This past weekend, I celebrated the end of September by heading to another writer convention: CapClave 2023. Held annually by the Washington DC Science Fiction Association (WSFA), its motto is “Where Reading is Not Extinct”.
Friday:
Aka – Mistakes were made
I had taken the day off from my day job, as my first panel was at 4pm and I had things to do first. As I mentally ran through my to-do list, I brushed my teeth and… started to use nail polish remover as mouthwash.
Do Not Recommend!
0/10.
The moment the bottle touched my lips, my brain shouted out in dismay. The liquid touched my lips and mouth for perhaps 0.2 seconds. After spitting as much out as possible and rinsing my mouth with actual mouthwash, I confessed my mistake to Facebook and asked if I was okay. Then, I realized they would just tell me to call poison control. So, I did. The lady there reassured me that a woman of my age and size should have minimal issues with any trace amounts absorbed.
Thus chastised, I finished packing, ran some errands, and headed East and North to Rockville, Maryland. There was only a bonus half-hour of traffic, so I made reasonable time, leaving an hour to spare before the first panel I was scheduled to be on. So, I went to check in, only to be told that Rockville Maryland, in fact, has two Hiltons. This explains why the internet said that the room rate was so much cheaper than the convention rate. Apparently, I had not only booked at the wrong hotel, I’d used a 3rd-party vendor and was now out that money. Fortunately, the correct hotel still had rooms available. Still, a very pricey mistake I shall endeavor to not make again.
I was batting 0 for 2 (not 2 for oh, as I initially said and was swiftly corrected. I shouldn’t make sports analogies).
Registration went smoothly, but I did have to correct the name on my badge. I found my way to Courtni in the Green Room, got my name placard (so audience members could know who I was, I’m definitely not the big-name draw), and after a swift spin through the Dealer’s Hall, made it to my first panel with time to spare.
Note: All weekend long, I felt honored to be on panels with such amazing authors. I’m still a querying author, barely published, mostly a blogger. I do try to remember to let the professionals talk, and only add comments when I can contribute. But, I am highly excitable and I don’t have a writer blog because I don’t like talking about the process. Thank you all for being so patient with me. I try to do better every time.
My first panel was: A MAKER’s PLAYLIST, with co-panelists Irette Y. Patterson, Sunny Moraine, and L. Penelope, and moderated by Ty Drago. Some of us listen to music while we write, some use it as inspiration before we write, but we all love music! There was one soundtrack that was repeatedly mentioned that I cannot remember. (Help me out here!)
Next, I attended: INTRODUCING THE COZY FANTASY with Sarah Avery, Randee Dawn, R.Z. Held, and moderated by Bill Lawhorn. Definitely a genre I enjoy, and might write.
Afterward, I grabbed dinner with Randee Dawn and Doc Coleman, before finally unpacking my suitcase. Yes, I’m one of those people.
Now, conventions aren’t just panels about writing, and I’ve heard great things about Sarah Pinsker as a musician, not just a writer. So, I hit her concert!
Despite an injured shoulder, she filled her hour and her songs definitely did justice to my inner 90s girl.
Finally, it was time for my last panel of the night: THE WRITERS TOOLKIT, with co-panelists Adeena Mignogna, Doc Coleman (replacing Ken Altafeb and Mike McPhail who had stayed home sick), and Ian Randal Strock. We talked about both digital tools and mental tools to finish your stories.
After my panel, I wandered into the con suite, (where attendees can hang out and grab free snacks) and chatted with friends for hours, swung by a party to close it out, and then crashed out, way too late.
Saturday
AKA – A triumph
I woke far too early on Saturday, especially considering the hour I went to bed, and debated if I really wanted to hit that 10 a.m. panel. I was about 3 minutes late in making my decision, but attended the REJECTIONS HAPPEN panel, with A.T. Greenblatt, R. Z. Held, Nate Hoffelder, and moderated by Scott Edelman. It was probably worth it.
