Convergence 2007 Report
Jul. 15th, 2007 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mmerriamFriday, July 06, 2007
1:24pm
We are in the room. This year we are in the short tower, which had nicer rooms, is right off the programming area, and has easy access to everything. Sweet! I'm registered and now I'm just waiting for Sherry to arrive from work. I looked at the list of panels I'm on and realized I was insane. I am getting wifi from caribou coffee, but it is erratic at best.
4:17 pm
Our entire group congregated in our room and everyone decided on what they were probably doing. I suspect it will be the last we see of each other as a group until the traditional trip to the Vampyric Perkins for after-con food. I am way over-scheduled again this year, so I signed up for some gaming tonight. I think most of our group is trying to sign into the same game.
A flock of young women dressed as anime cat-girls almost ran me down. I turned a corner and there they were. They giggle and apologized. Yup, I'm at CONvergence.
I stopped by the silent action room and bid on Gordon R. Dickson's manual typewriter. I wants it!
Louis McMaster Bujold recognized me as we passed in the hallway. She stopped and chatted
with me!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
8:33 am
Up and at them. Last nights D&D game I signed up for: a) ran long, and b) wasn't all that well run. I mean, it wasn't a disaster or anything, but it was not as good as the last game we played in.
I slept decent last night, which is good, because the CONvergence Panel Death March of 2007 begins for me today. Now I need breakfast and coffee.
2:55
I've returned from BK. I ate what basically amounted to cardiac arrest on a bun. Oh Well. It doesn't count when you're at Con, right? Ran into![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mnfiddledragon, ladysea and the girls, who were way cute in their costumes and cat ears and such. The CONvergence Panel Death March of 2007 continues. The first two panels are over, with two and half more hours of panels and programming goodness to go. The first panel was a lot of fun. We ranged all over, from talking about how to balance writing with real life, to dealing with depression, to finding ways to recharge the metal battery. The second panel could have been better, but was still good. We meandered a bit more, and a couple of the panelists were nervous (first-timers). Brian Keene is a fun to be on a panel with. He's smart and a sensible person about being a writer. The Death March begins again in 30 minutes. I must rest, if only for a moment.
5:51
The CONvergence Panel Death March 2007 Saturday Edition is officially over. I have the rest of the night off, with panel obligations resuming at 11:00 am tomorrow.
I went to the Lit Lounge and did my bit for TCSFWN. I visited with folks, read my bit, listened to some good stuff from our members, then slipped out early to run down to Krushenko's and represent our group at the Twin Cities Writers Workshops Scene panel. I talked about TCSFWN in glowing terms, then spent some time talking to audience members about TCSFWN and, when asked about online workshops, The OWW. I think I might have gotten three or four people interested in one group or the other.
I think I'm done for the night. I might change into comfortable clothes, settle in front of the laptop, and write for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, July 08 2007
Up early. We packed the car and hit the free coffee shop the con runs. I wrote about 1000 words Saturday night before I settled in bed.
The Plot that Ate My Book and the Writing about Creatures panels both went especially well, with solid panelist and audience participation making the panels a delight.
I had been thinking prior to the convention that I was starting to get tired off doing the really basic writing 101 type panels. This is bad, because someday when I actually start to sell novels as well as short fiction, I suspect I will find myself on these panels more and more at other conventions. One discouraging thing is: I'm beginning to see a lot of the same faces in the audience, asking the same questions, obviously seeking the secret handshake or magical answer to breaking into print. But during the Creatures panel we (the panelists) were hit some good questions by young (as in pre-teen and early-teen) fans, and it occurred to me that this a very important reason to keep doing these panels. I can't do anything to help the people who are searching for "The Secret," but I can engage these younger members of fandom by giving them honest answers while still encouraging their energy and growing passion for SF/F/H and all its many literary and media off-shoots.
I skipped the SF/F Romance panel and did my reading. Some of those very same young ladies from the Creature panel came to the reading. I had about a dozen folks, so a good turn out for 2:00 pm on a Sunday at con. I may have generated a few sales of magazines, and may be taking part in a "special project" later this year.
We (careswen and I) left the con after that and went to the Vampyric Perkins on Highway 100 with greykev, akillianna, bedside_trauma, and glass_eye_01. The clouds broke open and we were poured on, but it did not dampen out spirits, I think. Conversation was had and greasy food consumed.
