Dragoncon 2003

Friday, August 29, at 3:40 PM I walked out of my highschool and began walking home. Halfway I met my mom in the van, who was to pick me up so as to begin our trip, a roughly seven hour drive. There was a slight change of plans as I wished to stop at home first to print off the latest ammendments to the story, When Two Worlds Meet, from my online friend, Asteria. Ten minutes later I had my two printed pages in hand (along with a full hard copy of said story) and my mom and I were off for Atlanta, Georgia. The driving was slow, as we hit rush hour and ended up getting delayed a good hour to an hour and a half from traffic (took and hour and a half to go 60 miles) and weather. However, several CDs later, we arrived in the city that was the home of Dragoncon. It was 11PM, and too dark for me to do any more proofreading (hadn't gotten much done as I was reading it out loud for my mother). After missing our exit and spending an hour wandering around in the industrial district, a kind soul took pity on us and guided us to our hotel (in my defense, my mom refused to listen to a few of my suggestions, resulting in the initial bewilderment). We arrived at Midnight and I collapsed on my bed, already dreaming of what the next day would hold.

It was Saturday, and my first day at the con. Needless to say I was excited and practically bouncing to the Marta subway. Upon exit, we walked the single block from the subway to the Hyatt Regency and Marriot Marquoise Hotels, home of Dragoncon. Before my eyes were thousands of people, many dressed in costumes of every size and description, but many plainly dressed like myself. Inquiring as to directions to the registration from a member of the staff, we made our way down one level in the Hyatt. At registratoin I immediately became extremely grateful that I had preregistered. There was almost no line for preregisters, and a winding line that extended all the way back out of the ballroom registration was in. That line had not moved in the time it took for both my mother and me to acquire our passes (must be worn at all times), programs, and schedules.

We crossed the street to the Marrior...I felt like shopping. It was 9:30 AM and, as we discovered, the dealers room was not open until ten and there was a huge line to get in. Not wishing to spend our first half hour at the con standing in a line, mom and I retired to a wall to plan out what we would do that day. There was a parade at 10, which I figured would be an excellent time to shop as the crowd would be smaller than normal. There were people with costumes all around, and I figured I would see plenty regardless of whether I saw the parade or not. I was right and the crowd in the dealers room when I went into it (was the entire level below) was the smallest I saw for the duration of the con. I thought my head would explode from the sheer volume of swords and dragons that I saw. I almost could not take it all in. After a littler scouting I came across a sword dealer that was selling the most beautifully crafted dragon saber I had ever seen (will have picture later). It was only $75 and I had brought $320.50. Naturally I bought it, not caring that I would have to carry it all day. There were only three left and I was going get one. Further searching of the room revealed many more things I wished to buy, but did not just yet.

At 11:30 was a pannel in one of the ballrooms concerning the Dragonriders of Pern. It was a discussion between the author, Anne McCaffrey (age 77), and one of the founders of Ballantine Books, Betty Ballantine (age 80 something). I apologize for the bad quality of the pictures, but I don't know how to clean them up with photoshop yet.

It was wonderful. They talked about Pern, their past, Anne's writing career, etc. And they were funny, in a good and intentional way. I was utterly enchanted, and was happy to join in the standing ovation for them at the end of the pannel. It ended at 12:30, and Anne was doing a book signing at 1. In my naivety, I thought I could just walk over to the Marriot, beating many of the people that had been in the panel with me, get in the line, and get an autograph. I was so very, very wrong. The line was already around 150 people. Undaunted, I stood in the line and at 1 it suddenly started moving! I got right up near the front...and it stopped. After standing there, looking google-eyed at the line behind me (was around 350 people total) I waited. Then, word came that Anne was only signing for 75 people, and that they had already gone in! The lighting in the room seemed to darken for a second. I had two reactions to this. One was disbelief, at first, and the other was determination. I was going to get that signing no matter what. I was willing to show up at 9AM the next morning to wait in line if I had to. Fortunately, my mother, in a fit of compassion, offered to hold a spot for me the next day while I went to the panel I had originally been intending to go to. The world was bright again.

With a lighter heart, I returned to the dealers' room to spend more money. I bought two more items, a wonderful dagger in the shape of a Western dragon, and a beautiful statue of an Eastern dragon. Then, at 4, was a panel hosted by Todd McCaffrey (Anne's son) on the world of Pern. I was up at the room it would be held in (which will from now on be called by its title, Weyr Fest) around 2:30 expecting a line. Finding none, mom and I slipped in to listen to Elizabeth Anne Scarborough talk about her experiences writing with Anne McCaffrey and on our own. While not the most thrilling of panels, it was still enjoyable. The panel ended at 3:30, and another half hour later Todd took the desk/table/podium.

Todd was great, everything you could ask for in somebody you envy and admire at the same time. He was casual with those present, funny, and spoke to us more like people than simply fans. He told us about what it was like working with his mother on Pern, and even hinted at some of what will be in a book he's had in the works for a couple years, Dragon's Blood. I cannot wait for him to finish that book and publish it. In the mean time, I'm waiting for his latest book, Dragon's Kin, which should be arriving sometime next summer. There were prereleased copies of the books, signed by him, as a door-prize raffle, but my luck wasn't strong enough to win one. Oh well, I can be patient.

