Marcon Columbus 2017
Conference Recap Marcon Columbus 2017
Introduction
I attended the SF Conference Marcon Columbus 2017 on May 13, 2017. They held the conference at 350 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. The drive was two-plus hours taken in the morning and back in the evening. I also attended Marcon in 2018 and 2019. The 2019 convention was from May 10 to 12, 2019 and I realized when I wrote a recap for that conference, I had not posted a recap for the 2017 conference. This is my recap of the 2017 conference. I attended five panels at the 2017 conference.
The link to the Marcon website.
Marcon Columbus 2017 Program Guide Cover
Picture of my badge from Marcon Columbus 2017
Summary
Saturday, May 13th at 11:30 AM
Dystopias 2: this is the way the world ends, a panel with Karen Dollinger, Courtney Bliss, Joaryn Bailey, Donald Haynes, and Alyssa Pence.
The discussion was about dystopias. You don’t need an apocalypse to get a dystopia. Someone benefits from a dystopia. The story helps us to question how things are now. Books in this genre are a lens for social commentary. Human nature is not to be static. Recommended books are Newsflesh by Mira Grant, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, and 1984 by George Orwell.
They held the panel in the McKinley Room with 15 attendees.
Saturday, May 13th at 1 PM
Humorous Science Fiction and Fantasy, a panel with Addie J. King, Kandi Hopkins, Deb Wallace, and L. Anne Wooley.
Who does humor well? The answers were Terry Pratchett, John Scalzi, Christopher Moore, J. K. Rowling, Robert Asprin, Spider Robinson, and Jim Butcher.
What makes it work? If you find it funny, then you may be able to write it. Use humor to break up the serious parts of your novel. Give the readers a break by using humor. Try not to over-explain the humor or it will lose its impact.
They held the panel in the McKinley Room with 16 attendees.
Saturday, May 13th at 2:30 PM
Antiheroes: When the main character could easily be the villain, a panel with Denice Verrico, Karen Dollinger, Faye Malcolm, Erin Reilly-Sanders, Van Siegling.
There is a spectrum of characters from the worst villain Sauron from Lord of the Rings to the best hero Dudley Doo Right. An antihero works as long as the protagonist is more hero-like on the spectrum than the antagonist. An Antihero rejects the norms of society. Examples of antiheroes are Dexter, protagonists in bank heist stories, Walter White, Saul Goodman, and Scarlett O’Hara.
They held the panel in the McKinley Room with 21 attendees.
Saturday,May 13th at 4 PM
The Difference Between Story and Plot, a panel with Shannon Eichhorn, Charles Ebert, Addie J. King, Linda Robertson, Scott M. Sandridge.
The story is how you get there and the plot is the mechanics of the story. Ask yourself, does the plot move the story along? Read what you write. You need to be in love with your story as you are writing it. Write what you want too in the first draft but be prepared to kill your darlings in editing to strengthen your story. When constructing a story understand if your genre expects a series.
They held the panel in the McKinley Room with 11 attendees.
Saturday, May 13th at 5:30 PM
Cursed Children and Fantastic Beasts, a panel with Karen Dollinger, Hannah Blosser, Emily Lydic, Leah Nicola, and Amanda Caskey.
The panelists were experts in all things Harry Potter. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two is a stage play of the theater production. They held the stage production on July 30, 2016, and the book was released on July 31, 2016. The panelists talked about both presentations. They released the movie named Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on November 18, 2016. The panel talked about the movie and the expected four sequels.
They held the panel in the Harrison Room with 12 attendees.
Recommendation – Conclusion
I had a great time at Marcon Columbus 2017. My star of the con was the panel on Cursed Children and Fantastic Beasts. I had read the printed stage play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and watched the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so I understood the panel and enjoyed what they had to say. I also attended Marcon in 2018 and 2019 and plan to return on May 9, 2020.
Links
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.
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.
Goodreads page for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29056083-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child