This past Saturday, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Literary Day at Eckerd College in St. Petersberg, Florida. Dubbed “Literacy of the Imagination”, the full day event explored the genres of fantasy and science fiction. There were discussions of what each genre was and where it came from. There was a discussion about fantasy and science fiction in film and its influences on the medium.
And then there was an author panel discussing why they choose to write in these genres, where their inspiration comes from, and how they see the genres changing. This panel was made up of three independent authors, myself, Stephen Arseneault, and Rick Partlow.
Rick Partlow and Stephen Arseneault share stories during a break during Literary Day at Eckerd College.
The crowd was very receptive to us and seemed quite interested in what we had to say and asked some great questions. Except for the woman in the front row who kept yawning. Well, I mean it was 10 a.m. after all.
I had never participated in something like this before and it ended up being such a great experience. My fellow authors were very knowledgeable in their field (science fiction) and receptive to me and discussing our craft. One of the best things about spending time with other authors, especially if those authors are in the same or similar genre as you, is that it sparks creativity and steeled my resolve to get my current WIP finished.
I was honored to be a part of the discussion that included one of my favorite genres. I thank Chrissy Jackson of Florida Writers Association (FWA), Joe Cortese, and the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) for inviting me and I look forward to the next one.
