Cleveland Concoction, Day 1, Panels and Emotional Support Dragons...

Here we are...it's late and why oh why I chose to sit on a 9 pm panel discussion about sex in writing, I am not sure but glad I did.

But let's back up just a moment here...

Made my return to Aurora, Ohio and the opening day of CleCon. After four years of not being here, I was interested in seeing how much had changed, due to the pandemic, and so forth.

I'm staying at a refurbished Econo Lodge (oxymoron right there), and it's good. I was here last time as well. Streetsboro is the town I'm in for this, and right off the highway, so location and such is perfect.

We have a Sheetz (imagine that), and across the street a monstrous Wal-Mart, some familiar chain places, a killer Mexican restaurant named Don Patron...and a Morebucks. You know where I started my day.

The turnout was light to start, and the weather might have been in on it. But yes, back in the place...

I got a shelf in the bookstore all to me...kinda neat to see all your books in one place. I since found that fellow author Weston Kincade was the one who came up with this idea, and sold it to CleCon. It works.

So we can go have fun. The official opening was noon, and of course I showed up early and noted the silence, but then it rolled into gear.

First panel was at 2 pm, and I was one of many to talk about Mistakes Beginning Authors Make. Everyone kind of goes through certain questions, and then it's take those from the audience, etc.

Kinds of people show up at these. We had a good crowd for the first one in one of these strange walled off rooms in the conference center. I feel like the huge areas are dead and empty unless somebody wants to use them, and then it's come in, take the sheets off the tables, dust everything and make it look like people are here all the time.

Here is my old friend Olivia Berrier, who sat on the next panel about animal sidekicks. In depth discussion on the animal friends, and how that vehicle is used in literature. One thing that is difficult for me, is putting pets and animals into stories. For some reason, despite having pets all my life and growing up on a farm, I have some animal-less stories.

Then there's David Balog, who brought his along! David's just put out his first, and he and the gang offered a lot of insight into animal use.

Olivia then did another presentation, and we were put to work doing writing prompts. In a few minutes we each had to write overly dramatic scenes, then do it boring. Then some others, which were designed to stretch our writing abilities by limiting us to things like smells, dialogue only...very informative. And Olivia is just fun, period.

Oh speaking of fun...

The red-shirted gentleman is one of the Federation. Yes, that one. I will get more pics tomorrow of the displays and events, and cosplayers.

There were these...

This was part of a charity auction...how neat. You can't go wrong with an Emotional Support Dragon.

Lots of cool artworks...

Lovely, courtesy of Mich'Art, Wakeman, OH.

I do not know the name of the costume-maker, but impressive.

More stuff, corsets and cool shit...

Game table--I expect to see a lot of game playing tomorrow and Sunday...serious business.

The Dalek got in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I think...again, so much more happening. I did not see the Harp Twins set, and I hope to hear them tomorrow. They seem very nice ladies, and they have lots of CDs...there are also professional cosplayers, seminars the Doctor Whose Line is it Anyway event (which I missed) because of my entry into Sexy Time in Writing...

9 pm, and people rolled up for a talk about sex. The discussion was about fade to black or everything, and all in between.

This is an interesting topic, about what is appropriate, where do you draw the line, and also what do you do yourself? Answers are as different and as many as there are authors.

So yes, great fun.

Now, I'm doing another panel and an Author's Alley signing tomorrow, and there's lots of things to do and see. If I can get up in time I might catch the History of Star Trek and the Federation, string theory (not musical), withes and muggles, time travel, cosplay contests, Geek Jeopardy and a lot more. Always something going on.

I'll try to get around to more tomorrow. Meanwhile, this is great fun. This is my three-day weekend I've long needed, in a strange land, with strange people. I'm perfectly happy with how it's gone.

Oh, did I mention during all this I'm editing another book? Of course I am! This does not stop.

Okay, off to bed--Peace, Out.