# Furry Writing Convention: If you Build it, They Will Come?



## Rechan (Aug 10, 2010)

So, just putting this idea out there.

Some cons have a specific focus. FA: United is focused on music/live performances. Furry Connection North states on their site they are focused on the party atmosphere. 

Do you think a Writing Con could work? As either just a Con with a writing focus, or a weekend-long Workshop-style con? 

Do you think people will come?


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## Ffzzynxnynxxyninx (Aug 10, 2010)

I couldn't say for sure. It would be a very small con, that I do know. And I think it could be a fun idea, but instead of it being a con, maybe it would work better if it was like...a furry writing club or something, kinda like a book club meeting. People could share their ideas and stories, and in general still meet each other.


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## sunandshadow (Aug 11, 2010)

Writing-focused cons exist (usually they're called workshops or retreats) just not a furry-specific one that I know of.

Personally I don't see the point - to me furry fiction is just a subtype of science fiction and fantasy.  Other writers may treat furry fiction as allegory or satire instead, but the point is the same - furry fiction is always a flavor of some other genre.


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## quoting_mungo (Aug 11, 2010)

I personally think there'd be issues with arranging a furry writing con/workshop/retreat/whatever and getting people to come from further away than say the next town over; the best you can probably hope for is, if you should happen to live in an area rich in writers, setting up a themed furmeet/writing circle. I know I enjoy discussing writing as much as if not more than I enjoy discussing art techniques, but I'm not going to throw money at travel and hotel expenses to do either.



sunandshadow said:


> Personally I don't see the point - to me furry fiction is just a subtype of science fiction and fantasy. Other writers may treat furry fiction as allegory or satire instead, but the point is the same - furry fiction is always a flavor of some other genre.



Doesn't mean that writers can't potentially get together and discuss the specific issues related to adding said "flavor" to their genre of choice. If I write gay hard (no pun intended) sci-fi and you write gay stoneage fantasy, there's little intersection in our settings, but we can discuss characterization and the interaction of our gay characters with each other and with that bloke over in the corner who does little gay romances. (I know this is a shitty example. I just got out of bed.) Chances are other writers of gay fiction are going to be more helpful in those areas than other people within our "major" genre.


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## Rechan (Aug 11, 2010)

No, I am definitely not talking about getting together local people. In my experience there are very few furries that are close by for anyone, let alone furry _writers_. 

I am talking about a straight up "Come travel to this" once a year weekend-long event.


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## AshleyAshes (Aug 11, 2010)

Furry Fandom = Niche
Furry Writers = Niche Within Niche

Such a con could not drive up sufficent attendance to come close to breaking even.  It's suicide.


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## sunandshadow (Aug 11, 2010)

Here's a thought - if you held your writing con in the same location as a major furry con but two days earlier, you might get more people to attend because they're already traveling to go to the other con, they could just come two days earlier.


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## Kindar (Aug 11, 2010)

for me the where and when would be the deciding factors for is I could go to one


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## AshleyAshes (Aug 12, 2010)

sunandshadow said:


> Here's a thought - if you held your writing con in the same location as a major furry con but two days earlier, you might get more people to attend because they're already traveling to go to the other con, they could just come two days earlier.



It would be about ten times smarter to just hold a series of dedicated furry writing panels AT the con.  Basically organize it into a block of writing panels and advertise that block.


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## sunandshadow (Aug 13, 2010)

Problem with that is, you are then sacrificing your ability to attend the other con activities to do the writing ones.  If something else interesting is happening at the same time, bye bye participants.  This is the reason I have never yet watched one movie or anime at all the sf cons I have gone to - not because I wouldn't like to see those, but something else was always a higher priority.


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## GraemeLion (Aug 25, 2010)

No, they won't come.

We're in a recession, or a double dip recession, or a depression, depending on who you ask. Hotels want money in advance now , they don't just take room commits any more and strike the contract up.  

You're going to need serious butts in seats and butts buying rooms to break even on a "con before the con," and I just have one question for you:

"How many furry writing panels have you been to?"

Because if you've been to many at AC or FC , you'll know that you get maybe fifteen or twenty people in the room.  

Given that most convention hotels want around 50 room nights and $500 / day , for a small set of conference rooms, you're not going to break even.   And guess what happens if you don't make the room-nights?  You can ask RMFC about that.

It's better to organize at the convention.


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## buni (Aug 25, 2010)

GraemeLion said:


> "How many furry writing panels have you been to?"
> 
> Because if you've been to many at AC or FC , you'll know that you get maybe fifteen or twenty people in the room.



To be fair, I used to be the writing track coordinator for AC and I either ran or assisted directly in about two-thirds of the ones scheduled on my watch. I regularly saw attendance upwards of fifty at the ones I hosted. This isn't to rob you of your larger point, mind. I just don't want to shortchange on the actual numbers.

In support, though, I can't see a furry writers' convention actually working out in the current fandom, especially not in the current economy. You could run the thing on a shoestring and probably get by with 150 attendees, but much less than that and you're looking at burning money to make it happen.
[/QUOTE]


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## GraemeLion (Aug 25, 2010)

Fair enough, I last attended AC awhile ago , so I deserved that 

Even so, I don't think 50 will get you a good "con before the con."  I don't think it'd get good rates.  

There aren't that many of us who care who would pay an extra $70 a night for two or three nights before a con.  The people that show up to writing panels now are doing it because they are at the convention.  The real test is how many of those 50 would show up to wall to wall writing panels for three days.  That'll show you whether or not it's viable.


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