This past weekend here in San Diego we had a fine little SF convention named Conjecture. Our Guest Of Honor was SF Author Allen Steele. This was a rather different experience for me than other local smaller cons as I was on five panels during the three days of the convention, three on friday afternoon and two On Sunday afternoon.
I had a blast. I moderated one panel and while my lack of knowledge on the subject could have doomed the panel, I had some great panelist, including Hugo award winning author Verner Vinge, and they saved my bacon. I must say that being on a panel in many ways is much more fun than watching a panel. When the odd idea or random connections occurs to me because of the conversation of the panelists I don’t have to hold back, or hold my hand up to offer a shortened thought, now I can speak my mind. (yeah I know that is a dangerous thing.)
Today I managed to get back into the swing of writing too. Nearly 1000 words on a new short story that I had failed to launch three times before. If I can get it into shape in time this one might go to the Writers of The Future now that I am no so mad at them anymore.
I had a lot of fun being on the Conjecture panels with you. We’ll have to do it again soon.
I see!! But doesn’t it partly depend on what else gets submitted? You could have been up against something from this generation’s Heinlein or Asimov. Can’t waste energy with that.
The last story not even getting an honorable mention when I think it’s a really good piece.
You’re totally right. But I feared that I knew too little to keep the panel going if it dragged. I had planned to do research and such the night before but that massive power outage bulloxed those plans.
Luckily my panelists were great and there was little I needed to do but throw out the occasional prompt.
Glad you had a good time and glad you are posting. (Missed you.)
Why were you mad at WotF? Tell me in an email or FB message, if you aren’t comfortable saying here. Thanks! M.
The moderator is not necessarily required to be an expert; in fact, that can be detrimental. The moderator’s job is to do one or more of the following, depending on the topic and paenlists: ask good question of the others, make sure everyone on the panel gets to talk, bring the conversation back to the topic when it starts to drift, keep the audience Q&A period vaguely under control, defuse arguments before they explode. Probably some other situations I’m not thinking of, but you get the idea.
Knowing something about the subject can make asking good questions easier, and some participation in the discussion is fine, especially if it’s not a controversial topic. But a modertor with too much to say can get caught up in the conversation and fail to moderate.