Convention Recap: Dragon Con 2023 - Panels, Panels, Panels!

That picture there? That's me sitting between Sherilyn Kenyon (70 million copies sold) and John G. Hartness (publisher at Falstaff, sponsor of the whole goddamn writing track). The other panelist? That's the most famous editor you probably haven't heard of, Steve Saffel.

So yeah. Paneling went well for me you could say.

Here is a breakdown of my panels that I was a part of this year, and how I managed to weasel my way on without being an official guest:

Friday 5:30 - Dragons, Mermaids, Minotaurs, Oh My! - Writers Track

This is the panel pictured above. Berta, the moderator and more importantly a friend of mine, got ambushed with moderator duties. Despite having no time to prep, she did an amazing job riding heard on this group of cats. Did they let two crass rednecks on the panel? Yes. Do they regret it? Probably. But John and I had fun letting a little bit of the South out, and the rest of the squad didn't snap their necks shaking their heads at us (to be fair, they sort of expect it from John, I was an unknown element haha). The topic was essentially talking about how we use mythological creatures in our writing. I was swarmed after this panel, which felt really good. They could have gone and talked to literally anyone more famous than me, but they went the possum route instead. Another highlight was getting to shit talk the Tennessee Volunteers football team.

How did I get on this panel: I have become friends with Nancy, the track director, and she has a soft spot in her heart for poor, portly lads from Alabama it seems. I asked to be on a panel, and this is what she chose for me.

Friday 7:00 - Podcasting for Authors - Digital Media Track (Link to recording)

I was the moderator for this panel! Which was exciting! This was actually a panel the track had done maybe five years ago, and I have basically requested it every year since haha. This was the year they were like 'sure, but you're gonna run it.' Folks signed up, and the rest is history! Attendance was good (room was at about 3/4ths capacity I think), and I got to panel with Tyra Burton and Tony Sarrecchia, both folks I know and respect. I also had Scott Sigler, Clint Hall, and Alison Richards (who I've attended workshops she's coordinated for years) who were all great as well. I certainly learned a lot from such a great group, and

How did I get on this panel: I asked via email for a few years, then eventually they gave the link to the Digital Media Track discord. That is where they coordinate all this jazz.

Saturday 2:30 - AI and ChatGPT: Impact on Content Creators - Digital Media Track

AI has been a hot topic at every con I have been at all year really. Dragon Con was no exception. This room hit capacity, with a line of folks waiting to get in. Tyra was the moderator, and I think she did a great job with this difficult topic. The only downside was there was only enough time to answer a couple of questions at the end, from the number of hands that shot up, we could probably run this panel all damn night and not run out.

How did I get on this panel: Tyra posted in the Digital Media Discord about this, and knowing her and her moderating style, I jumped at the chance. She was nice enough to let me on!

Saturday 4:00 - Postcards from the Expedition Live Play - Digital Media Track

My first ever live play! I was unfamiliar with the game, but when I saw there was a live play with postcard in the name, I knew I wanted in. I freaking love postcards so much! Anyway, I think it went pretty well! We ended up going on an expedition to find the last Blockbuster Video outside Perth Australia, and I was playing the roll of the Student. This game involves each player answering questions in turn, improv style, with a simple coin flip mechanic to establish results. It will not surprise long time fans to know that all my flips were failures lol.

How did I get on this panel: I saw a call for panelists in the discord, and decided to take a gamble. The rest is history!

Sunday 1:00 - Quick, Small RPGS - Tabletop Track

I pitched this panel to the Tabletop Track, and they were nice enough to add it to the track somewhat last minute! I paneled with Josh Simmons, with Abby as our moderator. This was a lot of fun, as we got to talk all about our favorite one sheet and simple rpgs. I got to sing the praises of games like The Witch is Dead and Mork Borg, which always makes me happy. For a panel that was only added to the app on Saturday, the room still had about 20ish folks come out to see it, which I thought was fantastic! We had some really great questions!

How did I get on this panel: I emailed the tabletop track and asked if they were going to do a panel on this topic, and if so could I jump on.

Sunday 5:30 - Small, tiny, and Encapsulated Board Games - Tabletop Track

This was an extra special moment for me, for sure, and was the perfect experience to end my paneling on. David and I have since been exchanging emails, and he's such a good dude.

How did I get on this panel: When the track head confirmed via email that they were going to do the above panel, I had already seen this panel in the app. So I asked if I could jump on. They graciously let me.