Category: conventions

While out walking yesterday, Barry Malzberg asked me, “So what did you learn this year?” Well, I couldn’t really answer him at the time, but having given it some thought, here are ten things I learned from Readercon 22:

1. Being a panelist can be fun. This was my first time, but I really enjoyed being on the “We All Produce/We All Consume” panel with Gemma Files, K. A. Laity, Robert Killheffer, and Paul Di Filippo.
2. Being a moderator can be stressful. It was also my first time moderating a panel. I muddled through the “Capturing the Hidden History of SF” panel, thanks to the help of my fellow panelists, but at this point, I think I prefer just being a panelist.
3. Choose a good example of a panelist and try to learn from them. I found Paul Di Filippo to be an excellent panelist. He is intelligent, funny, well-prepared, engaging, always has something significant to say, and seems so natural at it. He is my model for a good panelist.
4. The Scott Meredith Literary Agency Plot Skeleton. Barry Malzberg recited this plot skeleton from memory on the panel about the agency and it was remarkable, both hearing him recite it, and in what the skeleton embodies. If you don’t know what this is, or didn’t get a chance to see it, check out Scott Edelman’s video of the panel.
5. The importance of appointing a literary executor. There were some horror stories on the panel discussing “Preserving Literary Legacies.” Many of these horror stories could have been avoided if a good literary executor had been appointed for the estate.
6. I am sorely under-read. I like to think I am well-read within the science fiction genre, but I come to Readercon and find that nearly everyone is far more well-read than I am. I don’t know how they manage to keep up.
7. My critical ability leaves something to be desired. The panel on Delany’s The Jewel-Hinged Jaw, which I have never read (see #6) was a revelation to me. I am reading the book now. I only hope that I am not too late.
8. There is more to the hidden history of science fiction than I imagined. And there is probably a good deal of it that I probably don’t want to know about.
9. There are still lots of people who care passionately about science fiction. And fortunately, many of them come to Readercon.
10. Seeing friends is the best part. The panels are great–better than most conventions. Kirk Poland is hysterical. Meet the Pro(s)e is a blast. But getting to hand out with people who have become friends, well, for me, that’s the best part of Readercon.

I got back into the house at around 10pm last night. I put the Little Man to bed. He was out cold, and after 4 days of being away, I wanted to play with him, but I let him sleep. It was a good thing, too. I’d barely made it into bed when I suddenly limped bonelessly and was dead.

Previous Readercon 22 posts:

• Day 1 (Thursday)
• Day 2 (Friday), Part 1
• Day 2 (Friday), Part 2
• Day 3 (Saturday)
• Day 4 (Sunday)

I leave for Readercon the day after tomorrow and I feel like I have a lot to do between now and then. The biggest challenge, however, is finishing the first draft of this novelette that I’ve been working on. I promised myself I’d have the draft done before I got on the plane. I did pretty good last week getting through about 4,300 words late last week. But Sunday was spent on the most recent Vacation in the Golden Age post, and yesterday, my writing time was consumed by the need to console the Little Man as a whopper of a thunderstorm passed through just as he was going to bed.

So, I plan on doing a lot of fiction-writing between now and 10am on Thursday. And I am still hopeful that I will have a completed draft done by the time I get on the plane. Of course, that will be just a first draft. The draft will go through my critique group, and at least one other early reader, and then I’ll get started on the second draft, which is always my favorite part of story-writing. I’ll save why for another post.

I will be blogging at Readercon, of course, though likely only once each day. I have pretty full days. I remember last time I was worn out by 9pm, but that won’t due this time. My first panel is Thursday evening at 8pm, and my second is Friday night at 9pm–and that’s the one I’m running. When I’m not on panels, I’m attending them, or chatting with friends, or checking out stuffin the dealer room, or networking.

Incidentally, I’m only taking the iPad and the keyboard with me. No laptop.

But back to preparations. In addition to the writing, I have some reading to do, both for writing group critiques and my usual Golden Age reading. And tomorrow evening I’ll be participating in the SF Signal Podcast, the topic of which is a good one, and timely at that.

I’m curious: is anyone else who reads this blog that will be there for some or all of the convention? It would be great to see you if you’re there.