The Gotham Writers Workshop held the Gotham Writers Conference 2023 as a virtual conference on August 12, 2023. I attended the conference at the Ace Hotel in New York City on October 25, 2019. I also attended the virtual conference from October 16, 2020, to October 18, 2020. On August 12, 2023, they held four presentations which I attended. On August 13, 2023, they held three pitching roundtables which I did not attend.
This is the link to the Gotham Writers Workshop, the sponsor of the event.
Dangerous Worlds: Finding the Stakes in Speculative Settings Panel with Susan Breen, George Jreije, Holley Cornetto, and Kemi Ashing-Giwa.
Resist the urge to focus on setting, instead focus on character. If not on first draft, do so in revision.
Figure out your why, the stakes, the message.
Brace for rejection, it is part of the process. Spend time researching writing queries.
Speak to yourself like you would speak to your best friend.
Don’t be too perfectionist. Get out of your own way. Be positive.
Saturday, August 12th at 12:15 PM
Story is the Story: Exploring Real Lives Through Fantastical Plots Panel with Mike Chen, Peng Shepard, Nicky Drayden, and Robert Repino.
The panel started with questions to the panel from the moderator.
How do you find inspiration? Find the quirk to your character to frame how they see the world.
What is your favorite non-protagonist character? The Amnesiac in the Book of M by Pend Shepard.
What is the most difficult part to revision? Don’t let your character off too easily. Up the conflict in the revision.
How are issues conveyed into your fiction? Using vampire blood as analogues as the idea of Universal Basic.
How did your life experiences inspire your characters? Reading and media.
What character tropes do you not want to see anymore? Post-apocalyptic cult,
Then there was a Q and A session with the audience.
How do you build your community? Writing Groups.
Do you research before or during writing? Outline the book, then research by reverse engineering the story.
How do you develop your character? Create character profiles. Listen to people talking at the coffee shop. Learn by writing fan fiction, since the world building is done.
What do you do if the agent likes your novel but says it is too long? Sometimes they are right byt not always.
Saturday, August 12th at 1:30 PM
Publishing GPS: Navigating Pre-Query Research presentation conducted by Sharon Pelletier.
Begin by creating a strong list of prospective agents. It’s not just a numbers game.
A query is a two-way street, just like a job interview.
Publishers Marketplace is a paid website with important information on agents.
Search agents at TOR. Search agents that represented similar books to yours.
Saturday, August 12th at 2:45 PM
Featured Author Interview: Ken Liu conducted by Seth Fried.
We all start out by working from models but break away as soon as you can.
Motivation comes from reading. How can I write it better?
Work hard to recheck your original idea for the story.
Does the story illustrate the idea?
Dig deeper to find your original idea. If it comes too easy, it might be a cliché.
Push against the idea of being lazy. Find your voice.
Guard against eternal mediocrity.
Kill your Darlings. Get your butt on the chair and write.
Do what excites you. You will do better work following your muse.
Don’t focus on word count, focus on the story.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I enjoyed virtually attending the Gotham Writers Conference 2023. My star of the Con was Ken Liu because his interview was interesting and insightful. I attended the 2019 conference presentations in New York City. Then I attended the 2020 conference presentations and round table virtually. I attended the 2023 conference presentations and virtually. The conference was well worth the time invested, and I would like to attend next year including the round table.
Links
Recap for the Gotham Writers Conference 2020 from 10-16-20 to 10-18-20 sponsored by Gotham Writers Workshop. It was a virtual conference. I attended six presentations and a science fiction/fantasy pitching roundtable.
Recap for the Gotham Writers Conference in New York City, New York on October 25, 2019, sponsored by Gotham Writers Workshop. There were five panels and presentations at the conference. I did not attend on October 26, 2019, for the pitching roundtables.
I attended the Confluence Pittsburgh 2023 Conference from July 21 to 23, 2023. They held the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel, 1160 Thorn Run Road, Coraopolis, PA. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2025. COVID-19 forced the conference to go virtual in 2020, with the event called C’monfluence, which I viewed online. The Parsec organization of Pittsburgh runs this literary science fiction, fantasy, and horror conference. The events included panels, readings, interviews, writing workshops, and filk concerts. I attended the opening ceremonies, 3 panels, and 2 concerts.
They held the Confluence Pittsburgh 2023 Conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport.
Confluence Pittsburgh 2023 Conference Program Guide Cover
Picture of my badge from the Confluence Pittsburgh 2023 Conference
Summary
Friday, July 21st at 5 PM
Rewriting the Future: Hopepunk, Solarpunk, and Optimistic SF panel with Ada Palmer, Vera Brook, Scot Noel, and Susan Kaye Quinn.
The panel looked at optimistic SF and how it could change the future SF images and impact our own future. The panel seeks to break the power in the hands of a few AKA the chosen one narrative. The ideal is community banding people together to elevate them. The question is does rapid social change necessarily lead to authoritarianism?
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 27 attendees. (a Full House)
Friday, July 21st at 7 PM
The Opening Ceremonies with Ada Palmer and Sassafrass
The con chair Kevin M. Hayes was the presenter. He introduced the writer Guest of Honor, Ada Palmer. He also introduced her A Capella band Sassafrass, the musical Guests of Honor. The musical programmer, Randy Hoffman detailed all the musical guests for the con.
They held the ceremonies in Ballroom 1 with 46 attendees.
Friday, July 21st at 7 PM
A Concert by Rhiannon’s Lark featuring Alyssa Yeager.
She sang twelve selections including Not Today (sung from Arya Stark’s perspective from Game of Thrones), More than just the golden bikini, and Job the armored donkey.
They held the concert in Ballroom 1 with 17 attendees.
Friday, July 21st at 7 PM
A Concert by the Triforce Quartet, a traditional string quartet (three violins and a cello) that plays videogame music.
They played ten selections including the Mandalorian Theme, a Zelda Medley, and highlights of the Lord of the Rings.
They held the concert in Ballroom 1 with 30 attendees.
