The obvious difference between this pandemic and those of the past is how humanity has been spending their time throughout the outbreak. Yes, many public places and events are closed, cancelled and/or postponed; and, there have been several cases and deaths due to COVID-19 throughout the world. Yet, it seems a lot of people have forgotten that our modern technology has been a huge help in maintaining work, shopping and entertainment. Now, while the process to maintain safety and livelihoods haven’t been easy, it seems that few people are willing to use this time as an opportunity to pursue new activities and a chance to return to old ones.
Please understand that I’m not bashing or criticizing people who lost their jobs, had their jobs suspended and/or moved online, parents, teachers/academics/scholars/educators, farmers, contractors, etc. I speak of people who hassle healthcare workers about when they’ll reopen their practices and scold essential workers when told they cannot enter the store or the supermarket without a face mask while trying to cut the line. These people ignore the guidelines for safety and go to locations that are closed because they are bored. Whatever happened to getting a new hobby or going back to a former pastime? Stories of people learning how to sew, how to cook, and stories of people learning how to draw using an app or creating “how to” content online have been circulating on the international news. Yes, many people have realized that creating content for YouTube, podcasts and blogs isn’t as easy as it looks, but that doesn’t mean you cannot offer your support by checking out the content.
While many Cons and events have been moved to online as virtual events, there have been a few creators who have made the decision to upping their game and putting together events as a means of entertainment and sharing new content with other creators and fans. QuaranCon 2020 was a virtual con put together by Virginia McClain and a few other fantasy authors (many of them from S.P.F.B.O.), and presented live panels over the course of 2 weeks. MayDayCon 2020 was a virtual con which was organized and moderated by 1 person—FanFiAddict! There were 7 panels and 7 live readings with over 30 authors all within 14 hours! And yes, I watched that entire con as it was going on live! Next, GeekCon1 will be taking place in July. This virtual con is aimed at all content creators with more information coming as we get closer to the date. GeekChat1 and his friends—other content creators—will be putting the event together.
As for “professional” cons that will be virtual, there will be plenty of those as well. Both BookExpo and BookCon will be streaming live on Facebook. Orbit Books has been hosting and announcing several live chats with their authors every week! Several authors have been chatting on their Instagram accounts as well, which is a great opportunity to interact with some of your favorite authors and other famous people. And, several literary award organizations have turned to YouTube to announce both the nominees and the winners of their awards such as the BSFA and the Hugos. Yes, not everyone will be able to stream these events live (I still have my job to attend to in person), but the best thing about streaming live events is that you can watch the playbacks when they become available.
This post is not meant to put anyone down. Instead, I wanted to remind everyone that people are working behind the scenes in order to present new content and events to everyone who is living in lockdown, which is everyone! Think about it, wouldn’t it be better for you in the future if you mentioned what you did during the pandemic isn’t of what you weren’t able to do? Yes, the pandemic sucks, but it’s a shared experience and you have the opportunity to find a way to stand out and do something you always wanted to do. What do you have to lose?
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