Writer Blog – Let the Randomness Continue – Conventions Redux
I don’t know where this week has gone. I’ve been messing up the days in my head all week. Yesterday, I would’ve sworn today was Thursday – which meant I should’ve panicked over this YESTERDAY (but yesterday was Tuesday all day). Somehow my brain is just not comprehending Wednesday this week. Go figure. Prepping for two conventions will do that to you, I guess.
ArmadilloCon begins on Friday, August 27. Just realized – again – that I’m moderating one of my Saturday panels. That means I actually need to prepare for it. GASP. It’s on self-promotion – which is a topic I think I can do well with since it’s a big chunk of what I do. Fortunately, I’m also pretty good at keeping control of a panel, so it should go well, if I get off my duff and do prep work. Fortunately, I’m mentally packed, so the actual physical packing should be quick.
FenCon is the bear. I WORK that one and it’s a month out. And you’d think since most of the info I need to do my job for FenCon is actually in this year a month out instead of my default panic date that I would be breathing easier…yeah, no. There’s still a ton of work to do and only a month to do it in. However, that’s no excuse – except to explain why I may have thought it today was supposed to be Thursday and Wednesday didn’t exist this week.
So, what has that do with being a writer? Just about everything. I’ve talked about why I think conventions are important as a writer several times in the course of this blog – mostly in its new home. But it bears repeating, and it’s the underlying reason why some of my word counts may not be quite as…numerous… as they could be. Convention prep make me, personally, switch gears from “Creative Writer Chick” to “Business of Writing Chick” – which means a mental gear change from fairy tales and thrillers to promotional items and wardrobe, but that doesn’t stop the word count, it just…delays them a bit while I suddenly turn into the girl who actually *is* concerned about shoes.
But ArmadilloCon and FenCon (and all the other conventions I do panels for) are TOTALLY worth it. Don’t let any writer tell you differently. There was actually a discussion on one of my email groups about whether or not paying to attend a writer’s workshop with agent/publisher pitch meetings was any more or less effective than going to places like ArmadilloCon and FenCon and getting to know some of the same people in the bar. The answer wasn’t quite clear cut, but I can tell you *my* answer to that is: they’re about equal IF you do it right. And there’s less pressure in the bar.
Doing it right, that’s what it all comes down to, isn’t it? We’re all trying to do it right with no clear cut rule book, and yet, somehow it comes down to don’t be a jerk. Don’t be pushy. Don’t be confrontational. Be open, honest, friendly and professional. Don’t pitch unless asked, “So, what are you working on now?” or some variation of those EXACT words.
We all do conventions to have fun. We do conventions to do business. If any writer takes the fun out of the convention, how likely is it they’ll do business? Think about. And while you’re thinking about it, why not come to Austin this weekend for ArmadilloCon, or Dallas in September for FenCon. We’ll leave a light on for ya (yes, thank you Motel 6).