Gen Con is always an exciting time. This year was no exception. Between the panels, workshops, and business meetings, there is no way I could summarize everything that happened. However, my “To Follow-up On” list is about a mile long. So many good memories. Among them may be the following…

1. Declined an offer from Marie Bilodeau to steal a chair for me.
2. Had a lovely 10 second interaction with the DnD Shorts guy in the Dispel Dice mosh pit of a line.
3. Discovered that Phil Lee IS the power behind the throne of Cat Labs.
4. Already have business meetings scheduled for Gen Con 2025.
5. Plotted shenanigans for WorldCon 2025 in Seattle.
6. Signed an editor-publisher anthology contract for something new and exciting.
7. Caused one of my planes home to need to be rebooted to fix something (darn QA effect aura).
8. Announced an open call to a new magazine I am editing.
9. Made Mike Stackpole blush and shocked Brandon O’Brien.
10. Upheld the pact and bought dice.

The kitties took last night to be mad and today they are loving, needy, and shedding all over me. There is nothing like travel to make you appreciate what you have at home.

My next convention is Can-Con where I will be an Editor Guest of Honor. This will be my first time in Ottawa, Canada.

I will be spending most of my time in the Gen Con Writers Symposium area in the Downtown Marriott. You can catch me between panels or workshops. Friday and Saturday, I will be signing books in the Dealers Room at Cat Labs booth (1611).

Also, The Husband and I came home from Origins Game Fair with Covid. I am over it, though, my brain is still not working as fast as normal. The Husband is over it, but Covid aggravated his asthma something fierce. He’s still coughing because of it. That said, we both will be masking all Gen Con except in specific circumstances. I’m also limiting myself to fist-bumps and elbow-bumps in greeting. Still, come say hello!

• Thursday, 1-2pm, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 4, Getting into Writing BattleTech and Shadowrun Fiction
• Thursday, 4-5pm, Marriott: Atlanta, Industry Survival Guide: Layoffs, Dry Spells, and Flops
• Thursday, 6-9pm, ICC: Wabash Ballroom 1, Meet the Authors (I will be selling books here as well as signing them!)

• Friday, 11am-12pm, Exhibit Hall, Catalyst Labs Booth 1611, Signing with Cat Lab Authors
• Friday, 1-2pm, Marriott Ballroom 3, New Books! New Games! New Love! (Session F)
• Friday, 2-3pm, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 1, Project Management for Creatives (Workshop)
• Friday, 5-7pm, Marriott: Marriott: Boston, The Art of the Pitch (Workshop)

• Saturday, 1-2pm, Marriott: Marriott: Boston, Seven Steps to Better Self-Editing (Workshop)
• Saturday, 3-4pm, Marriott: Marriott Boston, How to Write for the Ear (Moderating)
• Saturday, 4-5pm, Exhibit Hall, Catalyst Labs Booth 1611, Signing with Cat Lab Authors

• Sunday, 10-11am, Marriott: Marriott Ballroom 3, Reading and Writing in a Neurodiverse Universe

I, like many, got to experience the total solar eclipse on Monday, the 8th. The Husband and I traveled to Indianapolis for this event as a make up trip for my aborted aurora trip for my 50th birthday. As a bonus, I got to meet up with Cat and her girlfriend, Sheri. That made for a fun visit to go along with the eclipse experience.

There are so many small things that made me smile, brought a sense of wonder and awe to my world, and made me appreciate the moment.

• Perfect ambient weather for the eclipse. Comfortable in the shade. Sunny and warm in the sun.
• The Husband running around the neighborhood with our extra eclipse glasses to make sure everyone got the experience.
• Watching tulips close their petals in real time as the light of the sun dimmed.
• Feeling the change in the weather, the temperature dipping, and the birds trying to figure out if it was time for bed or not.
• Seeing the sun slowly disappear until it was gone and, suddenly, I could see the “ring of fire” without any eye protection.
• Realizing that I could see sun flares with my naked eyes.
• Bathing my eclipse coin in the light of the eclipse and the totality. A memory in tangible form.
• Counting the moments of totality and sensing the passing of time.
• Keeping the image of totality in my mind and seeing it with the orange flare at the bottom of the ring every single time I think of the experience.

