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Messages - slayn

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**Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA, Aug 29-Sept 1, 2014**

« on: August 23, 2014, 12:47:08 AM »

From the email that went out today:

FRIDAY

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Fri 2:00pm – 3:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Dealer’s Room, Badali Jewelry Booth — 15i-17i.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Badali uses a “timed ticket” system to ensure signings don’t become a fire hazard. Stop by their booth Friday morning to get your free ticket and to be assigned a time slot.

Title: An Hour With Jim Butcher
Description: Audience Q&A with the bestselling author of the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series
Time: Fri 4:00pm – 5:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Regency VI – VII – Hyatt

Title: The Uses of Enchantment: Magic in Urban Fantasy
Description: Authors in the field discuss the various magical systems used by their characters
Time: Fri 10:00pm – 11:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Augusta Ballroom – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Laura Anne Gilman, D.B. Jackson, Linda Robertson, James R. Tuck, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher

SATURDAY

Title: Magnificent Men of Fantasy Fiction
Description: Powerful speculative fiction demands a lot of the authors. These well-known authors will provide inside information on how to write powerful fiction.
Time: Sat 1:00pm – 2:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Centennial I – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Kevin J. Anderson, Nancy Knight, Jonathan Maberry, Larry Niven, Jim Butcher

Title: Dresden Files – Bringing the Wizard to Life
Description: Interview and audience Q&A with the creator of the Harry Dresden character and the actor who brought him to life on the screen.
Time: Sat 2:30pm – 3:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Regency VI – VII – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Jim Butcher, Paul Blackthorne

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sat 04:00pm – 6:30pm (Length: 2.5 Hours)
Location: International Hall South – Marriott

Title: Modern Day Magic
Description: If “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” what happens when you drop magic into a technologically advanced world?
Time: Sun 11:30am – 12:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy C – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Lev Grossman, Jim Butcher

SUNDAY

Title: Worldbuilding 101
Description: Where does a writer start? What’s important to the reader? Who needs to know what and when do they need to know it? Build a better fictional world.
Time: Sun 1:00pm – 2:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Lee Martindale, Michael Bunker, Lynn Abbey, C. L. Wilson, Jim Butcher, Jonathan Maberry

Title: Monster Menagerie: Supernatural Variety in Urban Fantasy
Description: Urban Fantasy features a wide range of supernatural beings, often in the same book, and our authors discuss their diverse approaches.
Time: Sun 4:00 pm – 5:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Augusta Ballroom – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Christopher Golden, John G. Hartness, Kat Richardson, Laurell K. Hamilton, Linda Robertson, Jim Butcher

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sun 5:30 pm – 6:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: International Hall South – Marriott

Title: A Light in the Darkness: Humor in Urban Fantasy
Description: Authors in the genre often use humor, and this panel of authors will explain why they do so, and what type they employ.
Time: Sun 10:00 pm – 11:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Chastain BC – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Kevin J. Anderson, John G. Hartness, Julie Kenner, J. F. Lewis, Kat Richardson, Jim Butcher

MONDAY

Title: I Have This Idea
Description: How to develop an idea into a novel. Basic tools to take an idea from that little germ into a full-blown blockbuster.
Time: Mon 10:00 am – 11:00am (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Jim Butcher, Lou Anders, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Janny Wurts, Peter David, Gene Wolfe, Nancy Knight

==========

Fans may also be interested in checking out the screening of the “Night Light” fan film Friday night.

Title: Night Light: A Dresden Files Fan Film
Description: Last year we shared a clip from this fan film set in the Dresden universe, and this year we will screen the whole movie.
Time: Fri 11:30 pm Location: Chastain BC – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Other Dragon Con Items of Note:

Please ARRIVE EARLY for signings. The last time Jim was at DragonCon and last week at GenCon, his lines were capped long before the signing even began.
Don’t forget that Badali Jewelry–in addition to hosting Jim’s first signing–is selling gorgeous Dresden Files jewelry, including Harry’s pentacle amulet and shield bracelet as well as “good” and “evil” Bob necklaces. You can preview them on Badali’s website.

I'm so happy I only have to go to ONE signing this year!

**Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA, Aug 29-Sept 1, 2014**

« on: August 21, 2014, 01:00:04 AM »

Quote from: PilgrimDan on August 20, 2014, 07:34:31 PM

I heard some really bad things about Dragon*Con from quite a few people at Gen-Con, along the lines of how people at Dragon*Con mostly turn up to party and many people who aren't guests turn up just for the booze and that the atmosphere was nasty. I was talking to one writer who said it got so crowded it took an hour and a half or more to go to the rest room and that he lost money going there to get books signed because no-one seemed to be interested, so he wouldn't be going again. He also said that Dragon*Con was getting so unruly that there was a real danger of it turning into a riot - with a quarter million people.

Does anyone know how true this is?

Not very. It's a crowded convention, yes, but outside of that nothing else is accurate, and even the number of people there isn't a problem for the most part. I've never had to wait more than, like, two minutes to use the restroom at any point in the last five years of attending.

Further, both hotel and convention staff are very good at keeping people without badges and/or hotel room keys out of the hotels.

The main thing to remember is that the convention isn't about any one specific aspect of being a geek. I can almost guarantee that people at GenCon don't like DragonCon because there's not enough gaming for them. But then, DragonCon is not a gaming convention. There's gaming there, certainly, but it doesn't get any more or less attention than other events.

As far as the writer you spoke to, that sounds like sour grapes to me. First, attendance hovers around the 50-60,000 range, putting his number off by a factor of five. Second, it's a well-behaved crowd for the most part; some people drink a bit too much in the evenings, but I've never seen anything that comes remotely close to unruly and the idea that a bunch of geeks are going to riot at a convention that specifically caters to them is hilarious. I'm sorry no one wanted his signature, but if you're not a NYT bestseller, that's a risk you take attending a general-purpose convention like DragonCon. Hell, I've seen actual NYT bestsellers with anemic lines during signings.

Cinder Spires Books / Re: The Aeronaut's Windlass

« on: August 08, 2014, 03:48:36 PM »

That is the most terrifying thing I've read all week..

Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Jim's 2014 Schedule

« on: July 19, 2014, 02:51:59 PM »

Quote from: Romulan Cmdr on July 17, 2014, 03:18:42 PM

Last year, I came 10 mins before a signing was suppose to begin and there was already a HUGE HUGE line.
One person had made a replica of Bob's skull as seen in the tv series to get signed.

Yeah, you have to show up to the unofficial pre-line line if you want to be sure to get something signed. All of the staff at D*Con last year were pretty cool and realized Jim's a Big Deal, so while they couldn't officially recognize any lines until an hour before the event, they let us congregate out of the way and would slyly direct people to the back of our unofficial grouping.

Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Jim's 2014 Schedule

« on: July 15, 2014, 12:30:11 AM »

I didn't see an announcement here, but Dragon*Con has announced that Jim will be back this year!

Cinder Spires Books / Re: Release Date?

« on: June 19, 2014, 08:16:43 PM »

It's taken Jim a lot longer than six months to write the last three Dresden books, and the series has only grown more complicated in that time. Beyond that, Jim himself has all but stated that a DF book once a year is a thing of the past.

Quote from: Jim Butcher

A few things have changed which have slowed my writing pace. First, I started getting involved in other projects: there was the TV show, there are the graphic novels, the RPG and mostly the accursed short stories. Those are a huge time sink for me, because I really suck at actually producing them. Seriously, they're harder to put together than novels, and eat up a BUNCH more time for their size. I've just finished the last short piece I'm going to write for a while, so hopefully that will help.

Second: In the last three or four years as the series has gotten more popular, it's gotten more attention, which means that I have as well. There is a constant stream of interviews, appearances, tours, events, charity requests, autographings and so on. That doesn't happen forty hours a week, but it sure as hell eats up way more time than it did when I was writing Death Masks or Blood Rites.

Third: The process of writing itself has changed for me. As I learn more about the craft, my process has become more involved and it takes a little more time to write up to the standards that I set for myself, and I at least try to keep setting them higher, to keep learning and growing. I can't make it happen any faster and still call it my best effort.

