For those of you three readers who may not know about it, Worldcon is the World Science Fiction Convention. This event is held yearly around Labor Day and is home to the Hugo Awards in addition to being a place for big names in the field to gather in bars and catch up on happenings in each others' lives.

It's also open to those of us that do not yet have the august accomplishment of having been paid for our writing. While Worldcon has many of the hallmarks of other conventions-cosplayers (there's a Masquerade), gaming, anime viewing, etc- it is not limited to these things, and, in fact, offers an extensive selection of panels geared towards writers both published and not in addition to opportunities to talk to favorite authors or get books signed.

I've been to this event probably a half-a-dozen times in various cities: Toronto, Boston, Denver, and Chicago. Okay, so I've been four times. I was rounding up.

Anyway, I am going again at the end of this month, this time to San Antonio.

And I am mildly terrified.

Why? Because all my previous excursions were learning opportunities. I wanted to hear the panels, explore the various discussions, soak up the atmosphere.

I still want to do those things, but now I have some ulterior motives. See, I have this novel, and I want to get it published. That means getting people interested in it, and therefore by necessity, interested in me. So, networking.

I'm not exactly a skilled schmoozer. I'm allergic to alcohol and so can't spend much time in the bar or at the parties; I tend to be shy around strangers and often feel like a poser when talking to an established professional; and I am a dedicated introvert. I mean this last in the technical sense. I tend to find my energy levels depleted when subjected to large groups for an extended length of time. I recharge by being alone.

None of these are helpful traits for networking, but they also aren't unusual for writers. Realistically, we do most of our work in isolation, so the job doesn't tend to appeal to extroverts.

And I'm not a lost cause. I have some connections in the field already: family and friends made at Clarion or through workshops. These are people I like and feel comfortable with and that tends to bring me out of my shell. Even among strangers, once I start talking it is almost a Herculean feat to get me to shut up again. Granted, being an opinionated babbler causes it's own issues for making professional connections, but it's arguably better than never saying anything at all. (And hopefully I can reel myself in enough to avoid being obnoxious or offensive. This is where having good friends along to poke you in the ribs or stomp on your foot is essential.)

More importantly, despite being at this new and frightening stage of my career, at the end of the day, I am still going to the con to learn and enjoy myself. It's not an obligation. It's an opportunity to dive into a community of people that share passions similar to my own, to discuss ideas and techniques, and craft points with people that care rather than boring my husband or lecturing to the dog.

Yes, I should be mindful of the career opportunities available, but above all else this is supposed to be fun. That takes a lot of the pressure off and allows me to focus on something else--those same people that might be able to help my career--they're people that share my interests. I don't have to be a walking advertisement. I can just go and be friendly and enjoy the company of people with whom I have a lot in common.

If I leave without a single bit of interest in my manuscript, but make some new friends or even just have a thought-provoking conversation with someone I'll never see again (pretty much guaranteed to happen more than once) then I will have gained something invaluable.

So, deep breaths. Calm down.

And, gosh darn it, start getting the dang packing list together or I'm going to be attending panels in my pajamas.