Conventions are gathering spaces. Friend groups who might not normally get to see each other rent hotel rooms and Airbnb’s together. My husband and I joked that instead of getting a beach house for a week in the summer, we’d rent an apartment for Labor Day weekend and bring all our kids, and eventually their partners to Dragon Con. The Con itself is a kind of wide-winged parent who gives cover to all her kids.

Dozens of groups meet up at Dragon Con, and, as a Writers of the Future winner, I’m fortunate enough to belong to such a group.

WOTF is an international short story contest in its 42nd year. Each year, it publishes an anthology of 12 writers with 12 illustrated stories. This year, author Brenda Posey and artist Nathan Diewert (vol 42) came as guests. Previous authors present included Randyn Bartholemew, David Hinkins, and myself. Several of our artists presented at the Art Show are April Solomon (best in show last year) Alex Gustafson, Heather Ann Lee, Bruce Brenneise, and Nick Jizba.

Dragon Con plays host to several of our judges. Jody Lynn Nye, judge and anthology editor, teaches the Dragon Con Writing Track. Authors Kevin J Anderson, Rebecca Moestra, S.M. Stirling, and Larry Nivens, and artists Dan dos Santos, Bob Eggleton, and Echo Chernick are all speakers and presenters while the good people at Galaxy Press give us a soft-landing spot in the Mart, and make sure we’re fed and watered.

Pat Henry who helped launch Dragon Con in 1987 brings everyone donuts. He and wife Sherry are like Con parents making sure we have everything we need.

But it’s the connection with readers, authors, and other Con attendees that makes it feel like any good family reunion should feel. By the end of the weekend, we’re tired, we’ve eaten too much, walked too many steps, and used up way more than our allotted words, but that doesn’t matter. We’ve had a phenomenal weekend, and we’re already planning next year’s trip.