Once a year, SF geeks gravitate towards each other to form a critical mass. This assemblage of nerdy particles is designated The World Science Fiction Convention, or WorldCon for short. Opposing this powerful attraction are the forces of Distance (last year’s was in Glasgow, Scotland, next year’s is in Yokohama, Japan) and High Prices ($200 for a full registration), which are strong enough to repel many potential attendees. The proximity of this year’s WorldCon (in nearby Anaheim) and the much more manageable Single Day Rate ($75) produced a weak force insufficient to overcome the mutual attraction of SF fans. Subsequently, I found myself abandoning this weak physics metaphor and hightailing it to the Anaheim Convention Center.

I know that I blog mostly about religion, but one of my biggest dreams is to become a successful science fiction and fantasy author. Perhaps the divide is not so wide: both religion and SF are ways of expressing awe at the universe, and both fantasy and religious myths are concerned with the deepest truths of being human. Jana’s been very supportive of this passion (such as when we left the kids with Grandma a few years back without telling her that we were spending three days at LosCon, where we met our mutual hero Connie Willis and where Jana was gnawed on by a werewolf).

I spent most of my time at panel sessions devoted to improving one’s writing craft, where once again I learned that no successful writer is an island, but each exists in a community of writers, honing their craft.

These lessons are always valuable, but the highlight of the Con was the opportunity to meet with authors, all of whom seemed to be Genuinely Nice People. I spent time in a small group talking with Robert Sawyer (one of the most famous men in Canada, eh) about whether or not Homo Neanderthalis was a religious species. I also got to sit with William Shunn for one delightful hour, drinking coffee and talking about missions and the science fiction-like qualities of Mormon doctrine.

Tangent #1: If you have any doubts that Joseph Smith beat Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to the SF punch, read the following from the canonized account of the angel Moroni’s visit to his bedroom:

After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.

Can you read that and not think, “Beam me up, Scotty?”

Tangent #2: I am really enjoying William Shunn’s Shunncast, a podcast in which the author shares readings, interviews and a serialized account of his LDS mission to Canada, called The Accidental Terrorist. It’s professionally done, and his mission memoir is one of the most entertaining that I’ve heard. At the very least, listen to this episode (.mp3 link), in which we find the nineteen year old Elder Shunn under suspicion for committing terrorist acts against the people of Canada.

This, however, is the priceless treasure I brought back from WorldCon:

I asked six different authors for the one piece of advice they might give to an aspiring author (I was careful in my selection–I could’ve had three times as many authors, all famous, sign this sheet, but I picked my favorites at the Con). Each spent a moment with furrowed brow before distilling priceless wisdom from their pens. From top to bottom (click on any of the links to learn more about the authors):

“Read as widely as possible, and write every day, even if it’s as little as three sentences.”
- William Shunn

“Don’t believe either extreme criticism or uncritical praise.”
- Joe Haldeman

“The only thing you can possibly do is write what one wants and hope for the best.”
- Dorothy Sayers via Connie Willis

“Finish what you start.”
- Garth Nix

“Write for yourself–tell your stories!”
- Robert Sawyer

“When rejection hurts–and it will–keep going anyway.”
- Nancy Kress

The plan is to post this where it will glare at me and inspire me until I create something that makes aspiring SF writers gravitate towards me at some future WorldCon.