Post-Con Thoughts: Ad Astra 2018
And so another Ad Astra has come and gone. As I sit in my room reflecting its outcome over a mug of tea I'm forced to acknowledge one thing finally that I learned this year. People are starting to recognize my name. It sounds silly I suppose but to someone who's a self-published author, for the most part, it always baffles me when someone recognizes who I am. I mean baffling of course in the most positive of ways. It's exciting and both terrifying all at once to know people are reading my writing and paying attention to what I'm doing. As it is for any artist of course.
The Friday evening had me start off with a reading, for which I admit I had selected too short of a piece but this, of course, didn't stifle me in the least and I led on with a conversation as best as I could and answering questions. Even later in the evening, I participated in the "Game of Thrones - how will it end?" panel during which I got to put to use all of my theory hunting from over the years where I would track possible outcomes of the show.
On Saturday I participated in the "Alien Artifacts" panel where I did my best to step completely outside of my comfort zone with the explanations I gave for the various "artifacts" (random objects). The panel gave me much to think about in terms of how an alien would view objects from our every day and questions its purpose in our society. The evening brought the Brave New Girls Tales of Heroines Who Hack party. Even before the event started, people were already lined up as MJ Moores, Robert of Galaxy Teas, Lisa and Diogo of Mythhawker, Chris and myself scrambled to get things ready on the inside. The room was packed by the time we started and I daresay we may need a bigger spot in the future. During the launch, I had the chance to explain how it was that I came to be involved in the second anthology of the series which all started with being handed a copy of the first book at Ad Astra three years prior and being told to buy it. Knowing the first two anthologies have already raised over $5000 in scholarship money for the Society of Women Engineers fills me with immense pride and should health, time and the editors allow I'll continue to write for future anthologies. For me, writing and being an author has never been about the monetary gain. Sure, to be able to live off of it as a full-time career is certainly the dream, but there's another that comes before it. It's the gift of being able to inspire another that to me has always been most important and will continue to be this questing knight's holy grail.
Sunday had me sitting on two panels where I got to chat with old and new faces, first about "Alien worlds - how much is too much?" and "Rare Middle-Earth." It also marked the launching of the Galaxy Teas website which Chris and I worked on which was exciting to finally push out the door. I also almost managed to sell out of Q-16 and the Eye to All Worlds which was a nice feeling to carry a near empty box home. The table is needless to say, already rebooked for next year.
Next weekend, I'll be at the Elmvale Scifi and Fantasy Street Party and I suppose after that I'll need a bit of a breather until Fan Expo at the end of August. A writer needs time to write after all.
Until the next time we meet. Keep it awesome!
