Home Again, Home Again · 11:46pm Aug 15th, 2017
Bronycon turned out to be quite enjoyable:
Not that I was expecting otherwise. That's the one useful thing about all the panic I go through before I actually do anything. Never in my life so far has anything gone anywhere near as badly as the bugs in my brain insist it might. This doesn't stop them from continuing to gnash their little buggy teeth at me, though—brain bugs don't respond well to reason, turns out—but at least it's a consistent process: several weeks of internal screaming leading up to an event; lots of internal cringing while at the event; and the ability to look back after it's over and say, "Whaddaya know? I had a nice time."
I've already mentioned helping horizon, Morning Sun, Jykinturah, and Arcshod save an imperiled train during a visit to the Charm City Clue Room as well as meeting Themaskedferret, Archonix, Noble Cause, Professor Plum, Skeeter the Lurker, Yamgoth, Corejo, Wanderer D, ROBCakeran53, Jake the Army Guy and a bunch of others before the con even started. Then all became a swirl of ponies and pony-related objects.
bookplayer had put together a fine outline of things for us to discuss on our panel Friday night, and that went well. I managed to exchange a few words with Bad Horse without either of us bursting into flame, and I realized that I'd come three thousand miles across the country to meet Super Trampoline for the first time when he lives about 10 miles away from where I'm sitting right now. The Saturday morning editors panel was a delight—I was in fact smilingly admonished by the young woman sitting in front of me for giggling throughout. I just find it very pleasurable to listen to a bunch of people who know what they're talking about giving useful advice on a subject that all writers everywhere ought to be greatly concerned with.
Afterwards, I got to say hello to some of the panelists whom I hadn't already met—Pascoite, Majin Syeekoh, and DubsRewatcher, I think it was—and had lunch with Ferret, Pascoite, and GaPJaxie. And while I didn't manage to meet Ether Echoes, I did play a small role in reuniting FanOfMostEverything with his signed copy of Through the Well of Pirene when he'd left it behind in Quills & Sofas. At a fairly boisterous party later that afternoon in TheJediMasterEd's hotel room, I spoke with Axis of Rotation, Nyronus, Gary Oak, Admiral Biscuit, hazeyhooves, Aquaman, possibly Captain Unstoppable as well—I know I met him at some point during the weekend. Hotel security stopped by to tell us we were being a bit too boisterous for Baltimore at 6PM on a Saturday, and I took that as my cue to mosey.
Saturday was also the day I spent writing the sonnet folks can find here along with horizon's answering sonnet, and I even got to precipitate a bit of unexpected pageantry. I'd met Georg Friday night after the panel, I think, and chatted a bit with him. He came into Quills & Sofas Saturday evening while I was prodding at my sonnet, sat down at one of the typewriters, and began typing. The other folks at the table where I was sitting were talking about their favorite stories while this was going on, and one of them excitedly began telling the others about meeting Georg earlier in the day. A second one got all excited, too, and I pointed out that Georg was the guy over there in the red shirt. The second fellow leaped up, ran over, dropped to his knees beside Georg, and bowed down to touch his forehead to the carpet.
When he came back, a third fellow asked, "So who's Georg?" The first guy said, "He wrote 'Drifting Down the Lazy River.'" The third guy's eyes go wide, he leaps up, runs over, and does the same down-on-his-knees-forehead-to-the-ground thing as the second guy. It wasn't long after that, I believe, that I got scritched in the middle of the chest by Trick Question dressed in her Moondancer outfit...
I caught up with Horse Voice after the Sunday morning screenwriting panel, exchanged a few pleasantries with alarajrogers, and got into at least three group photos that were taken at Quills & Sofas as the con was shutting down. That evening, I tagged along with a dozen folks led by Gary Oak to a dinner where I had a wonderful time listening to Applejinx decompress after he'd literally dehydrated himself overseeing both the writing panels and the art panels during the whole three day extravaganza.
Did I miss mentioning anyone? Probably, and for that, I apologize. I did meet a bunch of people whose names I didn't catch, and my brain resembles a sieve under the best of circumstances...
But for now, it's back to work on the next chapter of "The Casebook of Currycombs," and I've got a plan for de-Ponyfying "A Giant Leap Forward" and "Strawberry Serenade." And now that I've finished "Noblesse Oblige" over on the Baal Bunny side of things, there's probably a Writeoff coming up this weekend or next: I'll hafta check the website...
Mike
Glad you had a good time!
Actually it was Bad Horse's hotel room. I just used it to throw a party. And steal his soda. BUT WE'RE GOOD RIGHT BRO?
It was a real pleasure getting to meet and chat with you, and thanks for joining us for the Sunday dinner!
I'm glad you had a great time at the con, and I hope to see you again next year.
It was a pleasure to meet you in person! Same time next year, eh?
I missed the dinner (Arrgh!) and several other socializing opportunities, but met enough others and saw enough panels to make up for most of it. Really, I'm one of the most house-mouse people in real life, and to have somebody run up to me and say (paraphrased) "You're Georg? I love your stuff! You're a fantastic author!" is a little freaky. Then when it happened the second time, it really freaked me out. By the sixth (!) time, it was surreal.
It was *awesome* to meet you, though.
Thanks again for keeping an eye on the book. If anyone asks, I was letting Ether Echoes use it as a marketing tool, since it was attracting curious onlookers like flies. Definitely didn't forget I'd left it in the room when I left for the perspective panel. That Ether was part of. Shhh.
Also, I was next to Georg when those guys prostrated themselves before him. His reaction was great: "Do you know how many times my wife is going to have to make me take out the trash and plunge the toilet before my ego goes back to a reasonable size?"
Welcome to con. :V
Sounds like you all had a great time!
It was a pleasure meeting you as well. You're an interesting individual to talk to.
Also it tickles me pink that you were given the impression that I knew what I was talking about. But I suppose if it came off that way, then it must be so.
You probably did. I was the really drunk guy