It is encouraging to be in the company of other writers. Banana, McMonk and I went to WordFest, a Calgary event that brings authors from all over the world to talk about their books, their writing, their research and themselves. People that read their works are able to meet them, get the skinny on what they're working on next and get copies of their books signed.

Today, we met and had hot chocolate with Linda Bailey, author of two different series of books - a history/adventure series and a series of mystery novels with a 12-year-old female heroine. Banana and McMonk soaked up the experience. We ended up buying a few of her books (two from each series) with requests for more of the same once they'd finished reading the ones they have now. Linda also had some nice things to say about the girls and the things they were into. She seems like a down-to-earth, sensible and decent person.

Even though the meeting was set up for the girls, I did pry into the world of the professional writer. Was she a binge writer, or was it a disciplined exercise? What inspired her? What spurred her ideas? What did she do when she had out-of-idea days? I wasn't looking for a formula, but rather a different perspective from someone else who likes to get their thoughts into words. I've mused about writing for kids, thinking that it would be something that suits my style and sense of humour. Some day, I may even try getting something published on paper. For the time being, I'll stick to being a web-based author.