Tina Haapala, Excuse Editor

Recently, I spent a few days at the OWFI writer's conference in Oklahoma City. As I was gathering my receipts and such, I thought about the best ways to make sure that money wasn't wasted. The next few posts will focus on The Writer's ROI (Return On Investment). Travel expenses, Conference Fees, Hotel Fees, Food and Drink. It all adds up. Go ahead, add it up.*  Let's say you spent $1000. Su re, you are treating your writer self, and you want to feel like you are "getting away from it all". For example, if I would have been more of an early bird this weekend, I would have loved to splurge and take advantage of the fresh-made omelet bar every morning (and maybe even a danish or two, or oooo--biscuits AND gravy). But I was there to learn about writing and marketing. I couldn't miss a session because I was waiting in line for someone to cook for me. A portion of my conference fees would be wasted! And yes, the breakfast is built in to the hotel room price,

You're not getting any younger! As the sun poked through my bedroom this morning, I was reminded that today was the beginning of another year for me. Now, that has been true every other morning, as well, but since today is my birthday, I get my own personal ball-dropping dose of reality. I've been hanging around this planet for a whole 38 years, and I'm still not finished with my first novel! Or my second! And what about all of those magazine articles I was supposed to write? I'm not going to beat myself up about it: It's my birthday, after all, and I have a strict no-self-flagellation policy on such occasions. I am, however, going to use the opportunity to reflect and celebrate. Would you like to come along? "May the fourth be with you, too!"