I am so glad I got to experience the eclipse. It was a magical feeling. I understand the science behind it, but the way the air felt and what we could see. It was pure magic.

Also, while we were in Indy, we found an awesome coffee shop. It’s called Black House Café (FB link) and it is horror themed. Not only did they have a great vibe, the coffee was damn good. I tell you, if I was local, that would be my new home away from home. I enjoyed the heck out of it. 

It was a very nice mini-vacation that I will appreciate for the rest of my life. But now, back to work. In the meantime, looking for something unusual for you or a loved one? How about a cozy ghost story told by #snailmail? It’s the gift of escape tunnels, ghosts, and adventure told over 24 letters that will ship world-wide. #ProjectWeLove #DearPenpal https://bit.ly/dear_penpal

I will not bury the lede—I’m fine, the Husband is fine, the car is not. But that is at the end of the story. (Also, per the In-law Courtesies Act of 2008, I have already spoken to the Husband’s parents…)

This past weekend was Norwescon. This is my home convention, and I dearly love it. I’ve been paneling and/or vending at this convention for well over a decade. I had some really good panels. I think my favorite ones were “Horror as Comfort Food” and “Horror of the 1980s.” Both were high energy and a lot of fun.  Also, I picked up a baby dragon friend for my copper dragon. I guess I need to find names for them now.

This is the last year I will be vending at Norwescon. I have decided to wind down the focused vending part of conventions because I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. This doesn’t mean I won’t ever vend again. Far from it. It just won’t be a focus. I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, my spoons and spell slots have become more and more limited. I need to pick and choose my focus or pay for it for a week after the convention.

When you do a lot of conventions, they tend to blend together in one big memory of sound, light, and conversation. There were a couple of standout moments this Norwescon: Meeting Lezli Robyn and Shahid Mahmud from Arc Manor. Both are lovely, lovely people. Dinner with a friendly fan, Brian, and his wife, Melissa, Beth, and Amanda. He is at the beginning of his career and I’m really looking forward to seeing him grow into his stride as an author. Such a fun conversation.

But the most favorite moment came when a woman at my table couldn’t remember if she had one of the books in front of her or not. She called her son and asked, “Have we moved the Brozek books yet? If not they should be on the dresser.” Not only was I an adjective (one of my favorite milestones), this woman knew who I was, which books I wrote, specifically collected MY books, and is a completist. I have never felt more seen as an author before. It was just the loveliest feeling in the world and one I wish for all authors out there.

This Norwescon was specifically stressful because I also have a kickstarter going on right now. “Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980” is currently 65% funded and I’m so pleased. So there was that.

However, as this is my home convention, the Husband likes to drive home to take care of the kitties at night. Wednesday evening of the convention (set up day), I received this text: “First, I am ok. Second, I wrecked the car.” There was a lot more to that conversation, but it didn’t get any worse than that. However, that was enough. The Husband is shaken and bruised (contusions and not a hematoma) and the bruises are extensive. Yes, he has gone to the hospital. He sent me “proof of life” of his face before he sent me pictures of the car. One of them is below.

I am grateful I have friends I can vent at. I have learned I can be mad and furious at the same person at the same time. I am glad that we have good insurance. We’ve been paying into the car insurance for decades and it now comes in handy. I am grateful we are in a position to deal with this. But, good gravy, I do not like it when the Husband reminds me of how mortal he is.

So, that was the weekend. Fairly high stress with some great moments. Life feels like one big plot twist right now. Between con, the kickstarter, the crash, and the upcoming Eclipse trip…I feel like I’m either on the beginning of my protagonist storyline or I’m about to show the audience how the monster works.

First up, I have a convention next week. Norwescon…where I will be in the Dealer’s Room and on panels. I hope to see you there. Remember, there’s a no shyness zone around me. Say hello and get a book signed!

Norwescon Schedule (If I’m not in panels, I’m in the Dealer’s Room.)

