#oyanweek

[music-plus-writing-equals-life]

First cosplay of #OYANsw #oyanweek

[gerbil24601-blog]

Can I just say that this workshop was literally perfect??? I'm thinking over the week and... Yeah? It was great. A good deal because of my Kellyn who is the best roomie ever, seriously. And the toothbrush Lizzie gave me. I would have died without it.

[stars-in-her-veins]

Happiness is catching the game winning snitch against Gryffindor as a Slytherin seeker.

[emily-tjaden-blog]

1920s photo shoot! #OYANWEEK #history #photography #itsastorybooklife #oyan #friends

[allalittlebroken-blog]

Critique groups, #OYANweek

[druidgirl]

Excited for #OYANWEEK 👍👍👍😍😁

[gerbil24601-blog]

Every workshop I've been to has been different. The 2013 SW was adrenaline and meeting people and finding out I'm not alone. The 2014 WW was deep conversations and deeper friendships and Amish Penguin Mafia. The 2014 SW? It was an entire three act story complete with whammy scenes and more joy and sadness than I've ever felt. Inciting incident: flying in, followed by chapter two of fun card games and shuttle delays. Embracing Destiny: Hugs and screams and laughter and music and seeing everyone again :) The New World: The first day of fun and writing epicness, getting into the swing of critique groups, sharing Sammy Fischer with people for the first time and those people claiming they loved her voice, which was the most fantastic thing I could have heard. Chapters 5-7: Ice Cream and conversations and Irish music and dancing and my desperate attempts at cosplay. Much fun and discussion with my favorite people in the world. Chapter 8: My bright moment. Wednesday. Clicking with people and conversations about anime, and more excitingly, manga. Especially Ouran. Someone who can laugh about the precious post-anime moments of that stupidly beautiful story. And I made it through my speech without dying. Black moment: I'm an introvert. I love people, but I'm and introvert, and mass amounts of people start getting to me after a while even if I don't notice it. And then, during my mentor session, it kinda slapped me in the face how even if I ever finish Sammy's story, there's almost no market for such a story with so much magic and so much Christianity in the same place. And, you know, that nagging doubt that I'm a loser worth absolutely nothing who doesn't even have a job and isn't going to college and who quits almost everything I start and this story I've spent hundreds of hours on over the past four months will most likely never make me any more important in the eyes of the world. And then, I was alone in a incredibly crowded room. I could have gone up to anyone and talked, but at that second I felt so absolutely awful that I almost went and hid in my room for the rest of break. But I didn't. It was Doctor Who day. I went and watched Doctor Who and a little bit of the story light came back. A little bit of hope that always comes to me from watching certain episodes of that show. I kinda cried in my room for a little bit after that, just overwhelmed by all the emotions, and wondering how this workshop would even turn out. And then Friday happened. Climax of the week. And everything went right and kept going righter, up until the final session from Mr S. And that drove it home. It was worth it - I was worth it - again. It doesn't matter to God if this story I feel called to tell has an audience or not. If he wants that to happen, it will. But if not, this story is mine, He gave it to me, and I can't give up just because it's hard. Friday evening was so many emotions, but I cried mostly because I was happy. And then an hour later I was screaming Les Mis songs at the top of my lungs and laughing my head off with all those wonderful people. I think this is the year that OYAN really became Rivendell for me. I've never felt so much what it really means to be a writer and a Christian and just being so ALIVE... And I'll never forget it. My denouement is stretching on longer than I'd like, and I won't be home until 3 a.m., but I've had time to think these past twelve hours in various airports. I love you all. Thank you so much for everything. I'll come back, when you call me, No need to say goodbye.

[druidgirl]

Oh captain, my captain.