Conferences Archives - Gary David Gillen

Conference Recap Cleveland Concoction 2023

Introduction

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.

The link to the Concoction website.

http://www.clevelandconcoction.org/

Concoction 2023 Banner

Cleveland Concoction 2023 Program Guide Cover

ConCoction 2023 Badge

Bertram Inn and Conference Center

Summary

Friday, March 17 at 2 PM

Mistakes Beginning Authors Make 1.0, a panel with Linda Robertson Reinhardt, Marcus V. Calvert, J. D. Blackrose, Joelle Presby, and Tory Gates.

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They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 8 attendees.

Friday, March 17 at 3 PM

Animal Sidekicks, a panel with Cassandra Morgan, Addie J. King, Olivia Berrier, James Fadeley, and David F. Balog.

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They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 12 attendees.

Friday, March 17 at 5 PM

The Opening Ceremonies.

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They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 40 attendees.

Friday, March 17 at 6 PM

A Concert by The Harp Twins

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They held the showcase in the Pegasus Room with 60 attendees.

Friday, March 17 at 8 PM

Flash Fiction, a panel with Olivia Berrier, Weston Kincaide, and Marie Vibbert.

[Insert Summary Here]

They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.

Saturday, March 18 at 10 AM

Mistakes Beginning Authors Make 2.0, a panel with Jason R. Lady, Marie Vibbert, James Fadeley, and Clif Flynt.

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They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 10 attendees.

Saturday, March 18 at 12 PM

Difficulties in Dating, a performance with The Confused Greenies.

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They held the showcase in the Pegasus Room with 12 attendees.

Saturday, March 18 at 1 PM

Star Maps and Alternate Earths, a panel with Andy Presby

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They held the showcase in the Hayes C & D Room with 7 attendees.

Saturday, March 18 at 3:30 PM

A Concert by The Harp Twins

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They held the showcase 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.

[Insert Summary Here]

They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 7 attendees.

Sunday, March 19 at 10 AM

Structuring Your Story, a panel with Evan Graham, Marie Vibbert, Weston Kincade, and Tony Gates.

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They held the showcase in Hayes A Room with 9 attendees.

Sunday, March 19 at 11 AM

A Concert by The Harp Twins

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They held the showcase in the Pegasus Room with 65 attendees.

Sunday, March 19 at 1 PM

The State of the Convention

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They held the showcase in the Pegasus Room with 12 attendees.

Sunday, March 19 at 2 PM

Closing Ceremonies

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They held the showcase in the Hayes C&D room with 37 attendees.

Recommendation – Conclusion

Conference Recap Cleveland Concoction 2023

[Insert Recommendation Here]

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.

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2024

Links Continued

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2019

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2018

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2017

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025

Introduction

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 40^th anniversary of the release of the movie Back to the Future and the 40^th anniversary of the Super Mario Brothers Nintendo platform game.

ConCoction 2025 Banner

Cleveland ConCoction 2025 Program Guide Cover

ConCoction 2025 Badge

The link to the ConCoction website.

http://www.clevelandconcoction.org/

Bertram Inn and Conference Center

Summary

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2025

Friday, March 7 at 5 PM

The Opening Ceremonies.

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 Room with 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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2024

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2019

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2018

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2017

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2025

Introduction

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.

This is the link to the Cuyahoga County Library.

https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org

This is the link to the writer’s center at the library branch.

https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Services/William-N-Skirball-Writers-Center.aspx

Summary

Saturday, March 22nd at 9:30 AM

Welcome and Conference Overview

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.

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024

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.

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2022

I attended the 36^th 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.

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2019

I attended the 34^th 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.

The Western Reserve Writers Conference

Confusion Detroit 2023 Conference Recap

Introduction

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.

This is a link to the ConFusion website.

http://confusionsf.org/

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 50^th time they held the event. My stars of the con were John Scalzi and Marie Vibbert.

ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference

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.

ConFusion Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

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.

ConFusion Detroit 2022 Conference Recap

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.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2020

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.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2019

ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference

ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference Recap

Introduction

I attended the ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference at 21111 Haggerty Road Novi, Michigan at the Sheraton Detroit Novi from January 24, 2025, to January 26, 2025. I also attended ConFusion Detroit in 2019, 2020, (2021 was canceled due to COVID-19), 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association Sponsored the conference. I attended the opening ceremonies, the guests of honor dessert reception, three panels, a concert, and two author readings. This year’s theme was Monumental Confusion celebrating the fiftieth time they have put on the conference.

This is a link to the ConFusion website.

http://confusionsf.org/

The Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association sponsors Detroit ConFusion.

This is my badge for ConFusion Detroit 2024.

