5 Con Tips from an Attendee

As most of my readers know I love attending fan cons and since this is a brand new year, I thought it would be a good idea to offer 5 Tips for attending a con.

1.) Plan ahead
        At the beginning of each year I look at what Cons will be happening locally. I tend to keep it as local as possible for various reasons, which I'll get into in each tip. I go to Google and type in Cons near my town and see what pops up. I sometimes will also ask people who are interested in the same subject I am if there is anything coming up near me. Make note of the dates, places and costs associated with each one.

2.) Budget
        Here's the tricky part. Everyone, especially these days, is on a budget. It's not like we can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on these Cons, unless you have that kind of money. Once you've made a list of the Cons that interest you, figure out how much each will cost. Factor in not only the Con fee but traveling, food, hotel, and free money for souvenirs for each one on the list. Then figure out how much you have, or are willing, to spend on Cons for the year.

3.) Pick which ones
       Once you have your list of the ones you're interested in and the cost associated with each, sit down and pick them out. Keep in mind if you're a writer or small business, would any of the Cons listed be beneficial to you and what you do? What are the workshops or networking opportunities offered? Since I am a Steampunk writer, I can use the Steampunk Cons as a write off. The same for any writing cons. For 2013 I'll be attending: GearCon, which is a Steampunk Con in Portland, OR; Kumoricon which is Anime in Vancouver, WA; Emerald City Writer's Conference in Seattle, WA (not a fan con); and possibly OryCon, which is a Sci-fi Con in Portland, OR. Each of these Cons offer workshops from writing to costuming to just the general thought process. Last year at GearCon I was able to sit in a class of Bartisu, which is a type of martial arts that uses canes. Sherlock Holmes used this style of fighting that was very popular with gentlemen of the Victorian era. Kumoricon was more about my children, but I learned some great costume ideas for women my size.
4.) What to take
        Make a list of the things you should take and what you need to take. Think about whether you're spending the night or the weekend. Or you might decide to go for only a day which means you only need to take what you need for that single day. If your money is tight and the registration fee doesn't include food, most Cons don't mind you bringing your own. Costumes, and how you are going to store them is something else to think about. When I go to Emerald City, my budget is usually just enough for dinner on Saturday night and becuse I'm usually up before anyone else, I take my own breakfast, usually bagels with cream cheese. When we go to a Con for a day we take a lunch and drinks.

5.) Have Fun
      And the best advice I can give you, is to have fun. These cons are meant to be a fun way to enjoy being with other people who enjoy the same thing as you. Sometimes lifelong friendships will start at a Con. You'll be amazed at the freedom it gives you.



Now here's a challenge for you. What Cons happen in your area? I'd also be happy to answer any questions you have.

Conventions, Yes or No?

I'd like to thank Judith and Sarah for asking me to guest post today about fan conventions . In recent years conventions have become popular due to the emergence of people wanting to spend time with others of like minds. Writers are great examples of these types of people. Writing is a solitary experience so we like to get together to chit-chat and share our experiences. Fans are much the same way wanting to share their stories. There are lots of great things about conventions and a few drawbacks.

The organization that the runs any convention is practically always the same, with committees who run everything, to the volunteers and presenters who bring in the attendees. It takes everyone to make a good convention. Each and every convention is filled with workshops galore on topics of interest to almost every fan or writer and activities from balls to concerts.

Writing conferences tend to have workshops on the craft of writing, the publishing industry and promotion. Fan convention workshops include classes on a wide variety of topics, from costume making to writing in that genre. We writers like to party and have fun just like everyone else with Karaoke, costume parties on weekends close to Halloween, and going out to dinner together. Fan conventions tend to put on concerts, balls and various other sorts of fun parties.

Now the question that burns in most peoples mind. Why do you go to a convention? I'm sure everyone will have a different answer, but for me, there are a number of reasons why I attend a convention. Number one on my list of qualities is the cost. All cons cost, but how much is key to anyone on a budget. Cons can be priced anywhere from forty dollars for the weekend up to over five hundred for a week.

The second thing I look at is the location of the con. GearCon is located locally for me here in Portland as was OryCon. SteamCon is located up in Seattle, WA. For SteamCon I'd have to figure in not only the cost of the convention itself, but travel, hotel, and meals, and the cost of anything I wanted to actually buy while there. These costs can add up quickly. The same could be said of writing conferences. Most writers choose specific cons depending on their budgets.

The third thing I consider is what topics are covered in the workshops and activities. Are there workshops I'd be willing to pay the price of the convention for and travel to go to? For instance, at OryCon there was a workshop on Medieval Tunic Making, which included not only the pattern but how to measure, cut and sew to create your own tunic. There was also a panel on writing a series, which is where I am headed. At GearCon there were costuming workshops, and even for a novice hand sewer they were informative and great place to ask questions.



Then I combine all of those criteria and ask myself if the convention would be worth my money and my time. Can I afford a whole week/weekend or just a day? If I choose a day, which has the most workshops and activities that I'm interested in? When I can tell myself that it is legitimately worth the time and money, I go ahead. I enjoy and return recharged and excited to continue on my fun-loving writing journey.



Are there any question I can answer about Conventions? Any extra thoughts?

What inspires me?

What is inspiration? Inspiration is one of those words that can encomass so many things. Webster's disctonary gives us three definitions: 1.) a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him/her to recieve and communicate sacred revelation (which includes; the action/power of moving the intellect.emotions and the act of influenceing/suggesting opinions); 2.) the act of drawing in and 3.) the quality/state of being inspired. Inspiration comes to people in all shapes, colors and sizes.

As a child, I lived in a small town with plenty of wild places that welcomed my fairytale stories. As an adult there are still places that invoke that spirited little girl's world, but I've found that lately my inspiration has come from the Steampunk community. As a part of my research in the culture, I joined a few local groups and spoke with people active in the community. They opened my eyes to a lot of things I wouldn't have thought of before.

Recently, I had the chance to attend a local Steampunk convention, GearCon. Even having only been it's first year, it was amazing. Not only were the costumes imaginative and amazing, but so were the people. Everyone was welcoming and willing to share any information they had. I left that one day, yes just one day, readt to sink myself back into my steampunk world and bring it forth.

What inspires me now is the openness and the willingness to invent and share those inventions. Isn't that what writing is all about? As authors we invent our novels, work hard to put them to paper (or computer), with the end goal of sharing that story with the world. I was also inspired to know that even though there are great steampunk novels out in the world, there are a rare few that are romance.

What inspires you? And why?