The days spent in August of 2018 at DragonCon in their writer’s workshop were invaluable to me. The in between times where I got to people watch will never be forgotten. The sheer number of people is overwhelming to me. However, most of my time was spent in the basement with a group of writers at Jody Nye’s infamous workshop. It was the highlight of my writing year.

This immersive Steampunk event was a great time to view so many elements of the culture. In 2018 it was held in the beginning of July. I was able to dress up for the event while perusing the many different makers there from the Assassin’s Guild to the Storyteller’s Guild. This was a timely event considering the setting of one of my novels that I had been working on.

JordanCon is a fantasy conference spirited by the late Robert Jordan and his series the Wheel of Time. Always looking for a chance to cosplay, and an avid fan of the series as well as Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, this was my second JordanCon. This time I found they have a writer’s track and promptly immersed myself in it.

A massive event that was slightly unsettling for a novice. Most of the focus there is on MFA, which I lack, it did however give me a chance to meet people and learn a lot about other parts of the industry.

I broached the idea of getting involved with a conference almost six months ago, finally making the plunge with a local event in Florida. Since then, I believe it has been one of the most influential moves in my writing.