Boskone 44

Here, finally, is my Boskone 44 report:

Let me start by saying I had a wonderful time and want to congratulate the con committee, particularly the Program staff, for putting together a first rate regional convention.

There were problems with the Westin hotel, and people spoke longingly of the Sheraton at the Pru Center, with its access to the food courts and retail. While the Westin was a nice enough hotel, it was isolated and there were limited food options, and what there was was expensive. This created a problem for me on Friday night, when I had to miss the "Boskone in Death--J.D. Robb panel", a Boskone tradition. I was supposed to be on that panel, but was still waiting an hour and a half into being seated at the hotel restaurant. I would have felt worse if fellow panelist Janice Gelb hadn't been with me, and if moderator Priscilla Olson hadn't wandered by and seen what was happening.

I stopped by the art show reception after supper and enjoyed the variety and quality of the art offered, but nothing sang out to me with a siren song of "Buy meeeeeee..."

Saturday began a full day of programming. I attended a panel on plot and structure, and got enough out of it to get me thinking about my work in progress, and how I can make it better. My first panel was at noon, "The Business Side of Writing". Sharon Lee of Meisha Merlin Press was the moderator, and the panel was a good mix of authors, editors, agents, and business managers. The discussion was lively and well received by the people in the audience, and I'd suggest doing this panel again in the future.

Later that day was "Keeping Your Day Job: How to Sustain Creativity When Writing is Your Second Profession". This was fun because I was moderator, and didn't have a clue as to how people would respond to our thoughts, nor did I know what the panel would say. Karl Schroeder had some fascinating ideas on how to finance your writing career, while Ian Randal Strock talked about the difficulty of getting your creative juices to kick in when you've come home from an exhausting day at work.

And another panel on my line-up, "A Sea Of Words: Naval Fiction Both Historical and Fantastic" with Michael F. Flynn and Jim Mann was a lively discussion of why we like O'Brian, other authors we recommend, and why a spaceship is like a wooden ship. And why it isn't. The nautical theme seems to be popular at these cons, and works out especially well for Boskone.

That night I went out to supper with some folks from the con, leaving the Westin for a delightful Italian restaurant at the North End. When we returned I slipped into hostess mode since I'd volunteered to help work the Australia in 2010 bid party. My high heeled feet finally gave out around midnight, and I was glad to put an end to a long, but productive day.

Tomorrow: Sunday at Con and what came after.

Comments

Ryan Freebern said…
Darlene -- I really enjoyed the Pirates in Petticoats panel on Sunday morning. I'm sorry I missed the Naval Fiction panel, since it sounds like it was very interesting, and I (like so many others) really enjoy Patrick O'Brian's books.

I haven't read any romance in the past, but I've been meaning to give the genre a try. Your books sound like they might be up my alley, so I'll go pick one of them up soon!
Thanks, Ryan. I had a splendid time at Boskone and enjoyed meeting lots of new folks there. Do drop me a line if you buy my books. I love to hear from readers.

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