Fourth: I'm just plain tireder and older than when I got started. My self-discipline is greater, but my energy is probably less ferocious than it used to be. I could turn Dresden into Mack Bolan, from a mental-stamina standpoint, but I don't think I'd much enjoy it, and I doubt most of the readers would, either. My wrists and hands hurt a lot more quickly than they used to when I sit down at the keyboard. It isn't a huge deal, but it does put a limit on how much time I can sit and concentrate.

Fifth: There are way more miscellaneous demands on my time than there used to be, as I've gotten older and taken on more responsibility and stuff. Things like, for example, spending an hour of keyboard time writing frustration-driven fan-relations posts to the web site.

Now, granted, this was from over two years ago, but I would imagine most, if not all, of this still holds true.

Cinder Spires Books / Re: Release Date?

« on: June 19, 2014, 06:06:04 PM »

I suspect we'll see a new book from Jim every spring, and it'll alternate between a Dresden book and a Cinder Spires book, until the latter series is finished, then back to a 12-18 month cycle for the Dresden Files (until Jim starts a new series).

**Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Jim's Dragon*Con 2013 Schedule**

« on: August 29, 2013, 01:00:09 AM »

Quote from: Priscellie on August 28, 2013, 07:25:26 PM

The Dragon*Con of three years ago was particularly heinous. There were fans who lined up over an hour in advance that weren't able to get anything signed. But cons are wising up to the sheer mass of Jim's readers and the fan demand for signing time and making allowances. Hopefully, that debacle won't happen again.

It was a bit worse than that, actually. At one point right before the signing started, DCon staff counted off an arbitrary number of people and said something like "if you're behind this guy, you won't get in." I was five or six people behind said guy, but said "to hell with that, I've been here two hours." My friends and I stayed around and it turned out we got in the room and had our books signed, as did something like the next 20 people in line behind us. At least those that didn't leave, because a fair number did.

I'd also like to extend an apology to Andi; my view is, obviously, somewhat tainted by my prior experience with Jim's signing at Dragon*Con. I'll trust his staff when they say things will be better this year.

**Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Jim's Dragon*Con 2013 Schedule**

« on: August 28, 2013, 02:36:27 AM »

Well those slots are specifically billed as a signing event and you're not there to get something signed, preempting someone that is. That's kind of rude in my opinion. All I'm asking is that you consider the person that showed up for the event and didn't get in because you wanted Jim doing something besides the intended purpose of the event.

If you just want to tell Jim how awesome he is, go to the Hour With Jim event and let him know there, he usually does a Q&A session of decent length.

**Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Jim's Dragon*Con 2013 Schedule**

« on: August 27, 2013, 11:37:01 PM »

Quote from: AndiSue on August 23, 2013, 09:13:18 PM

Dragon*Con 2013 will be my first con ever and the main reason I decided this was the year to go is because Mr. Butcher will be there. As a con newbie, I have a couple questions about autograph sessions. I don't really have anything I need/want to have autographed...I'd really just like to say hi, express my fan-ness and maybe take a picture. Does Mr. Butcher allow photographs and, if so, is there any charge? Would it be better to do something like this at the autograph signing or is it better to stalk him at the panels?

Thanks in advance!

This is probably going to come off as dickish, which isn't my intent, but please don't do this. If you wait in the signing line just to take a picture, you're stopping someone else from getting their books signed. The staff at Dragon*Con stick by their schedules like it's a religion; he has an hour per signing session and then he and everyone else are kicked out of the room for the next author (this will probably work a bit differently for the back-to-back sessions). There was at least five times the number of people in line as actually got in the room the last time he was at Dragon*Con, and even with multiple sessions, I expect the situation to be the same this year, if not worse.

The signing with The Missing Volume will help, but unless the new dealer rooms are substantially bigger than prior years, he'll actually get far fewer things signed during that hour because everything will be chaotic what with folks needing to pay for books (if they're purchasing from TMV) and all the other folks in the dealer room that are there to shop and don't particularly care that Jim's doing a signing. (On the flip side, the dealer rooms are apparently a block or two away from the host hotels this year, so that might cut down on the number of people wandering about.)

If nothing else, just have him sign your e-reader, convention badge, or program.

Calendar Event Discussion / Re: Signing in Atlanta, GA, 7/28

« on: May 26, 2011, 06:43:52 PM »

It looks like I'll need to come up with some reason to be in Atlanta that day.

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