Late Balticon Report

Monday, May 25, 2009

Well, as I am writing this report, I am gearing up to go for my last shift in the game room at Balticon. From 1a.m.-9a.m., this has been an intriguing and enlightening experience for me. This being my first Balticon and a convention with a great deal of writer-centric program offerings, I really felt that I got something out of this experience other than credit card receipts. I attended several cool panels, namely “Seducing the Editor,” “Villains in Science Fiction” and “Peddling Smut.” I might have attended more but as it was, I have been wiped out by the late night game room monitoring.

I got to meet some very cool people, namely gay writer J.M. Snyder, Phaze publisher Kathryn Lively and publisher/writer Alessia Brio, all of who gave me great tips and advice. I received several free books, advertisements, cds and yes I received a Bookworm Bag!! Ahh, the promo stuff that I have to go through, the suggestions that I want to follow up on—it’s all so daunting and exciting at the same time. Attending a convention more geared towards writers is such a refreshing jump starter and I am so glad I came. Although, my cats, Zoe and Cougar might be a tad pissy.

While much, much smaller than other cons I have attended, I have to say that I love having a short wait for the elevator, no crowds that make maneuverability in the halls a nightmare and having workshops that do not have to be held in an auditorium. I do have to learn how to pace myself better, especially if I am going to work at night, but other than that, I have had a wonderful time this Memorial weekend. I even purchased the cutest little addition to my office Godzilla and friends’ collection. I also purchased a copy of the hilarious “Zombies versus Ninjas,” the horror-comedy which was premiered at the con. The directors (I think they were) were there and convinced me to give this low-budget gem a look see. They also recommended their podcast Suckcast, both have turned out to be gems.

I definitely plan on attending next year, if only just to see one of my new favorite writers, Tanya Huff!!!

Balticon and Back in the Day Geekdom...

I actually have the 2nd edition and the 4th edition of the Advanced Dungeon & Dragons Player's Handbook and played for a long time prior to finding World of Warcraft. Gaming in worlds built upon fantasy, has always been a favorite pasttime of mine. Back when I first started hitting cons, I went to a very geeky, but comfortable, friendly and small sci-fi and gaming con called Evecon/Castlecon. Talk about awesome! Getting to meet other geeks like myself, to game in the LAN room, and talk sci-fi was like heaven. It lasted for a few good years, but when it ended I was a bit lost. I had friends working for Katsucon, a japanese anime con with some gaming thrown in and so I decided to work for their staff. While there were some geeky elements, there wasn't nearly enough sci-fi and live action for me and I will admitt that the amount of yipping kids in costumes pretending to be Cloud or Tifa just didn't do it for me. (However the guy dressed as General Grievious kicked ass)

Anyway, I have worked at Katsucon for the past 4 years and all the while, I kept hearing about Balticon. A friend gave me a program last year, and I'll admit that it was the writer's programming that got me first, but the when I saw all the sci fi programs, I was determined to attend! And then I found out that I recognized a lot of the writers attending. Oh yeah, it was a must.

Initially, I figured I would go in writer persona, but nah, the geek in me won out and I ended up accepting a job. So this year, I will be in table top gaming, where I can watch (and play) some of the cool table top games. (Debating about bringing Magic cards) I will have my muse with me and will be doing some brain storming for my next project (hint: Guard) and hope to get a few autographs and books.

Wish me endurance...I allways end up sleep deprived and exhausted by the last day but expect to have a good time.