Rainfurrest is one of my favorite conventions. It’s held every fall in Seattle, which means I have a great excuse to visit the Pacific Northwest during one of the prettiest times of the year. There is a TON of great coffee to be had, which is handy when you’re putting in those late nights at parties and what not. The convention staff has quietly made it a destination for furry writers over the years, too; the Writing Panel track has been consistently strong. And, perhaps most of all, the convention has been really good to Ryan. He debuted God of Clay there two years ago, and this year he’ll release not only the second novel in the Firebearers Series (Forest Gods) but a Cupcake novella from FurPlanet, Koa of the Drowned Kingdom.
I’m genuinely excited to be going to the convention this year, where I hope to meet and chat with as many writers as I possibly can. You’ll find me with the dazed expression and a rabbit-themed t-shirt with either a cup of coffee or a stiff drink in my paw. I’ll be doing my best to be a cheerleader and stress manager for Ryan, who’ll be having a pretty big weekend all things considered.
If you see me there, feel free to say hi! Since it’s a convention and there’s always a million things going on at once at these things, I apologize in advance if I’m distracted or on my way somewhere else and unable to chat. If you see me sitting down somewhere without a laptop or a book in front of me, assume that means I’m approachable! I’d love to meet folks and spaz about all the things that unite us in our fandom excitement.
Besides the general hangout areas or the Dealer’s Den, I’ll be at a few panels. Here are a few that I’m particularly looking forward to!
THURSDAY, 9/24
9 PM – Write Now!
Kyell Gold and I had a really great time with this panel at Further Confusion earlier in the year, so we’re bringing it to Rainfurrest along with NotTube. We’ll tackle a few blocks to getting your story out of your head and onto paper (or the screen), then provide you with 30 whole minutes of writing time to act on those lessons right there and there!
10 PM – The Coyotl Awards
These are fledgling furry fiction awards given out by the Furry Writers Guild; think of them as the Nebula Awards as opposed to the Hugo Awards (that niche is filled by the Ursa Majors). The ceremony will be held in the Hilton Hospitality Suite, where we will celebrate the Best Novel, Novella, Short Story and Anthology of the year.
FRIDAY, 9/25
11 AM – I Cast Thee Out! Dealing With Rejection and Critique
Every writer submitting stories out into the world will have to deal with the ones that come back with “No thanks.” Even after they’ve been accepted by a publishing company or polished up and self-published, readers might have a few criticisms (hopefully constructive!) to dish out. Since the thought of bearing my soul through stories and having them beaten up by a cruel and uncaring world gives me the screaming fits, this is a good panel to go to.
12 Noon – Only the Strong Survive: Revising and Editing Your Manuscript
Not going to lie — revising and editing is one of those parts of the process I’ve been avoiding for the longest time. I know there are really important things that happen with the story here, so I’m hoping this panel will offer a few pointers on how to deal with this. Anything that helps me get past my natural resistance is a boon.
SATURDAY, 9/26
12 Noon – Gender Identity in the Fandom
This is part of my ongoing education with gender identity and expression. I’m a cisgendered male, but transgender issues are really interesting to me; learning more about what it means to be trans* or gender-fluid is something I’m really keen to do.
2 PM – FurPlanet/Sofawolf Book Launch
Ryan Campbell will be debuting Forest Gods and Koa of the Drowned Kingdom, while Ocean Tigrox will debut a furry noir anthology titled Inhuman Acts. This is THE panel to be at if you’re into quality fiction at all.
8 PM – Unsheathed Live
It’s Unsheathed! And it’s live!! Before my bedtime no less! This is almost always a good time, and I’m looking forward to it.
10 PM – Unspeakable Urges: Writing Kinks in Fantasy
I’m nervous as hell about the Patreon and writing kink-specific fiction for a (hopefully) paying audience. This is part of the process of drawing me out of my shell, talking to folks frankly about erotic and kink writing, and maybe develop a couple of relationships with other authors.
SUNDAY, 9/27
10 AM – En Garde! Thrilling and Believable Action Sequences
I love writing action scenes, actually, but I’m always worried about how to translate the blocking of them inside my head. This panel will (hopefully) come in handy and offer a few tips on making sure I’m doing the right thing.
So those are my panel plans! I’ll also bum around the Dealer’s Den, the hotel bar and a few room parties here and there. So exciting!! If you’re at Rainfurrest, I’ll see you there! If you’re not, please have a great weekend anyway!
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 