Welcome, everyone! I hope this finds you well… I mentioned in my update for this week, that I planned to discuss DragonCon this week, so I’m here to talk about my experience at DragonCon 2021!
DragonCon is a pop culture convention that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia every Labor Day weekend for the last 35 years. Admittedly, people go to DragonCon for a lot of different reasons. I mostly go for the ability to attend panels, possibly learn something, meet up with some friends, and see some spiffy things (including assorted cosplays). As it is, I did actually manage to complete all of those goals.
Writing-related Panels
I made it to about a dozen panels over the course of the weekend, covering a wide range of topics. Several of the panels dealt with some aspect of writing, even if the actual discussion didn’t quite line up with the description of the panel. I definitely got a lot of notes that may well prove useful for any number of reasons. One of the panels, called “Pulling it all Together,” dealt with some of the more in-depth things relating to self-publishing. (That panel is also where I learned about Ben Meeks’ series involving a were-otter. I finished the first book of the series this past week.)
Several of the other panels dealt with topics in writing. There are three panels I’d like to mention in that regard.
Panel: “Cultural Magic”
The description of the panel on “Cultural Magic” asked how a magic system would affect the cultures that form in those worlds. However, the discussion seemed to focus more on how to respectfully incorporate real-world cultures into fictional stories. The panel still contained some interesting points, though it kind of missed the stated mark. I have definitely been pondering the way magic would influence the cultures that develop around it. As such, I hoped to hear other people’s takes on the topic. Certain elements, such as the existence of training schools for magical ability, did briefly enter the discussion. I just feel like a bit deeper discussion on how magic would shape a culture would have been fascinating.
Panel: “Deep meanings in fantasy and the challenging moments we connect with”
The “Deep meanings in fantasy and the challenging moments we connect with” panel was definitely interesting. I got a few leads on some good books to check out. Overall, I enjoyed hearing people talking about the meaningful moments they encountered in their own books and other people’s books. It is also interesting to hear what kinds of story elements are difficult for people to write and how they are able to work around those difficulties. I know there are certain topics that require a bit more planning/revision to get just right. And yet, it is exciting when I get those pieces of the story to fall into place. I always enjoy those spots where something in a story resonates with me. That is true whether the story in question is presented in print or on film.
Panel: “Writing to a Deadline”
The final panel that I am counting as a writing panel is “Writing to a Deadline.” A good bit of this panel focused on deadlines with regard to February Album Writing Month (FAWM) and the goal of writing fourteen songs in twenty-eight days. FAWM started in 2004 after some of the founding members participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). While a lot of the advice in that panel was potentially well-known things (like “the deadline can help you turn down/tune out your inner critic/editor” and “the specific goal is artificial; even if you plan for 50,000 words, and you only get 10,000 words, that is still 10,000 words more than you had at the beginning”), I appreciated the refresher in how to approach a deadline and how to get your mind set properly for the task at hand. Some of my favorite takeaways from this panel were:
- there is no such thing as wasted effort when it comes to creative endeavors (aka- every creative task you do, regardless of the outcome, allows you to build on it to improve your future creative tasks)
- the best way to enhance your discipline for a task is to be aware of yourself and what works for you (aka- knowing your most productive time of day and taking care of your physical and mental health and well-being make it easier for you to stick to the goals you set for yourself.)
To be honest, as a night-owl still trying to figure out what the right schedule is for me, I’ve been working toward that last point for a little while now. As such, the fact that it came up in this panel was really good timing, particularly with NaNoWriMo 2021 starting in just under two months.
Combat-type Panels
So, for quite a few years, DragonCon had an armory that would be located in the basement of one of the hotels (it has apparently been discontinued at DragonCon due to the cost involved with insurance and such). There would be a room full of firearms and other more modern weapons, and there would be a room full of swords, axes, polearms, and assorted projectile weapon like bows and arrows, slings, etc. They would also have certain movie props, like Glamdring from Lord of the Rings and such. Definitely spiffy to visit while it was there.
In addition to the great pieces they would display, there were also people who do medieval combat sports who would do panels with regard to different types of armor, or different types of weaponry, or even their own experiences getting into and competing in medieval combat sports. If you would like to see some of the spiffy things these folks do, you can look up the Palmetto Knights.
