World Fantasy, Day 3

Umm. Went to the Rules of Fantasy panel, featuring Tor founder Tom Doherty, Tim Powers, Glen Cook, Kate Elliott and Robin Hobb. Definitely the most entertaining panel so far. Basically, they tried to define the rules for fantasy--Tim suggested one-inch margins, legible type, etc. :>) Then someone quoted someone else and said all rules were meant to be broken, and later, Robin Hobb said that the one rule you can't break is that *someone* has to change by the end of the book; don't leave the character exactly where he was when he started.

The other cool thing Robin said, in reference to the subject of why so many authors would use the same ideas or storylines or even character types over and over in their books is that each author has a question, and the books are their way of trying to find answers to that question.



Then I stayed for one about Horror and Dark Fantasy and where it was going. Mostly they talked about horror, and how horror isn't dead and various markets you can submit to and what they're looking for. I was hoping for a good definition of dark fantasy, since I sort of called my book a dark fantasy in the blurb because it's rather grim, but I don't know if it is dark fantasy, exactly. Oh well. This panel featured Stephen Jones from the U.K., A. Vandermeer, Tina Jens, Nancy Holder (from San Diego!) and Laird Barron (whose story we pried apart at Clarion last year.)



Then I followed JJA and some ladies (including a WOTF winner and an Illustrators winner who both won last year) to Mexican for lunch. Then I wandered and went back to the hotel for a much-needed nap (I got lost. Again.) And then I came back around 7:20 and hooked up with Maria Snyder and chatted with her for a while and then joined some Clarion '04's (Hi Andy!) and chatted until the banquet was over. Don't ask me who won. I don't know.

And then it was up to the "Toreador" party hosted by Jay Lake et al, and then up to Jenny Rappaport's "Congrats on selling your first book this summer" party, which was a bit less crowded with nice people and yummy brownies and chocolate covered pretzels.

Then it was back downstairs near the bar, which looked something like this. (View from the 4th floor.)





So, overall a nice day. Except I got called the Quiet One again. And I suck at networking because I can never think of enough stuff to keep a conversation going. Like, going up to an author and saying, "I really like your book!" or "I went to your panel!" and then we stare at each other for a bit. Aaarrrggh. I'm not really nervous about talking to folks. I just can't think of stuff to say. But I did meet plenty more writer wannabe's or newbies that were nervous, and had just as hard of a time talking, so I don't feel quite so bad.

And look, Austin has wildlife right next to a busy street. Saw her while walking to McDonald's yesterday.