Once home, the Reverend assured us that all was well with her constant litany of communist propaganda (Mao, Mao, Mao)
1:24pm
We are in the room. This year we are in the short tower, which had nicer rooms, is right off the programming area, and has easy access to everything. Sweet! I'm registered and now I'm just waiting for Sherry to arrive from work. I looked at the list of panels I'm on and realized I was insane. I am getting wifi from caribou coffee, but it is erratic at best.
4:17 pm
Our entire group congregated in our room and everyone decided on what they were probably doing. I suspect it will be the last we see of each other as a group until the traditional trip to the Vampyric Perkins for after-con food. I am way over-scheduled again this year, so I signed up for some gaming tonight. I think most of our group is trying to sign into the same game.
A flock of young women dressed as anime cat-girls almost ran me down. I turned a corner and there they were. They giggle and apologized. Yup, I'm at CONvergence.
I stopped by the silent action room and bid on Gordon R. Dickson's manual typewriter. I wants it!
Louis McMaster Bujold recognized me as we passed in the hallway. She stopped and chatted
with me!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
8:33 am
Up and at them. Last nights D&D game I signed up for: a) ran long, and b) wasn't all that well run. I mean, it wasn't a disaster or anything, but it was not as good as the last game we played in.
I slept decent last night, which is good, because the CONvergence Panel Death March of 2007 begins for me today. Now I need breakfast and coffee.
2:55
I've returned from BK. I ate what basically amounted to cardiac arrest on a bun. Oh Well. It doesn't count when you're at Con, right? Ran into
mnfiddledragon, ladysea and the girls, who were way cute in their costumes and cat ears and such. The CONvergence Panel Death March of 2007 continues. The first two panels are over, with two and half more hours of panels and programming goodness to go. The first panel was a lot of fun. We ranged all over, from talking about how to balance writing with real life, to dealing with depression, to finding ways to recharge the metal battery. The second panel could have been better, but was still good. We meandered a bit more, and a couple of the panelists were nervous (first-timers). Brian Keene is a fun to be on a panel with. He's smart and a sensible person about being a writer. The Death March begins again in 30 minutes. I must rest, if only for a moment.5:51
The CONvergence Panel Death March 2007 Saturday Edition is officially over. I have the rest of the night off, with panel obligations resuming at 11:00 am tomorrow.
I went to the Lit Lounge and did my bit for TCSFWN. I visited with folks, read my bit, listened to some good stuff from our members, then slipped out early to run down to Krushenko's and represent our group at the Twin Cities Writers Workshops Scene panel. I talked about TCSFWN in glowing terms, then spent some time talking to audience members about TCSFWN and, when asked about online workshops, The OWW. I think I might have gotten three or four people interested in one group or the other.
I think I'm done for the night. I might change into comfortable clothes, settle in front of the laptop, and write for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, July 08 2007
Up early. We packed the car and hit the free coffee shop the con runs. I wrote about 1000 words Saturday night before I settled in bed.
The Plot that Ate My Book and the Writing about Creatures panels both went especially well, with solid panelist and audience participation making the panels a delight.
I had been thinking prior to the convention that I was starting to get tired off doing the really basic writing 101 type panels. This is bad, because someday when I actually start to sell novels as well as short fiction, I suspect I will find myself on these panels more and more at other conventions. One discouraging thing is: I'm beginning to see a lot of the same faces in the audience, asking the same questions, obviously seeking the secret handshake or magical answer to breaking into print. But during the Creatures panel we (the panelists) were hit some good questions by young (as in pre-teen and early-teen) fans, and it occurred to me that this a very important reason to keep doing these panels. I can't do anything to help the people who are searching for "The Secret," but I can engage these younger members of fandom by giving them honest answers while still encouraging their energy and growing passion for SF/F/H and all its many literary and media off-shoots.
I skipped the SF/F Romance panel and did my reading. Some of those very same young ladies from the Creature panel came to the reading. I had about a dozen folks, so a good turn out for 2:00 pm on a Sunday at con. I may have generated a few sales of magazines, and may be taking part in a "special project" later this year.
We (
careswen and I) left the con after that and went to the Vampyric Perkins on Highway 100 with greykev, akillianna, bedside_trauma, and glass_eye_01. The clouds broke open and we were poured on, but it did not dampen out spirits, I think. Conversation was had and greasy food consumed.Once home, the Reverend assured us that all was well with her constant litany of communist propaganda (Mao, Mao, Mao)