The next panel was on how to play Pernese Dragonpoker, taught by one of the Weyr Fest staff (and I think is a friend of the McCaffrey family). I had a blast and am contemplating creating my own deck (doesn't use normal playing cards) for use at home. Apparently my luck applies to poker, and not raffles, because as soon as I joined into the game I immediately won almost all of everybody elses chips. Needless to say, I enjoyed myself, even though we weren't playing for money.

Next was "When Characters Have Lives of Their Own" by Not Quite Ready For Journeymen Players. In short, it was an improve show put on by the staff of Weyr Fest. The basic story is a writer who is struggling to write a story, but the characters don't agree with their roles and keep changing what has been written when her back is turned. To add to the comedy, is a roommate that gives completely off-the-wall advice, the often has nothing to do with the subject, but thinks she's helping. I'm still laughing from this show. They were great.

That was the end of my day. Mom and I had dinner at McDonalds and (everywhere else nearbye was out of food) returned to our hotel via the Marta (with my saber hidden in its box and my dagger in my backpack). I was a little tense as I literally had to walk through the airport to get from the Marta, to the shuttle that would take us to our hotel. Anyway, we returned to our room, watched a little TV, and I feel into a deep, blissfully draconic sleep.

The next day I awoke bright and early, showered, and got mom out of bed. After a real short breakfast (I didn't even eat, I just put some plastic-wrapped muffins in my backpack) we made our way back to the con. Once there, my mom and I parted, she to hold my spot in line while I went to a writers' pannel on character development (10AM). Well, the panel was on the bottom floor of the Hyatt, and the line for the book signing on the second floor of the Marriot, so you can imagine my surprise when I ran into mom on the bottom floor, on the way to my panel. Apparently she hadn't understood my directions. Rewording them so they were comprehensible, we parted.

The writers' panel was interesting, and funny. It wasn't my favorite, but being a hardcore Pernatic, that's not too surprising. I took some notes, had some laughs, and when the panel was over I left. Back to the Marriot I found mom in line and, to my everlasting joy, she had secured a definite spot as number 52! The signing was at 1, and it was currently 11:30, so I left her to the cardgame she was playing with some of the people around her, and went off to the dealers' room. There, I purchased a lovely silver dragon print (signed and personalized by the artist) and returned to the line.

At 12:30 the line moved, and, with bated breath, I walked in o the room for the signing. There I stood in the line for another hour as Anne, arrived and hand a quick lunch (she's only human, I hold nothing against her for the delay). Then the signing began. breath freezing in my chest, I approached. She autographed my book, All The Weyrs of Pern, and I had a picture taken with her. I managed to the squeeze out the words "thank you so much," but was mostly too tongue-tied to say anything. Hopefully I'll do better next year.

I left the book signing at about 2 PM. The next panel I was going to attend was at 4, leaving me a good hour and a half to shop...so shop I did. With mom trailing along with her magic of plastic (aka. credit card), I bought several more draconic items. We left at 3:30 for the panel, also in Weyr Fest, which was Jody Lynn Nye speaking of her experiences writing on her own and with Anne McCaffrey. She was very nice and I enjoyed the panel. I wish I had realized who she was before I had left home. If I had I would have brought my Dragonlover's Guide to Pern: 2nd Edition for her to sign.

After Mrs. Nye was Todd again (yay!), this time speaking about flying in general, and with the hint that it would also be about flying a-dragonback. We actually spent most of the time talking about flying using planes in the modern day, but he is a great guy and I heartily enjoyed the panel. One comment stands out clearly in my mind, when one member of the "audience" asked if he would talk about flying on a dragon.

"Hmmm, what would a dragon do to a cesna? Beware of dragon, for you are small and make loud buzzing noise."

The next panel was called the Anne Fan reUnion, which is fairly self-explanatory in my opinion. Basically, any Pern fans could drop on by and chat. The description also mentioned that there would be games of Dragonpoker *evil grin* and that Todd would show us how to play the Dragonriders of Pern boardgame. But neither happened, which didn't disappoint me too much as I kinda enjoyed just standing around with a cup of klah (had a cup of traditional style, then one from Dragonhold) listening to the Pern soundtrack and absorbing the very friendly atmosphere (it is amazing how friendly the atmosphere is at the con. I talked to people I had never met as if they were old friends). Mom and I eventually left, around 8, my cup of klah in hand, and made our way back to the hotel. From their it was another night's sleep filled with dreams of dragons.

Unfortunately, we left the next day (Monday). I had school on Tuesday. Naturally I was a little disappointed, I would much rather have stayed and spent more time at the con, missing a day of school, than missed the last day of the con so I could spend a day at school. But mom put her foot down *sigh*. Well, enough whining. The end result is that, after a brief visit to my cousin at Georgia Tech, we drove home and I began making room in my room for all the dragon stuff I had collected.