Thursday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 10, That’s What She Said

Friday, 12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Cascade 10, A Dash of Dread
Friday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Cascade 7 & 8, A Story is Forever
Friday, 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Cascade 9, Horror as Comfort Food
Friday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 10, How to Write for Audio Formats

Saturday, 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Evergreen 3 & 4, Horror of the 1980s
Saturday, 4:30pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 3, Reading: Jennifer Brozek

Sunday, All day, Dealer’s Room

***

Next up, “Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980” goes live on March 26th at 9am, Pacific. I’m a bundle of nerves and super excited. I’ve posted the KS video out and about on social media and I’m really happy with it. Won’t you be my penpal?

***

It’s been less than two weeks since I turned in the latest Shadowrun novel—the sequel to Shadowrun: Auditions. The fact checker has been as diligent as ever and he’s already turned it around with a couple of things I need to fix. Nothing major, thank goodness. But I don’t have the bandwidth to look at the manuscript until early April.

In the meantime, I’m still flailing about. Yes, I’m working on those contracted short stories, but one is paused to make sure it needs to be written. (Multiverse of Mystery kickstarter, please make me write my Sherlock and Watson story as MUSHers who discover a crime in progress through their game…) The other story has a co-author who needs to weigh in on her part of it now before I can continue the rest of the story. Thus, flapping because I have a convention and a kickstarter next week and thus cannot get into something deep.

Everything will be fine. Just fine. Breathe. So, how are things with you?

November is a busy month. I will be at OryCon in Portland, OR from Nov 10-12 as the Editor Guest of Honor. I’m happy to say hello and to sign books. My schedule is below.

I will also be reading at the University Bookstore on November 21 with David D. Levine and the launch of his book, The Kuiper Belt Job. I will be there representing the Reinvented Anthology series, The Reinvented Heart and The Reinvented Detective (pre-orders are love), as the series co-editor. Several authors from the series will be in the audience.

===ORYCON SCHEDULE===

Friday
4pm – Pendleton
Workshop: Blue Pencil Edit & Critique

6pm – Mt. Saint Helens
Opening Ceremonies

7pm – Mt. Saint Helens
Guests of Honor Mixer & Dinner

=================================================

Saturday
11am – West Ballroom
GOH: Jennifer Brozek Autographs

2pm – Pendelton
The Caring and Feeding of Author Newsletters

3pm – Pendelton
Resurrect Your Writing

4pm – White Stag
GOH Q&A: Meet our Guests of Honor!

6pm – White Stag
GOH Workshop: Description and Body Language as Genre

Hope to see you there!

Gen Con 2023 has come and gone in a wave of many, many people (reported between 70K-80K) and hot, muggy weather. I enjoyed myself despite the aforementioned crowds and weather.

 
Grace P. Fong and Jennifer Brozek at “Meet the Pros” for the Gen Con Writers Symposium.

Snapshots:

• My mornings were odd since I didn’t have to get up super early and prep to run a booth in Authors Avenue. On one hand, I miss it. On the other, I do not. I prefer just participating in the Writers Symposium.
• My workshops were well-attended and got great feedback. I enjoy teaching eager students. I had some great questions. I loved every panel I was on and can’t wait to come back.
• My last panel of the convention included Ed Greenwood. It was cool circling back. I attended my first Gen Con in 2006 to sign a book we co-wrote. I was such a novice back then. Now I’m holding my own and having a good time. It was nice to have that moment with Ed.
• Tactical error. I was able to get into the dealers hall early with the judicious use of a borrowed exhibitors badge. I hadn’t been able to see any of the dealers hall before then. I specifically didn’t want to be involved in the morning “Running of the Nerds.” Thus, I headed back to the dealer booth but I did so too late. I got caught between rows 200 and 300 right at the front of the dealers hall when they opened the doors. I swear to goodness, it was like watching the zombie hoard race towards me as attendees poured into the dealer hall and sprinted towards the booths they needed to get to buy the limited, exclusive Gen Con merch. I realized too late that I should have recorded the moment.
• While the Husband and I attended the convention masked for the whole time, I did eat in restaurants and have a couple of private business meetings without my mask. I’m aware of at least four panelists from the Writers Symposium are down with covid and a couple more with con crud. As of now, both the Husband and I feel fine. Negative tests for covid and no con crud. So, that’s nice. However, we will continue to isolate and test until Friday.
• Seeing old friends and catching up was worth it. Dinner with Ivan was so nice. Doing PokemonGO trades with Grace was the best. Talking Shin Kamen Rider with Brandon was wonderfully weird.
• It is always nice to get a face-to-face with my editors. There are some very cool things writing/editing-wise coming out of this convention. I can’t wait to be able to talk about them.
• There was one scary moment outside the convention. Monday morning, the Husband and I went to Café Patachou for breakfast. As we were leaving, a very, very angry young man crashed into me as he barreled his way into the restaurant, shouting incoherently. I have no idea what he was saying or why he was so angry. As we left the scene, the man came out of the restaurant with a half-cup of coffee (it’s self-serve at Patachou) and slammed it to the ground, still shouting. He ended up walking in the same direction we were but then stopped to hail a cab. I have no idea what it was all about and have decided, “Not my monkeys, not my circus.”
• Oh, here’s a TMI but interesting bit for the science-y people out there: When you sneeze into a mask (and it’s not one of those gross sneezes that makes you replace the mask immediately) you get the opportunity to understand what the inside of your lungs smell like. I can’t describe the smell. It’s not bad but it’s not pleasant because of the biological nature of it. Still, it’s an interesting experience from a writer’s POV. I just wish I could figure out how to describe it.
• Also, laud me, for I have already logged all my Gen Con freelancer expenses!