Panel: “Women in Medieval Combat Sports”
One of the panels I went to last weekend was “Women in Medieval Combat Sports.” This was not the first time I have gone to a panel on that specific topic. I think the first time was a few years ago. That said, every time I go to a panel like that (and Dragon Con has had several panels over the years from all kinds of people who do medieval combat sports), I leave very much wanting to get things started for my own. There is just something spiffy about the idea of putting on armor, grabbing a sword and having at it with similarly armored and armed folks. I haven’t yet gotten to the point of actually taking the first step, but there is definitely part of me that yearns for that.
Incidentally, in addition to talking about things like armor and their favorite weapons, the ladies on the panel did make it clear that the only things anyone needs in order to get started in medieval combat sports is to find a local club (search for “Buhurt near me”), buy an athletic cup (even for women), and a water bottle. From the sound of it, a lot of the local clubs will have some form of loaner equipment, and it is generally not advised to buy your own armor until after the first six months (you may decide you aren’t as fond of the sport, or you have certain preferences for style of armor). There is the caveat that the cost of armor, weapons, and travel to competitions and such tends to be rather expensive, but at least you can get a taste for it without having to spend much upfront.
Panel: “Armor through the Middle Ages”
So, another spiffy panel I attended dealt with “Armor through the Middle Ages.” There was one person who was in a “historic” set of armor. In other words, the style of the entire set belonged to a specific time frame. Three other people modeled their combat armor. The style of each of those sets of armor fell within a range from about the mid-1300s to the mid-1400s, if I recall. We actually got to see how each of them went about putting the armor on. During the process, they pointed out some of the differences between the different types of armor. For instance, with chain mail armor over padding, the weight mostly falls on the shoulders. With plate armor, anchor points on the padding provide support for individual plates, thus distributing the weight across the body. It was also nice that we were able to see certain transitions within the style of armor, such as a more tapered fit at the waist being indicative of a later style compared to the more barrel-shaped chest piece.
My writing doesn’t generally involve people wearing armor, since the kinds of fighting are a bit different, but this is information that is definitely getting filed away for later. Who knows… maybe it’ll come in handy whenever I decide to finally give medieval combat sports a try.
Panel: “Ninjutsu: Myth vs Reality”
When I went to DragonCon this year, I admit I did not expect to see actual ninjas. That said, I did get to see actual ninjas… so that was cool. Apparently, a ninjutsu school in Atlanta was the first school of its kind in the United States. The panel was really light and fun, with a presentation covering some of the myths frequently shown in media. A major difference between ninjutsu and other martial arts comes in the form of competitions. Ninjutsu serves only as self-defense. After the presentation, they did a demonstration of assorted techniques. Obviously, for the demonstration, the moves were slowed down and exaggerated (for safety purposes). Even with that, I really enjoyed watching them.
I definitely got a kick out of seeing actual ninjas last weekend. Between actual ninjas and actual medieval combat fighters, I feel like I learned a good bit from people who are rather knowledgeable in rather unique fields.
Fun Assorted Panels
Not to imply that the combat-type panels weren’t fun (because they were)… several panels didn’t quite fit into the other categories, so they get to come here.
Panel: Superheroes as Science Fiction
I’ve always figured that most superheroes probably fell into the category of science fiction. It does depend on what you necessarily consider a superhero. In any case, I had fun hearing which superheroes people started with. X-Men definitely got quite a few mentions. The audience for comics started out as kids, but the shift toward older audiences came in handy. That change led to some really interesting developments with regard to characters, abilities, and even genres.
The panel also talked about how people have created characters with such strong abilities that they have to find a way to remove the abilities. There is also a concern of certain characters not being able to change much because the characters’ popularity. As such, superhero stories frequently restrict the ability for growth (a general necessity for a good story). I know several of the panelists talked about certain elements that they try to change within their own stories.
Panel: Science Fantasy: Because Space is the Place
Within the Science Fiction and Fantasy section of fiction, the genres definitely cover a range. Clearly when dealing solely with magic, books fall into the fantasy side of things. When the mechanism in the story relates more to science and technology, books fall into sci-fi (the level of scientific backing determines regular sci-fi or hard sci-fi). That said, when you look at things like Star Wars, or other series that include both futuristic elements and mystical/magical elements, that falls into the blending referred to as science fantasy.
