Norwescon I—Supplemental

Norwescon is the biggest science fiction/fantasy convention in the Pacific Northwest that has a good emphasis on writing.

 

First of all, each session has chairs at the front set aside for people who have difficulty walking. The chairs have a variety of signs on the back. Here is one example: 

A number of authors had small sessions wherein they read portions of their latest works. Try to make time at a convention to go to at least one. It boosts the morale of the author to have an audience show up. Here is D.L. Gardner, a fantasy author. 

One of the most instructive sessions was “Young Adult vs. Middle Grade” with authors Marta Murvosh, Camden Rose, and Tom Llewellyn. Here are some of the highlights:

MG is more about saving the world and family.

YA is more about the individual and identity.

MG  has MG characters that targets 4^th to 6^th graders.

YA has high school to college-age characters.

MG coming-of-age involves realizing one is part of a community.

Extended YA is a real industry term for college-age protagonists.

Marta Murvosh, Camden Rose, Tom Llewellyn

click to enlarge