Convention Recap: Dragon Con 2024 - Panels, Panels, Panels!

So on my first year as an Attending Pro, I only weaseled onto one panel! For the first time ever I was actually scheduled on panels without having to ask! I gotta say...it was nice. Curious about my panels I was on? Then read on!

We Got Game - Friday 4pm - Writer's Track

Bill Bridges, Andrew E.C. Gaska, T. Alexander Stangroom, Elonka Dunin (Moderator)

This was the panel I weaseled onto. To be fair, I think if Nancy Knight (track director) had known I also design games she would have just put me on this. But it's not what I emphasis when I am around her, so how would she? So I didn't feel bad asking to hop on this one, especially as I didn't get to do any other game design panels (the Tabletop Track didn't need me this year). And damn, I was honored to be on this one. While I did bring a different perspective to the table (as being much more in the indie space), no one was there to hear me talk haha. T. Alexander Stangroom has done a ton of stuff I love, and sat beside me, and was so kind. And anytime I get to share a panel with Bill Bridges (what are we up to now Bill? 4 times?) it makes me so, so happy.

The Gather - Friday 8pm - Fantasy Lit Track

Ok, this isn't a panel, but it was something scheduled. You can read more in depth about this my sales blog. Suffice to say, it was awesome!

Writing A Series - Saturday 10am - Writer's Track

Isabelle Hardesty, Megan Lynn Mackie, David Weber, Timothy Zahn, Tamsin Silver, Berta Platas (Moderator)

With folks like David Weber and Timothy Zahn on there, clearly everyone was in the room to hear me talk haha. I want to really shout out Berta though. She is one of the best moderators out there, she really is. She keeps the attention on the panelists, her questions move the conversation in interesting directions, and any time I see she's the moderator I know I am in the best of possible hands. I mean, I'm still me so who knows how it will turn out. #alabamaashell

Not Just A Place - Saturday 4pm - Urban Fantasy Track

Rachel Rawlings, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Aaron Michael Ritchey, Tamsin Silver, Jennifer Morris (Moderator)

This was honestly the panel I was most looking forward to. I will never claim to be the master of the craft, and on most topics there are far, far better folks to have speak on craft (see above). But I really pride myself on my use of setting as essentially a second character. I don't know why they selected me for this specific panel, but I really hope it's because that shone through to someone on the UF track. Jennifer Morris was great. This was a panel with lots of big personalities, and she deftly handled that. And this was my second panel with Tamsin Silver, and I have to say she really rocked both of them. I sat beside Rachel Rawlings, and she was so nice to me! That really is a theme here: someone who's sold about a brillion more books than me, treating me with nothing but kindness and respect. Damn I love Dragon Con!

Wise_N_Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom Live! - Saturday 5:30 pm - Digital Media Track

Joseph Ard, Charles McFall, Kirk, Kurt Boutin, Stoner Gump

This was my...3rd time? 4th time? being on Wise_N_Nerdy, and my second time getting to do it live at a convention. For some reason those guys seem to like me, and I guess Charles is trying to run the podcast into the ground because they keep letting me on there. As always we had a blast, and I got to meet the man, the myth, the legend, Stoner Gump! And because the Digital Media track is the Digital Media track, you can see the live recording of this one!

Be A Podcast Guest Pro: How to Get Booked (& Get Invited Back) - Saturday 7pm - Digital Media Track

Tyra Burton, Gabriel Perez, Clint Hall (Moderator)

If I see a chance to be on a panel with Tyra and Clint, I don't care what it's about, I want to be on it. Luckily, as a guy who has been a guest on a ton of podcasts (including Tyras') and has had on a bunch of guests, this was something I was decently qualified to talk about. Not as much as either of them mind, but I was able to offer somethings of value I hope. And I got to hang with Gabriel again, last year we were on a live play together that was a ton of fun!

101 Fascinating Ways To Kill Off A Character - Saturday 10pm - Writer's Track

Elizabeth Donald, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Darin Kennedy, L. Marie Wood, Alexander Gideon, John Robinson (Moderator)

They are never going to let Darin and I on a panel again.

This is an iconic Writer's Track panel that they do each year, and it's a late night one (which means we can cuss) that gets pretty wild and sometimes quite silly. It was my first time being on it, and I got to sit between two of my favs, Darrell Grizzle and Darin Kennedy. Darin, like me, is known to turn a pun on occasion (ok, constantly) and while we held it together for at least half the panel, I cracked a a pun about visiting a funeral home and asking urn-est questions, which led to Darin saying that you 'should just ash,' and then it was off to the races.

There is also a room full of people who now probably think serial killers turn me on.

I regret nothing.

Writers Go Digital: Creating, Engaging, & Finding Readers - Sunday 10am - Digital Media Track

Judy Black, Dennis Lee Robinson, Rilo W. Ward, Clint Hall, Tyra Burton (Moderator)

Clint and Tyra, plus my gaming panel friend Judy Black?! Absolute recipe for success. We got to talk about all sorts of great tools we use as authors to help us grow our craft and brand, and again, as this was Digital Media Track main room, it was streamed live so I can show you the recording!

So all in all, this was a fantastic year of paneling! I got to be on most of the tracks I was hoping for, got to share the stage with some big names, and had too much fun! I can't wait to do it again next year!