Marcon 59!

Origins and Gencon will always have a special place in my heart, but it's been years since I've been to a proper fan con. Partly, that's due to the pandemic, and partly to the demands of juggling job, writing, parenthood, and various flavors of social obligation.

I'd long been chatting with writerly friends about dipping our toes back in the F/SF con circuit, so you can imagine my excitement when:

1) The oldest fan-run convention in Ohio was held literally a ten-minute drive from my house;

2) They reached out to ask if I wanted to be a guest of honor (yes, me, unbelievable), and;

3) My partner bravely offered to shoulder the childcare duties for the weekend.

Even without the various enticements Marcon had to offer, I would've been a fool to pass up the opportunity. And I must say, it was a true delight.

I forgot how much I enjoyed panels. There's a real thrill to sit down with a group of folks who share your passion and explore a topic of interest. I was lucky enough to sit on panels concerning taxonomies of fantasy novels and TTRPGs, but also some intro to writing/publishing panels where I got to share a bunch of things I wish I had known when I started out all those many years ago.

Although they kept me pretty busy, I was able to squeeze in a writing challenge, a fascinating talk on podcasting, and concerts by The Harp Twins and nerdcore virtuousos 2D6.

As always, my favorite part was the connections--not only with fans, but with my fellow authors. Writing can feel like such a singular pursuit at times, so it was truly wonderful to talk craft with folks whose work I admire (or picked up soon after leaving the convention).

Although none of them waved a book in my face (or perhaps because of it), I came away wanting to read work by: Geoffrey Landis, Marie Vibbert, and Jarod Anderson simply because of how thoughtful and fun they all were.

The con staff were incredible--communicative, friendly, and always ready to tackle the inevitable difficulties that come from trying to wrangle so many creatives. It was truly a labor of love, and I could feel that in every aspect of the convention.

I can't really convey how lucky I felt to be even a small part of the magic, and I certainly intend to attend Marcon 60 (if they'll have me).