Blog of Monica Valentinelli, Writer & Content Consultant

Posted on April 27, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Observations from OddCon

This is the second year I went to OddCon hosted in Madison, Wisconsin. The convention is “fan-run” meaning that fans organized, scheduled and arranged three days of events, panels and signings. There were several professional writers on hand including Guests of Honor Emma Bull and Patrick Rothfuss, alongside notable writers Sarah Monette, Lori Devoti, Alex Bledsoe, Matt Forbeck, Adrian Drake, Chris Welch, Richard Chedwyck, Cam Banks, Jamie Chambers, Michael Damian Thomas and Lynne Thomas, Matt M McElroy, etc.

Speaking on five panels and attending several others, one of the things that still surprise me was how willing fans were to challenge the perspectives of professionals. Why might a fan challenge a professional? Well, most fans are not privy to the business side of entertainment. (And yes, fiction writers and screenwriters fall into that group.) For them, fans focus on what they love about a work and that becomes their perspective. A professional, on the other hand, knows that there are business reasons why a show gets canceled or why a book is written in a particular manner. Sometimes, the two world views don’t coincide primarily because fans take a lot of ownership over settings and worlds that they love. That love — as wonderful as it is — does have a dark side because the “facts” over creative decisions sometimes get lost in a fog of opinions and perceptions. (Just as one example, many fans do not know that writing fan fiction in “someone else’s sandbox” is technically illegal and considered copyright infringement.)

My challenge with those perceptions usually occurs when “opinions” are relayed as “fact.” I believe that fans are an integral part of the world of entertainment, because without them many properties would not be as successful as they were. Some fans at the convention didn’t seem to leverage the idea that a professional might know more than they do; other fans did a really good job of it. The ones that did an excellent job enhanced the discussions, because they made the panels more accessible by asking questions that everyone wanted to know. The ones that didn’t only ended up frustrating both the professionals and the audience because their opinions were expressed as “the one, true way.” This is one of the many reasons why I found myself wondering if there was a better way to structure some of these panels. For example, two of the panels I had moderated offered fans to hear Patrick Rothfuss speak. Since Pat was the guest of honor, I felt obligated to give him the floor more often as I would with any “guest.” I feel that one of those panels went really well, but I’m not so sure about the other one. I should clarify that last statement, because what I’m trying to say is that whenever I moderate I’m very conscientious of the room and who people come to hear speak. It’s sometimes difficult to balance the flow of conversation to give the “very important guest” enough air time, especially when you have multiple panelists.

Those observations aside, I did enjoy myself and this year I was reminded of one, simple fact: a writer’s journey is unique. I engaged in several, high-level discussions about writing as a business and writing as a craft, and I’ll infuse some of those great tips for you once I’ve had the chance to mull over and digest them.

Will I go again next year? Probably, because it’s a chance for me to meet other professionals and touch base with others I’ve met throughout the years. Interacting with fans can often turn into something meaningful, too, and it has. After all, the best motivator for any writer is that one fan of your work.