The Owl (me) began to wake up after lunch.  I now had enough caffeine in me to get the heart pumping blood to the brain.  Nevertheless, it didn’t hurt to grab another cup on the way to the next session at 1:30-2:30.  I went to Linda Lavarentz’s session–Dialogue that sparkles.  Good session, but again some things I’ve heard before and a few things I hadn’t.  It was worth sitting through.  While I was in that session, my roommate went to Susan Meier’s session—Can this manuscript be saved?  I get to see her notes later.  While still others attended Nate Hardy’s—Marketing made easy: success strategies for writers.  There are times that you wish you could split into three and go to all the sessions that hour.

     The last block of sessions for the day ran from 2:45 to 3:45.  My roommate went to Catherine Mclean’s—the character onion.  Several of us went to CJ Lyons—Kills, Chills, and Thrills session.  She’s a dynamite speaker.  To touch on a bit of what she taught us.  There was the Thriller Spectrum.  Mystery=who…set in the past, solving something that has already happened.  Suspense=why…the present, here and now, it’s visceral and psychological.  Thriller=how…the future, stopping something—a headlong flight into the future.  She went into high concept.  What happens next, hook, unique concept, and universal icon.  The other session during the hour was given by Esi Sogah—a day in the life of an editor.

     We had enough time for some socializing before a glance at a watch had us dashing to our rooms to change for dinner and the keynote address by Lisa Scottoline.  I wasn’t going to miss that for anything.  Having Lisa Scottoline as the keynote speaker, was the pivotal point that made me determined to get to the Pittsburgh conference this year. 

     For a lesser speaker I would’ve skipped Pittsburgh and waited until next year’s Lancaster conference.  I’d have bought the lap top I wanted.  However, to hear her speak, meet her, and come home with two books signed by her, I’m glad I went.  Unless I hit the lottery, it’ll be two more years of saving before I can buy that lap top, but it was worth it.