*–I’ll post the same caveat at the beginning of this report as I did last year. Too many names, too little time (and blog space!) to mention.
Once again, I ventured out to World Fantasy Con. This time, rather than rambling across Pennsylvania and dropping into Baltimore, I had to take flight and cross the country to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, due to aircraft problems, Southwest withdrew their nonstop flights to and fro LAX. It wasn’t to be the only travel problem–the decision to do an Airbnb instead of the host hotel didn’t pay off, and the final leg of the trip home was a pain-in-the-ass delay–mitigated by a great flight-mate–but none of that mattered. Like last year, WFC was one hell of a time.
So, I had the same sub-agenda as I did last year: to find representation for a novel. Well, novels, this time, as I have two manuscripts ready to go. This time around, I made it a sub-agenda, because I learned that WFC is so much more than tasteless trolling for agents. Not that I would ever act like that, but still, there’s more to life than selling books. My main agenda was simply to have fun networking and catching up with those already in my network. And, you know what? I ended up garnering a few requests to check out my manuscripts anyway.
When I think about what I found best about WFC, I can only reply “Yes!” There were wonderful panels on professional development in all aspects of the industry. I went to a fair few of these, adding to my knowledge base and writing tool box, but these by far weren’t the highlight of the con. There were great chance meetings with new folks, with whom I enjoyed rich conversation, yet this wasn’t the best part either. Brandon and Brandon against the world rocked California like Hans Gruber blitzing into Nakatomi Tower, but that wasn’t it. Hitting up the con suite, relaxing with the friends, new and old, that washed up there, was marvelous, as was lingering in the lobby and ballroom lobby doing the same, but neither was it the best part of the week. I just can’t separate one of these from the other. Everything about WFC was the best part of the con, because the sum of WFC IS its parts.
Okay, so maybe I’m getting too philosophical about the experience. In simplest terms, I loved it last year, and loved it this year, too. LA was different than Baltimore, sure. No two experiences can be the same, no matter how wonderful they are individually. I hope I come to enjoy many more WFC’s in the future.
Next year is in doubt. It’s in Salt Lake City, and sounds a tad more expensive than I may be comfortable with. Regardless, I’ll do my utmost to continue connecting with all of you beautiful people I met and renewed connections with at WFC, whether it be online or at other cons, or maybe even in Salt Lake City. Ya never know. Until then, I’ll ride the energy wave this trip infused me with to jumpstart a few projects.
Stay frosty, my friends!