Post-Bronycon · 3:05pm Aug 9th, 2019
Okay, finally getting around to this.
The final Bronycon was a great convention for me, mostly because it hit all the metrics of things I like to do at conventions.
Panels
I got to be on two great panels, one of which I submitted myself. Seriously, I'd like to thank everyone that came out to Fanfiction Foundations & It's In Our Hooves Now. At past Bronycon's writing-related panels usually didn't get as much love. Like many years, several writing panels found themselves scheduled at the fringes of the day. (I do know there were a few that enjoy some prime-time slots.) Both of my panels fell into that category. One started around 9 PM on Thursday, another started at 11:30 PM on Saturday. Still, despite those hours, both panels have filled The Hall of Stars. The last time I was on a writing panel that had a packed room was the Fanfiction Do's and Dont's from several years back.
So again, thank you, everyone, for attending those panels. And thank you to those who told me how much you enjoyed the panels when you ran into me later on during the weekend. Participating in panels is always been one of my favorite things to do at conventions, and at this years Bronycon, I had a stellar experience in that regard. And it was a pleasure to share the panelist stage with El Oso, Wanderer D, GaryOak, GaPJaxie, and Shakespearicles. After all, great panels take great panelists, and all of you did an amazing job!
Though as a side note, I still can't believe I let GaryOak talk me into his jokes :P. If you were at the Writing Comedy panel, you'll know what I mean.
Vendor Hall and Bookstore
Any trip to any convention always ends up with me buying something from the vendor hall. There's just too much good stuff in there not to walk away with something. And of course, this Bronycon vendor hall was special because of the tremendous effort by Aquaman, RBDash47, and GaPJaxie to put together the Golden Oaks Bookstore. Seeing all those books lined up was a sight to behold, even if it would not survive even the first day.
Yes, it seemed like the vendor hall was hit by a Tsunami on the first day. The bookstore itself had a line! A big line that you can read more about in WandererD's post-con blog. Every author started Thursday with ~10 copies of each of their books. Within 1.5 hours of the vendor hall opening, I got messaged that my books were running out and I needed to restock.
That was a moment of panic and elation that left me jittering for a while after. I hustled back to my hotel room (The Renaissance Harbor Hotel), called in help from El Oso, and we carried the rest of my back stock to the bookstore in one grand herculean effort. And even still, even after giving the bookstore every copy of every book I had, I was totally sold out by Friday morning.
I can't express how blown away I was, but that overall happy feeling was twinged with a bit of guilt. Why didn't I order more books?! Well, in regards to Past Sins, there were no more books to be had at the time. The copy of Past Sins available was the one from the Ministry of Image. It was actually stocked in two booths. I had 24 copies at the Golden Oaks Bookstore while another 40 copies were available at the Traveling Pony Museum's booth along with many other books that came from the Ministry of Image. Those 64 books represented all the stock the Ministry of Image had at the time. I originally wanted 30 copies of Past Sins for the bookstore, but I got messaged from the Ministry of Image that they just didn't have enough to fill both orders. So I don't think it would have been possible to get more copies of Past Sins to the Bronycon Vendor Hall.
But for The Life & Times of Nyx and Face the Dark anthologies, I could have ordered more. I could have gotten another twenty each, and even then, would that have been enough to even get through Friday? So my elation for having sold out was mixed with the guilt. To those that stopped by the booth and were unable to get a copy of any of my books, I do deeply apologize. Shortly after I post this blog post, I'll post another with information on how to order a copy of those books online.
Charity Auction
Slightly related to the books. One lot in the Charity auction was a set of five books. Four of them were from the bookstore, two of them being my two new books. The last one was donated by Illustrious Q and was something rather special. It was the prototype-printing of the first edition of Past Sins signed by myself and everyone on the Equestrian Publications team. It made me very happy to see that lot go for $680 dollars! (I know there were things at the auction that sold for way more, but I was very happy those books did as well as they did.)
Dinners
This convention year seemed the year of the sit-down and have a nice dinner. I went to Fogo De Chao twice! The first time was with an online RP group of mine while the second was a group of 14 authors that GaryOak organized. And of course, as with every year, there was the Writer's Dinner at Tir Na Nog, an Irish pub. We had close to, if not more than, 70 writers all crammed into the back room of that place. It's always such a fun time just to be in that gaggle, that swarm, that herd of fellow writers. Though, I had such poor timing. Someone did a collective photo of everyone there, taking a picture of each table, and I manage to be away from my table taking my own group shot the moment he was doing it! DOOM! I show up in some of the other shots, but it is a sadness. Maybe I can get someone to photoshop me in :P. (Not really, but a twinge of regret none the less.) Still, kudos to Wanderer D for organizing the last Writer's Dinner, his third year doing so.
Summary
Beyond all that, this Bronycon was a convention where I was always doing something. In past years, I would sometimes just slip back to the hotel room if I was feeling adrift to recover. At this Bronycon, it felt like I never had time to do that. Better yet, I never felt compelled to do that. I always had someone to hang out with or something to do. And even if there were lines and other craziness, sometimes that's just part of the convention experience. It's part of being a community that is able to come together in such a capacity and celebrate the thing we all share a passion for.
So Bronycon 2019 was the last Bronycon, and for me, it was a great way to end a convention I have been going to for years. I wasn't there when it started, but it's one I've been to enough to be familiar with that I knew the area. I bemoaned the loss of the noodle restaurant, a favorite place to go, and have my own personal memories of "Ice Cold Water, Only One Dollar." I am familiar with the layout of the Baltimore convention center and its love of sky-bridges.
It is a convention I will miss, as I tend to limit myself to only one convention each year and Bronycon has always been the one that took that honor. Don't know what I'll do next year either, but I also have too much going on to be planning that far ahead.
So, in conclusion, thank you Bronycon for being a part of my experience as a member of the MLP:FiM community. You will be missed, and I'm glad you were able to go out on such a high note. (At least for me.)
It was awesome seeing you again. Good hanging out and doing the panel with you.
Enjoyed the It's In Our Hooves Now panel, and as an audience member, thank you for helping with GaryOak's joke for the comedy panel. It was amazing.
"I mean, if Pen Stroke can get Celestia pregnant via Zecora, there's nothing you can't do." Has to be my favorite quote from our panel.
5102769
And as I defended at the panel. El Oso is equally responsible and you are misrepresenting the situation
5102770 I'm just saying, it was worth the explosion of laughter, along with your baffled initial: "What do you mea—OH!"
Oh my gosh, is that Pen Stroke, author of My Little Dashie!?
Just because the current show is ending doesn't there can't be conventions anymore
5102774
Yeah, I know that, and there is a strong likelihood I'll go to one next year. I just don't know which one.
Was great to finally meet the face behind the documents. Took a long while to get through all those stories, but obviously it was worth the effort given how quickly they all went out.
Also, you seem to have forgotten to mention that your books went into auction and sold for... well, a lot...
From my Saturday notes. A-hem! And I quote: "Pen Stroke is the new M. A. Larson."
Sign my forehead, M. A. Pen Stroke Senpai!
5102792
Added a bit about the Charity Auction. Thanks for the reminder! And thanks again for all your help!
Thanks for paneling and hanging with me once again, and thank you so much for writing My Little Dashie! It changed my life.
5102812
You're welcome on both accounts! It was great working with you! And I also altered the comment about the books and amount— a LOT of stuff went for four figures.
I was happy I got to meet you and get my book signed thanks for that messager bag buddy
Thank you for participating on that gag in the writing comedy panel. That was a lot of fun.