Just yesterday, the 10th annual RavenCon (a science-fiction and fantasy convention hosted in Richmond, Virginia) came to a close.
A bittersweet farewell was exchanged between old compatriots and new friends alike, as nothing brings nerds closer together than a fully-scheduled weekend of sharing ideas, commiserating the challenges of creativity, laughing, drinking Klingon blood-wine, and seeking the next great art.
This was my first RavenCon, and I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts on Cinematic Book Trailers in a special presentation of my own devising. In addition, I had the honor of speaking on six panels, and the privilege of moderating two of them.
I picked up a healthy number of new reads (including the Big Book of Swashbuckling Adventure by Lawrence Ellsworth [see picture below]), as well as a few unique gifts. I have a wealth of business cards and contact information that will take me at least a full day to properly digest, but will provide a lifetime of enjoyment thereafter – predominantly by severely upgrading the coolness of my Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Lawrence Ellsworth and myself
One thing I didn’t learn is that you should go to bed at a decent time if you plan to be up and active for 16 hours the next day.
Getting a personal sketch from 4-time Hugo award-winning cartoonist, Alexis Gilliland!
The finished sketch.
But, just like at the end of every writer’s conference I have attended, somewhere beneath my beaten, ragged, and sleep-deprived exterior, there flickers the flame of an artistic ambition reignited – an enlivened, enriched, and thirsting desire to read and write more (and better!) than ever before.
I would also like to mention my endorsement of the DC17 bid for the 2017 WorldCon in Washington, DC. The team putting it together has proven themselves competent and dedicated, and I would love to see what they could do with the opportunity to host it. (You can vote here.)