I’ve been fortunate enough to have met some of my favorite authors and musicians. I’ve met Billy Corgan, Chuck Palahniuk, David Sedaris (twice!), and just last night Augusten Burroughs. I love getting to see and actually talk to these people. They’re always really nice and accommodating – signing your books, chatting with you for a few minutes, sometimes taking pictures with people, etc.
My problem is that I always seem to freeze up when it comes to having something to say to them when I get to the front of the line. I don’t know if it’s some kind of star-struck thing. I don’t think it is. I think that mostly it’s that I tell myself that there’s nothing I could possibly say to them that they haven’t heard before. And I know that’s not necessarily true, but what could I say in my minute or two of seeing them that would be worthy of their listening? I can never come up with anything at the time. Maybe I should start thinking about this stuff beforehand and write it down so I don’t forget and freeze up.
I always think of something as soon as I’m leaving though. Like last night, I should have asked – indeed, wanted to ask – what advice he would give aspiring writers. But I failed. 
Well, next month I get to meet a couple more of my favorite authors, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and I’ll be sure to make sure I have my question written down so I don’t forget it this time.
UPDATE: Added a couple of pictures from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child reading at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh.
April 10th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Cool! I ended up not making it out to Durham at all last night.
April 10th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I know what you mean, although I usually totally fall apart, instead of just quietly not say anything. When I met Lemony Snickett, the funniest man in the entire world, I was like a slack-jawed yokel.
So jealous about Chuck Palahniuk.