Quick Change Artist (Author)

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend two writing conferences lately. The most recent was the LDStorymakers’ Writers’ Conference. I realized that not only was my creative genius (a term I use loosely) fed, but I was hanging out amongst rich and famous writers.


Famous writers at least. I think the rich ones may have been camouflaged since I couldn’t see any, and the ones I suspected were rich, refused to show me their balance sheets although I flashed my CPA credentials at them…

Speaking of flashing credentials, when it came time to change from my casual business conference-wearing attire to my rich-and-famous writer attire for the Whitney Awards, I realized I could either: 1) Change in the bathroom; or, 2) Ask to use someone’s hotel room.

Since I had alienated the writers who were potentially wealthy enough to afford a hotel room by my Jack Bauer-like attempts to find out if they were rich and famous, and I had already spent enough time in the bathroom that day (I sure love Diet Coke), I decided to come up with another option:

My 2010 Cyber Gray Metallic Camaro SS. (Which, incidentally, was not parked in the parking garage, but out in an open lot by a busy traffic light).

My mission—change from frumpy, grumpy Terri Ferran, CPA to glamorous, genius Terri Ferran, Author. In my Camaro. In daylight, without alerting the fashion police or the real police.

Mission accomplished. Yes, I changed in my car. Yet another reason to love my Camaro!

Here are pictures of a couple of rich and famous authors I mingled with. (Disclaimer—I cannot vouch for their actual richness)

Janette Rallison, me, & Rebecca Talley

Janette Rallison & me all dolled up (Rebecca disappeared, maybe I should check the Camaro trunk...)

Rachel Rager, me (my vision was blurring as I snapped this, Need. Diet. Coke.)

and, the Piece de Resistance:

My vision has cleared. Apparently chocolate works as well as Diet Coke.