Well, here it is Thursday. A week ago this time, I was finishing up with my set up for Denver Comic Con 2018. I got up at the crack of dawn and hurried over to the Convention Center so I could meet my partners and get things going.
Today, I rolled out of bed at 9 am. Practically decadence.
I love cons. All cons. No matter whether I work at them, attend them, or help with them. There’s an energy, a vibe–at any and all cons I’ve ever been to.
This year, Denver Comic Con was one of the best.
What made it different, and better? I had the same two partners-in-crime, Shawn Harper and Corinne O’Flynn. We work extremely well together, and they are fun to be with. We all had more books. There was more to talk about, to share.
But the people at Con made all the difference. The fans I got to meet, or see again, and talk books with. There is nothing like talking the intricacies of plot with a fellow reader. The other authors I was able to chat with about new releases, marketing, the latest on-dit in the indie world. Trends, things we’re noticing…it was fantastic. Being on panels and discussing not only the ins and outs of being an author, but things I am a fan of as well – the Outlander panel, the Wynonna panel, and the fan fiction panel were probably my faves because of the audience participation. I love being around other fans.
And I love working a table on the exhibitor floor. I love the energy, people looking for something new, wanting to find a new world to dive into. As well as meeting up again with people who are already reading your work. In my case, I enjoyed meeting the fans of my partners’ work. When any one of the three of us succeeds, we all succeed.
The volunteer staff are some of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with. They are responsive, and, while this may seem trivial – they make sure you stay hydrated all weekend long. They were amazing.
But the thing I noticed most was that I was home. I was with my tribe. My tribe of fellow authors. My tribe of fellow readers. My tribe of fellow fans. (It is SO gratifying to continue to find Labyrinth fans. I just cannot describe the joy!)
When I made the decision to take on being an author as a career, I was scared to death. There were, back in 2013, lots of posts about ‘don’t quit your day job’ and other dire warnings. Not to mention the whole idea of finishing a book. I was updating my author CV this week, and I counted – I have authored 16 full-length novels and 4 novellas under 2 different names. The novellas are co-written, as are two of the novels. I’ve got 2 novels in the works (that I am avoiding tasks on as I write this blog, LOL) for the next month, and my Wish List to write is never-ending.
I’m three years in, and I’m getting to the point where I don’t struggle so mightily with impostor syndrome. I feel like I can call myself an author, and not cringe, or hope that no one challenges me. I finally feel as though I have a very good idea of what I need to do in order to get where I want to go. Trying to figure that out took…oh…a while.
Because being around all the people that I was lucky enough to be around this weekend has told me it’s all worth it. Every bit of it. This is the community where I want to hang my hat; this is the world I want to live in.
You know, if I can’t live in one of my imaginary worlds.
Thank you to everyone who made Comic Con the absolute best. It was amazing. I can’t wait to do it again.