Satima's Blogspot: Continuum 11

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Continuum 11

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 |

Posted by Satima Flavell

Another really busy and enjoyable weekend left me exhausted and behind in everything, so only now am I sitting down to write a blog post before I forget the events I want to tell you about!

I refer, of course, to the eleventh Continuum Convention in Melbourne. It wasn’t quite as well-attended as I’d hoped: Sunday was the only day that attracted a decent-sized crowd. The enjoyment, however, was just as high as in other years and there were some really excellent panels and other activities. There was a strong emphasis on YA (Young Adult) publications and their writers.

The overseas Guest-of-Honour was RJ (Rebecca Joan) Anderson from Canada, author of many fantasy and SF novels for children and young

RJ Anderson

adults. The local guest was Tansy Rayner Roberts. Her novel Musketeer Space is serialised on her website. Both these ladies are excellent speakers and their presentations were a joy to hear, as were many of the panels. In fact, one panel really sticks in my mind. Its topic was Young Adult genre novels, and its title was ‘The Hunger Games was great, and YA is amazing. Where do you go from here?’ The panel was made up of Amie Kaufman, Ellie Marney, Sue Bursztynski and Justin Woolley. They each spoke knowledgeably and well about genre works of the new generation. The Hunger Games series is hard to top, but there are many other good YA works rising to the top of the pile, including several written by this convention's panellists.

On the Saturday, I gave a presentation on the common mistakes of new writers. This is getting to be my ‘party piece’, as I’ve now delivered it several times to different audiences, and I’m pleased to say that it’s always been well received. I shared the podium with Amanda Pillar, whose first novel, Graced, was brought out by Momentum in February. She is already known in the SF community for her editing of anthologies.

I was on another quasi-workshop presentation on Monday, alongside another Amanda – this time Amanda Bridgeman, author of the Aurora series of ‘space opera’ stories. It’s already well underway - book 5 will be out in September. This panel centred on ‘the intricacies of creating plots and characters’, and I think we found plenty to say about those facets of the writer’s trade!

The panels were the usual mixture. Some speakers were better prepared than others, and some, as usual, tried to push their own cart to the fore with some kind of political angle. Overall, though, every panel had good points. I just wish it were feasible to hear them all, but sadly, with four streams running at once, it was impossible.

That’s the last convention until Canberra in October. That is, if you don’t count the World Buddhist Conference, which is to be held in Perth in August. I will be purely audience for that one, and I hope I shall learn more about the Buddha Dhamma as I listen to what looks like an excellent line-up of speakers. It will make a welcome change from the sometimes small-minded pettiness of daily life, inside and outside the convention hall.

4 comments:

Jo said...: Sounds like a great conference Satima. Never been to one other than work related years ago. Enjoy your Buddhist conference too.

Never heard of R.J. Anderson. I should check her out.; Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Sue Bursztynski said...: Yes, it was a great con and I was delighted that the overseas GoH was a YA writer(some of whose books are in my school library). And she didn't use her panels to promote herself; she spoke as a parent. Next year should be good. Queenie Chan's manga books are much-borrowed from my library, I probably should see if I can get another set of The Dreaming, which is ALWAYS out. I read and quite liked Kylie Chan's first novel, though I thought it needed some serious pruning, except I suspect her publishers probably made her add the waffle so it could become a trilogy.

Sorry I missed your panel, I must have been either with my Mum or at the theatre with my sister. Perhaps, seeing it's your party piece, you should consider posting it here? Just a thought. :-); Thursday, June 11, 2015
Satima Flavell said...: Anderson is a Canadian author, Jo, so you've probably got a better chance than I of getting hold of her books. So many authors, so many books: not enough money, not enough time!; Thursday, June 11, 2015
Satima Flavell said...: Yes, I will make it a post one of these days, Sue! Maybe next week. Great that you can tell your students you've seen the author!; Thursday, June 11, 2015

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