! In the same way, it's depressing. Here are 6,000 writers I'm essentially competing against! Thankfully, UNCW is so supportive, it never feels competitive.

But more importantly, I got to see some of my beautiful family. Pictures to come.