PANEL BEATEN

After last year's Swancon, I swore I'd do no more than 6 panels this year. I promised myself: 6 and no more. It's too exhausting to be that manic for that long. I need a rest. So when the list of available panels came along I picked 6 and nominated. The Writing Workshop was a gimme, of course: that's my baby, and I'm trying to establish it as an annual event. And the Alternative History Game Show, after having finally wrested back control of the idea after last year's effort. And I picked 4 more: nice easy panels that I didn't have to do too much work to get ready for. 6 panels. Nice, easy, panels. 6.

So how come I ended up on 12? :)

Next year I'm going to give in to the inevitable and just accept that I'm too much the panel-whore to resist temptation :))))

I'VE CREATED A MONSTER

As part of the Swancon Writing Workshop, I thought I'd give attendees a little booklet of writing exercises to take away with them. I've got a powerhouse stable of writers with me for this year's workshop: Dave Luckett, KA Bedford, and Tim Powers have all agreed to sit in. Get an exercise from each of them, print them up on an A4 sheet, fold it over, easy done.

I was reminded of that over the last 2 days, as my poor little printer struggled to print out 70 copies of the 18 page booklet I finished up with. Exercises from 22 writers within, and I received some too late to make it into the booklet to boot! Sometimes my enthusiasm resembles a big, fat, petard...

FAN MAIL!

Received an email today from Lara of Geraldton, asking about the Writer's Workshop. As a postscript, she added: "I'm a big fan of your work. I particularly loved your Father Muerte story."

Well blimey! Thank you Lara. You can colour me blushing. There's another Father Muerte story, Father Muerte & The Rain coming out in issue 33 of Aurealis sometime this year. I hope you like that too.