First was the horror panel. It was same old, same old, talking about how the money doesn’t flow in horror like it does in fantasy or science fiction. That was a little depressing since I have some really great horror ideas. One of them is about zombies, and there is no way I can try to pass it off as fantasy. But then Bill and Jerry (note to self: stop trying to rename Bill to Tom) pointed something out. I write good zombie stories. Double Edge has zombies and it won the FenCon contest. So why not go with my passion. Instead of looking where the money is and trying to fit in, why not revive things by filling out a niche that my passion makes me primed for? As Jerry put it, why not be queen of the zombies the way Anne Rice is queen of the vampires? The more I turned the problem over in my mind, the more I liked the idea. This is something I can do. 
Of course, I'll still write fantasy, where Depths of Peril rules!
Memorable panel number two, writing for kids. The discussion was same old, same old stuff mostly. What subjects you can’t write about, and how parents are pissy. I think those are always brought up in this kind of panel just like the lack of money in the horror panel. The cool thing about this panel was that it was during the worst of the windstorm. The lights went out, came back on, faded, went out again, came on faded, went out again, then on. A few minutes later they went off and on again. It was crazy spooky. Rachel Caine was on the panel, and I kept thinking, "Rachel! Call Joanne! Your weather warden needs to take care of this!" Heh heh heh.
On to panel number three. Something about writing mystery. This was one of those panels that completely fell of topic, but was very, very good and informative. I can’t think of anything specific now (eek), but I remember coming out of that panel thinking it was great. I thought it fairly ironic that I overheard someone saying the panels were crap this year. That was not my experience at all!
And the last panel on the list, state of the industry. This panel was awesome!!! Two established authors really let us in on the nitty gritty underbelly that is the publishing world, including how the three beasts work together (or don’t work together) and how that effects writers in different scenarios. The three beasts are the editor/publisher, the distributor, and the booksellers. It was so cool! I know it won’t change my situation, knowing what is happening when I’m in the middle of it, but it is somehow better that I understand why I suddenly feel hung out to dry. I expect to feel that sometimes. This is a business like anything else, and the writers are at the bottom of the food chain. We’re the rabbits, or worse yet, the lowly dandelions. Our flower power strength is tenacity.
There are other lessons I learned as well. Don’t go around saying you hate something. If others like that thing/book/author, you just lost a potential reader. Same goes for people. Don’t go around saying you hate someone. You may be telling it to one of their friends or fans. It could get back to them! I had a panelist tell my that he didn’t like another panelist and that she was a lesbian!!! I know that she isn’t! Luckily for him, I won’t tell her. And last, if you are a writer, don’t raise your hand when someone asks the audience who here is trying to be a writer. If you are only trying to be a writer, then subconsciously, you will hold yourself back from success. Why make it harder for yourself? I was surprised how many people raised their hands, some of them have been writing for years. Push yourself mentally. Decided to be a writer, think of yourself as a writer, and write like a writer (butt in chair).
On to the room parties! FenCon was good. Good snacks, jello shots, lots of people, and Michael gave me a second book with my story in it. He said they should have given me one at the Con, since I was a paid member and a contributor. That was great. With Rosemary’s copy, I have three. SonnerCon was cool. They had music and lights, and pretty college kids that drifted over from Lazy Dragon Con. Lazy Dragon Con has to get my vote for the best because they had screwdrivers. Most parties just have beer, and I won’t drink that, so I can get screwed unless I get something from the hotel bar. They also had cookies and chips, snack food heaven. The Science party (ISDC) was cool. I started and ended there. I volunteered to work their convention in May. I’m kind of excited about it because Larry Niven will be there. He is one of the authors of my favorite book of all time, Beowulf’s Children. One of the science members showed me rocks and dust like what’s on the moon. He had a piece of meteorite and some kind of gel that is the lightest known solid. Cool stuff.
Meals, you ask? My goodness, must you know everything? Friday night and Saturday for lunch, I went to Potbellies (or something like that). It was my first times there. They have good sandwiches. Saturday dinner, I went to Double Daves for the first time. Awesome pizza and bread-thingys. Sunday lunch we walked over to Burger King.
Satisfied? No? Good lord, people. I didn’t get hit on, drink too much, or participate in any other wild shenanigans! What kind of girl do you think I am? 
I took some pictures at ConDFW VI, but they aren't representative. I didn't have my camera out the whole time. Anyway... Enjoy what I have under the link below.