[insert badge here]

Summary

ConFusion Detroit 2025 Conference Recap

[insert summary here]

Recommendation – Conclusion

[insert recommendation here.]

Links

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.

ConFusion Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

In January 2023, I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan. I still want to write a post about that.

ConFusion Detroit 2022 Conference Recap

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 con theme 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.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2020

I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan from January 18 to 20, 2019. The con’s theme 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.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2019

Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference

Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference Recap

Introduction

I attended the Confluence Pittsburgh 2024 Conference from July 26 to 28, 2024 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, and 2023. 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 two panels, one reading, and a concert.

The link to the Confluence website.

http://parsec-sff.org/confluence/

They held the Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport.

Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2024 Program Guide Cover

Picture of my badge from Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2024

Summary

Saturday, July 27th at 10 AM

The Challenges of Writing a Long Series panel with Richard Kadrey, Frederic Durbin, and Barbara Doran

[Insert comments here]

They held the panel in the Commonwealth East Room with 11 attendees.

Saturday, July 27th at 11 AM

Not Everything is a Series: The Best Stand-Alone Novels of the Last Decade panel with Rich Horton, Albert Wendland, Lawrence C. Connally, and Alan Bailey.

[Insert comments here]

They held the panel in the Commonwealth East Room with 13 attendees.

Saturday, July 27th at 12 PM

Reading by Marie Vibbert.

She talked about the three novels she has published. They are Megadeth, Galactic Hellcats, and the Gods Awoke.

She read three pieces at the reading.

She read the twelfth chapter of her novel Galatic Hellcats, published on March 9, 2021. The POV character was named Kieth the Worker.

Goodreads link to the novel named Galactic Hellcats.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53388150-galactic-hellcats

The second novel in the Galactic Hellcats series will be published in 2025.

Next, she read from a work-in-progress novel named Mars Strike.

Lastly, she read the third chapter of her novel The Gods Awoke.

Goodreads link to the novel named The Gods Awake.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61815780-the-gods-awoke

They held the reading in the Solstice Room with 4 attendees.

Saturday, July 27th at 12:30 PM

Concert with Gwendolyn Grace.

She performed her concert A Capella. She had a Harry Potter CD for sale named Houses of Hogwarts. The last song she performed was named Love Louder.

They held the concert in Ballroom 1 with 14 attendees.

Recommendation – Conclusion

[Insert Recommendation here]

Links

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

Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2022

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.

Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2020

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

Confluence Conference Pittsburgh 2019

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.

Confluence SF Conference Pittsburgh 2018

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.

Confluence Conference 2017

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.

Confluence 2016 Conference

Marcon Columbus Conference 2024

Marcon Columbus Conference 2024 Recap

Introduction

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. I also attended Marcon in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. They will not have Marcon in 2025. Hopefully, the con will return in 2026, and I plan to be there.

This is a link to the Marcon website.

https://www.marcon.org/home

This is a link to the Marcon Conference Facebook account.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/181050141046

This is my Badge for Marcon 2024.

This is a picture of the Dealer’s room banner.

Summary

Friday, May 17th at 8:00 PM

A panel with The Harp Twins and the Volkgang Twins

The Harp twins are identical twins who both play electric harps. They arrange their music. The Volkgang twins assisted them with percussion. In this panel, they talked about performing but did not perform at this time.

This is a link to their website which has a bio, links to buy their music, music videos, and a schedule of upcoming performances.

https://www.harptwins.com

They held the panel in Ballroom 4 with 30 attendees.

Saturday, May 18th at 10:00 AM

Dune Part 2 – Open Discussion, a panel with Lee Shamblin, Emily Lydic, and Ken Keisel.

The panel had an open discussion about the newly released film, Dune 2. They compared parts 1 and 2, the book’s adaption into film, and the impact of Florence Pugh’s arrival as the princess. The panel commented on the use of filming in infrared to get the interesting sequence that portrayed the Harkonnen home world. The panel also debated whether casting Christopher Walken as the Emperor was a mistake, distracting, or a genius.

They held the panel in Ballroom 1 with 10 attendees.

Saturday, May 18th at 11:00 AM

Science in Society, a panel with Geoffrey Landis, Rachael Thurston, Robert Lohman, and Charlotte Wolery.

The panel debated which scientific advances have made the most changes in social systems. Robert Lohman said chemistry, Rachel Thurston said vaccines, Geoffrey Landis said birth control and Charlotte Wolery said epigamic trauma.

They held the panel in Salon B with 10 attendees.

Sunday, May 19th at 10:00 AM

The Movies of Mel Brooks, a panel with Addie King, E. Davis, C. Mandragora, and Alyssa

The panel discussed their favorite movies by Mel Brooks. Do they still find them as funny as when they first watched them and why? Movies that came up were Spaceballs, Men in Tights, Blazing Saddles, History of the World Parts I and II, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, and High Anxiety.

