Colorado Cons That Love Writers

From the wandering mind of Tamela Buhrke

If you've been reading my series on conventions, you know how much fun they are and how great they can be for your writing career. But what if you don't have the time or money for all that travel? Relax, I've got you covered. There are some awesome cons right here in Colorado.

Denver

Mile Hi Con - This is Colorado's longest running Science Fiction Convention. This year's toastmaster for the convention is RMFW's very own Mario Acevedo. The convention will feature 80+ authors, artists and speakers. For those you like fantasy gaming, get there early. There are workshops and panels for writers. There are parties and socializing is encouraged. There will be a costume contest, so drag out that Avatar costume you have hidden in your closet. Bring the kids! They can enter the Avistrum Academy, a magic school for witchcraft and wizardry.

When: Oct. 21 - 23 Where: Hyatt Regency Tech Center Cost: Weekend pass is $45 adults at the door, kids are half price. (Avistrum Academy is an extra $34) www.milehicon.org

StarFest - This is actually several "Fest" conventions rolled into one. The StarFest started as a science fiction convention but has grown into a celebration of media entertainment. HorrorFest celebrates all things horror. ComicFest is all things comic book related. RoboFest features robots from television and film. All these events are packed into one fun-filled weekend. Though each fest has it's own schedule of events and are priced separately (packages are available).

When: April 13-15, 2012 Where: Denver Tech area, hotel TBA. Cost: TBA (2011 prices ranged from $5 to $239 depending on package) www.starland.com

Denver Comic Con - Denver is finally getting it's own Comic Con! The founders of this con believe in the motto "Go Big!" They are taking over the Denver Convention Center. The goal is to make the Mile Hi City a big name in the Comic Con legacy. One difference with this con is that all proceeds will be donated to the Comic Book Classroom organization; a children's literacy campaign seeking to teach kids reading through comics.

The founders are comic book authors and illustrators who wanted to bring their love of comic books to Denver area schools. The event will feature those things you have come to love about Comic Cons, such as costume contests, artists, vendors, speakers, celebrities and much more. They will also be featuring local talent, vendors and speakers.

**As a new event, they are currently looking for volunteers, speakers and authors to participate. This is a great opportunity for debut authors! You can find more information on their website.

When: June 15 -17, 2012 Where: Denver Convention Center Hotel: Hyatt Regency Denver Cost: Weekend pass $45 www.denvercomiccon.com

Colorado Springs

COSine - This January will mark their 9th annual Science Fiction Convention in Colorado Springs. This con features a lot of gaming. There are also panels on writing science fiction and fantasy. Authors do readings and book signings.

When Jan 27-29 Where: Crowne Plaza Cost: Weekend pass $35, Kids $10

Galaxy Fest - This is Science Fiction Media & Literacy Convention. It is a charity event to sponsor the Colorado Literacy Foundation. The event features celebrities, authors, artists, gaming, anime, panels and around-the-clock gaming.

When: Feb 24-26, 2012 Where: Antler's Hilton Cost: Weekend passes range from $35 to $90, children from $17.50 to $22.50.

Genre Cons

From the wandering mind of Tamela Buhrke

Last week I geeked out over San Diego Comic Con. It was an amazing trip for my personal interests but it was also a great trip for my writing career. Many of these fun, genre-specific conventions are the perfect venue for promoting and networking yourself as a writer/blogger/screen writer/author.

But what if you are not a science fiction or fantasy fan? No worries—there's a con for practically everyone. Here's a small list to get you started:

Horror - September is the big month for horror fans. They just missed the 13th Horrorfind Weekend: www.horrorfindweekend.com. Don't worry, in a few weeks you can attend Monster Mania, in Philadelphia the weekend of Sept 16th: www.monstermania.net. Or wait until May, 2012 for Crypticon in Seattle: www.crypticonseattle.com.

Steampunk - Tesla Con is the big immersion con for this genre. It is coming up this November in Madison, Wisconsin: www.teslacon.com. This is a growing trend, so right now there are many local steampunk conventions. That being said, it seems easier to give you a website that lists them all, rather than try to list them here. Try http://containment.greententacles.com/tags/steampunk

Mystery & Thrillers - Things get hot in the big city when Thriller Fest takes over New York each July: www.thrillerfest.com. For those west of the Mississippi, there is also Left Coast Crime, which at a city in the west each year. The next meeting is in Sacramento in March 2012 and the conference will be in Colorado Springs in 2013: www.leftcoastcrime.org. Also, better act quick if you want to attend the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. They are in St. Louis this year Sept 15th: www.bouchercon.info.

Historical Fiction - The Historical Novel Society alternates their events between North America and the United Kingdom. They had a conference in San Diego this past summer and will be in London at the end of September, 2012: www.historicalnovelsociety.org.

Westerns - The Western Writers of America will hold their annual convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico this June 2012: www.westernwriters.org/2012_convention.htm.

Pulp Fiction - If your interest is pulp magazines and vintage paperbacks, then Pulp Fest is for you! www.pulpfest.com

Science Fiction & Fantasty - These two genres have more cons than any of the others. In addition to the well-known San Diego Comic Con, there is a Comic Con for nearly every major city (we now have 2 for the Denver area). Want more? Check out Wonder Con, Dragon Con, and Necronomicon. The list of sci-fi/fantasy cons is too long to mention here, but check out Convention Fans for news about upcoming cons: http://conventionfansblog.com.

There are so many cons! I know I missed some. If you have a favorite, or if I missed an important one, be sure to tell us about it.