Friday , March 29 2024
A writers POV of this year's StokerCon--from a first time attendee.

StokerCon 2017: A Genre Writer’s Paradise Aboard the Haunted Queen Mary

You might think that a four-day Horror Writers Association  Convention (AKA StokerCon), especially aboard the legendary Queen Mary (long-said to be haunted) would be a weekend of spooky stares, chilly gazes and furtive glances. After all, among us were writers who thrill their fans with slashers, werewolves, vampires, various other monsters (some human, some not so much), and some demons that only exist in the mind in their stories, novels, and films.

As a first-time attendee at StokerCon (albeit as a nominee for my first novel, The Apothecary’s Curse), I did not quite know what to expect when I boarded the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California last Wednesday. As a new member of the HWA, I didn’t know a soul, and envisioned myself, anxiety ratcheting moment by moment, sitting alone and brooding in a corner while everyone gave me strange stares, since what I write is more dark fantasy, and not (insert air quotes) “horror.” Or so I thought.

I could not have been more wrong. The genre is defined by a very wide spectrum of works and styles: fantasy to sci-fi to murderous monsters and grey aliens; literary classics to the avant garde surrealism, pulp to the most elegant of crafted fiction. One thing we all have in common as horror writers: our stories are creepy, scary, intense and often strange. They come from the deepest regions of our imaginations, worked out on the page (or on film) to send a chill down the spine.

As a writer, the Stoker weekend proved to me the immense value of attending major writers conferences for every writer and creator of genre content. I learned a lot about what I write and found kindred spirits everywhere during the weekend. I sat on panels to share my knowledge and experience, discussing the “folk horror” sub-genre, and the relative merits of using beat sheets and outlines (or a combination thereof) to structure a novel and get it to the “finish line.”

I sat at coffee with novelists looking to sell their first work or find an agent, sharing my experiences and war stories; I bonded over drinks with multi-award winning writers who have mind-boggling oeuvres of wonderful works, and were generous in sharing their tips and their own stories from the field. There was no discernible pecking order. The entire time was a validation of my own work, an affirmation that I am on the “write” path and hanging with the right people. And a pathway to making contacts, because for a writer, it’s all about the contacts!

A few personal highlights of the weekend, and then a few tips for writers for those of you thinking of attending a conference like this for the first time.

Panels:

The panels at StokerCon were intended for active, professional writers to help hone their craft, or perhaps find a new voice or landscape to mine. I participated in a few, both as a panelist and an attendee. I was a panelist on sub-genre called folk horror. I never knew I wrote in that genre, but what do you know? I discovered that indeed I do. The vast landscape of folk legends, mythologies, the fairy tales and ballads with their dark, forbidding forests provides as beautiful, rich, textured landscape to tell a cautionary tale, or simply set a scary story. For example, my novel uses the medieval British ballads of Thomas the Rhymer and The Unquiet Grave, along with the Celtic mythology surrounding the Tuatha de Dannan set a backdrop to the cautionary tale at the novel’s heart.

A second panel I sat on tackled the novelist’s debate about whether to outline, write by the seat of their pants or to use the screenwriter’s technique of “Beat Sheets.” By the end, the only consensus was that novelists should do whatever structuring will get them to the finish line. I think we all agreed that some degree of structuring was helpful in getting past that muddled middle of the novel. Are “beats” emotional anchors to the story, set at specific points? Or are they moments to be planned out each chapter, giving scenes the power of a beginning, middle and end–an arc? It was a great discussion, and despite the lack of resolution, I believe attendees came away with the idea that planning and structuring does not inhibit the creative process, but (hopefully) frees it.

I also attended panels, and at StokerCon, there were far too many to take in in just four days! My favorite panel was a session on giving public readings–whether they’re short stories or novel excerpts. For me, the timing was fortuitous. I was slated to read an excerpt of my novel at Shades and Shadows, a wonderful project of the Pasadena Arts Council. I was unbelievably fortunate to have been chosen among the debut novel nominees to read among such luminaries as Elizabeth Hand, Chuck Wendig, Tananarive Due, and Stephen Graham Jones.