Saturday, July 22nd at 10 AM
The Social Science of Worldbuilding panel with Charles Oberndorf, Mark Tiedeman, Alan Irvinbe, Marie Vibbert, and Frederic Durbin.
This panel explained how writers build economies, histories, and cultures. They talked about being careful with word choice, staying away from tropes, and how to treat dialects.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 22 attendees.
Saturday, July 22nd at 11 AM
The Time Travel Then and Now panel with Joshua David Bellin, Stephen C. Fisher, Mihael Swanwick, and Albert Wendland
Time travel has been a staple of science fiction. Has changes in writing been due to literary reasons or evolving scientific knowledge? The issue in time travel writing is the existence of potential paradoxes. Are they parallel universes or alternate world stories? Use diagrams to keep track of your multiple worlds. The audience and the panelists gave their favorite examples of Time Travel stories. Some examples are The Door into Summer by Robert Heinlein, Kindred by Octavia Bulter, and How to Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth East Room with 34 attendees. (a Full House)
Recommendation – Conclusion
I’m glad I attended the Confluence Pittsburgh 2023 Conference. My star of the con was Ada Palmer. She was the writing Guest of Honor and a member of the musical Guests of Honor. I attended the opening ceremonies, 3 panels, and 2 concerts. My other highlights were the concerts by Rhiannon’s Lark and the Triforce Quartet. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. COVID-19 changed the conference to a virtual con named C’monfluence in 2020 which I viewed. I also attended Confluence in 2022. 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Links
Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference Recap from July 26 to 28, 2024, at the Sheraton Hotel. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. I attended 2 panels, 1 reading, and a concert.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference, Pittsburgh, on July 30, 2022, at the Sheraton. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I attended 3 panels, two readings, an improv comedy show, a concert, and the guest of honor presentation
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference, Pittsburgh, held virtually from 10-02-20 to 10-04-20. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, three readings, one presentation, the guest of honor presentation, and the conference breakdown.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh on July 27 & 28, 20, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended Confluence in ‘16, ‘17, and ‘18. I attended five panels, two fiction writing workshops, and the guest of honor presentation
They held the Confluence Conference from July 27, 2018, to July 29, 2018, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended two lectures, two panels, one fiction writing seminar, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
They held the Confluence Conference from August 4 to August 6, 2017, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended seven panels, one writing workshop, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference on July 30 and July 31, 2016, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended 15 panels and the U.S.S. Improvise improv sketch comedy routine.
I attended the Marcon Columbus Conference 2023 in Columbus, Ohio, from May 26, 2023, to May 28, 2023. They held the conference at 350 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. I attended eleven activities at the con. I also attended Marcon in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024. They will not have Marcon in 2025. Hopefully the con will return in 2026, and I’ll plan to be there.
This is the banner for Marcon Columbus Conference 2023
This is my Badge for Marcon 2024.
Summary
Friday, May 26th at 7:00 PM
The Marcon Kick off and meet the Guests meeting
Several people were acknowledged at the meeting. Author David Weber, Author Chris Weure, Filk coordinator Rebecca Slocumb, artist guest of honor Chaz Kemp, and content creator Jordan Breeding.
Some authors in the front row were Jan Kotouc, Joelle Presby, Andy Presby, and Tom Pope.
They held the meeting in Franklin C/D with 38 attendees.
Friday, May 26th at 8:00 PM
Concert with Mary Cromwell
She played the electric keyboard and sang. In addition, she had a person using sign language for the lyrics.
She played 10 selections including Pandora’s Box (about a D and D game with the singer’s husband), Meet Me at the Labyrinth Plinth, and Come into the City of Joy.
They held the concert in Delaware A/B with 17 attendees.
Friday, May 26th at 9:00 PM
25 Things you need to know about spaceships, a lecture with Geoffrey Landis
The presentation was done with a slide show. The presenter ran out of time so 23 things were discussed. Here are three of the points made.
Everything in space is moving and is really fast.
Launch windows are important.
You can’t hide in space so there is no such thing as space pirates.
They held the lecture in Franklin A with 30 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 11:00 AM
Speculative Fiction Worldbuilding, a panel with Carolyn Kay, Geoffrey Landis, Jan Kotouc, and Marie Vibbert
Worldbuilding makes science fiction different. The premise can lead to the world created. An idea story starts with the story and builds the world from the story. Hard Sf writers start with the science.
What stories do you enjoy the most other than yours? Star Wars, Issaac Asimov, Anne Leckie, and Alistair Reynolds were mentioned.
How important is the consistency of worldbuilding? Bad examples mentioned were Star Trek Into Darkness, Pandara in Avatar, and the time turner in Harry Potter.
They held the panel in Taft A with 25 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 12:00 PM
Andor: The story we didn’t ask for, a panel with Jordan Breeding, Carolyn Kay, Paul Hahn, and Chris Stephenson
What was your favorite part of the series? The One way out episode, the prison sequence, Cassian arrested in the wrong place at the wrong time, end of the Andy Serkis character.
What do you think we will see in Season2? Droids. Everyone will get their comeuppance except for Cassian Andor.
Final Thoughts? All the parts in Season 1 were cohesive, and they are looking forward to more of that in season 2. It was the most grounded Star Wars series. It was nice to see the world expanded outside of the jedi story.
They held the panel in Taft C with 11 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 3:00 PM
Babylon 5 Remembered, a panel with Ken Keisel, Leslie Mehne, Paul Hahn, and Rachael Thurston.
The panelists talked about their memories of show actors that attended previous Marcons, including Richard Biggs, Jerry Doyle, J. Michael Straczynski, Patricia Tillman. Andreas Katsulas, and Tim Choate.
They talked about an upcoming animated film and the voice actors replacing the deceased original cast members. (It was released August 2023 as Babylon 5: The Road Home)
They held the panel in Taft C with 10 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 4:00 PM
Picard Wrap-up, a panel with Paul Hahn, Robb Lopaka, Doc Rox, and J. Washington.
They thought that the third season was a different type of show, more like Lost in Space. It’s really three different seasons, three different shows.
They admired Worf’s progression from a warrior to a priest. They liked the Star Fleet museum with Geordi La Forge as the curator.
