Day 2
Saturday the 21st began earlier than Friday did, with the convention opening. My first even of the day was a 10:00 a.m. panel hosted by Hunter Kay Walace titled, “Book Covers with Canva.” Miss Wallace’s panel explored what kinds of image sizes and styles Canva can create, how to determine which visuals to incorporate, and some helpful tools to make designing easier. Until now, I had never know that Canva had a magic eraser. Can’t wait to try it out.
Immediately afterward, I participated in another panel. This one was called “Ask an Editor,” which was hosted by Andrea Howe and Dakota Nyght. They fielded questions about working with an editor, common writing mistakes they encounter, and helpful editing software and associations. A software called ProWritingAid caught my attention. It was already on my radar from a writing group. Now I need to it investigate more.
Featured Vendor: Impulsive Walrus Books
My next three panels of MisCon all featured Mr. Frog Jones as a guest. He was an unintentional highlight of my time in Missoula. An outgoing and jovial gentleman, he and his spouse Esther own and manage Impulsive Walrus Books. What an attention-grabbing name. With their booth being front and center in the vendor hall, I made time on Sunday to swing by for an interview and a pair of anthologies.
Returning to the convention, I had a one-hour lull before a panel which was very interesting for my intended setting. It was named “I have Friends Everywhere,” featuring Frog Jones and Kyle Elliot as presenters. It examined the rebellions and unrest in Star Wars from angles such as organization and logistics, small group/scale tactics, and historical real-world comparisons. Mr. Elliot was a former serviceman, which made his insights more fascinating.
My last event for Saturday was a group activity hosted by Impulsive Walrus Books called “Outline in 60.” Mr. and Mrs. Jones led me and about six or seven other attendees on an exercise to outline a novel in an hour. As we plotted out this book, we learned about plot points, conflict types, and character interactions. In the end, we came up with a modern fantasy story set at Niagara Falls involving a witch tour guide who falls under scrutiny after a guest mysteriously falls to his death.
Day 3
In hindsight, this day of the convention marked the point where I started to feel exhausted and lose interest and excitement at MisCon. Or maybe just the panels. I had scheduled a fifth panel for Saturday, but opted not to attend. The same thing will happen again today. This morning, I arrived early to shop at a specific tent.
To explain, most of the merchants and the gallery were arranged inside one of the fairground buildings. But near that same structure was a pathway dotted with a handful of food trucks and vendors willing to brave the Montana elements. One of these bold sellers was MT Creative Indulgence owned and run by Miss Lisa. She had an excellent collection of 3D-printed dragons. Today was the day I picked one up as a backpack buddy–I call him Berry–and another as a gift for my sister.
At high noon, I was among the audience for a panel titled “The Evolving Author.” The speakers were Frog Jones, Jim Glass, Lynsey Griswold, and J. Maberry. This talk featured the four presenters discussing their paths through writing. It was interesting to see how each person found a different way to success and reminded me that the path to authorship is manyfold.
I gave myself a break from the panels and chose to enjoy most of the 1:00 p.m. hour with a “Magic Up Close and Personal,” show put on by Jones Family Magic. After an absolutely entertaining display of sleight of hand, I wandered off to the “Heart of the Conflict” panel with J. Mayberry and D. L. Solum. The pair discussed creating good character flaws and how to implement them well. More writing food for thought.
Earlier, I said that today was when I began to lose steam. This was the first clue that my energy and enthusiasm began waning. I initially decided to visit a panel titled “Harnessing History, Culture, and Language.” Very sadly though, I sat through the first five or so minutes then left. I remember feeling exhausted and unwilling to do another hour of note-taking. I wonder if that was the right choice or if I should have stayed in.
I used the break to wander within the vendor hall, trying to determine what second-to-last-minute curios I wanted. Books were the order of the day given that I was running low on cash. After buying my Impulsive Walrus wares, Frog Jones recommended me to Mr. Patrick Swenson and Fairwood Press. Among his shelves, I found my third anthology, a sci-fi crime novel, and my final interview.
My last panel of MisCon warmed the heart of the TTRPG game master within me. It was called “What is it about Taverns?” featuring Lynsey Griswold, Dean Wells, and a third moderator whose name I couldn’t catch. The trio went about explaining how and why taverns and related locales are great for a setting. Their subpoints included illustrating examples of good bars, the minute but important differences between establishments, and the archetypes who call them a second home. What is it about taverns? Everything. 🙂
According to my cell phone’s calendar, my actual last panel of MisCon was supposed to be “Ambushes for Writers,” but I did not attend. My other ‘what if?” of Montana. Instead, I browsed one last time in the vendor hall. After spending my last reserves of money, I drove to the hotel for a night’s sleep. Another long drive awaited me Monday.
Closing
Despite my tiredness on the final day, MisCon was a blast and a lot of fun. It was a learning convention, a place for me to absorb knowledge and ideas. If I go again next year for its 40th iteration, I need to improve my logistics planning. Driving nine to ten hours one way is a slog. I should check if air travel is viable for other long-distance conventions.
Nevertheless, I’ve reached beyond Wyoming and Colorado. I will be taking a travel respite and enjoying Fort Collins Comic Con and TactiCon imminently. After them, my sights are set on SiouxperCon in South Dakota and Nuke Con on the Nebraska/Iowa border. Fare thee well readers!
James Meyer 