I'm in the midst of my first science fiction / fantasy convention as a writer. As with any con, my head is spinning and I have completely lost track of what day it is. You just sort of switch over to "con time" where the rest of the world goes about its regular schedule while you plan your days around other stuff. No longer do you gauge time and space by meals, work or TV shows. Instead, you're figuring out how to get to all the panels you want to see or judging when to eat based on when you're not watching out for cool costumes or trolling the dealer's room.
Day 1 was nerve-jangling. I started right off doing a panel at 3pm. As I figured, there weren't many people at that one because most of them have jobs and other "real world" concerns. Business picked up halfway through and it turned out to be pretty good. Right after that was my reading. My biggest fear here was that nobody would show up and I'd have to leave the room with my tail tucked between my legs. Well, people did show and it turned out to be a good time. After that, it was time to relax and just be a fan. There was a great group therapy session about life after MST3K that made for some good conversation.
Day 2 was me going to even more panels. Kevin J Anderson did a few that I attended, which were pretty cool. Turns out he's as confused by lots of the Star Wars prequel stuff as most anyone else. It's always refreshing to know it's NOT just you. The signing was held, but there wasn't a bookseller on hand. Didn't really effect the folks selling their own works, but didn't suit me too well. Good thing I brought those covers for Howling Legion. I signed a few of those and talked to some good folks. Hello Shira!!
Tomorrow is my last panel. I'll check in to let you know how it went. Right now, I want to kick my feet up and wait for my brains to stop rattling. Feeling very old and tired. Ugh.
