Tomorrow, I’m headed off to GenCon for a brief stay. My schedule this year has been a little hectic, what with a couple of book promotions, some revisions, some drafting, and an unexpected knee surgery, so I didn’t plan a whole lot of convention time. Now I’m regretting it, because GenCon is a lot of fun, and being there just for Saturday is going to feel a little like seeing the pie and only getting to eat one cherry.

There’s so much to see and do that I only recently learned about the Writing Symposium, a series of tracks about the writing industry for gaming and media fiction and all sorts of genre fiction. Writers and editors far more famous and influential than me will be speaking and offering advice as well as writing critiques, among them Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, and Mike Stackpole. Next year, I fully plan to be more involved.

I’m sitting in on two panels Saturday morning, and then will be found at the Paizo booth for much of the rest of the day, hoping to meet fellow readers and writers.

If you get the chance, I’ll be on the Business of Writing panel with Jason Sizemore, John Helfers, and Elizabeth Vaughan. Here’s the official descrip:

What’s an advance? How much does an author get paid for a novel? Should you write a query letter? And speaking of query letters, what IS a query letter? Our industry veterans teach you the ins and outs of the publishing biz. Bring your questions, because we’ve got answers!

At 9:00, I’ll be on a panel about Traditional Publishing with John, Elizabeth, and fellow Black Gate alumnus Brad Beaulieu. Here’s the official descrip:

With all the talk about e-books and online publishing these days, it’s easy to forget that traditional publishers are still industry powerhouses. Our panelists discuss what it takes to get published with a traditional publisher. They’ll also explore the advantages and disadvantages of taking the traditional route to print.

Most of the rest of the day I’ll be sitting at the Paizo booth with Dave Gross and Ed Greenwood, although over mid-day I will probably wander off for a bite to eat and to search the hall of treasures for, well, treasures.