If you’ve been around for a minute, you’ve probably noticed I have a problem. I love hitting science-fiction and fantasy conventions, taking notes for about 30 panels in 3 days, and then sharing my notes.
Or rather, that’s how I started this blog.
Morgan as a panelist
These days, I’m honored to be on the other side of the table, more and more. Instead of taking notes, I’m the one sharing information. (That’s not to say I don’t take notes when my co-panelists share fresh tidbits.) Convention panels are great places to hear a variety of approaches to the creative process.
This means I’m sharing less panel content because I usually don’t write up the panels I’m on — partially because it’s hard to take notes while participating. However, the majority of these panels I’m speaking on at the conventions are for subjects I’ve blogged about extensively: beta readers, the querying process, streaming/podcasting, and NaNoWriMo. I do my best to only share on topics that I have first-hand experience with, not the subjects that I know from notes and theory.
In my last con round-up, for Balticon 57, I talked about my multitude of roles: attendee (checking out all the cool things), panelist (speaker), and staff (running social media before, during, and after the convention). To me, the difference between ‘panelist’ and ‘guest’ is that the guests get paid to attend – I do not. Fortunately, for my sleep, day job, and writing, that’s the only convention I staff. But, it’s far from the only con I attend!
What’s Morgan’s Plan?
This summer, I’ve already paneled at the Authortube Writer’s Conference, free on Youtube, with Better Beta Reading. This coming weekend, I’ll be in Louisville, Kentucky with my friend and productivity stream co-host Sako Tumi for Imaginarium 2023. It’ll be my 3rd year in-person, and 4th year in a row hitting that convention.
The conventions I typically attend are aimed at fandom. I’ve been attending fan-run conventions since I was literally in the womb. I’m a second-generation geek, and I love getting to know others in the community. Unlike the big media-run conventions, the super-crowded nickel-and-diming for-profit Comic Cons, and such, these are smaller, literary-focused, non-profit labors of love. Completely volunteer run, they have writers, artists, creatives of all kinds, and small press publishers. But, these aren’t the conventions you go to schedule a pitch session with an agent.
Of course, you might find a few agents at the bar, but they’re predominately either there to socialize or meet up with their own clients. Unless they’re official panelists or guests, it’s usually rude to start pitching your projects to them. (Now, if the conversation heads there and they ask to see something, that’s perfectly fine.)
While I love meeting other creatives and talking craft for hours, I might need to start branching out to more professional-focused conventions. Especially once I finish the revisions on this Space Fantasy. Because, while networking is all well and good, and I love meeting new people and seeing old friends, I keep getting distracted from my end goal — getting my writing out there.
That said, this doesn’t mean I’ll stop attending fan-run conventions. I just spent several hours deciding on my costume for the costume-competition this weekend.
Fan-run conventions to me? They’re home.
Do you attend conventions? Which are your favorites?
WRITING TIPS & WRITERLY MUSINGS 
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