I didn’t really enjoy Archon very much this year. I hesitate to pin blame because so many things are going on right now that my dissatisfaction could be result of factors completely unrelated. Any number of them might have coalesced into the hazy funk that seemed to follow me around all weekend.
But there did seem to be a lack of focus at the convention and I was surprised at the lack of meaningful programming. I volunteered to do two workshops, one on Saturday the other on Sunday, but except for titles and brief descriptions, there was no structure to speak of. I showed up and improvised and the people in attendance seemed satisfied. Copious notes were being taken in any case.
I did get to spend time with people I only see at conventions. A tip o’ the hat through the internets to Selina and Lynn, Vic, Tom, Rich and Michelle, and a handful of others who made it worth my while to show up.
One thing I will say, the convention returned to Collinsville, Illinois, which is about 15 miles from my house. Not an onerous drive except for getting over the bridge, on which this weekend there were repairs and therefore traffic jams.  The convention facilities themselves are okay—it is, after all, a convention center (Gateway) and it is designed for such things. It used to be there was only one good hotel there, but a Drury has been added. The dearth of decent restaurants is a problem. I don’t consider Arby’s, Bandana’s, Ponderosa, Ruby Tuesday, or Steak’n’Shake decent restaurants. Fast food, sure. But there’s still only one really good restaurant there, Porters, which is fine eating and expensive as hell. Last year Archon moved to Westport Plaza. I know there were complaints about it being spread out and the dealer’s rooms were on the other side of the plaza from the actual programming, but it was a cool setting, good food, decent hotels, and…
Yeah, it’s closer to my house, but more importantly there’s no bridge that is always being repaired.
Even so, that doesn’t explain my loss of enthusiasm. I think I’m just really tired from the last eight months. I’m not working on anything right now but what I want to be working on, till my agent tasks me with more revisions or something, so I’ve decided to work on the small stack of short stories I have. Rich Horton was at Archon and pointedly lamented my non-output of short material. So that’s what I’m doing now.
And learning my away around Twitter. One more distraction, but I’m told it is necessary for my coming popularity vis-a-vis my career.
Things just seem unsettled lately. There are reasons which I won’t go into here, but they seem to be ganging up on me. I’m so easily distracted, I throw my hands up at merest provocation and put off till tomorrow work I really need to be doing today. For instance, the story I should be working on is staring at my back just now, on the other computer, while I explain all this to you. It’s a cool story, too, if I can just bring it home. So while it’s pleasant chatting with you here, and you’re such a terrific audience patiently listening to me gripe about not much, I’m going to hit the publish button and go do that cool story.
But I wanted to tell you about Twitter. Really. (See? I’m not a Luddite.)
No, it’s not just you. I spent more of the convention talking to old friends than I did going to programming. Someone told me she’d been sent a questionnaire, but there was no sign that the committee had read her answer (or anyone else’s). Michelle got programming she couldn’t attend (being head of the art show) and didn’t get the program space she asked for. So it’s not just you.
But we had a great time with old friends and are glad we went.