Writing Excuses 8.19: Writing and Convention Culture

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Writing Excuses 8.19: Writing and Convention Culture

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2013/05/12/writing-excuses-8-19-writing-and-convention-culture/

Key Points: Every group has its own writing culture, traditions, things that they focus on. Beware catering to local peeves. Watch for experts who aren't.  Try to understand the cultural expectations for the fiction, and for the interactions of writers and readers in your area. People at cons are there to talk about writing, so it's okay to start these discussions, to participate. Do approach other authors as a professional. Look for commonalities. Use small talk to open. Don't bring your manuscript. Don't dismiss people. Do walk up and say, "Hi! I'm a writer. What do you do?"
( Cultures are what you grow in petri dishes, right? )

[Brandon] All right. Writing prompt? Neil Gaiman teaches you something. What did you learn from him?
[Howard] Neil Gaiman as the mentor character...
[Brandon] That's right. In your hero's journey.
[Howard] In your hero's journey. Only please don't kill him off in order to take him out of the action, because we want him to write more books.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.