 
Jennifer Brozek and John Helfers having one last meeting at the Indy airport.

There’s more than this. But it’s all I can remember at the moment. It was a very busy convention and I am still recovering. I have my kitties, my bed, and my coffee. I am a happy author/editor. Until next Gen Con!

Next week is Gen Con. I actually don’t know how many of these conventions I’ve gone to (more than 10? 15?) but, I suppose, at this stage of the game it doesn’t matter.

This year is going to be a little bit different for me. I do not have a table in Authors Avenue. I chose not to have one because I’m at a point in my career where it is not necessary. Also, there are other newer, more hungry authors out there who need that spot. Thus, I bow out. Also…honestly, I’m feeling my age a little. I cannot vend in the Dealers Hall and do workshops/panels for the Writers Symposium. There is a half mile jaunt between locations which is a 12 minute brisk walk one way (ask me how I know).

Thus, this year I am only participating in the Writers Symposium, the BattleTech/Shadowrun group signing at the Cat Labs booth, and various business meetings. The Writers Symposium is located on the 2nd floor of the Downtown Marriott and will have much signage to help you find it.

Here is my schedule for the Writers Symposium. The link will take you to the events page and my official schedule. You can search for any author’s schedule in this place. In addition to my panels and workshops, I will be doing three signings:

• Friday, 2:00-2:50pm BattleTech Signing – Signing: Multiple BattleTech Authors, ICC – Catalyst Game Labs booth 1611
• Friday, 3:00-3:50pm Panel GCWS – Signing: Chesya Burke and Jennifer Brozek, ICC : Signing table near Authors Avenue. Both of us will have books to sell.
• Saturday, 11:00-12:00pm Shadowrun Signing – Signing: Multiple Shadowrun Authors, ICC – Catalyst Game Labs booth 1611

Finally, the Symposium will be releasing the first-ever Gen Con Writers’ Symposium Collectible Drive! This USB drive will only be available in person at Gen Con 2023, and limited to 500 drives. It contains 19 retail books, including 2 new releases and one pre-release. GCWS-exclusive collections of previously unpublished short fiction from E.D.E. Bell, Jennifer Brozek, and Richard Lee Byers. The drive also includes several bonus short stories, music from The Road, and an audiobook narrated by C. S. E. Cooney.

I’m really looking forward to Gen Con this year. I hope to see you there.

Gen Con in person was really good. I’m so glad I went. I got to see people I hadn’t seen in years as well as make new friends. Also, all Covid tests for me and the Husband were negative.

I will be attending Chicon 8 / Worldcon virtually this year. They’ve put me on a series of interesting virtual panels, hosted by Airmeet. I’ve used the virtual conference software before and think it does a pretty good job.

