Going to the Readers and Writers festival...should I?

I have just purchased the wickedest little black dress for the NZ Post Awards ceremony in May. Of course I have a few concerns - will I be brave enough to wear it (as 'little' is definitely a defining adjective on this occasion) ? Will it be warm enough to wear it? Should I be worried that my husband's comment was, "You don't look like a children's author in that." (Which raises the question, how does a children's author dress? :)

I have been scrutinising the 2009 Auckland Readers and Writers festival programme and have been pondering what to do. When I first started being serious about my writing I attended a fair number of author talks, lectures, workshops etc...in fact I was a bit of an event junkie of little discernment. Initially I was looking for inspiration and motivation. I needed to hear about the hurdles successful writers had overcome in order to perservere in the face of the obstacles confronting me. Then I had to admit that time spent attending author talks, workshops, lectures etc...was time I wasn't spending on my own work. I'd heard what I needed to hear to get going. The message began to sound the same at every different event. I had reached a point of saturation and I stopped going. Now I just go to the occasional event if I think it might be truly beneficial.

There are so far three lectures I'd like to go to on this year's programme (only two yesterday - maybe I should stop scrutinising). One on YA writing with Kate De Goldi, Mal Peet and M.T.Anderson which might be useful as I am working on a YA novel at the moment (or it might not - these things can backfire shooting one's confidence and motivation right out of the water), one on writers who write and teach writing with Paula Morris, Kirsty Gunn, Debra Adelaide and Marina Endicott, on the pitfalls and positives of doing both (potentially valuable as I consider other ways to make money through my writing) and added this morning due to a fascinating review in today's Canvas (Saturday Herald magazine) one on Marcus Chown, a writer who brings complex science to the masses. I love science. I crave scientific understanding. His sounds like a brain well worthy of examination. So folks, the question is, should I go? I'll probably just end up buying one of Mr. Chown's books instead (Quantum Theory Can't Hurt You) which I now desperately want to read - curse you Canvas review!.

Off to a glittering event...what to wear?

Squeee! I am off to the NZ Book Month Launch next monday which I am most excited about. What does one wear? Do you think a tiara will be too much? Barbara Cartland never thought so. This is my first such do where I have actually been invited as an author and I feel very speshial and i feel it is important to dress accordingly. Of course as the first such outing it is the one where i get to set the tone for the rest of my writing career (as short as that may be - see yesterday's post) so i shall think long and hard about what I wear. What do famous creatives wear. All I can think of is Vivienne Westwood but i'm not sure if this is the image I am after. But then I also don't want to look like an extra off Coronation Street.

I bet Stacy Gregg never has this problem about what to wear. As a writer AND a fashion expert you would instantly know the correct thing to wear at a literary event. I'm trying to recall what the famous writers wore at the Melbourne conference I went to. I have to say the best dressed was Fifi Colston but I couldn't borrow anything of hers because she lives too far away and is petite and gorgeous and I would break any of her beautiful dresses. The only other writer who stood out was Neil Gaiman however while black jeans, jumper, leather jacket and Dr Martens are perfect on a rock star writer like him they would not be so much on me. Barbara never wore fairy wings did she? And I don't really write about fairies so that wouldn't be right either. But i also don't want to blend in or fade out. Well I have a week to work it out and if I come up with something good i shall post a photo.