NeCon is 28 years old, and I've gone at least 10 times. I love it. It's this intimate horror convention on the campus of Roger Williams College in Rhode Island where 200 horror writers, editors and agents gather to tell each other tall tales of ghosts and publishing (and the ghosts of publishing, because the horror market has died and risen from the dead a number of times in the two decades I've been selling in it).
I am always inspired here, and I love to see my old friends return (some with new friends - three relationships have been established at this convention between fellow NeCon participants. Forget Match.com).
This time I took my 15 year-old son who suprprised me at the end of this school year by informing me that the reason he wasn't studying as hard as he should for his finals (he did fine) was because he had been gripped by the writing demon. When I sarcastically asked him (he says I am the most sarcastic mom he knows, and I wouldn't have it any other way) how many pages he'd written (expecting 10 or 20 as the answer), he blew me away when he said "I'm about half way through. About 220."
It was then that I told him he was coming to Necon with me so he could torture other writers with the plot for his dark fantasy novel.
And he did.
But he also loved it. Chris Golden brought his 14 year-old son Nicholas and there were 4 young ladies between 14 and 20 whose dad was a book-seller, so my son was in his glory. He even did a stand-up comedy routine about horror and fantasy in front of 200 adults. I was very proud of him.
I'm afraid I have passed the torch, although he does insist that he will continue to build robots for fun and profit.
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8 comments:
LOL -- he was a tough act to follow!
Glad you both had such a great time! I wish I could've gone - am working with Shroud Publishing as an assistant editor and writer, and it would've been great to network (and just hang out with the Shroud crowd in general - they are so cool; did you get a chance to meet them?) Oh well - someday when my kids are older and I have more ready cash!
That's great that your son is starting so early. Will you be repping the novel once it's ready. :-) He has a great coach.
He sounds like an excellent young man. You have a right to be proud (and sarcastic *g*)
Melinda from Australia
Lori,
Looks like you've done a grand job raising your son to date -- congrats!
What a great post. I love to see those newest writers so full of energy and their minds going wild with ideas. So cool that you were able to take him to such a great event.
Good for him!! 220 pages is serious.
reading about Max makes me feel like a hundred years old. Of course, I expect he should make you feel around ninety.
rw
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