Space/Time: Airmeet Table Talks Thursday, September 1, 2022, 1:00 PM CDT / 11AM PDT
Title: Virtual Table Talk – Jennifer Brozek
Participants: Jennifer Brozek
Description: Jennifer Brozek talks about the anthology editing process—solo and collaborative. With 20+ anthologies published and nominations for the BFA, Stoker, and Hugo awards, come hear how she chooses stories and how your story can stand out from the rest. Happy to answer questions.

Space/Time: Airmeet 5 Friday, September 2, 2022, 2:30 PM CDT / 12:30PM PDT
Title: The Final Girl
Participants: Jennifer Brozek (m), She/her; Bitter Karella, He/Him, She/Her, or They/Them; John Wiswell, He/Him; L. Marie Wood, She/her; Tania Chen, She/Her, or They/Them
Description: In slasher and haunted house stories, it’s a trope that the last surviving character is a woman—often a modest, virginal, and frequently white woman. But lately, creators have been confronting this idea and subverting it. We’ll talk about our favorite classic examples of the trope, question its problematic framings and assumptions, and discuss our favorite works that twist or outright reject the idea. Will “The Final Girl” itself survive, and should it?

Space/Time: Airmeet 1 Saturday, September 3, 2022, 5:30 PM CDT / 3:30PM PDT
Title: How Horror and SFF Blend
Participants: Cora Buhlert (m) She/her; Bob J. Koester, He/him; Emma Osborne, They/them; Jennifer Brozek, She/her; L. Marie Wood, She/her
Description: Horror has often overlapped with SFF—hello, Frankenstein! Lately it seems like we’re seeing a rise in horror elements in popular SFF, including many recent Hugo winners and nominees. What makes horror blend well with science fiction or fantasy? Are there challenges or problems with mixing the genres? And how do cosmic horror, the Weird, and New Weird fit into this discussion? Come find out whether or not anyone can hear you scream . . . in space!

Space/Time: Airmeet 2 Sunday, September 4, 2022, 1:00 PM CDT / 11AM PDT
Title: Short and Sweet: Crafting an Elevator Pitch
Participants: Jennifer Brozek (m), She/her; Dan Koboldt, He/him; John E. Stith, He/him; Leah Cypess, She/her; Tabitha Lord, She/her
Description: Success is equal parts preparations and luck—so be prepared when luck puts you in the right place at the right time! How do you get ready for a pitch opportunity with an editor or producer, when you may have less than a minute to sell your dream project?

Space/Time: Airmeet 4 Sunday, September 4, 2022, 4:00 PM CDT / 2PM PDT
Title: The Glories of the Tie-In Novel
Participants: Kate Heartfield (m), She/her; Jeffrey A. Carver, He/him; Jennifer Brozek, She/her; Marie Brennan, She/her; Suyi Davies Okungbowa, He/him
Description: Often-scoffed at, but supporting many a writer, and sometimes a secret way to develop ideas and voice: let’s talk about media tie-in novels! What’s it like working within those boundaries? Let’s talk about “capturing the feel of the original” versus “finding a way to do something new in a familiar setting.”

First, I have a class with Cat Rambo’s Academy for Wayward Writers on Sunday, 24 October 2021 –  Class: Self-Editing: From First Splat to Professional Finish. Slots and scholarships still available. Also, if you don’t need the scholarship, still tell Cat that you heard about the class from my newsletter and you will get $20 off!

http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/class-self-editing-from-first-splat-to-professional-finish/ 

Second, I have a brand new Kickstarter that just started. It’s a short one. From today until 31 October 2021 for my 99 Tiny Terrors anthology. I’m super proud of this anthology. I hope you support me in this endeavor.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1133704229/99-tiny-terrors-an-anthology

There’s nothing better than a short, sharp slice of flash fiction to get the mind working. 99 Tiny Terrors is an anthology that the reader can dip into for something deliciously dangerous in a short amount of time or spend an afternoon trolling through blood soaked stories from all over the world including Canada, England, Germany, Greece, Ireland, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United States, and Wales.

Featuring stories from the devious minds of Seanan McGuire, Ruthanna Emrys, Meg Elison, Wendy N. Wagner, Scott Edelman, Cat Rambo, Tim Waggoner, and more. 

“99 TINY TERRORS is an absolutely wild ride through some truly weird territory. Fast, freaky, furious, and fun! Highly recommended!” –Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of INK and V-WARS