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Jun. 9th, 2009 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lenora_roseI seem to have made a decision not to go to Worldcon Montreal. For several reasons:
- Money. Obviously. If all else had been in favour, that wouldn't have stopped me. All else wasn't, so my finances are probably breathing a sigh of relief.
- Travel. Not for me so much as the pottery. For World Fantasy in Calgary, we took the car. Which meant that there were no: special weight restrictions, shape-of-box restrictions, need for extra and complex packing, careless or clueless handlers, or chances of mishaps out of my direct control. I couldn't drive to Montreal, or keep my work in reach and intact.
- The question Colin raised, which was, essentially, how much, really, would this advance either career? The answer to which is... impossible to tell ahead of time. I might sell everything pottery-wise and get a sudden big reputation. I might get permission to send a complete MS. More likely I'll meet some cool people (Many of whom I already know online), listen to some good panels (which, as far as writing/publishing advice goes -- or art advice, for that matter - aren't that likely to include a lot of truly career-changing stuff). Of course, you can argue that this isn't the point, and I would agree vociferously. I would intend to have fun, ideally new kinds of fun with new people, as a goal long before anything business-related or professional. However, and this links two points, it's a pretty expensive trip just to get some fun out of it.
- I'm a little sad at not getting to see Montreal. And it would have been great to filk with people I haven't heard as well as those I have. But again... the cost in time and energy as well as money is likely not worth it at this stage.
My biggest reason for considering going in the face of this is, well... chances are that the next time a Worldcon is somewhere I feel relatively easy about getting to, I'll be "Burdened" with children, and have to make other compromises entirely.
However, I'm not regretting it quite as much as I'm regretting not beign able to make Folk Fest as well as the big SCA event we're going to instead. (Especially once they announced -- weeks after they had revealed the line-up for the year - that Loreena McKennitt would be on Mainstage Sunday Night.)
Which I guess says something about my priorities.
- Money. Obviously. If all else had been in favour, that wouldn't have stopped me. All else wasn't, so my finances are probably breathing a sigh of relief.
- Travel. Not for me so much as the pottery. For World Fantasy in Calgary, we took the car. Which meant that there were no: special weight restrictions, shape-of-box restrictions, need for extra and complex packing, careless or clueless handlers, or chances of mishaps out of my direct control. I couldn't drive to Montreal, or keep my work in reach and intact.
- The question Colin raised, which was, essentially, how much, really, would this advance either career? The answer to which is... impossible to tell ahead of time. I might sell everything pottery-wise and get a sudden big reputation. I might get permission to send a complete MS. More likely I'll meet some cool people (Many of whom I already know online), listen to some good panels (which, as far as writing/publishing advice goes -- or art advice, for that matter - aren't that likely to include a lot of truly career-changing stuff). Of course, you can argue that this isn't the point, and I would agree vociferously. I would intend to have fun, ideally new kinds of fun with new people, as a goal long before anything business-related or professional. However, and this links two points, it's a pretty expensive trip just to get some fun out of it.
- I'm a little sad at not getting to see Montreal. And it would have been great to filk with people I haven't heard as well as those I have. But again... the cost in time and energy as well as money is likely not worth it at this stage.
My biggest reason for considering going in the face of this is, well... chances are that the next time a Worldcon is somewhere I feel relatively easy about getting to, I'll be "Burdened" with children, and have to make other compromises entirely.
However, I'm not regretting it quite as much as I'm regretting not beign able to make Folk Fest as well as the big SCA event we're going to instead. (Especially once they announced -- weeks after they had revealed the line-up for the year - that Loreena McKennitt would be on Mainstage Sunday Night.)
Which I guess says something about my priorities.