Thay talked about potential new series following Picard.
They held the panel in Franklin B with 16 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 6:00 PM
A Concert by Random Fractions.
Random Fractions is a duo with Cathy McManaman on acoustic guitar & vocals and Jason Neeremberg on Bass & vocals.
I arrived late but saw seven songs performed, including Twilight Starlight, Abundant Blessings, and Scarlet Town.
They held the panel in Delaware A/B with 14 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 8:00 PM
A Reading by David Weber.
The author read chapters from three of his books, the upcoming fifteenth Honor Harrington novel (It would be released in April 2024 as Toll of Honor), the upcoming novel Rebel (released September 2024), and the upcoming novel To Challenge Heaven (released January 2024).
The author finished the reading with a short Q and A session that covered past and other upcoming books.
They held the panel in Harrison with 18 attendees.
Saturday, May 27th at 9:00 PM
Get Hooked on Babylon 5: 10 Episodes that will make you a fan, a panel with Emily Lydic, Rachael Thurston, and Peter Gold.
The panelists each gave two of their favorite episodes.
Rachael Thurston mentioned Signs and Portents (S1, E13) and Mind War (S1, E6).
Emily Lydic mentioned Z’ha’dum (S3, E22) and Convictions (S3, E2)
Peter Gold mentioned And the Sky Full of Stars (S1, E8) and A Late Delivery from Avalon (S3, E13).
The audience pitched in with some of their favorites.
They held the panel in Taft C with 10 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I had a great time at Marcon Columbus Conference 2023. My star of the con was Geoffrey Landis for his spaceship lecture and insights on another panel. I also attended Marcon in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024 and hope the con will return in 2026.
Links
I attended the Marcon Columbus Conference 2024 in Columbus, Ohio, from May 17, 2024, to May 19, 2024. They held the conference at Crowne Plaza North Hotel in Worthington, Ohio. I attended six panels at the con.
Recap for the SF Conference Marcon Columbus 2022 on May 7, 2022. They held the conference at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. I also attended Marcon in 2017, 2018, and 2019. I attended three panels and one concert at the 2022 conference.
Recap for SF Conference Marcon Columbus on May 11, 2019. They held it at Crowne Plaza – Columbus North. I also attended Marcon in 2017 and 2018. This year I attended four panels, a performance, and an interview.
Recap for SF Conference Marcon Columbus on May 13, 2017. They held the conference at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. I also attended Marcon in 2018 and 2019. I attended five panels at the 2017 conference.
I attended the Ice and Fire Conference 2023 at Mt. Sterling, Ohio, from April 28 to April 30, 2023. I originally had a ticket for the Ice and Fire Con 2020, but they canceled it because of COVID-19. They focus the conference on the works of George R. R. Martin. Especially the Game of Thrones series, including his other works in the world of Westeros. The HBO series called House of the Dragon is an example and the first season released on August 21, 2022. I did attend the 2022 conference. In 2023, I attended two panels, the musical named Queens, and the closing ceremonies. This year’s theme was Ten Years Ago, since the first conference was held ten years before this conference.
This is a link to the Ice and Fire Conference website.
This is my badge for Ice and Fire Con 2023, Ten Years Ago.
Summary
Ice and Fire Conference 2023 Recap
Friday, April 28th at 7 PM
Musical: Queens: A Dream of Endings:
In 2018 and 2019 conventions they presented Westeros: a parody musical featuring the Game of Thrones story and lyrics, with the music from the Broadway musical Hamilton. Link below.
In 2022 they presented Queens: a parody musical featuring the Game of Thrones story and lyrics, with the music from the Broadway musical Six (The six wives of Henry the VIII). Link below.
In 2023 they presented Queens: A Dream of Spring: an update of the 2022 show.
[Note: Parody songs in quotes and original songs in parentheses.]
It started with The Targaryan succession song with Bloodraven as the narrator.
All six Queens with Euron as the DJ. “Queens” (Ex-wives)
The six queens are Cersei, Margaery, Asha (Yara), Arianne, Danerys, and Sansa.
Cersei singing “No Shame” (No Way)
Margaery singing “Don’t Blow This Up” (Don’t Lose Your Head)
Asha singing “Seastone Throne” (Heart of Stone)
Arianne singing “Haus of Blackfyre” (Haus of Holbein)
The Young Griff sidebar singing “Swipe Left”
Arianne singing “Unbowed” (Get Down)
Daenerys singing “I was Born to Rule” (All You Wanna Do)
Sansa singing “I Don’t Need Your Throne” (I Don’t Need Your Love)
The Six Queens Finale sing “A Dream of Endings” (Six)
They held the panel in the Grand Ballroom with about 180 attendees.
Saturday, April 29th at 12 PM
Behind Queens Panel with most of the performers from the musical from Friday:
The panel talked about the ideas that led to the musical. They wanted to do another musical to follow Westeros which was performed in 2018 and 2019. Their first idea was The Night King Cometh. Then they saw the Broadway musical named Six, about the six wives of Henry VIII on March 1, 2000. The first idea coming from Six was to use the six wives of Maegor, but that didn’t seem right. Then COVID happened and postponed everything. They came back after COVID with the idea of using six the Queens of Westeros. That led to the musical performed in 2022 and 2023.
They held the performance in the Grand Ballroom with 20 attendees.
Sunday, April 30th at 12 PM
What to Expect from HotD Season 2 Panel with four panelists:
Two panelists were from the Radio Westeros podcast, and two panelists were from the History of Westeros podcast.
The panelists did a quick recap of season 1 and wondered if four seasons would complete the show. They wondered if they were going to do the Jace and Sarah Snow plotline in Winterfell at the beginning of season 2. They mentioned the new cast members, Blood and Cheese, Alys Rivers, Gwayne Hightower, Simon Strong, and Alyn of Hull. Since they announced there were only 8 episodes this season and no cast information for Daeron Targaryan, they suspected that they were cutting out the Western storyline this season.
