[Pen/Pencil Review][Writer Post] Dallas Pen Show/FenCon Part 1

I may end up breaking this blog post up into two parts because of length. There’s so much to talk about. FenCon week is always a challenge since I’m both writer chick and staff chick. This year seemed especially challenging and bittersweet because next year I’m taking a step back and letting someone else take over the guest liaison/guest relations department I spent 10 years (I think) developing. It’s time to let someone else drive the bus for a while. It’s not that I don’t love what I’ve done/built, but there’s always one of those 1) there needs to be a next gen, and 2)I need a break before what I love becomes something I don’t (the job not the people).

There were indicators the last couple of years that this was coming, and this year clinched it, so YAY for having one of the greatest sets of GOH’s EVER! These people made it all worthwhile. I loved being around our GOHs, at least the one’s I was able to interact with, at least. When you have TEN, one or two sail by in passing. But I am so glad to have worked with them. They flowed with my hiccups in astonishing ways. Such as Esther Friesner and Kristina Carroll getting to meet Loki and Freya before going to lunch on Thursday. Or…managing to provide Jim Hines with evening soda because I totally anticipated his unspoken need for CAFFEINE FREE Diet DR Pepper (can’t even type that with a straight face). I totally bought the absolutely WRONG soda, but hey, it worked for him.

That was a sign. For me, the working part of FenCon was the Con of Thousand Paper Cuts. Stuff was late, or early (all the flights but one), forgotten, mislaid, or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Little things that don’t matter kept piling up. I’m better than that. I’m smoother than that. Nothing went completely wrong, but nothing went completely right, either.

Everything was off just enough that I didn’t go to the Dallas Pen Show. Let me repeat that. I. Did Not. Go To. The Dallas Pen Show for the first time since I knew it existed. There just wasn’t enough time. There wasn’t enough me. Something had to give. I gave up the pen show. Fortunately, I have a backlog of pens, etc. to write about (so the blog is safe, Jim!). But man, that hurt and next year…all my responsibility is background and pre-show. So hopefully next year… I can go more than a half-hour!

But for all the paper cuts? FenCon was awesome – until the stomach bug. I actually handed off my job to my successor early because yowza. I’ll talk about the awesomeness in the next post, because, yes running long. But yes, in spite of the papercuts…in spite of my stomach going on strike, and IN SPITE of missing the Pen Show…I can’t stop smiling about FenCon. It’s a kick butt con. We’ve built something awesome here. We’ll talk about that more on Friday.

Tags: Dallas Pen Show, Esther Friesner, FenCon, Jim C Hines, Kristina Carroll, Paper cuts