1. A thought about new(er) writers and Worldcons: My first Worldcon (and indeed convention) was in 2003. My novel Old Man's War wouldn't be published for two years. No one knew me. I was literally no one in the community.
I was on six program items and given a reading.
I was on six program items and given a reading.
2. On those six panels, I met writers who I am still friends with today. They were, literally, the start of my community in science fiction and fantasy. After my first ever reading, @cstross gave me advice on presentation that I still follow today.
@cstross 3. Equally important, it was SF/F fandom's first chance to take a look at me and see what they thought. Again, I wouldn't have a book out until 2005 -- but being at the 2003 Worldcon (and the 2004 one as well) meant when my book came out, I wasn't a complete stranger to them.
@cstross 4. I'm not sure why the 2003 Worldcon programmers put me on so much damn stuff, but I know they did me a favor. I got to be seen, and being seen makes a difference.
@cstross 5. With this year's Worldcon, we're having discussion about who gets to be seen on programming. As someone now who is *definitely* seen, I think it's important that we continue to pay it forward -- to give new voices, new people and new perspectives a literal seat at the table.
@cstross 6. It *matters* to writers and to fandom to see newer and different writers, and for those writers, to *be* seen. It matters to *me* as a writer and fan to see those coming up, who write and do things differently than I would. It matters that we give them space.
@cstross 7. And if that means that some of us who are *already* seen need to offer up our seat at the table here and there, well, I think that's worth doing. I won't be hard to find elsewhere. Paying forward is what we do in SF/F. It's in the essence of who we are.
@cstross 8. I want to go to Worldcon 76 this year and see the future of the genre. I want to be *part* of that future. And I want to see the new faces at the table, because I remember being the new face at the Worldcon table, and being told, "welcome."
That's all.
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That's all.
(/end)
