The Con...

June 5, 2023

That moment when you think I have to write a blog – but I have nothing! Writing is like that, sometimes. You set up at the desk, you open the page, your hands rest above the keyboard, and…well, you stare, you ruminate, you type a handful of words and delete them. You stare. Coffee sounds good. Maybe water. Nah. Coffee. The cat needs to come in. Perhaps a few moments on the static bike, or some stretches. Hmmm. Perhaps. No. Stare at the screen. Ruminate again. The spectre rises. You’re not actually a writer. You’ve got nothing. Go away. I am a writer. I am. No, seriously, I am. Screen page shines white.

Yesterday, I wandered across to the Adelaide Oz Comic Con. I haven’t been to a writing convention for ages, and the last time I went to this one I came home with Aragorn’s sword. Yesterday, though, I caught up with a colleague – Emerson Ward – artist, and we chatted and hopefully we’ve made some plans.
 
Comic Cons are amazing. Apart from the creators of awesome characters and stories and stunning comic art, I’m always blown away by the commitment and passion of the cos-play people who bring their favourite characters to life. What greater compliment to a creator than to see their work replicated irl (in real life)?
 
Yesterday reminded me that professional writing is far from an isolated lifestyle because of readers. Readers make writing live. Their passion gives authenticity and meaning to a writer’s work. And that means writers need publishing outlets to reach their readers. Those outlets for the lucky few are the big publishing houses. For a few more, the smaller publishing houses become valuable conduits between them and their readers. And then there are the self-publishing companies that provide outlets for millions more. Readers need writers. Writers need readers.
 
Of course, there is writing for therapeutic outcomes – the action of writing only for yourself so that you can explore yourself and your life without judgement.
 
I have no idea how much creators make from the booths they set up at the conventions. It must demand significant cost – booth hire, enough product to sell, shipping if the convention is interstate. I am going to look into it and Emerson and I talked about sharing a booth in 2024, showcasing his art and my writing. And that issue – how can an unknown make any meaningful money out of writing – can be a topic for the next blog.
 
Well, this page has black marks over it. Now I can open a different one.