Day 3…the last day of the con.
I successfully dragged myself out of my room in time for the Team Jordan signing at 10am. I noticed that there ended up being a very short line; probably a product of being first thing in the morning after an evening where people had been drinking. So for the second of the two signings I attended, I was done far faster than I’d anticipated (I very much approve of the new ticket system). The signing itself was great, it’s always a pleasure to talk to Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan’s widow and editor).
So I had extra time, which worked out as I also had to spend some time packing to be ready in time for the 12pm checkout (a drawback of leaving the same day the convention ends, though the hotel has room where bags can be checked, so it isn’t such a pain.) I took care of that in time to make it down with some time before the session I’d been anticipating all weekend–the Pitch Critique session–and relaxed a bit, finally making over to the Dealer’s hall for more than a cursory glance around (which I usually do so I can see all the cool stuff but not feel too tempted to buy all the things). This time, however, I spent some time by Shire Post Mint’s table, had a nice talk with them, and ultimately bought myself a replica Tar Valon Mark. All their stuff is awesome, and I highly recommend you check them out online.
Then at 1pm was the Pitch Critique, with a particularly star-studded cast this year: Brandon Sanderson, Paul Stevens, and Harriet McDougal made up the panel of ‘judges’. As has become my custom, I sat in the front row and managed to be the last one to go (just barely this year, as there were more brave souls willing to have a go at it). As a whole, it went pretty well, though I made the mistake of trying to drastically alter my pitch while I sat there, which led to me being more nervous and therefore not doing as good a job as I know I could. But I got great feedback regardless, and the story idea seemed well received enough.
The last pane lI attended in full was a panel on collaborative writing, which I stayed at in part to make the room feel less empty (there were only a handful of us there). While the topic wasn’t one I felt was particularly relevant to my own goals, the panelists, James R. Tuck, Anthony Taylor, Balogun Ojetade, and L R Barrett-Durham kept it entertaining.
Following that, the con was all but over. I retreated to the game room, where I played a couple quick Commander games of Magic: The Gathering, then as people began to leave I made my way to the last part of the leavetakings panel, where I got some idea of what next year will be like (it’ll be at a new hotel, for one).
Once leavetakings was done, JordanCon was officially over. I returned again to the game room, where I relaxed/collapsed until it neared the time where I’d have to head back to the airport. So I said my goodbyes, was happy that the shuttle was available pretty much right away, and I headed home. Trip home was fine; everything went as scheduled once again, and I was back in New York by midnight. (Only unfortunate part was that I didn’t run into anyone from the con on the way home this year; in past years I’ve run into people ranging from other congoers to guests)
Now all there is to do is wait for next year! (When it will also be over a week after Passover, so the timing will be less tight.)
In closing, I’d like to thank the people who helped make JordanCon a thing: Con Chair Jennifer Liang, Vice Chairs James Liang, Jason Denzel, Matt Hatch, and Aubree Pham, Writers Track organizer and director Richard Fife, and Gaming Track organizer, director, and Magic tournament overseer Jon Hermsen, and everyone else who played a part in making JordanCon a great experience once again. Can’t wait for next April!
Writing, Ascendant 