Admittedly, a large part of the discussion dealt with Star Wars (as one of the most well-known examples of science fantasy). That said, I did appreciate the person on the panel who said their main character carries an actual sword despite the otherwise futuristic setting. I am looking forward to seeing what other books come up in the science fantasy category. Definitely a fun panel with a lot of interesting ideas with regard to how to blend the genres.
Panel: 80s/90s Cartoon Jam Session
This was a fun panel… The panel just consisted of an hour of watching (and singing) the theme songs for a bunch of different cartoons. I did not recognize all of the songs, but I did know quite a few. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Darkwing Duck, Tailspin, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers, Captain Planet… and many more. It was definitely a good way to spend a Saturday morning… with all the other folks looking for a little bit of fun and nostalgia.
Panel: Tolkien’s Trickster Tropes
This panel contained some really interesting ideas. I definitely enjoyed hearing the characters people considered tricksters within Tolkien’s writing. The panelists and audience both seemed rather knowledgeable about a range of Tolkien’s writings. Some of the discussion covered The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Other pieces of the conversation pulled in The Silmarillion. Even some of the other writings of Middle-earth got mentioned.
A good bit of the discussion pertained to The Ring as a trickster, and people seemed to agree on that front. Sauron, Saruman, Gandalf (and the other wizards, for that matter), all come across as tricksters, for different reasons. Incidentally, quite a few Hobbits earned the title of Trickster. From Bilbo with his antics in The Hobbit, and his antics at his 111st birthday party, to Merry and Pippin’s mischievous nature, and even Sam’s mention of dropping eaves, there are quite a few tricksters throughout Middle-earth. I do find it funny (and fitting) that no one mentioned Boromir or Frodo (except with regard to their moments under the influence of The Ring). And of course, Aragorn did not even come up in the discussion. (Make no mistake, I will talk about Aragorn in pretty much any other situation.)
Additional Spiffy-ness
Some of the other things we enjoyed were going to a concert, seeing a lot of assorted cosplays, and getting a chance to some of my friends. DragonCon hosts a Georgia Philharmonic concert, which always has geeky music, with a slightly different theme every year. This year was mostly movie and tv music, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Jurassic Park, Doctor Who, and more.
As far as cosplays, I saw quite a few characters from My Hero Academia, which I largely expected. The number of Demon Slayer cosplays were a bit unexpected but definitely appreciated. There were also some pretty spiffy Sauron and Nazgûl cosplays as well. In addition to those, there were quite a few Final Fantasy characters that were cool to see. It was also cool to see the assorted remote control bots like R2-D2, WALL-E, and others.
Other than that, I got to meet up with some friends of mine. Usually we are only in the same place at the same time during DragonCon weekend. I’m definitely glad we managed to meet up at least briefly throughout the convention. I also got to meet an online friend for the first time this DragonCon, and we already have loose plans to get together next DragonCon. One of the fun things with that meeting is that it didn’t feel like meeting someone new.
Final thoughts on DragonCon 2021
While things were definitely a bit different this year, what with concerns about Covid and certain people and guests not being able to attend DragonCon this year, there were definitely a long of people, panels, and things to see. I enjoyed the experience. It was a nice change of pace, especially since DragonCon 2020 was cancelled.
There are definitely a lot of people who talk about going to DragonCon having a similar feel to coming home. I can see that rather easily. Every year, we get together and we get to connect with people over our favorite fandoms, and we more or less take over six blocks of downtown Atlanta. That kind of gathering gives off a very specific vibe. There are very few other places or times where you can mention a random quotation or put on a cosplay and know that everyone in the vicinity will understand what you are doing.
I greatly enjoyed DragonCon 2021, and I am already looking forward to DragonCon 2022!
If you have any questions about anything I’ve mentioned above, feel free to ask in the comments! I’d also love to hear about your experiences at DragonCon and other conventions!
Thanks for reading!
~ Theresa
You may unsubscribe at any time.