They held the panel in Ballroom 3 with 8 attendees.

Sunday, May 19th at 12:00 PM

The Harp Twins, a concert with Camille Kitt and Kennerly Kitt.

The Harp twins are identical twins who both play electric harps. They arrange their music. I didn’t realize that they had moved the concert from 1 PM to 12 PM so I only caught their last song. Great performance like the others I have witnessed.

This is a link to their website which has a bio, links to buy their music, music videos, and a schedule of upcoming performances.

https://www.harptwins.com

They held the concert in Ballroom 4.

Sunday, May 19th at 1:00 PM

What is Evil, a panel with D. Wyatt Jr., C. Christoff, and R. Partington.

We all like to talk about evil, but what is evil really like? Is it a Godlike Sauron who simply wants to rule? Is it infinite sadism? Or perhaps is simply infinite selfishness? The panel discussed and tried to define evil for writers, readers, theologians, and would-be evil-doers.

They held the panel in Ballroom 3 with 8 attendees.

Recommendation – Conclusion

I had a great time at the Marcon Columbus Conference 2024. My stars of the con were The Harp Twins for their concert and Q and A session. I also attended Marcon in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 and hope the con will return in 2026.

Links

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.

Conference Marcon Columbus 2022

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 Marcon Conference 2019

Recap for SF Conference Marcon Columbus I attended on May 12, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. I attended four panels and two game shows.

Marcon Conference 2018

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.

Conference Recap Marcon Columbus 2017

PenguiCon Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

Introduction

I attended the SF conference named PenguiCon at 1275 South Huron Street Ypsilanti, Michigan at the Ann Arbor Marriott, Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest from April 26, 2024, to April 28, 2024. I attended the opening ceremonies, three panels, and one author reading. This year’s theme was Open Source.

This is a link to the Con website.

Home

This is my badge for PenguiCon Detroit 2024.

Summary

PenguiCon Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

Friday, April 26th at 6 PM

Welcome to PenguiCon Opening Ceremonies:

[Insert Summary Here]

They held the opening ceremonies in Auditorium 1 with 40 attendees.

Saturday, April 27th at 10 AM

Panel on The Good, The Bad, and The Yikes with Ericka Kahler and Michael W. Lucas:

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in Salon II with 16 attendees.

Saturday, April 27th at 11 AM

Panel on How I Make a Living Writing with Michael W. Lucas:

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in Salon IV with 8 attendees.

Saturday, April 27th at 12 PM

Reading with Author E.M. Anderson:

[Insert summary here]

They held the reading in the Elizabeth Ann A room with 4 attendees.

Saturday, April 27th at 1 PM

Demonstration: Fun With Chemistry with Professor X and Lady Ana

Unfortunately, the presenters couldn’t make it, so the demonstration was canceled. I was looking forward to this demonstration because I’m a Chemist and it sounded fun.

They would have had the demonstration in Conference E room with 10 attendees.

Saturday, April 27th at 5 PM

Panel on Write What You Know with E.M. Anderson:

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Conference B room with 17 attendees.

Recommendation – Conclusion

I felt the con went well and enjoyed my attendance. My star of the Con was the author E.M. Anderson. They read two chapters from different novels in their author reading and gave insightful comments on their panel about writing. I was looking forward to attending again in 2025, but I have recently heard that it was canceled.

Links

A Con like PenguiCon is the ConFusion Detroit Con. The links to my review of ConFusion Detroit Con that I have attended follows.

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.

ConFusion Detroit 2024 Conference Recap

In January 2023, I attended the SF conference ConFusion in Detroit, Michigan. I still want to write a post about that.

ConFusion Detroit 2022 Conference Recap

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 con theme 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, 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.

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2020

Conference Recap ConFusion Detroit 2019

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024

Introduction

I attended the 39th annual Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024 on March 23, 2024. 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.

This is the link to the Cuyahoga County Library.

https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org

This is the link to the writer’s center at the library branch.

https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Services/William-N-Skirball-Writers-Center.aspx

Summary

Saturday, March 23rd at 9:30 AM

Welcome and Conference Overview

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, Brandi Larsen.

They held the welcome and conference overview in the meeting room A/B/C with about 100 attendees.

Saturday, March 23rd at 9:45 AM

Keynote Speaker: What’s Best for Your Writing Right Now.

The keynote speaker was Brandi Larsen, the 2024 Cuyahoga County Public Library Writer in Residence. She is a writer, speaker, and a writing coach.

She talked about sharing how to weave in the threads of community, craft, and commerce to bring more joy and inspiration into your writing (and encourage you to approach the writing desk with confidence).