They wondered how and when these plot points would be used in the season; Daemon takes Harrenhall, the fight between the Brackens and the Blackwoods at the Burning Mill, and Alys Rivers use of magic. Where would the Rook’s Rest battle be inserted. Were they putting the Battle of the Gullett in episode 7 or 8? (actually, they moved it to episode 1 of Season 3)
They wondered about what the show would do about Alicent and Rhaenyra going forward in the show since their involvement declines as the source material continues.
They held the panel in the Scarlett Oak Room with 40 attendees.
Sunday, April 30th at 1 PM
Closing Ceremonies with the con runners and guests:
They talked about the winners of the costume parade, the performance contest and the Tourney of Champions. Not every winner was there, but the awards were appreciated. Tara the conference chair said that she was moving out of state and couldn’t spend the time necessary running the conference in 2024. She hoped that someone would continue the conference in 2025
They held the ceremonies in the Scarlett Oak Room with 50 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Ice and Fire Conference 2023 was fabulous. My star of the con was the musical performance of Queens (a parody of the Broadway show named Six). All six queens sang wonderfully, and all the other characters performed well. I haven’t seen the Broadway show named Six, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this show. At the time it was expressed that there would not be a conference in 2024. There was none in 2025 and I haven’t heard about 2026. I’m sad to see this con go, especially since House of the Dragon Season Three and Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season One are due to be released in 2026. The legacy of Game of Thrones continues, and I wish this conference had as well.
Links
My post about the SF conference Ice and Fire 2022 Conference on Apr 23 and 24. The theme was A Dream of Spring. My stars of the con were The Manimals Band and the Guest of Honor David J. Peterson.
ConFusion Detroit was a con I attended this year that is like the Ice and Fire Con. I attended the SF conference named ConFusion at 21111 Haggerty Road Novi, Michigan at the Sheraton Detroit Novi from January 21, 2022, to January 23, 2020. ConFusion Detroit 2020 was the last in-person con I attended. I have attended only virtual cons in the last two years. ConFusion 2022 was my next in-person con after that.The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsored ConFusion Detroit 2022. I attended the opening ceremonies, three panels, two lectures, one reading, and one interview. This year’s theme was rising confusion. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, the con returned from a two-year absence.
The last in-person conference I attended before Confusion Detroit 2022 was Confusion Detroit 2020. They canceled the con in 2021. They held it in the same place in 2022, with strict masks and vaccination policies in effect. I felt the con went well and enjoyed my attendance. I have two stars of the con. Author Guest of Honor Jim C. Hines gave a spirited reading of his short story, The Creature in Your Neighborhood, and an insightful interview by Black Gate Magazine. My other star of the con was Dr. Jordan Steckloff for the two lectures and the panel I attended he participated in.
I attended the Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference from July 25 to 27, 2025 They held the conference at 1160 Thorn Run Road Coraopolis, PA in the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. COVID-19 changed the conference to a virtual con named C’monfluence in 2020 which I viewed online. The Parsec organization of Pittsburgh runs this literary science fiction, fantasy, and horror conference. The events included panels, readings, interviews, writing workshops, and filk concerts. I attended the opening ceremonies, five panels, two readings, and a concert.
They held the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport.
Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025 Program Guide Cover
Picture of my badge from Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025
Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference Recap
Summary
Friday, July 25th at 7 PM
Opening Ceremonies
Conchair Kevin Hayes thanked the people for coming to the con and then he gave a gift bag to Cat Rambo, the Guest of Honor Writer.
Charles Oberndorf talked about the writing workshops offered during the con.
Christine Benner-Dixon talked about the short story writing contest.
Randy Hoffman talked about the musical guests featured for the con.
Then the audience sang “Three Days Away from the Rat Race.”
They held the ceremonies in Ballroom 1 with 35 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 11 AM
To the Solar System and the Stars: Future Space Drives with Robert Lohman and Geoffrey Landis
Science comes first. Rockets push against themselves, getting mass to speed by throwing mass out.
There are two types of propulsion needed, surface to orbit and orbit to elsewhere.
Ion drives and plasma drives need electricity to operate.
Solar power can get you to the asteroid belt, you can use laser beam from satellites to go beyond.
Fusion has been always 20 years in the future. SF literature wants fusion to work.
To get around the problem, SF authors use wormholes and warp drive.
Maybe the best possible way to the stars is star sails.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth East Room with 27 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 12 PM
The New Space Opera with Rich Horton, Marie Vibbert, Cat Rambo, and Larry Ivkovich
Space opera features high stakes grand adventure with action and spectacle. An example from the past are the stories in the Galactic Empires anthology, edited by Brian Aldiss.
Other examples are The Centauri Device, The Culture series by Ian M. Banks, and the Lensmen book by E. E. Smith.
Recommended novels are Secret of Sinharat by Leigh Brackett, Alistair Reynolds Revelation Space series, Space Opera by Cat Valente, and The Star Virus by Barrington Baily.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 28 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 1 PM
It was 50 years ago today: The Science Fiction of 1975 with Rich Horton, Charles Oberndorf, Greg Feeley, Geoffrey Landis, and Mary Turzillo
There were many interesting novels published in 1975.
Venus on the Half-Shell by Phillip Jose Farmer
The Deep by John Crowley
Hello Summer, Goodbye by Michael Coney
Child of all Ages by P. J. Plauger
Four novels from 1975 were considered important at the time.
Shockwave Rider by John Brunner as a precursor to the Cyber Punk movement in SF.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman as a response to Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein and as using the Vietnam War as a metaphor.
The Female Man by Joanna Russ as a feminist exposition.
Dhalgren by Samual Delaney as an exploration of race, gender, and sexuality.
A trend that was still going strong in 1975 was the publishing of short story anthologies. Orbit, New Dimensions, and Universe were some of those printed in 1975.
They held the panel in the Commonwealth West Room with 20 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 2 PM
Reading by Marie Vibbert
She read Chapters 21 and 1 from her latest novel Andrei and the Hellcats (Galactic Hellcats #2)
An unpublished Flash Fiction titled, “At the Library of Peace.”
A poem from her notebook titled, “My Bio.”
