Current Post On Trae’s Blog:
So I'm just going to come out and say it: My favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation is "Conundrum." It's episode fourteen of season five, and I just deeply love it.
I don't know if it's because I literally just assumed Erich Anderson's Commander McDuff was a random Enterprise officer of the week (which we saw quite often during the show) when I watched it as a kid during the original run, so the twist actually worked on eleven year old me. I don't know if it's because I just like a good "everyone has amnesia" story. I don't even know if it's just because it's a good Ro Laren episode. I don't know if it's just because we learn that Starfleet doesn't give a crap about lasers.
I just like it. It's neat.
And I rewatched it last night, and feel that it holds up -- which is why I found it deeply weird that the folks who wrote the episode actually think it's not that good. My favorite episode of the entire seven season run of the show was a failure according to the folks who wrote it.
And maybe, as a writer and creator, I should remember that.
Like the hardest part of releasing creative works to the public is that often, after a while, I'll start to judge those things far more harshly than when I first made them. Or I'll compare it to the potential I thought an idea had in my head. And if I don't reach that potential, I'll think of it as "bad" -- when it might just be slightly different than that idea. I have one hundred percent published stories that I thought were just sort of okay and later had someone tell me how much it meant to them to read it.
*cough*I Hate November*cough*
So I should make sure I remember Conundrum. That one of my favorite things to rewatch is considered one of those failures by its creators. That the things I make might have value, just not in the way I originally thought they should.
It's just sort of how things work out.
Remember that on April 5th at 11AM Eastern/10AM Central you can join me for the Critical Thinking Witches' Collective's April Brew virtual event! Attendance is free, and you can register here!
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I don’t think it’s physically possible to get a (clear) picture of John Barrowman in a hotel lobby. My experience is that he’s surrounded by several concentric rings of handlers, security, and shrieking fans at all times.
Ew, Brew-Con is a nickle-and-diming for-profit con? I can’t stand those kind.
I can understand the no-hallways-photos rule. It can lead to massive backups and blockages and all. But I hate when cons charge you to take photos or get autographs from the guests.
Rhode Island Comiccon is partially there. If you want a photo taken with yourself at a celebrity’s booth, it’ll cost you. And you can’t take a picture of the main celebrities (who get a separate area on a podium!) BUT if you take a picture of a celebrity on the main floor, no one says anything. One celebrity (Vic Mignogna) actually had to have a handler at his table to make certain he charged since he liked posing and would do it for nothing.
Dessa as someone who works very hard at multiple conventions I feel that I can speak as to the charging for pics and autographs. In today’s world it is absolutely necessary as there is no way today to get a media guest without those monies involved.
Nobody stops me from John sexysexysexy Barrowman. NOBODY! *fangirl max level*
But yeah, I seen this rule. It’s very Wizard, isn’t it?
This rule has driven me bonkers for years. Unless you’re a celeb-level guest, and I’m talking HOLLYWOOD HERE, I don’t understand the need of you super-charging for pictures.
Weill wait, if you’re ridiculously popular and get swamped at every con if you don’t, I understand then. There’s such a thing as over working a guest and some cons do the charge-per-autograph with some guests due to their popularity, not necessarily as a overall rule.
Others do it to cover the guests fees. Some are super skeevy about it (hello current con in arch).