I managed to grab a bagel in the greenroom, then listened to JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER with Sharin Nicole, Shahid Mahmud, Nate Hoffelder, and moderated by Joshua Palmatier. Tons of notes from that one, I’ll be sharing later.
I really wanted to attend more panels, but a nap was calling. After way too long on TikTok and not enough time napping, I was up in time for my next panel: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM PANDEMIC-ERA CONVENTIONS with co-panelists Inge Heyer, Thomas R. Holtz Jr., and Perrianne Lurie, moderated by Sam Lubell. Since most of us are also staff or attendees for Balticon, we used a lot of examples from our experiences there, as well.
I had just enough time to grab supplies from my room, download my slideshow, and set up in the workshop room for my third-ever in-person workshop: BETTER BETA READING: BOTH SIDES OF THE PEN.
I propped the door open to entice bypassers in. I’m not sure if that’s why, but the workshop was full! I ran out of handouts — but just barely.
Of course, the slideshow I’d downloaded was my old version, so Yakira let me borrow her hotspot and I closed the door and passed out handouts about 3 minutes late. The workshop went swimmingly, and I’ll be drafting an email for everyone who signed up for beta reading exchange, tomorrow.
Doc and I grabbed an early dinner (since I’d missed lunch). From there, I dropped my supplies off, then hit the second half of Alex Shvartsman‘s book launch party.
Next up was the mass Book Signing, where I wasn’t going to get any books, followed by the awards assembly. Because I help run social media for WSFA’s sister club, BSFS (the Baltimore Science Fiction Society), I had to attend! BSFS awards our annual Amateur Writer’s Award at CapClave every year. Plus, there was cake.
Before the panel rooms shut down, there was one more reading I wanted to make it to: THE EYE OF ARGON. For those who are unfamiliar, the original Eye of Argon was written by a 16-year-old fan of Conan pulp novels and published with minimal editing, and is known as “one of the genre’s most beloved pieces of appalling prose.” Its author, Jim Theis, went on to become a journalist but never wrote fiction again.
This was not a reading of Eye of Argon. This was a reading of Eye of Argon fanfiction. Pastiches. From an anthology collection, written by otherwise excellent authors who were very familiar with the original. Reading their contributions were: Michael A. Ventrella, Hildy Silverman, Keith DeCandido, and Jean Marie Ward. Reading his publisher’s apology was Ian Randal Strock. I nearly died laughing at least four times.
Then, I visited a room party and chatted and snacked until just after midnight.
Sunday
Aka: And then it was done
I woke again, in time for a 10 a.m. panel, and opted to be a minute or so late, because I figured people would like me better if I was showered. THE STATE OF SMALL PRESS, with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Neil Clarke, Ty Drago, and Sarena Ulibarri, was moderated by Sarah Avery and had a solid cast of characters on it! I, having not recovered from Saturday’s lack of sleep, was short on filters. So, I raised my hand about 12 million times. The panelists were remarkably patient with me.
After the panel, I visited the Dealer’s room, packed up my room, and checked out. Since my car was in the hotel’s parking, I loaded up, then came back in for my last panel: HELP! I HAVE TO EDIT MY DRAFT. I was joined by co-panelists Richard Sparks, Jo Miles, and we were moderated by Scott Edelman. This was probably the best panel I was on all weekend. With lots of “building off of what [each other]” comments from each of the panelists, it was more of a conversation that was deftly moderated. An excellent way to end the weekend.
With a few more goodbyes on my way to the car, I only missed two turns and made it home in time to give Catticus a few snuggles before my weekly productivity stream. Where I actually beta read 8 whole pages in 2 hours.
Now, I recognize that I am privileged to have access to these sorts of events, and will be sharing my notes in the coming weeks. All in all, I had a lovely writer’s weekend. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. And I can’t wait to see them again.
Have you attended any writer conventions? Do you have a favorite?
If you haven’t, are there any you would attend if you had the opportunity?
WRITING TIPS & WRITERLY MUSINGS 
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