They held the reading in the Solstice Room with 11 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 3 PM
Guest of Honor Talk with Cat Rambo
They decided not to read their SWFA speech, instead reading their We Live in Interesting Times Speech from off their phone.
After the speech, they had a short Q and A session.
Interesting information from the Q and A was they like Hope Punk, their favorite food is Mac Cheese, and they find volunteering rewarding.
They held the talk in Ballroom 1 with 57 attendees.
Saturday, July 26th at 5 PM
Concert with WASD.
Normally, the band has four members but most of them couldn’t make the con, but the guitar player was there. He played all the guitar parts live with recorded backing music. The band plays metal renditions of classic PC game soundtracks. They play selected screenshots from the games on a screen behind them.
He played ten selections in the concert. My favorite three tracks where from 1983 Space Quest III (Sierra Online Games), 1998 Balder’s Gate (Bioware Games), and 1990 Secret of Monkey Island (Lucasfilms Games).
They held the concert in Ballroom 1 with 18 attendees.
Sunday, July 27th at 11 AM
A Titan Sample Return Mission with Geoffrey Landis
He talked about a proposed mission to Titan with the possibility of a sample return to Earth. Phase I of the idea was to send a submarine to cruise the Kraken Mare. Phase II used a copter to raise the launch vehicle for the return mission.
They held the lecture in the Commonwealth West Room with 22 attendees.
Sunday, July 27th at 12 PM
Reading by Cat Rambo
They read Chapter 1 from their work in progress titled, “The Pragmatic Necromancer.”
It is a novel in the Dungeons and Dragons model.
They held the reading in the Solstice Room with 7 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Confluence Pittsburgh 2025 Conference Recap from July 25 to 27, 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel. I attended 9 presentations.
I’m glad I attended the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2025. My stars of the con were Cat Rambo and Marie Vibbert. Cat Rambo had a great Guest of Honor interview, a powerful reading, and was insightful and memorable in the panel of hers that I attended. Marie Vibbert had an interesting reading and was engaging in the panel I watched. I attended the opening ceremonies, five panels, two readings, and a concert. My other highlights were the 50 years ago panel and the concert performed by WASD. I also attended the conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. I hope to attend Confluence in 2026.
Links
Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference Recap from July 26 to 28, 2024, at the Sheraton Hotel. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. I attended 2 panels, 1 reading, and a concert.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference in Pittsburgh on July 30, 2022, at the Sheraton. I also attended Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I attended 3 panels, two readings, an improv comedy show, a concert, and the guest of honor presentation
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh held virtually from 10-02-20 to 10-04-20. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, three readings, one presentation, the guest of honor presentation, and the conference breakdown.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh on July 27 & 28, 20, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I also attended Confluence in ‘16, ‘17, and ‘18. I attended five panels, two fiction writing workshops, and the guest of honor presentation
They held the Confluence Conference from July 27, 2018, to July 29, 2018, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended two lectures, two panels, one fiction writing seminar, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
They held the Confluence Conference from August 4 to August 6, 2017, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended seven panels, one writing workshop, one author reading, and the guest of honor presentation.
Recap for the Confluence SF Conference on July 30 and July 31, 2016, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel. I attended 15 panels and the U.S.S. Improvise improv sketch comedy routine.
I attended the 38th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference 2025 on March 25, 2023. They held the Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at the William N. Skirball writer’s center at the branch. It was a one-day event with an introduction, a keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, and one first-page critique panel.
Deanna R. Adams is the conference coordinator and Laurie Kincer is the librarian in charge of the writer’s center.
Laurie explained how they set up the library, where the three meeting rooms were located, and about the door prizes available at 4 PM. Deanna introduced the keynote speaker, justin a. reynolds.
They held the welcome and conference overview in the meeting room A/B/C with about 134 attendees.
Saturday, March 25th at 9:40 AM
Keynote Speaker Topic: Building a Writing Community.
The keynote speaker was Abby L. Vandiver. She is a self-published author of twenty novels plus several other books traditionally published.
Abby worked at Cleveland Clinic but lost her job and decided to write a book. She is a hybrid author publishing both self and traditionally. The way to success is when you tell yourself that I am a writer.
She learned certain truths of writing life. We have doubts and that’s ok. We strive for perfection even though that is impossible. Staring at the computer is part of your job. We are reluctant to show our work until it is just right, but that is the wrong way. Get it out there, share your work.
Find out what you need to get you in the mood to write and do that.
Find your reason why you write. Sharing is important to finding your tribe of like-minded readers and writers. Find a challenge partner and your community.
They held the talk in the meeting room A/B/C with about 134 attendees.
Saturday, March 25th at 3:00 PM
Breakout Session: Writing a Book in 30 Days.
The presenter was Abby L. Vandiver. She is a self-published and traditionally published author.
Abby writes mysteries (dead bodies) and trillers (potential dead bodies). There’s nothing new under the sun, so you need to find a hook. Writing is hard but NANOWRIMO could help kickstart you with the goal of writing 50 thousand words in a month.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Find your balance. What aspects do you need to write a novel? Think about story, research, characters, plot, setting, and point of view.
Main reasons that novels are left unfinished are unsure of direction to go, missing character motivation, lack of self-motivation, and seeking perfection. Get that first draft written, then you will have something to edit.
Reread a book you like and think about its construction as a writer to help you in your writing journey. Know your ending so you know where you are going.
They held the talk in the writer’s center meeting room with about 40 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I enjoyed attending the Western Reserve Writers Conference 2023. I also attended the conference in 2019, 2022, 2023 (they canceled the conference in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19), 2024, and 2025. My Star of the Con was Abby L. Vandiver. Both of her talks were well thought out and inspiring.
Links
I attended the 40th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference on March 22, 2025. They held the Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at the William N. Skirball writer’s center at the branch. It was a one-day event with an introduction, a keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, and one first-page critique panel.
I enjoyed attending the Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024. I also attended the conference in 2019, 2022, 2023 (they canceled the conference in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19), and 2024. My Star of the Con was J. Thorn. He had some brilliant advice for beginning writers.
