Dragoncon 2011

Overview:
This being the 6th go round, it feels less bewildering and maybe sometimes a bit less "ooohhaaaaa" but still, the costumes rocked, the general vibe was better than last year by far. Oddly leading up to this year I was all "meh, dragoncon" but as the event approached and plans solidified at a rapid rate, it was all kinds of good.

re-learning the habitrail was a bit challenging!

We had minor snags along the way and me being all uber traveller, none of these were all that bothersome, I get that airlines have halfwit policies and the TSA is ludicrous but I know how to make my travel as easy as can be and roll calmly when it starts going pear shaped. I have a hot head, or did, but my fuse burns slower these days because it only stresses me to go in to red alert mode. So while Airtran kind of fucked the dog a bit on the seating and overbooking, it wasn't a massive bother in that if I was travelling solo, I would have been "ok, whatev". I've had worse. As long as I get there in relative sane time, i pretty much don't care. I am a low maintenance traveller.Not much really phases me, to be honest, flight wise. I'm always a bit stressed inside, but..yeah.

Anyway. we get to atlanta, and I'll book with Airtran again, probably since they generally don't do me wrong. I think this weekend was just some epic bonehead manager not thinking that labor day is a massive travel time. I have no idea. We'll investigate. They're not on my shitlist like Delta who got me nowhere near my destination!

So, in ATL, we get to the hotel and there's minor issues as Visa is suddenly "NO WANNA PROCESS PAYMENT on CARD! NO CAN HAS MONEYS!" fuckers. AUGH!!!! But that sorted and the Hilton once again rocked it for us.

Get sorted, set up booth. Sales did wind up maybe 500 over last year, which is small but up is up and we booked for next year hopefully moving us away from the jeweler tit next to us, and learning that AT&T is the provider to run with, so hey, every year we refine it more.

All good.

I gotta give the props to becca and beau for the gatorade and topup card, and booth help, to Em for the booth help, for Becca for MAD FUCKIN SALES SKILLZ! and I got to attend panels and get my own confix outside the dungeon.

I skipped the CXS show, and worked Abney Park's booth during their show which was great fun, and generally, really had a good time.

The downsides were of insignificance in the grand picture, extreme exhaustion and moments of being tired and punchy and sick of crowds when photo ops created pinchpoints in transit areas, but overall, it was good.

AND! a friend I knew from Vancouver and had not seen in 15 years was there so catching up with her was pretty fuckin awesome.

Next yr:
design a booth vertical display system ( maybe shapeways) that's light, sturdy and flatfolding.
rebranding of the name
lighting and a cashbox
better booth help scheduling
credit card processing
I improved on being organized but could do better,

Anyway. here's to a great 2011. onwards.....

Dragoncon 2011

Overview:
This being the 6th go round, it feels less bewildering and maybe sometimes a bit less "ooohhaaaaa" but still, the costumes rocked, the general vibe was better than last year by far. Oddly leading up to this year I was all "meh, dragoncon" but as the event approached and plans solidified at a rapid rate, it was all kinds of good.

re-learning the habitrail was a bit challenging!

We had minor snags along the way and me being all uber traveller, none of these were all that bothersome, I get that airlines have halfwit policies and the TSA is ludicrous but I know how to make my travel as easy as can be and roll calmly when it starts going pear shaped. I have a hot head, or did, but my fuse burns slower these days because it only stresses me to go in to red alert mode. So while Airtran kind of fucked the dog a bit on the seating and overbooking, it wasn't a massive bother in that if I was travelling solo, I would have been "ok, whatev". I've had worse. As long as I get there in relative sane time, i pretty much don't care. I am a low maintenance traveller.Not much really phases me, to be honest, flight wise. I'm always a bit stressed inside, but..yeah.

Anyway. we get to atlanta, and I'll book with Airtran again, probably since they generally don't do me wrong. I think this weekend was just some epic bonehead manager not thinking that labor day is a massive travel time. I have no idea. We'll investigate. They're not on my shitlist like Delta who got me nowhere near my destination!

So, in ATL, we get to the hotel and there's minor issues as Visa is suddenly "NO WANNA PROCESS PAYMENT on CARD! NO CAN HAS MONEYS!" fuckers. AUGH!!!! But that sorted and the Hilton once again rocked it for us.

Get sorted, set up booth. Sales did wind up maybe 500 over last year, which is small but up is up and we booked for next year hopefully moving us away from the jeweler tit next to us, and learning that AT&T is the provider to run with, so hey, every year we refine it more.

All good.

