The Farpoint After Action Report

On the one hand, small shows are great. You have more time to chat with fans or friends, there is less stress on your schedule, and it’s easier to maneuver through the hotel. The flipside, though, is that if you plan on signing and selling a lot of material, your chances diminish. With fewer than anticipated at Farpoint, thank you weather gods, I was a bit disappointed with selling just three books. The rest of the show, though, was a delight.As always, it’s great being able to sit and catch up with my fellow authors. Many trooped down from the north and we were nicely situated near one another, either in the book room or on panels. Sunday morning gave me time to plot out some more ReDeus mischief with Aaron Rosenberg that has me recharged,And shows like this also mean we have a chance to pay it forward. Not only did I once more participate in Howard Weinstein’s writers’ workshop, but got to have a lengthy conversation with one regular attendee who felt she was stuck.The panels themselves were well attended and I gather well-received. While some, such as the Business of Writing, is old material, it remained a vital topic for the audience. We talked all things Marvel or Star Trek and once we got started, the conversations flowed without much need of a moderator. We’re such old hand at this, and longtime pals, that the audience was treated more to eavesdropping on casual conversations and story swapping.The one disappointment was a panel with Timothy Zahn, the author Guest of Honor. Maybe it was the hour, 5 p.m., or the fact that snow has started to descend, but no one came to hear us. While I had met Tim previously, we’d never really chatted so the audience’s loss was my gain for the next thirty minutes.Overall, the con was a really positive experience and I already look forward to whatever comes next.