Two Conventions, Two Cities
Sometimes we all need a kick up the backside to get back on track. I had lost my creative ways for a bit -- caught up in the maelstrom of family life and smoothing the path for other’s journeys to creative expression. Fortunately, I knew exactly what I was doing when I booked myself on a double sff convention extravaganza, starting with Worldcon in Dublin, two days to catch my breath at a beautiful cabin on Strangford Lough, NI, before ending up at Eurocon in Belfast.
The beauty of these two conventions is that you are surrounded by inspiration and encouragement from start to finish. The sff community are ravenous for new material and will go out of their way to point you in any direction that will eventually feed their literary hunger. They are wise and they are patient.
This year, I gathered my courage around me and volunteered to participate on a couple of panels. My speculative fiction novel may only just be resurfacing as a regular visitor to my desk, but it never hurts to pave the way for recognition by your future readership. At Worldcon, I had lots of fun taking part in the ‘Sexy Beasts -- Non-human pairings in sff romance and erotica’ panel. Who knew that all those kidnappings in Enid Blyton books had such a formative effect on so many young minds? At Eurocon, I found myself in illustrious company on the ‘Future of FanAc’ panel. It was humbling to hear so many stories about the origins of the community that has given me so much support over the years, both personally and professionally.
For the first time, I was at these conventions with my writer’s hat on. I don’t know why it never occurred to me, at previous conventions, to introduce myself as a writer. I am published. I have been paid on a regular basis for the words I have written. Yet, I shy away from saying, ‘I am a writer.’ Maybe, it is because I am not yet the writer I want to be? Anyway, as a Writer, I attended panels led by commissioning editors, learnt about what agents are looking for, studied the business of writing, discovered the joy of kaffeeklatsches where I got to meet Robert S Malan (Author and Editor at Luna Press Publishing), John Berlyne (Literary Agent at Zeno Agency Ltd), Gillian Redfearn (Deputy Publisher at Gollancz) and Ellen Datlow (Fiction Editor), sneaked an invite to the Titan publishing party and soaked up the inspirational emotion that flooded this year’s Hugo Awards. I did all of this in the weird and wonderful company of new and old friends who I may not see again for many years but will remain my friends forever.
Now, I’m home and my desk is covered in To-Do Lists that are actually starting to fill up with ticked items. I have so much that I want to do, and I wake up every day excited, looking forward to ticking off more of those items. I am no longer an apologetic writer. I am a writer with a plan, a plan that is taking me steadily towards being the writer I want to be.
You can find a more business-like entry on the many ways budding authors can benefit from attending conventions here.












