Pre Dragon Con Jitters
One of the members of our critique group has a character who speaks to us through her diary. Sometimes she says things like “I’m so sorry I haven’t written in a long time. Things have been maddening around here.” I feel like that’s what I need to do now. It HAS been maddening, but in the most adventurous kind of way. If I tell you everything, this blog will be as long as my next book. So, instead, I want to talk about Dragon Con!
Can you believe my favorite event of the year is only two weeks out? I’m not sure where all of the time has gone. I’m extra nervous this year because I am an attending professional. (I have to hide the giggles here. Every time I say it, my stomach does a somersault.) I am simultaneously thrilled and terrified to be on panels with authors I’ve admired for years.
Are you going to Dragon Con 2019? I was lucky enough to swing three panels. Come see me! It would be wonderful to get a few friendly faces in the audience.
Title: Short and Sweet: YA Anthologies
Description: There are a host of fabulous YA anthologies around topics ranging from mental health to Poe retellings, activism to feminism to love triangles. We’ll talk about what makes short stories and anthologies unique and why you should be reading them – and of course we’ll provide a booklist!
Time: Fri 04:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Jonathan Maberry, Kelly Lynn Colby, L.L. McKinney)
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Title: Prophecy, Rattling the Bones of an Old Device
Description: When X aligns, Y will rise up to Z, but what if there is more? Is it 2000 years old and translated 15 times, or if it’s only propaganda? Or if the villain wrote a competing prophecy to misinform? Our panel of non-precognitive authors (thatâs the other event) express how they really feel.
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: Embassy EF – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Tamsin L. Silver, Kelly Lynn Colby, Tracy Hickman)
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Title: The Magical Realm: Fantasy Worldbuilding
Description: How should faeries act? Where does magic power come from? How do you create a believable world with unbelievable elements? Some of our favorite fantasy authors are here to answer your burning questions about creating fantasical worlds, like those in The Cruel Prince or Throne of Glass!
Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Aleron Kong, Cinda Williams Chima, Kelly Lynn Colby, F T Lukens, K.A. Linde)
Oh yes, you read that correctly. I’m on one panel with Jonathan Maberry, the man, the legend. Every interaction I’ve had with this prolific author has left me better for it. My son is just as stoked as I am because Mr. Maberry is one of his favorite authors and he hasn’t had the honor of meeting him yet. Mr. Maberry sent some awesome signed posters to my son that are framed over his desk. It would be awesome to add a framed selfie of the two as well.
The panel with Tracy Hickman has me in fits. I received Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first in the Dragonlance series, as a freshman from my first crush. The boy is long gone, but that series changed my world. I can’t believe I get to sit beside him. I may have, possibly, purchased the last three hardbacks of the Death Gate Cycle that I hadn’t managed to procure previously. I can just set all seven down in front of Mr. Hickman and casually take my seat, right?
I’m sad I didn’t swing any of the Writer Track panels. Those are the ones who convinced me to give this whole writing thing a go. I’d like to be that same inspiration for another closeted writer. I’ll make sure to talk to Nancy Knight this year and see if I can squeeze myself onto one or two. Especially with this whole Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC thing. (A topic for another post. You’ll see. I promise.)
Of course, Kevin and I are hosting the Writers Meetup on Friday at 7pm in the Westin Bar. This is the third year in a row and we almost doubled our numbers between one and two. We have official table signs and everything this year. All writers, regardless of career stage, are invited to attend and meet other writers who are going through the same process. I will have two opportunities for publication with two separate anthology callouts this year. I hope to see you there!
