Worldcon 2015 site selection and the writers workshop angle
This year we're seeing the first contested bidding for the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention (aka Worldcon 73) that the community has seen in several years. Among the three contending bids to host in 2015 are Spokane, Washington; Orlando; and Helsinki. All full-attending and supporting members of this year's Worldcon, aka LoneStarCon 3, are eligible to vote in the site selection process for 2015. For those concerned about whether the committees are going to put the effort into organizing a critique-circle-format writers workshop, I'll provide my thoughts on this issue.
For those unfamiliar with Worldcon, it is the flagship of science fiction conventions. It earns its high profile in the industry because it administers the Hugo Awards and all of its members are eligible to nominate and vote on the awards. It has been held annually in a different city every year since its founding in 1939-with the exception of a few gap years during World War II. It is a non-profit convention and all of its staff are unpaid volunteers. (Event planning is their hobby.) Committees bid for the honor two years before the year they want to host the convention. All members of LoneStarCon 3 are eligible to vote for which site they prefer to host in 2015. For official, unbiased details on this site selection race, please go to:
http://www.lonestarcon3.org/wsfs/wsfs-site.shtml
The writers workshops found at Worldcon are the best aspiring writers will find at a speculative fiction convention. Worldcons attract more talent-international and domestic-in one place than any other. The wealth of feedback can be the most diverse entrants ever receive.
After supporting both Boston in 2004 (aka Noreascon 4) and Denver in 2008 (aka Denvention 3), it was upsetting when these committees dismissed the need to have a writers workshop after winning their bids. The first failed to understand the value of a critique circle workshop at a genre convention and the second claimed it would be a drain on its resources. My past experience coordinating writers workshops has shown me they create a great deal of goodwill and attract members who otherwise wouldn't attend. The only scheduling requirements any committee has to fulfill when hosting a Worldcon are the business meetings for the World Science Fiction Society, which governs Worldcon. The next concom can just as easily eliminate the writers workshop as well. Fortunately, LoneStarCon 3 is offering one.
I attended the Worldcon fannish inquisition at SMOFcon 30 last December and all three of the bidcoms promised outright they would make the effort to pull together a writers workshop if they won the bid. On the other hand, minds can be changed after promises are made.
Despite my personal reservations, the one I support is Spokane. Some of the rumblings I've heard in the community are doubts in the some of the personalities on this bidcom. Others have claimed the crew is incompetent. There are all sorts of personalities in the community, but that doesn't mean they'll give us a bad convention. We faced a lot of personnel issues during the planning of ConJosé and yet pulled together one of the best Worldcons ever. It may have been one of the most contentious behind the scenes, but the staff's attitude towards outsiders was always professional. I also understand some who attended the presentations at Westercon 66 lost a lot of confidence in this bid, which is critical because of how many serious voters attend that convention, but Spokane's most experienced presenters did not to attend. As for incompetence, there are many people in this community who love Worldcon enough to ensure it happens. Torcon 3 had loads of problems visible to the entire membership, yet its writers workshop was very well managed by Richard Chwedyk. I have talked with Bobbi DuFault, who is slated to co-chair the convention if they win. She is a strong supporter of the critique circle workshop at science fiction conventions. In addition, general science fiction conventions in the Pacific Northwest already have a tradition for providing them and have been doing them on a regular basis longer than many other regions.
The Orlando bid for Worldcon 73 shows no objection to writers workshops and if it can find the right staffer to do it, will likely offer one. Seasoned Worldcon organizers worry that this bidcom has few members, if any, with any hands-on experience working on this particular series of conventions. People who work on a bid usually vie for high profile positions on the convention if they win. Worldcon has a community with a long history and many traditions they may not be aware of or are prepared to deal with. Would they accept the advice and help from those who have? Many long-time members of the community worry that if the Orlando bid wins, Worldcon 73 will lose its traditional characteristics.
The Helsinki bid is lumbered with two major disadvantages. The first being that overseas Worldcons are notorious for snubbing the members who look forward to participating in critique circle writers workshops. (Please note that Loncon 3 currently shows no plans for one next year.) The second being not very many American members can afford to go an overseas Worldcon two years in a row.
