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catherineldfAt least for me. Last day for everyone else.
To borrow a phrase, CONvergence, like space, is big. Really big. Like anywhere from 4 to 10 times bigger than any other single convention that I attend. I believe it topped 4000 attendees this year and filled up 3 or 4 hotels. The energy is just incredible.
I surprised myself by not needing my usual "Let's curl up in a corner for an hour or two until we adjust to the noise and activity" time. Double on not having a migraine today or even a cold, things that I often have after a big con weekend. Yay!:-)
The things that really worked for me:
the Broad Universe Rapidfire reading with Kathryn Sullivan, Dr. Catherine Schaff-Stump and Lyda Morehouse was pretty well-attended and quite lively. Lyda (we encouraged her to change her name to some variant of "Catherine" for the reading but she was having none of it) and Kathy read from some of their works in print and Catherine and I read from our novels in progress. Good writing, excellent audience response and a fine time all around. Looking forward to many more and reading more of everyone's work. Added bonus: running into an old acquaintance who stopped by to say hi.
The "How to Screw Up Your Writing Career" and "How to Publish and Not Perish" panels" were hopping and often funny. The latter focused a fair amount on a lively debate on whether or not just writing your best possible book was enough. Other topics covered: the role of luck, connections and professionalism (all of which we agreed on to one degree or another) and the importance of keeping your name out there via short fiction, nonfiction, etc., etc. when between books. Screwing up your career covered such essentials as not Twittering the phone number and email of a reviewer you're annoyed at and urging your fans to attack them (thank you, Alice Hoffman) and treating other professionals and fans with a reasonable degree of courtesy (sidebar here: Patrick Rothfuss, who lives off his writing, stresses a greater emphasis on playing nice 24/7 than I, who still have a day job, do. Not saying either of us is right or wrong, just that it makes a difference.). Good points brought up: bad blogging may be with you forever and publishing is interconnected and people move around so don't go out of your way to harass editors and agents. All sane and sensible things, in short.
I should say that I think Patrick Rothfuss and Kelly McCullough made excellent writer GOHs for this kind of con and I thought they both came off well (and I'm not just saying that because Kelly is a friend). CONvergence is the sort of con where being a good mix of writerly and geeky comes in very hand. Mixing the two successfully with good presentation of self and some charm goes a long, long way. Kudos for them for being so enjoyable to listen to.
Other things: yay for bringing in ASL interpreters for at least one panel I attended. I don't see this much outside WisCon and think it is a cool and fine thing. The Beta readers panel was a good one (people were encouraged to network) and useful basic ground was covered.. Kruschenko's made for a comfy place to hang out in and have intelligent and amusing conversation; I haven't laughed so hard in months. And I femmed out and hit the dealer's room with Elise - and I have the feathered, beaded hairband to prove it! I also got in some good catch-up time with friends, including the ever delightful editor and writer Pam Keesey, famed in song and story. This made for an excellent end to my con. :-D
Some comments on moderation or things that worked less well
My third panel, "On Creatures and Character" was a decent enough panel, if not as strong as the others. I also attended the SF and Disability panel, which was interesting, but I think that both panels would have been improved with a panel moderator, appointed beforehand.
I'm not sure why but CONvergence has an ongoing practice of not appointing moderators when the program is created. You can get away with people just winging it when there are only 2 or 3 of you, but it is ever so much more difficult when there are 5-6 on a panel. What generally happens is that you hear 2 or 3 voices and less or nothing from everyone else. If it goes really badly, one person does 90 to 100% of the talking. Sometimes that person is a panelist, sometimes they're an audience member. The need to be heard at length may come from a lack of social skills or from a certain confusion over the role of panels and panelists at cons (hint: they're not therapists, confessors or your big shot at publication. Really). The fact of the matter is that someone needs to play conductor to keep things running smoothly. and I hope that this practice changes at future CONvergences.
That said, huzzah for another great con! We're off to Decorah tomorrow to get our marriage licenses so more on that when we get back.
To borrow a phrase, CONvergence, like space, is big. Really big. Like anywhere from 4 to 10 times bigger than any other single convention that I attend. I believe it topped 4000 attendees this year and filled up 3 or 4 hotels. The energy is just incredible.
