Last year, I finally got off my butt and joined the Horror Writer’s Association. It had been quiet in Florida for some time, but I caught notice that the Florida HWA chapter was alive and doing well (and my friend author Sidney Williams was having a good time with the Virginia chapter) so I filled out the paperwork on hopped on board.

The next logical step was to attend the HWA annual conference, StokerCon, in Pittsburgh. So, bingo, bango – there I was last week.

Man, I went through so many emotions over the course of five days: inspiration, doubt, feeling connected, excited, disappointed, nervous (or anxious), satisfaction, and everyone’s favorite…imposter syndrome.

The panels were great and I learned quite a bit (lots of notes) and I met several people that were such a joy to chat with. One of my goals was getting to know my fellow Florida chapter members better, and that was accomplished nicely – I was made to feel welcome immediately.

The full experience was just what I needed as I move toward my next phase as an author, which is to find representation. I have tended to produce weird, fun books and stories that aren’t that easy to market, but now I have a polished, upmarket horror novel that folks tell me could have real legs. After digesting all that I experienced at the con, I am now shopping the book, and we shall see. It examines themes of addiction, recovery, familial connection, and trauma. It’s personal and I feel that it will appeal to a much broader audience than my previous works.

I am not one to take a lot of photos, but I have a few from the con that I made myself post on IG. I used to spend a lot of time on social media both personally and professionally, but the last few years have been HARD. I have a hunch you know what I am talking about. Nevertheless, I am trying, and here’s what I brought back.

I’m based in Orlando, and the airport here is always slammed. There’s not enough coffee to deal with it first thing in the morning.

I arrived in Pittsburgh a day early and had some time to kill. My first stop was Eide’s Entertainment, an OG comic shop that was right around the corner from my hotel. I managed to scoop up a bunch of old indies that I had been looking for. I suspect I could have dropped $1k in there without a blink. Managed to only spend a hundred and escape with some cash still in my wallet.

Next stop was Amazing Books and Records, where I found a few old Ballentine Fantasy books to help round out my collection.

Dinner was at Primanti Bros., which is a must when in the area. Famous for putting French fries on top of the sandwich, a technique that should be more widely adopted. While I ate, this man serenaded Market Square, delicately murdering such classics as “Sweet Caroline” and “Imagine”. Truly awful, he was, but I respect that he has a song in his heart that must come out. At least he’s doing something about his passions.

Also walked past the chain joints to fuel up with some local joe.

Probably walked about 8 miles around downtown, Market Square, and the Strip District. Pittsburgh is cool. You should check it out.

Two panels I attended had Nat Cassidy and Chris Panatier. Both have been regular guests on the Talking Scared podcast (available on most platforms), on a journey through King’s Dark Tower series and adjacent works. A buddy of mine, we have been listening to the episodes and have thoughts, but that’s the fun of it. Differing opinions on art can lead to wonderful conversations. I took these two pics just to share with my friend, who gave me some suggestions as to what to say to them. I didn’t think it would lead to a good first impression with either author, so I kept that to myself.

Several of the panels I attended conflicted with panels my fellow chapter members were on, but I did catch the outstanding reading by Robbie Dorman, also of Orlando. I highly recommend you check out his many books. He has a diverse catalog and I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking. He also has a podcast about horror writing and authors, Blood on the Typewriter, which you should also check out — some amazing interviews to be found there.

Oh, and here’s the kickoff party. I felt like I was at one of my junior high school dances, kind of on the perimeter, a bit nervous and wishing that I felt more comfortable in a room filled with people that were already friends and had been for some time. I think future StokerCons will ease me into the greater horror writing community nicely. Just have to keep putting in the effort to connect.

The last day was a short one. Caught some panels and then went back to the comic shop to damage my finances a bit more.

This being my first StokerCon, I kept my aspirations at a minimum: get to know a few people, pitch to an agent (went well, but not as well as hoped – it’s cool, though) and learn a lot. Next year, I’ll put to do a reading and maybe sling some books at the Mass Author Signing event.

Baby steps into the shadows, I suppose. See you next year, Pittsburgh.