One of this bid's advisors was Priscilla Olsen, who publicly announced at SMOFcon 30 she didn't see what critique circle workshops added to a convention and was the one who decided to eliminate it in 2004. She is no longer associated with the Helsinki bid, but it was a scary moment for writers workshop aficionados when she helped present the bid at SMOFcon 30. Bidcom Member Crystal Huff has personally informed me, "If Helsinki wins, there will absolutely and definitely be a writers' workshop in 2015. We've had one associated with Finncon now for years, organised in cooperation with the Finnish Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and it would be just plain silly not to organise one at a Helsinki Worldcon."
Many of the Helsinki bid's supporters believe that another international bid would put the World in Worldcon. The last time we heard this argument, we ended up with a committee that went into massive debt after their Worldcon was held. Nippon 2007's initial debt after the convention was around US$35,000. The majority of the people who supported the bid did not support the convention. Worldcons need members to actually attend or else it has problems paying its bills. Despite Worldcon's international emphasis, it unofficially acts as the American national convention, since there isn't one in the U.S. It's hard to imagine that the American constituency is going to like Worldcon being in Europe two years in a row. Professionals as well as fans are complaining they'd be financially unable to attend a European Worldcon two years in a row, so their services would be unavailable for a writers workshop.
That being said, if Helsinki doesn't win this year, I'm hoping they'll bid again. It sounds like they have a dynamite crew, but the timing is bad. However, if it's the critique circle workshop a member wants and Loncon 3 decides not to have one, then she can skip Loncon 3 in favor of Helsinki. (I'm greedy, though, I want to attend them all.)
Site Selection voters are influenced by different factors when choosing which bid to host a convention in a given year. Some look at the host city, others the committee, and still others the facilities. But, if a voter's primary concern is whether they'll be able to enjoy participating in a critique circle writers workshop, Spokane and Helsinki are both emphatic that they will supply one. I am endorsing the Spokane bid for personal economic reasons; otherwise, the Helsinki bid sounds very good. Voters who are interested in incorporating a visit to Walt Disney World or the medieval city of Porvoo into their vacations are going to favor another bid. If writers workshop-inclined voters still prefer another bid, please give Spokane your second place vote.
Above all, if you're eligible to vote in this year's site selection, please do so. It will count this year more than it has for quite a while.
Adrienne Foster
Writers Workshop Coordinator for
Westercon 66
L.A.con IV
ConJosé
BucConeer
L.A.con III
Conadian
ConFrancisco
BayCons '91, '92 & '93
Please note that this was previously posted at both Gather.com and Epinions.com. Since Gather has turned off the ability for users to become members, I am posting it here as well.
For those unfamiliar with Worldcon, it is the flagship of science fiction conventions. It earns its high profile in the industry because it administers the Hugo Awards and all of its members are eligible to nominate and vote on the awards. It has been held annually in a different city every year since its founding in 1939-with the exception of a few gap years during World War II. It is a non-profit convention and all of its staff are unpaid volunteers. (Event planning is their hobby.) Committees bid for the honor two years before the year they want to host the convention. All members of LoneStarCon 3 are eligible to vote for which site they prefer to host in 2015. For official, unbiased details on this site selection race, please go to:
http://www.lonestarcon3.org/wsfs/wsfs-site.shtml
The writers workshops found at Worldcon are the best aspiring writers will find at a speculative fiction convention. Worldcons attract more talent-international and domestic-in one place than any other. The wealth of feedback can be the most diverse entrants ever receive.
After supporting both Boston in 2004 (aka Noreascon 4) and Denver in 2008 (aka Denvention 3), it was upsetting when these committees dismissed the need to have a writers workshop after winning their bids. The first failed to understand the value of a critique circle workshop at a genre convention and the second claimed it would be a drain on its resources. My past experience coordinating writers workshops has shown me they create a great deal of goodwill and attract members who otherwise wouldn't attend. The only scheduling requirements any committee has to fulfill when hosting a Worldcon are the business meetings for the World Science Fiction Society, which governs Worldcon. The next concom can just as easily eliminate the writers workshop as well. Fortunately, LoneStarCon 3 is offering one.
I attended the Worldcon fannish inquisition at SMOFcon 30 last December and all three of the bidcoms promised outright they would make the effort to pull together a writers workshop if they won the bid. On the other hand, minds can be changed after promises are made.