This is my Recap for the Western Reserve Writers Conference on March 23, 2024, where I attended the introduction, the keynote speaker presentation and a breakout session. The Cuyahoga County Public Library held the conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch.
This is my Recap for the Western Reserve Writers Conference on March 26, 2022, where I attended the introduction, a keynote speaker, and two breakout sessions. The Cuyahoga County Public Library held the conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch.
I attended the 36th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference on April 27, 2019. They held the Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at the William N. Skirball writer’s center at the branch. It was a one-day event with an introduction, a keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, and one first-page critique panel. I attended the introduction, a keynote speaker, and two breakout sessions. I thought The Western Reserve Writers Conference was well run, diverse in the presentations offered, and informative. My Star of the Con was Bree Barton. Her presentation was fun, the exercises were useful, and I liked her personality.
I attended the 34th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference on September 23, 2017. I could not attend last year. This is a link to my review of the 2017 conference.
I attended the SF conference, Cleveland Concoction, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 17 to 19, 2023. I attended Cleveland Concoction in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025. (2020, 2021, and 2022 were canceled due to COVID-19).I attended the opening ceremony, seven panels, three concerts, one performance, the state of the convention meeting, and the closing ceremonies.
Marie Vibbert read “Things from our kitchen junk drawer that could save this spaceship.” It was first published in Daily Science Fiction, but is also on her website linked below.
They held the panel in the Hayes C & D Room with 7 attendees.
Saturday, March 18 at 3:30 PM
A Concert by The Harp Twins
This was the second of three concerts they performed this weekend.
They played nine selections.
A song by the Proclaimers
The Twins and the Troll (an original Harp Twins song)
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Death Vault (an original Harp Twins song)
Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden
Viking Song featuring the Volk Twins (drummers)
Nordic Solstice
The Game of Thrones Theme
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones
They held the concert in the Pegasus Room with 110 attendees. (A Full House)
Saturday, March 18 at 7 PM
Quitting Your Day Job, a panel with J. D. Blackrose, Joelle Presby, Olivia Berrier, and Linda Robertson Reinhardt.
They talked about their background leading to writing for a living.
You have some power in knowing your followers by putting out newsletters, but not on Facebook and Twitter.
Remember that anything that works today will not work in the future, it changes constantly.
Word of mouth is the best advertisement ever.
Doing conventions generates 90 % of her sales.
They held the panel in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 11 AM
A Concert by The Harp Twins
This was the third of three concerts they performed this weekend.
The first five songs were audience choice songs. The song in brackets is the one not chosen.
They played nine selections.
1. Dr, Who Theme [Theme of Fairy Tale]
2. Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac [House of the Rising sun by The Animals]
Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics [Sweet Child of Mine by Guns ‘n Roses]
Secret of the Sirens [Wolf Lullaby]
Dream On by Aerosmith [Clocks by Coldplay]
Viking Song featuring the Volk Twins (drummers)
Legend of the Shaders (an original Harp Twins song)
The Game of Thrones Theme
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones
They held the concert in the Pegasus Room with 65 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 1 PM
The State of the Convention
Almost every convention head was there for the talk.
Many open volunteer positions.
There were about 250 people who attended the con this year.
They held the discussion in the Pegasus Room with 12 attendees.
Sunday, March 19 at 2 PM
Closing Ceremonies
Eric Hogg, the con chair, Stan Paulson from Security, and the person from Ops did a post-con talk.
They said they were working on planning for next year, with dates coming soon.
The Cosplay Guests of Honor and the Harp Twins were in the first row watching the talk.
The bottom line is that Concoction has risen from the dead following three years with no con due to COVID complications.
Looking forward to next year.
They held the ceremonies in the Hayes C&D room with 37 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Conference Recap Cleveland Concoction 2023
Cleveland Concoction 2023 was wonderful. The Bertram Conference center is nice. My stars of the con were the Harp Twins. I watched each of their three concerts at the con and each performance was great. It was interesting to see that the first half of each performance was different, and the second half was the same. My other highlights were the Confused Greenies performance and State of the Con panel. I attended the con in 2024 and 2025, and I plan on attending next year.
Links
I attended the SF conference, Cleveland Concoction, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 7 to 9, 2025. I attended 11 activities. My star of the con was Marie Vibbert. The con returns in March 2026.
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland Concoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 8 to 10, 2024. I attended the opening ceremony, eight panels, two author showcases, and the closing ceremony. This year’s theme was the Neverending dungeon. My star of the con was Becca Lynn Mathis. The con returns from March 7 to March 9, 2025.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland Concoction 2019, at 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora, Ohio, at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 1 to 3, 2019. I attended the opening ceremony, four panels, and the closing ceremony. This is a link to my conference recap. I also volunteered in the Programming Department for four hours and in the ConSuite for four hours.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland Concoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 9, 2018, to March 11, 2018. The 2019 convention was from March 1 to 3, 2019 and I realized as I was writing a recap for that conference, I had not posted a recap for the 2018 conference. This is a recap for the conference from last year. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, two author showcases, a performance, and the closing ceremony. I also volunteered in the ConSuite for eight hours.
This is my recap for the SF conference Cleveland Concoction from 2017. They held it from March 10, 2017, to March 12, 2017. I attended nine activities and volunteered in the ConSuite for twelve hours.
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 7 to 9, 2025. I also attended Cleveland ConCoction in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024. (2020, 2021, and 2022 were canceled due to COVID-19).I attended the opening ceremony, seven panels, two author showcases, and the state of the convention meeting. This year’s tag line was Race Back to The Castle. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie Back to the Future and the 40th anniversary of the Super Mario Brothers Nintendo platform game.
Mogchelle the emcee (she was also a cosplay guest, dressed as Beetlejuice at this ceremony) introduced the guests and staffers at the con. Marie Vibbert was the author guest of honor, Big Girl Little World was a cosplay guest (dressed as a shrunken head employee from Beetlejuice Beetlejiuce), the duo LoRTH were cosplay guests, and Eric Hogg was the Con Chair.
