I went to Literary Orange yesterday. The highlight was two science fiction sessions where four legendary authors shared ideas about writing. I saw Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, David Brin, and Vernor Vinge. I was so engrossed in what they were talking about, I hardly took any notes. One of them noted that they were all bearded SF authors. When I asked Larry Niven if I should start growing a beard, he suggested I wait until I was famous. I’ll treasure that advice, and hope to see him, with my beard, someday.
It is becoming easier to recognize those individuals that are serious about writing. I’ve been to three conventions/seminars/workshops/etc. and keep running into the same people at each. These are the same people who attend the SCWA meetings on a monthly basis. They suck up information from experts in the field and apply them to their own craft. My short-term goal, now, is to become knowledgeable enough to share my advice and teach classes at these venues.
– Brennan Harvey