Convention Reflections

Hi Folks,

It's been a while since I’ve posted a blog here, and I thought it fitting to restart with a review of my recent attendance at Conflux 19!

Obligatory elevator selfie leaving Canberra

What is Conflux?

In their own words:

Conflux is Canberra’s longest running speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror) convention, an annual gathering that features an eclectic range of panels, discussions, launches, presentations and other events with a strong focus on SF genre storytelling and its creators.

This was my third time attending Conflux. I feel like I’ve found my feet with attending this particular convention, and it is now a fixture in my yearly calendar.

I particularly like it because it is deeply connected to the community it fosters. By which I mean it’s a convention focused on writers. 

Every year, the convention has a different theme, and this year it was 'Brave New Worlds.' A reference to the Aldous Huxley novel, and a promise for the genre and its writers to push the bounds, try new things and build the world we want.

What are conventions for?

On paper, it is easy to say conventions are for development and networking. (That's the corpo in me speaking - and to be frank - I railed against anything that had a whiff of ‘networking’ about it for a long time. I have been burned by vapid and nauseating experiences of professional networking as a young office worker in the corpo-capitalistic machine. I still dislike the term within that context, but there is something useful in it for me as a writer.)

In saying that, conventions are weird. I think that is why it is hard to say outright - “I recommend going to this convention because it gave me this particular outcome.” 

I first went to Conflux with the notion that I would attend some panels, meet some interesting people, and uncover the magic secret to getting stories finished and published.

In some ways that's exactly what happened, but in some ways that's putting too fine-a-point on the thing.

At every convention I have been to there are insightful panels on all things writing, whether it’s craft specific (like the multitude of ways one can build a secondary story world, and stick the landing with a reader), or more light-hearted (like the kind of music that inspires your creativity, and how it meshes - or doesn’t - with your creative process), I come away with a plethora of notes and inspiration for my own work, and feeling connected to other creatives.

There are opportunities to hear from industry professionals and find out about what the publishing industry is doing, both locally and overseas. This is something I think is particularly helpful for speculative fiction writers, as we often need to straddle the globe and be open to opportunities wherever they may be. So it is good to get a sense of how other markets work, and ways to potentially navigate the differences, distance, and difficulties. 

There are also opportunities for workshops and getting some hands-on experience and feedback from other more advanced and professional writers. These vary between conventions, but always provide a deeper dive and really powerful dialogue on craft with a knowledgeable instructor.

A workshop on worldbuilding with Zena Shapter

And while all the above may be what sells the convention experience on paper - in my experience it has been the stuff that isn’t mentioned that keeps me coming back.

Conventions (especially those for writers) are ways to create and connect with other folks who are doing (or trying to do) the same thing you are. 

I have met new people every year at Conflux, in various stages of the writing or publishing journey. Some of these folks have become enduring friends that I chat to throughout the year, some I only see at conventions, and that is still a joy. It helps keep me aware of the vast network of writers that lurks just below the surface, and a reminder that support is only a chat, ping, or call away.

Sometimes we all just need to scream into the void and know that someone else is screaming with us!

Living as a writer in the “real world” can be tough, especially if you don’t have frequent contact with other writers who are slogging it out day to day to just get the words on the page. At Conflux, for just a brief moment, we congregate; laughing at jokes only writers really get, or sharing deep, burning thoughts about our favourite obsessions, but also, just being together as writers. It is incredibly validating to be in a room of published and unpublished writers, all looking at each other, knowing we are all striving to write our own stories in our own ways. 

Why attend one?

Conventions are networking on speed. (I can’t resist a little bit of marketing spin!) 

Yes, it is worth attending for the panels, workshops, book launches, and all the ‘official’ stuff - but what I really recommend a convention for is connection.

If you want the fastest way to meet the most people, go to a writers' convention - but be prepared to make the first move.

Writers are a strange lot. No two are the same, but we all have some inner critic telling us in various ways that we shouldn’t take writing seriously (if you don’t have one of those, that is truly spectacular, and I envy you!)

To ask such people to brazenly open a conversation with strangers is akin to asking a rabbit to approach a fox. However, the fox is often a rabbit in disguise.

Conventions are also a great way to get insider knowledge, direct access to authors you admire (or don’t know yet but will love now that you’ve found their work!), and workshops that might cost hundreds of dollars elsewhere - but often at a convention, they’re subsidised or included in the ticket fee. (At least that's the case at Conflux!)

If you are a speculative fiction writer in Australia, I feel it is incredibly important to know what is going on and support local authors however you can. Conflux provides a space for local authors and creatives to introduce themselves and their works, and I have found more than a few favourites in my book hauls.

Why not attend one?

See my point above about conventions being networking on speed? - yeah, well that is one of the downsides too. 

Conventions are physically and mentally exhausting. I’ll write up some tips and tricks for surviving a convention soon.

The one thing I have taken away from each subsequent convention, or festival I attend, is that I need to build a buffer around them. 

I started out thinking that a convention would feel like a busy weekend, the kind where you go out and walk around the city or spend a day trawling outlet stores just before Christmas, or something like that. In truth, it is so much more exhausting. 

It is more draining, in part because it is more exhilarating; the adrenaline of new people, old friends, new information, all piling into my brain at once, means I hit overload pretty quickly. 

Resting during the convention and allowing enough time afterwards to recover has become really important for me. It is also important to have time to process all the new information. 

Conventions are also expensive. There are certainly ways to attend them cheaply, but depending on how far you need to travel and your accommodation needs, it can be a pretty daunting budget.

I live in Sydney, and have the privilege of driving and owning a car. So I can drive to Canberra comfortably, and relatively cheaply. I have a full time job (corpo cog in the machine), which means I can afford accommodation for myself, but it is still a significant expense. Not to mention that I now take additional days of leave around the event to allow for that decompression and recovery time - that's leave that I don’t have available for other things. Not a huge deal, but certainly a consideration.

I first heard about writers' conventions while studying creative writing at uni, and it would have been a huge unlock to attend one that early in my writing journey - but it was simply out of reach financially. 

So if you are at a phase of life where that is too much, then a convention might not be the best fit. 

In Conclusion:

I may be biased, but I love conventions. If you see me at one, please know I’m always happy to chat about just about anything!

I’ve learned a few things along the way, and there are certainly some downsides that I have learned through experience, but they all feel worth it for the connections that I’ve made and the knowledge I’ve developed.

Also, I’m now a writer who has attended conventions, and that feels good to say!

A bunch of nerdy writers in the bar (foyer) just having a great time!

Until next time,

Sheri