They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 20 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 6 PM
Author Showcase with Barbara Doran, Becca Lynn Mathis, Megan R. Engelhardt, and Vik Walker
Each author read for 15 minutes. Vik Walker read from their paranormal romance. Barbara Doran read from her novel, The Book Hunter’s Apprentice. Becca Lynn Mathis read from her novel, Wound Shadows. Megan R. Englehardt read from her novel, The Way We Used to Walk.
They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 7 PM
Finish the Novel, a panel with Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Marie Vibbert, Charlie Oberndorf, and J. D. Blackrose.
Tips and tricks for productive, sustainable writing practices. Oberndorf said that the key to finishing a novel is to find the heart of your story to get to the ending. Blackrose said that you must find a way to write out of the issue you are stuck on. It’s important you have a writing habit. A novel is a marathon, not a sprint.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 4 attendees.
Friday, March 7 at 8 PM
Paths to Publishing, a panel with Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Becca Lynn Mathis, David F. Balog, and J. D. Blackrose.
The modern landscape of publishing and cultivating an audience. Mathis used Wattpad to get her work out there. She also said to get on social media, Facebook and Instagram for the older crowd, and Tik Rok and Tumblr for the younger crowd. Mathis said that you need to remember that you need at least 25 Amazon reviews to get into the Amazon Algorithm.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 6 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 10 AM
Using Flashbacks/ Flash Forwards in Writing, a panel with Weston Kincade, Barbara Doran, David F. Balog, and J. D. Blackrose.
Is it a good idea? Make sure you don’t leave your reader in the wrong century. Blackrose said that it is important to keep your flashbacks short, so you don’t lose the narrative flow of your main story. Balog and Doran both said to start in mid-action and then flash back for your backstory.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 12 PM
Building a Writing Habit, a panel with Cindy A. Mathews, J. D. Blackrose, Charlie Oberndorf, and Megan R. Engelhardt.
Step-by-step talking about finding the barriers keeping you from writing and how to overcome them. Oberndorf suggests writing early in the morning, deadlines help you focus and create a rhythm in your writing habit. Blackrose said that it helped her to have a part-time and flexible work schedule. Oberndorf said that stories are about things going wrong, start there.
They held the panel in the Presidential Board Room with 5 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 2 PM
No Hero Does It Alone, a panel with A. J. Mathews, Vik Walker, Weston Kincade, Alan Bailey, Sama Cleveland, and Cindy Mathews.
Writing standout sidekicks and side characters. Question: What are the equalities of a well written sidekick? Cindy Mathews said they are less informed but have a complementary talent for the hero. Walker said they can bring humor or serve as a mentor to the hero. Question: The uses of a sidekick. Cindy Mathews said that the sidekick can propel the plot forward. Question: Who is your Favorite Sidekick? A. J. Mathews, Samwell in Lord of the Rings, Cindy Mathews, Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes series, and Kincade, Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series,
They held the panel in the Hayes A Roomwith 6 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 4 PM
Going From Short Story to Novel, a panel with Cindy Mathews, Marcus Cook, Marcus Calvert, and Megan R. Englehardt.
It’s not just about adding adjectives. Calvert said you can learn the craft to write-by-writing short stories. Mathews said a short story has a limited premise solving a smaller problem than a novel. The audience asked for a definition of a short story. The answer was under ten thousand words. Calvert said to aim for a three-thousand-word short story which takes about ten minutes to read.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 10 attendees.
Saturday, March 8 at 5 PM
Plantsing vs Pottsing, a panel with A. J. Mathews, Evan Dicken, Jahrod K. Anderson, Tory Gates, and Clif Flynt.
Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? Panelists discuss the pros and cons of careful plot outlines, bullet points, pitch, spreadsheets, and other ways to get from blank screen to a finished story. Flynt is a plotter and brought a ten-foot-long sheet of paper where he had written out the plotting of one of his novels. Mathews said that you need all your plot points before writing murder mysteries. Gates said he gets ideas first, then writes character sketches, then a synopsis/timeline, and only then does he write the narrative. Dicken said that he writes IP novels, so he must submit an outline before he can start writing. Anderson said he is a pantser by nature, so he feels that detailed outlining stifles his creativity.
They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 16 attendees.
Sunday, March 9 from 10 AM
The State of the Convention
Wasn’t this a great weekend? No? Come tell us (gently) why and we’ll tell you what’s been going on with the Con. Seven members of the convention committee were present. They were former Con Chair Laura, Amy Schman from Programing, Eric Hogg the Con Chair and Hotel Liaison, Stan Paulson from Security, Sin from Operations, Ashley Berry from Publicity, and Casey Taylor from Gaming. Concoction is the second biggest event at the Bertram this year, the first is Twinsfest in Twinsburg. They plan to develop an anime track to attract younger attendees. The committee always need volunteers. They wondered if a book club would be beneficial to the Con.
They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 8 attendees
Sunday, March 9 at 11 AM
Author Showcase with Weston Kincade, David F. Balog, and Geoffry Landis.
Listen to your favorite authors read excepts from newly released and soon to be released works. Find your next great read. Ask questions and discover the world behind the books. Balog read a chapter from his novel, The Necromancer’s Sorrow. (Note: Balog has the owl Glitter featured in his books perched on his shoulder.) Kincade read the short story “Permadrunk” from his collection, Tales from the Box. Geoffrey Landis (Mary Turzillo was scheduled for the showcase but she was sick, not COVID, and he substituted for her.) read three poems. Kincade read a poem from his collection. Balog read a preface/poem from his novel.
They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 8 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025
ConCoction 2025 was wonderful. The Bertram Conference center is nice. The con was held previously at the Airport Sheraton which was torn down this year. My star of the con was Marie Vibbert, the last-minute Author Guest of Honor. I saw her in one panel, attending several panels, and giving a reading in the Consuite. My other highlights were seeing Weston Kincade and David F. Balog who were both on panels and in an author showcase. I’m planning on attending next year.
