Last nuggets from FenCon

Pardon the episodic nature of my posts, but I have to take breaks because of my carpal tunnel syndrome.

Apparently over time I've helped some people advance their writing. While at FenCon I had one guy tell me that thanks to some insights I gave him on how journalists think and act, he was able to develop a character in a book he just finished. Another fellow said that after taking some advice I once gave on a panel he was able to make his first sale.

I'm also pleasantly surprised that people are buying my books. Zane Melder of Edge Books sold out of "Texas & Other Planets". Selina Rosen said "Music for Four Hands" sold well, at least ten copies. One time I found a guy waiting for me at the entrance of a panel to sign his book, which means he looked up my schedule. I had a number of people come up to me (and my typewriter) in the gallery and ask me to sign their books.

Speaking of my typewriter, many people took my photos, and at least three - FenCon itself, Rie Sheridan Rose, and Charles Tolliver - posted pix on their Facebook pages. My old friend Keith West also posted a photo on his blog. In Rie's case, I put the typewriter in my lap so we could say it was an old school laptop.

The strangest thing was that at least five time people came up to me and started to talk thinking I was Lou Anders - which is pretty goofy, especially if you know what we look like. I told Lou that Sunday afternoon. He suggested I should shave my head and he could grow a goatee.

Well, one more con for this year. I'll be at Contraflow in New Orleans Nov. 4-6.