Sunday, September 23, 2018

WESTERN FICTIONEERS CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS By Vonn McKee


If there was ever a time when I was especially proud to a member of Western Fictioneers, it was the weekend of our convention in Oklahoma City. Old friends did some catching up, and new friends were made. I lost count of the states represented. (Idaho, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Colorado, California, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, New Mexico, etc.) The discussions were intimate and open, and the session topics were deeply informative, thanks to our many knowledgeable presenters.
'EARLY ARRIVERS' DINNER
JES HAYS,
JIM GRIFFIN
(Photo, Jacquie Rogers)
Some of us thought we knew a thing or two about horses until Jim Griffin shared so many tidbits from his store of obscure equine trivia that we could barely write it all down. James Reasoner and Bob Vardeman (300+ novels each!) told us a thing or two about writing habits, serial novel continuity, and offered up anecdotes from their illustrious careers.

Speaking of continuity, our guest Diane Garland explained how her “Worldkeeper” business helps authors keep track of everything from character names and traits, timelines, names of supporting characters/walk-ons/towns/pets . . . well, you get the idea.

EDWARD MASSEY
(Photo, JES Hayes)
Edward Massey did a fine job of outlining the factors that influenced the West, including economics, modes of transportation, and developments in communication. (This discussion could have easily gone another hour!) The “Weird Westerns” panel featured James Reasoner, Jacquie Rogers, Caroline Clemmons, and Bob Vardeman.

W. MICHAEL MILOM
Michael Milom reprised his session on “Legal Labyrinths,” giving us updates on the latest changes to the copyright law and answering a wide range of questions from the group. JES Hays led an excellent panel on “Social Media,” while we heard about lady lawyers and doctors from Ron Schwab and Doris McCraw. (Forget everything you learned from “Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman!”)
JAMES REASONER, DIANE GARLAND,
BOB VARDEMAN
(Photo, JES Hayes)
Vicky Rose and yours truly talked about some miscellaneous ways authors can market themselves and unearth non-traditional writing jobs.

The highlight of the convention was our group tour of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Of course, the galleries were phenomenal (entire rooms devoted to works by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington). A favorite was the collection of western-related entertainment memorabilia, much of which was donated by Tom Selleck and the John Wayne family. Our docent shared a wealth of beyond-the-brochure information.
"END OF THE TRAIL"
(1918)
JAMES EARLE FRASER
 NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM
(Photo, Museum Archives)


 

JOHN WAYNE'S
"McCLINTOCK" COSTUME
Dinners were themed “Mining for Story Gold” (edible gold nuggets on every table!) and “Don’t Forget to Have Fun.” Who could resist party favors like fake mustaches and plastic cowboys and Indians?

At the close of Saturday’s dinner, Big Jim Williams announced the Peacemaker Award winners and finalists and recounted some fabulous stories from his early days in radio. We passed Dusty Richards’s big black hat around the room, filling it with donations for our hard-working banquet staff. (What began as a spontaneous act during our first convention has now become a tradition!)

Cowboy Church ran longer than expected, due to a lively discussion on the history of hymns. Guest Jim Crownover worked in some facts about circuit preachers and worship traditions of the West before reading from the book of Matthew.

Thanks to all who came from far and near to make our gathering a success.


All the best,


Vonn McKee

“Writing the Range”
2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 Western Writers of America Spur Finalist (Short Fiction)


vonnmckee.com
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14 comments:

  1. Looks like a wonderful time was had by each and every one! Made me sad to miss it, but life happens. Looking forward to the next one!

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    1. You were missed! (We considered rolling your house while you were out of town.)

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  2. Replies
    1. Vicky, if you're in the room, there will be fun involved. Again, I enjoyed co-presenting with you.

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  3. I'd love to attend this someday. Don't know if I ever be able, but one can dream. I'm glad you all enjoyed it.

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    1. I certainly hope that dream comes true, Agnes! I'd love to meet you.

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  4. I totally enjoyed the weekend, and wished time would have allowed me to stay through Sunday. Looking forward to the next get together. Doris

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    1. Thank you, Doris, for your participation. It was nice to put names with faces! See you down the road.

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  5. We had a wonderful weekend--definitely memorable. There's nothing like meeting new friends and connecting with old friends. I think you for all the hard work you put into making this convention a resounding success. Oh, and Sassy still owes Bob Vardeman an apology. LOL.

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    1. It was certainly fun, but I'm also amazed at how much I learned.

      I think Sassy owes a LOT of people an apology! (Bless her heart.)

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  6. For some reason my earlier comment didn't post!

    You and Jacquie did a fantastic job with this year's conference! Everyone had a great time and we learned so much from one another. We met old friends again and made new ones. The trip to the Cowboy Museum was great, too! Thanks for all your hard work.

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  7. Thanks, JES. Good to see you again and thanks for all the pics! I could have spent another half day at the museum. Maybe next time.

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  8. Looks like the thing I missed was seeing James. It's been years!

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