Despite my personal reservations, the one I support is Spokane. Some of the rumblings I've heard in the community are doubts in the some of the personalities on this bidcom. Others have claimed the crew is incompetent. There are all sorts of personalities in the community, but that doesn't mean they'll give us a bad convention. We faced a lot of personnel issues during the planning of ConJosé and yet pulled together one of the best Worldcons ever. It may have been one of the most contentious behind the scenes, but the staff's attitude towards outsiders was always professional. I also understand some who attended the presentations at Westercon 66 lost a lot of confidence in this bid, which is critical because of how many serious voters attend that convention, but Spokane's most experienced presenters did not to attend. As for incompetence, there are many people in this community who love Worldcon enough to ensure it happens. Torcon 3 had loads of problems visible to the entire membership, yet its writers workshop was very well managed by Richard Chwedyk. I have talked with Bobbi DuFault, who is slated to co-chair the convention if they win. She is a strong supporter of the critique circle workshop at science fiction conventions. In addition, general science fiction conventions in the Pacific Northwest already have a tradition for providing them and have been doing them on a regular basis longer than many other regions.
The Orlando bid for Worldcon 73 shows no objection to writers workshops and if it can find the right staffer to do it, will likely offer one. Seasoned Worldcon organizers worry that this bidcom has few members, if any, with any hands-on experience working on this particular series of conventions. People who work on a bid usually vie for high profile positions on the convention if they win. Worldcon has a community with a long history and many traditions they may not be aware of or are prepared to deal with. Would they accept the advice and help from those who have? Many long-time members of the community worry that if the Orlando bid wins, Worldcon 73 will lose its traditional characteristics.
The Helsinki bid is lumbered with two major disadvantages. The first being that overseas Worldcons are notorious for snubbing the members who look forward to participating in critique circle writers workshops. (Please note that Loncon 3 currently shows no plans for one next year.) The second being not very many American members can afford to go an overseas Worldcon two years in a row.
One of this bid's advisors was Priscilla Olsen, who publicly announced at SMOFcon 30 she didn't see what critique circle workshops added to a convention and was the one who decided to eliminate it in 2004. She is no longer associated with the Helsinki bid, but it was a scary moment for writers workshop aficionados when she helped present the bid at SMOFcon 30. Bidcom Member Crystal Huff has personally informed me, "If Helsinki wins, there will absolutely and definitely be a writers' workshop in 2015. We've had one associated with Finncon now for years, organised in cooperation with the Finnish Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and it would be just plain silly not to organise one at a Helsinki Worldcon."
Many of the Helsinki bid's supporters believe that another international bid would put the World in Worldcon. The last time we heard this argument, we ended up with a committee that went into massive debt after their Worldcon was held. Nippon 2007's initial debt after the convention was around US$35,000. The majority of the people who supported the bid did not support the convention. Worldcons need members to actually attend or else it has problems paying its bills. Despite Worldcon's international emphasis, it unofficially acts as the American national convention, since there isn't one in the U.S. It's hard to imagine that the American constituency is going to like Worldcon being in Europe two years in a row. Professionals as well as fans are complaining they'd be financially unable to attend a European Worldcon two years in a row, so their services would be unavailable for a writers workshop.
That being said, if Helsinki doesn't win this year, I'm hoping they'll bid again. It sounds like they have a dynamite crew, but the timing is bad. However, if it's the critique circle workshop a member wants and Loncon 3 decides not to have one, then she can skip Loncon 3 in favor of Helsinki. (I'm greedy, though, I want to attend them all.)
Site Selection voters are influenced by different factors when choosing which bid to host a convention in a given year. Some look at the host city, others the committee, and still others the facilities. But, if a voter's primary concern is whether they'll be able to enjoy participating in a critique circle writers workshop, Spokane and Helsinki are both emphatic that they will supply one. I am endorsing the Spokane bid for personal economic reasons; otherwise, the Helsinki bid sounds very good. Voters who are interested in incorporating a visit to Walt Disney World or the medieval city of Porvoo into their vacations are going to favor another bid. If writers workshop-inclined voters still prefer another bid, please give Spokane your second place vote.
Above all, if you're eligible to vote in this year's site selection, please do so. It will count this year more than it has for quite a while.
Adrienne Foster
Writers Workshop Coordinator for
Westercon 66
L.A.con IV
ConJosé
BucConeer
L.A.con III
Conadian
ConFrancisco
BayCons '91, '92 & '93
Please note that this was previously posted at both Gather.com and Epinions.com. Since Gather has turned off the ability for users to become members, I am posting it here as well.