I’m so excited to be able to share my stories with you. Even as a child, I was drawn to writing. I once tried to convince the nuns at my Catholic school to use my Oliver the Octopus book during reading class. They preferred to stay with traditionally published books rather than my crayon-drawn and stapled masterpiece. They didn’t know what they were missing.
In college, I decided on the practical choice of majoring in computer science. I let the writing bug float down to the bottom of my to do list. That is, until I discovered cons. Yes, conventions where thousands of people congregate to show off their cosplay skills and immerse themselves in their favorite anime, gaming, comics, science, fiction, or fantasy genres. I’ve been to several over the years, but today I’m talking specifically about DragonCon. This con runs for five days in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend. I talked my best friend, also a newbie to the con experience, into attending with me.
We felt almost overwhelmed by the kindness and comradery that emanated from the attendees. Whether they were there for the costume contests, or the bands, or to meet their favorite film or voice actor, the people made us feel welcome and part of a special family. Where else could you go to have a dozen stormtroopers salute you as you walk by?
There were so many activities to choose from. We thought we’d start out looking at the various tracks. Tracks focus on specific topics of interest. I popped into some costuming and robotics maker panels. My friend went for some video gaming panels. That first year we went to several skeptics’ track panels (critical thought, extraordinary claims, and promotion of good science). They were fun, light-hearted and actually informational.
It took us until the second day to spot the writers’ track in the phone app. Yep, with 80,000 attendees, hundreds of special guests, and an area encompassing five hotels throughout downtown Atlanta, you needed a phone app to figure out where you were going.
We found the hotel where these panels were scheduled and hurried to wait in line to join, only to find this track was a pre-signup with an up charge. For panels with available space, you could pay a fee for just that panel. It was minimal, I think five or ten dollars. We each paid and were impressed with the content. Michael A. Stackpole, author of several Star Wars books, presented. We knew after sitting through his panel we had to sign up for the entire track the next year.
Fast forward to the next year. We arrived in Atlanta a day early so we could get settled into the hotel and eat, without waiting in a long line, at Max Lagers Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery. We fell in love with the place the year before. We also scheduled a Segway tour. That was amazing. We rode through Atlanta for over two hours.
In the evening, we attended an acting class with Richard Hatch. He played Captain Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica television series. His easy-going personality put us at ease. He had a passion for acting and a great love of his fans. It saddened me hearing of his passing in 2017. Thank you, Mr. Hatch for your contribution to the entertainment world. You will be missed.
They capped the class at twenty people, a small group. Richard Hatch used the method acting technique and had us running through skits and trying to apply some of these techniques. The group bonded over being put in uncomfortable situations and we laughed with each other, not at each other, through the session.
I remember this was in a lower level of one hotel. About halfway through the class, the speakers started buzzing and making odd sounds. It lasted for only a few minutes, so we thought nothing of it. After the class was over, we found out that noise was a fire alarm. The entire hotel had evacuated, except for the twenty people on the lower lever learning method acting from Richard Hatch! Thank goodness it ended up being a false alarm. We reported the defective speakers to the hotel staff. Today, we can laugh about it, but at the time it was unnerving.
The next morning, we were ready for the writers’ track adventure. Armed with our notebooks and pencils, we filed into the panel room.
Yes, that year I had two costumes. The first day, I went as Franziska von Karma from Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney. The second day, I went as Elsie from The World God Only Knows. Having people stop you and ask to take your picture was an unexpected but exciting part of cosplay.
In the multiple writers’ track panels, we spent our time intently listening to topics such as characterization, plotting, marketing, legal/business of writing, and so much more. My notebooks were also packed with new story ideas and characters I couldn’t wait to get down on paper. Nothing formed into a complete book, but I had a wide variety of ideas to build on.
Inspiration comes when you least expect it. My love for writing always existed but add the energy of a con where you literally leave the real world behind and step into fantasy worlds you love, and you get a magic potion that inspires ideas to flow onto the page.
If you haven’t attended a con, I recommend you try it out. Go all the way with a large one, that’s where you get the high-intensity feelings from the crowds. Maybe we’ll bump into one another!
