Okay, for those of you who don’t know what a Bouchercon is, or those who do but have never been to one: it’s a convention put on by crime writing fans, and also includes publishing folk, agents, booksellers, and, um, writers. It started over 20 years ago with about 2 dozen people, has grown to 1500-2000. It moves around, depending on what group in which city is hosting it. Which is why we were all in Vegas last week.

The formal programming is panels, interviews, book signings and award ceremonies, basically non-stop from morning until night. The informal events are hanging out, cocktail parties, dinners with your editor, basketball, poker, a lot of drinking in the bar (a version of hanging out), and this year, golf and gambling, also basically non-stop. For me, the joy is seeing other writers, buddies I rarely get to see except once or twice a year at this sort of thing. Writing is in many ways the best gig there is, but you do it alone, and it’s a great pleasure to be in the midst of so many other writers for five intense days.

Once or twice a year.