How I did it: Saturday, my friend and I took a road trip to see a comedian. That part was great. We also found out one of our favorite webcomic artists (yes, we're dorks) was going to sign books at a comic store not 10 minutes from where we went to the comedy show!

It was one hour from the original projected closing time, but they were still selling books, and they still had free beer. We each bought a book and got a beer, and were the last ones in line for a good 20 minutes. We chatted endlessly about nerdy things, and eventually a pair of bearded gentlemen came in to stand behind us. They chatted about nerdy things too! At some point our conversations overlapped, and 3 hours later, we shook hands with the comic artist, got our books signed, and said farewell to Tom, the guy who lives in Austin. We'll probably never see him or his roommate again, but it was really nice to meet new people.

Lessons & tips: Find an event and go with 1 to 2 friends. Don't go with a large group, because it makes you unapproachable. Meeting 1-2 people at a time is less intimidating for all involved. Also don't stand with your arms crossed, and don't listen to your iPod. If you want to meet people, be perceptive of conversations around you. Interject only if the person/group is friendly and you actually have something to say.

Resources: Book signing (or similar standing-around-chatting event), free beer (I think the conversation started over this), friendly bearded men.

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Dec 08, 2008, 07:45AM PST | 0 comments | 2 cheers