By
Dora Machado
Twilight Times Books Authors Scott Eder, Dora Machado and Maria DeVivo at Tampa Comic Con 2015
The rain, and the flooding that came with it, did not damper
the spirits of over 55,000 folks who purchased tickets to attend Tampa Bay
Comic Con. The place was packed, especially Saturday and Sunday, an exuberant
celebration of the fantasy genre in all of its manifestations, comic books,
video games, books, movies, TV shows, art and illustration.
But it is truly the people that make the con. Tampa Bay’s
best and brightest showed up. I loved watching the awesome costumes that filled
the exhibit hall. The convention center looked like some intergalactic hub
teeming with the inhabitants of a million worlds, coming together to celebrate
the human imagination. Characters were everywhere, some familiar, some truly
original.
I honestly believe there’s a connection between creative
energy, imagination and intelligence. Fantasy lovers include some of the smartest
people I know. You could feel the excitement
and creativity vibrating in the air, applied brainpower fueling the imagination,
and the future, cloaked in the guise of pure fun.
The author panels are always my favorite part of the con and
this year they were awesome. I sat on four panels, along with my fellow authors
Scott Eder, Maria DeVivo and Tracy Akers. We had a fantastic time talking about
the fundamentals of writing fantasy, what girls want in their fantasy, world
settings and villains. The best part? We got to meet so many talented folks!
I love the diversity of the crowd that attended the panels.
People of all ages and different backgrounds came together to share a passion
for fantasy. I particularly enjoyed talking to writers and aspiring writers
about their projects and dreams. Writing is a challenging craft, but when a
whole lot of us get together to figure it out, we are an unstoppable force.
One of the panels was called “So…do you want to be a writer?” It
was standing room only. The energy of the crowd was incredible. I swear, from
my seat on the podium, I could see the ideas zipping through the room like glowing
fireflies. My only regret is that we ran out of time before we could answer
everyone’s questions. But hey, we’re always around, available through email, FB,
and Twitter, to share our journeys with our fellow writers.
And to all my new writer friends, to those of you who dream
of sharing your stories with the world, don’t forget: Keep writing and may the
joy of the craft always sustain you.
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| TTB Authors Scott Eder, Dora Machado and Maria DeVivo, having fun at Tampa Comic Con 2015 |
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| Authors Tracy Akers, Dora Machado and Scott Aker enjoying the panels |
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| Authors Scott Eder, Tracy Akers, Dora Machado and Maria DeVivo sat in several panels at Comic Con |
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| Twilight Times Books sponsored our table at Tampa Comic Con 2015 | . Thanks TTB! |
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| A little fun at Comic Con: Waldo and Carmen San Diego |
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| Lots of monsters, some big and scary, some small and cute |
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| More Fun at Comic Con: Game of Thrones |