But–how to choose a seven minute selection? And how to slam it into seven minutes? Select action (dialogue is great, but I didn’t follow that rule) rather than exposition. Perform it! Give it energy and drama! But also edit the work (yes, even if it’s from a published novel!) This was the advice I did follow. I sat and excised several paragraphs of unnecessary detail not relevant to that small slice of novel. I tweaked a word here and there to make it more powerful on the tongue… Stuff like that. The reading (in front of my peers, colleagues and lots of very established voices in the genre) went exceptionally well!

Another fantastic session presented an overview of rights and other legal issues in publishing these days. Do you need a lawyer if you have an agent? Do you need an agent or a lawyer at all? (Yes!) How does it work and how much does it cost? Not as complicated as one might think–and not as costly (as in it won’t cost your entire advance usually–a percentage, just like your agent, most likely!) Again, great advice for working (and even aspiring) authors.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that the Stoker Conference was packed with real advice for active, working writers. But there were also pitch clinics, pitch sessions, and plenty of opportunity for aspiring authors to meet up close and personal with people who could be great advocates for your work and offer their help–colleague to colleague. To me, that is the mark of a great conference.

The Bram Stoker Awards

I would be remiss if I did not mention the Bram Stoker Awards–in a very specific context. I was thrilled, shocked and amazed that I made the short list at all. I did not expect to win, which I did not; however, it was clear that The Apothecary’s Curse had been well received, and I cannot count the number of nice things people had to say about it. A lot of people were pulling for it, but Tom Deady’s excellent novel Haven won, and I congratulate him.

So, in the end, it really did not matter that I didn’t win the trophy. (Although, I have to say that it’s a pretty awesome haunted house statuette, and would look quite nice on the mantelpiece!) Being a “Bram Stoker Awards nominee” is a huge calling card when meeting people, talking about potential collaborations and future projects!

So– a few bits of advice for newbie writing conference attendees:

  1. Go. Just go. Bite the financial bullet and go. Stay at the hotel (even if it’s in your hometown). I commuted to another big conference, and it wasn’t the same, by a long stretch. Early morning coffees, late night drinks and parties–or just hanging out after the night’s festivities have ended are some of the best (and very low-key) ways of meeting people.
  2. Start a conversation with someone you don’t know. Could be someone famous or someone unknown. Doesn’t matter. You could find a friend, someone would could help your career, a future collaborator, or just someone to hang out with. We writers are a shy bunch when left to our own devices. So this is really important–do not be a wallflower.
  3. Figure out which panels will be most beneficial. Where are you in career? What do you want to get out of the programming? Then go to the panels, record them (or take great notes), take names and ask questions (but don’t dominate the discussion). If you’re an experienced pro (or a not-so-experienced pro, like me), offer to serve on a panel that addresses something in which you do have experience.
  4. Do not be afraid to talk about your project. You never know when you might be talking to someone who knows someone who’s looking for what you’ve got to sell (or promote). But don’t come on too strong. (Leave that to your agent and publicist 🙂 )
  5. Friend everyone you’ve connected with on Facebook or Twitter and stay in touch. It’s all about contacts! contacts! contacts!

 

 

About Barbara Barnett

A Jewish mother and (young 🙃) grandmother, Barbara Barnett is an author and professional Hazzan (Cantor). A member of the Conservative Movement's Cantors Assembly and the Jewish Renewal movement's clergy association OHALAH, the clergy association of the Jewish Renewal movement. In her other life, she is a critically acclaimed fantasy/science fiction author as well as the author of a non-fiction exploration of the TV series House, M.D. and contributor to the book Spiritual Pregnancy. She Publisher/Executive Editor of Blogcritics, (blogcritics.org).

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