I surprised myself by not needing my usual "Let's curl up in a corner for an hour or two until we adjust to the noise and activity" time. Double on not having a migraine today or even a cold, things that I often have after a big con weekend. Yay!:-)
The things that really worked for me:
the Broad Universe Rapidfire reading with Kathryn Sullivan, Dr. Catherine Schaff-Stump and Lyda Morehouse was pretty well-attended and quite lively. Lyda (we encouraged her to change her name to some variant of "Catherine" for the reading but she was having none of it) and Kathy read from some of their works in print and Catherine and I read from our novels in progress. Good writing, excellent audience response and a fine time all around. Looking forward to many more and reading more of everyone's work. Added bonus: running into an old acquaintance who stopped by to say hi.
The "How to Screw Up Your Writing Career" and "How to Publish and Not Perish" panels" were hopping and often funny. The latter focused a fair amount on a lively debate on whether or not just writing your best possible book was enough. Other topics covered: the role of luck, connections and professionalism (all of which we agreed on to one degree or another) and the importance of keeping your name out there via short fiction, nonfiction, etc., etc. when between books. Screwing up your career covered such essentials as not Twittering the phone number and email of a reviewer you're annoyed at and urging your fans to attack them (thank you, Alice Hoffman) and treating other professionals and fans with a reasonable degree of courtesy (sidebar here: Patrick Rothfuss, who lives off his writing, stresses a greater emphasis on playing nice 24/7 than I, who still have a day job, do. Not saying either of us is right or wrong, just that it makes a difference.). Good points brought up: bad blogging may be with you forever and publishing is interconnected and people move around so don't go out of your way to harass editors and agents. All sane and sensible things, in short.
I should say that I think Patrick Rothfuss and Kelly McCullough made excellent writer GOHs for this kind of con and I thought they both came off well (and I'm not just saying that because Kelly is a friend). CONvergence is the sort of con where being a good mix of writerly and geeky comes in very hand. Mixing the two successfully with good presentation of self and some charm goes a long, long way. Kudos for them for being so enjoyable to listen to.
Other things: yay for bringing in ASL interpreters for at least one panel I attended. I don't see this much outside WisCon and think it is a cool and fine thing. The Beta readers panel was a good one (people were encouraged to network) and useful basic ground was covered.. Kruschenko's made for a comfy place to hang out in and have intelligent and amusing conversation; I haven't laughed so hard in months. And I femmed out and hit the dealer's room with Elise - and I have the feathered, beaded hairband to prove it! I also got in some good catch-up time with friends, including the ever delightful editor and writer Pam Keesey, famed in song and story. This made for an excellent end to my con. :-D
Some comments on moderation or things that worked less well
My third panel, "On Creatures and Character" was a decent enough panel, if not as strong as the others. I also attended the SF and Disability panel, which was interesting, but I think that both panels would have been improved with a panel moderator, appointed beforehand.
I'm not sure why but CONvergence has an ongoing practice of not appointing moderators when the program is created. You can get away with people just winging it when there are only 2 or 3 of you, but it is ever so much more difficult when there are 5-6 on a panel. What generally happens is that you hear 2 or 3 voices and less or nothing from everyone else. If it goes really badly, one person does 90 to 100% of the talking. Sometimes that person is a panelist, sometimes they're an audience member. The need to be heard at length may come from a lack of social skills or from a certain confusion over the role of panels and panelists at cons (hint: they're not therapists, confessors or your big shot at publication. Really). The fact of the matter is that someone needs to play conductor to keep things running smoothly. and I hope that this practice changes at future CONvergences.
That said, huzzah for another great con! We're off to Decorah tomorrow to get our marriage licenses so more on that when we get back.
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 02:34 am (UTC)We left early today. We have a day and a half at home, and then we're off again for 3 days--him to a blow-things-up workshop, and me to the curriculum bunker. We thought the cats would want to see us.
Happy Decorah travel!
(one of many writers named)Catherine
no subject
Date: 2009-07-07 06:30 pm (UTC)Have a great time on your respective projects!