Craft: The big questions. Can you get to the page? Figure out your writing style alignment. What is your why? Can you communicate what you wish? Can you finish what you start?
Community: The world needs your work. We need each other. Find your people. Showing up matters. Books are loved into life.
Commerce: What do you want for your writing? Are you ready for your writing to become a product?

They held the talk in the meeting room A/B/C with about 100 attendees.

Saturday, March 23rd at 11:30 AM

Breakout Session: Self-Editing Tips for Writers of all kinds.

The presenter was Rebecca Ferlotti. She is an editor.

You must self-edit your work first before you even consider sending your work to an editor. So, why do you hate editing? Whatever you do, don’t stop writing to read between the lines. Read the story out loud to change your headspace. Print out the story and cut it to edit it. When you read, keep in mind detail deficits and places to pare down your writing. Also consider continuity issues, word choices and grammatical errors. Final advice: complete your first draft before your first edit.

You can find Rebecca Ferlotti at the following website.

The Content Cornerstone

They held the talk in the writer’s center meeting room with about 45 attendees.

Recommendation – Conclusion

I enjoyed attending the Western Reserve Writers Conference 2024. I also attended the conference in 2019, 2022, and 2023 (they canceled the conference in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19). My Star of the Con was Rebecca Ferlotti. She had some brilliant advice for writers who want to self-edit their work.

Links

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2022

I attended the 36^th 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.

Western Reserve Writers Conference 2019

I attended the 34^th 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.

The Western Reserve Writers Conference

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2024

Introduction

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 also attended Cleveland ConCoction in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. (2020, 2021, and 2022 was canceled due to COVID-19).I attended the opening ceremony, eight panels, two author showcases, and the closing ceremony. This year’s theme was the Neverending dungeon celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the release of Dungeons and Dragons game system and the 40^th anniversary of the release of the movie The Neverending Story.

ConCoction 2024 Banner

ConCoction 2024 Program Guide Cover

[insert program cover]

ConCoction 2024 Badge

[insert badge]

The link to the ConCoction website.

http://www.clevelandconcoction.org/

Bertram Inn and Conference Center

Summary

Friday, March 8 at 2 PM

History of Computing Before Computers, a panel with D. Mark Hayes.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 11 attendees.

Friday, March 8 at 3 PM

Write That Novel, a panel with Becca Lynn Mathis and David Wyatt.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Pegasus Room with 9 attendees.

Friday, March 8 at 5 PM

The Opening Ceremonies.

[insert summary here]

They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 27 attendees.

Friday, March 8 at 6 PM

Author Showcase with Marie Vibbert, Becca Lynn Mathis, Geoffrey Landis, Mary Turillo, and A.S. Ferguson.

[insert summary here]

They held the showcase in the Grant A Room with 4 attendees.

Saturday, March 9 at 10 AM

The Fermi Paradox – The Silurian Hypothesis, a panel with David Wyatt.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Hayes C & D Room with 16 attendees.

Saturday, March 9 at 12 PM

Now What?!, a panel with Becca Lynn Mathis.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 3 attendees.

Saturday, March 9 at 2 PM

Author Showcase with Addie King and Rami Ungar.

[insert summary here]

They held the showcase in the Grant A Room with 10 attendees.

Saturday, March 9 at 3 PM

Research and Authenticity in Fiction, a panel with Marcus Cook, David Balrog. A.J. Mathews, and Shannon Eichorn.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Hayes A Room with 14 attendees.

Sunday, March 10 from 10 AM

Melissa Scott talks about whatever she wants, a panel with Melissa Scott.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Grant A Room with 7 attendees.

Sunday, March 10 from 11:30 AM

The Power of Short Fiction, a panel with Marie Vibbert, Rami Ungar, Geoffrey Landis, Evan Graham, and Addie King.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Pegasus Room with 11 attendees.

Sunday, March 10 from 1 PM

Dreamstates, a panel with the band Dreamstates.

[insert summary here]

They held the panel in the Pegasus Room.

Sunday, March 10 from 2 PM

The Closing Ceremonies

[insert summary here]

They held the ceremonies in the Pegasus Room with 35 attendees

Recommendation – Conclusion

This is my Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2024. I had a great experience at Cleveland ConCoction 2024. The Bertram Conference center is nice. I’m glad to be back. My star of the con was Becca Lynn Mathis. I saw her in two panels and in an author showcase. My other highlights were seeing Marie Vibbert and Geoffrey Landis both in a panel and in an author showcase. I’m planning on attending next year.

Links

This is my recap of 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. I also volunteered in the Programming Department for four hours and in the ConSuite for four hours. This is a link to my conference recap.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2019

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2018

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.

Conference Recap Cleveland ConCoction 2017