Links
Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025
I attended the SF conference called Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 8 to 10, 2024. I attended the opening ceremony, eight panels, two author showcases, and the closing ceremony. This year’s theme was the Neverending dungeon. My star of the con was Becca Lynn Mathis. The con returns from March 7 to March 9, 2025.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction 2019 at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 1 to 3, 2019. I attended the opening ceremony, four panels, and the closing ceremony. This is a link to my conference recap. I also volunteered in the Programming Department for four hours and in the ConSuite for four hours.
I attended the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction at 600 North Aurora Road Aurora, Ohio at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center from March 9, 2018, to March 11, 2018. The 2019 convention was from March 1 to 3, 2019 and I realized as I was writing a recap for that conference, I had not posted a recap for the 2018 conference. This is a recap for the conference from last year. I attended the opening ceremony, five panels, two author showcases, a performance, and the closing ceremony. I also volunteered in the ConSuite for eight hours.
This is my recap for the SF conference Cleveland ConCoction from 2017. They held it from March 10, 2017, to March 12, 2017. Attended nine activities and volunteered in the ConSuite for twelve hours.
I attended the 40th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference 2025 on March 22, 2025. They held the Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at the William N. Skirball Writer’s Center at the branch. It was a one-day event with an introduction, a keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, and one first-page critique panel.
Deanna R. Adams is the conference coordinator and Laurie Kincer is the librarian in charge of the writer’s center.
Laurie explained how they set up the library, where the three meeting rooms were located, and about the door prizes available at 4 PM. Deanna introduced the keynote speaker, justin a. reynolds.
They held the welcome and conference overview in the meeting room A/B/C with about 100 attendees.
Saturday, March 22nd at 9:45 AM
Keynote Speaker: The Long and Twisty Road.
The keynote speaker was justin a. reynolds, the 2025 Cuyahoga County Public Library Writer in Residence. He writes YA novels and graphic novels.
His mother was a librarian, and he spent much of his youth in the library. He was always a reader and wanted to write. justin remembered moving the books in the literary section where his books would go that he wrote in the future. He says that if you write, you are a writer. His biggest key to success is perseverance. He enjoys giving back by teaching at the Interlochen Writing Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. His best advice is to show up to the page and just write. Give yourself permission to fail and trust your voice.
They held the talk in the meeting room A/B/C with about 130 attendees.
Saturday, March 22nd at 10:30 AM
Breakout Session: Inside the Industry.
The presenter was J. Thorn. He is a self-published author.
The talk’s subtitle was: A Q and A with Veteran and Independent Author, J. Thorn.
This was the theme of his talk. It’s never been a better time to be a writer than now, just don’t expect to get paid for your work. You need to find out what you want out of writing and go for that satisfaction. He talked about the differences between writing non-fiction and fiction. He talked about the differences in publishing traditionally and independently. The threat of AI to the writing community came up in the Q and A session. Readers may want to read a human writing for humans instead of AI.
You can find J. Thorn on the following websites.
(Jthorn.net) and (theauthorlife.com)
They held the talk in the writer’s center meeting room with about 24 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I enjoyed attending the Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024. I also attended the conference in 2019, 2022, 2023 (they canceled the conference in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19), and 2024. My Star of the Con was J. Thorn. He had some brilliant advice for beginning writers.
Links
This is my Recap for the Western Reserve Writers Conference on March 23, 2024, where I attended the introduction, the keynote speaker presentation, and a breakout session. The Cuyahoga County Public Library held the conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch.
This is my Recap for the Western Reserve Writers Conference on March 26, 2022, where I attended the introduction, a keynote speaker, and two breakout sessions. The Cuyahoga County Public Library held the conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch.
I attended the 36th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference on April 27, 2019. They held the Conference at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library at the William N. Skirball Writer’s Center at the branch. It was a one-day event with an introduction, a keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, and one first-page critique panel. I attended the introduction, a keynote speaker, and two breakout sessions. I thought The Western Reserve Writers Conference was well run, diverse in the presentations offered, and informative. My Star of the Con was Bree Barton. Her presentation was fun, the exercises were useful, and I liked her personality.
I attended the 34th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference on September 23, 2017. I could not attend last year. This is a link to my review of the 2017 conference.
I attended the Confusion Detroit 2023 Conference at 21111 Haggerty Road Novi, Michigan at the Sheraton Detroit Novi from January 20, 2023, to January 22, 2023. Other Confusion Detroit I also attended were in 2019, 2020, (2021 was canceled due to COVID-19), 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsored the conference. I attended the opening ceremonies, the guests of honor dessert reception, two panels, and three author readings. This year’s theme was Avatar: The Legend of Confusion celebrating the animated version of the Avatar TV show.
The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors Detroit ConFusion.
This is my badge for ConFusion Detroit 2023.
Summary
ConFusion Detroit 2023 Conference Recap
[insert summary here]
Recommendation – Conclusion
[insert recommendation here.]
Links
This is my post about ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference from January 24 to 26, 2025. The theme was Monumental ConFusion for the 50th time they held the event. My stars of the con were John Scalzi and Marie Vibbert.
This is my post about the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 19 to 21, 2024. The theme was the Labyrinth of ConFusion. My star of the con was Author John Scalzi.
In January 2023, I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan. I finally completed the post here. It took awhile to find my notes on the conference.
Links Continued
I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 21 to 23, 2022. The theme was Rising ConFusion. My stars of the con were Guest of Honor author Jim C. Hines and Science Guest of Honor Dr. Jordan Steckloff.
I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 16 to 19, 2020. I attended four panels, two readings, and one interview. The theme of the con was How to Train Your ConFusion, based on the movie, How to Train Your Dragon. My star of the con was John Scalzi. He gave an excellent reading of Chapter Two of his upcoming book named The Last Emperox. My other highlights were Kameron Hurley’s interview and the lecture on Edible Insects and Human Evolution. I’ll be back next year.
I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 18 to 20, 2019. The theme of the con was Storming the ConFusion, so they chose the areas with names related to the movie The Princess Bride. I had a great drive to Detroit just before the snowstorm came. My star of the con was John Scalzi. He gave an excellent reading and was engaging in the panel I attended. My other highlights were Ada Palmer’s interview and watching The Princess Bride at the Con. I’ll be back next year.