I gotta give the props to becca and beau for the gatorade and topup card, and booth help, to Em for the booth help, for Becca for MAD FUCKIN SALES SKILLZ! and I got to attend panels and get my own confix outside the dungeon.

I skipped the CXS show, and worked Abney Park's booth during their show which was great fun, and generally, really had a good time.

The downsides were of insignificance in the grand picture, extreme exhaustion and moments of being tired and punchy and sick of crowds when photo ops created pinchpoints in transit areas, but overall, it was good.

AND! a friend I knew from Vancouver and had not seen in 15 years was there so catching up with her was pretty fuckin awesome.

Next yr:
design a booth vertical display system ( maybe shapeways) that's light, sturdy and flatfolding.
rebranding of the name
lighting and a cashbox
better booth help scheduling
credit card processing
I improved on being organized but could do better,

Anyway. here's to a great 2011. onwards.....

writers panels

I went to 5 writers panels during con!!!

1. Seminar 5: Characterization:

Michael Stackpole led a really interesting panel on how to develop fleshed out characters, tools mostly geared to new writers, to create fully developed characters of depth and substance and ways to keep developing them as a series progresses. Good, ( however blarg for starting 5 min early because without a tardis, one cannot traverse from marriott to Hyatt in under 15 min. yarg. Some food for thought to keep in mind as I progress, and nice to see some of the new techniques I was using were ones that are not completely nuts.:D ( a binder with pages/pics of the characters.)

2: Seminar 10: Twenty One ways to kill your novel:

A panel, by Stackpole again, on the ways that authors commonly run their novel aground. Again, the panel started early so I was in on point 4-21 but again, flags things I might watch for when I feel mine is going pear shaped. And some good techniques and ideas for correcting course too.

3: Crossing the Line: too much or not enough violence and gore in sci fi/horror/fantasy.: a great panel that examined how writers should approach, and how do people approach this in books and how to make it part of the story and not just shock value. I struggle with this, oddly for choosing horror, and it basically comes down to what the story requires. A lot of food for thought as I've held back punches and this is as bad as splatter for splatter's sake.Not groundbreaking news but sometimes you have to hear it to get it.

4. Spotlight: Vampires
a fairly informal panel on the history of vampire fiction and why it endures, and where its heading and how it gets re interpreted over the generations. Some neat ideas again floated the room.

5: Market Trends in Horror/SF/Fantasy : way back when I started writing, self pub was the way of the desperate to be published, and epub was non existent. Now...it seems its definitely turning and where con used to WAY pro traditional publishing, things are different and I think I will go epub/self pub! It was a neat panel aside from the derpy audience who didn't listen and asked the same questions repeatedly. Another stoking of the creative fire to get my book done..

writers panels

I went to 5 writers panels during con!!!

1. Seminar 5: Characterization:

Michael Stackpole led a really interesting panel on how to develop fleshed out characters, tools mostly geared to new writers, to create fully developed characters of depth and substance and ways to keep developing them as a series progresses. Good, ( however blarg for starting 5 min early because without a tardis, one cannot traverse from marriott to Hyatt in under 15 min. yarg. Some food for thought to keep in mind as I progress, and nice to see some of the new techniques I was using were ones that are not completely nuts.:D ( a binder with pages/pics of the characters.)

2: Seminar 10: Twenty One ways to kill your novel:

A panel, by Stackpole again, on the ways that authors commonly run their novel aground. Again, the panel started early so I was in on point 4-21 but again, flags things I might watch for when I feel mine is going pear shaped. And some good techniques and ideas for correcting course too.

3: Crossing the Line: too much or not enough violence and gore in sci fi/horror/fantasy.: a great panel that examined how writers should approach, and how do people approach this in books and how to make it part of the story and not just shock value. I struggle with this, oddly for choosing horror, and it basically comes down to what the story requires. A lot of food for thought as I've held back punches and this is as bad as splatter for splatter's sake.Not groundbreaking news but sometimes you have to hear it to get it.

4. Spotlight: Vampires
a fairly informal panel on the history of vampire fiction and why it endures, and where its heading and how it gets re interpreted over the generations. Some neat ideas again floated the room.

5: Market Trends in Horror/SF/Fantasy : way back when I started writing, self pub was the way of the desperate to be published, and epub was non existent. Now...it seems its definitely turning and where con used to WAY pro traditional publishing, things are different and I think I will go epub/self pub! It was a neat panel aside from the derpy audience who didn't listen and asked the same questions repeatedly. Another stoking of the creative fire to get my book done..