What I Discovered on My Texas Speaking Tour

I just returned from a speaking tour in Texas and it was a blast.

The people were all super friendly. I have to say I really enjoyed their manners, too. You can get used to that “Yes Ma’am” pretty easily!

I flew into Amarillo initially and went to get my rental car, but was disappointed to hear that they were out of the size I had reserved. As a result, I qualified for a free upgrade to an SUV, but I wasn’t thrilled about that, so I asked the agent what else she had. She went down a long list of options, naming all these foreign car brands, and then at the very end she said she had a Ford.

“What is the Ford?” I asked.

“A Mustang.” she said.

My eyes got big. “For the same rate?” (I had gotten a great deal through USAA.)

She nodded.

“I don’t suppose it’s a convertible,” I said.

“It’s a convertible,” she said.

That’s when I commenced spazzing out. A Mustang convertible for my week-long trip in Texas! I was psyched. My mom was traveling with me (we don’t see each other often, so we’d planned the trip together), so I checked with her. I was concerned about her being comfortable, but she was all for going with the convertible, so we went out to find it.

When we got there we were both thrilled. What a pretty car!

Suffice to say I could tell this was going to be a good trip!

The next night I got to meet all the fine people at the West Texas A&M Writers’ Academy, both the attendees and the team putting on the week-long workshop. I gave the keynote address Monday night, and was delighted to meet so many enthusiastic writers dedicated to moving their careers forward. So fun!

 

The next day, Tim Lewis—Reader’s Digest notable author of Forever Friday among many other works,  and co-host of the West Texas A&M Writers’ Academy—was kind enough to give Mom and me the grand tour of the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon. He was the perfect tour guide, as he was so knowledgeable about the area and its history, and had even ridden horseback through much of the country.

What a unique place.

Tim also showed us the canyon amphitheater where a team of talented actors and musicians regularly put on the Texas Outdoor Musical. Tim actually enjoyed a starring role in the musical at one time.

I had gotten tickets for us to go, but Tim had the inside connections, so he managed to get us permission to use the Director’s Box! The seats there reclined and were much larger and more comfortable then the regular ones.

We felt super special sitting there, and the show was awesome. Great music, super special effects, and all with the canyon as the impressive backdrop. Highly recommended if you’re ever in the area. Of course, it helps if you have a convertible so you can drive home enjoying the warm air over your face and the stars twinkling above!

That night, I gave a two-hour workshop on “The Overwhelmed Writer,” with the highlight being the West Texas Writers’ Academy version of the Match Game! Bestselling author Jodi Thomas, Random House author Tim Lewis, and Extended Studies Director Andrea Porter were our “celebrities.”

The attendees were full of creative and outright hilarious answers. We gave away several prizes, but most of all we had a lot of fun. Of course we talked about steps to help prevent creative exhaustion, too, and I shared some tips that I hope will help everyone remember to refill the creative well.

At the end of the evening I signed books (Overwhelmed Writer Rescue) and had some great conversations about writing and its challenges. I wish all attendees the best of luck making your writing dreams come true!

The next day we enjoyed lunch with the amazing Jodi Thomas, and got to tour her office at West Texas A&M University. Jodi has all her book covers up in frames and they cover the entire wall—and it’s a BIG wall! Impressive to say the least, but the best part is her happy, positive personality. It was a real honor to spend some time with her.

Thursday we headed on over to Dallas-Fort Worth for the Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference. We took the day to travel, then spent Friday down at the Fort Worth Stockyards to experience a bit of history.

Mom found some goats there (she raises goats), so we spent some time with them. This one youngster was particularly friendly.

We loved the longhorns—such unique creatures—and toured all the old buildings where they used to house and auction off the animals.

Friday night I had gotten us tickets to see “Mamma Mia” at Casa Manana Theater. The show was outstanding. I’m always amazed at the amount of talented folks there are everywhere!

Saturday I headed on over to the DFW-Con for my first class on “The Secrets of Optimal Productivity.” Everyone was super welcoming and involved in the class—that always makes it so much more fun. I attended a few other classes myself that day, and met some of the helpful folks running the conference. It’s always a delight to see so many people getting together to motivate and inspire writers. We are definitely not alone on this journey.

Keynote speaker for this event was bestselling author Scott Westerfeld, who at one point talked about the importance of making sure your similes reveal character. The crowd really enjoyed him. I’m already reading Uglies, but I also got another book while I was there so he could sign it—Afterworlds.

Sunday I went back for my second class on “The Monster in Every Writer’s Closet (self-doubt)” which was super fun, as the class was definitely into slaying this beast. I’m hoping everyone who attended is well on their way to keeping their monsters under control!

Monday before leaving the area we spent the day in Dallas, first at the World Aquarium. There were many amazing creatures there, but the shoe-billed stork was my favorite.

When I first saw him, it was from a distance, and he was standing so still I thought he was a wooden sculpture.

Then he moved! He stood about as tall as me and when we got to his cage, he flew right over to talk to us.

I felt like I was standing near a dinosaur he was so large and prehistoric-looking. He also had a super slow blink, which made it look like he was endlessly calm, a meditative beast that eyed you with a sense of knowing. He had a partner in the cage that was less sociable and tended to look more irritated in general. I could just imagine the conversations between the two!

After we finished there, we went over to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza—the location of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The museum is so well done the experience was very moving. It’s hard to imagine what would compel someone to act the way Oswald did.

Our last night we went to the Medieval Times because…amazing horses! I was lucky to meet a fellow musician in one of the two trumpet players, Lord Theodore.

We had a lot of fun talking brass instruments and music in general. He and his partner played perfectly, and nailed all the royal announcements with beautiful tones.

The best part…horses! There were Andalusians trained in the art of intricate dressage movements, a gorgeous Friesian that carried the master of ceremonies, and even some Quarter Horses that charged with lightning speed during the joust competitions.

Tuesday we headed back to Amarillo to fly out, and I have to say I was sad to see it all come to an end. It was a great trip, I met a lot of wonderful people, and I return home with a new fondness for Texas, and especially for Texas writers.

Thanks for being so welcoming, and hope to see y’all again sometime!