A few months ago, I received an unexpected honor. Publicist KP Simmon and writer Kallie Ross had nominated me to participate on a panel they would be moderating at the 3rd annual UtopYA Con. Though the convention is themed around supernatural Young Adult and New Adult literature, it’s actually open to all kinds of readers and writers, and my panel was not genre-specific. Through my participation with We Heart YA and #NALitChat, I had been tapped to speak about trends in the YA and NA categories. My fellow panelists were Chelsea Cameron and Rysa Walker.
Nashville is only a 4-hour drive from where I live, so two Fridays ago, I headed down the interstate, singing along to the radio and watching the beautiful Kentucky farmlands and Tennessee forests pass me by. I actually thought I would be arriving too late to see one of the panels that I was most interested in, but it turns out I had forgotten about the time zone change. Lucky me, I made it just in time!
Nashville, I am in you! And ready for the #UtopYA2014 panel "Fictionalizing World Causes & Teen Issues." pic.twitter.com/Qd2n44TREJ
— Kristan Hoffman (@kristanhoffman) June 20, 2014
The first day took more out of me, emotionally, than I had anticipated. It was a combination of that high I always get around people who are passionate about stories, and the overwhelmingness of so many new faces. I usually enjoy traveling alone, but in this case, it felt like everyone already knew each other — from previous conventions, or at least from social media — and I was the awkward new kid trying to figure out how/when to jump in.
Fortunately, Magan Vernon recognized me from Twitter and said hello, and her warm, welcoming nature encouraged me to be more outgoing on the second day. For several hours, I set up shop between Tammy Blackwell and Keary Taylor, and the three of us had a nice time chatting while we sold our books. (Or in my case, gave away download keys for Twenty-Somewhere.)
My panel was one of the last of the convention, and I think it went really well. Kallie did a fabulous job moderating, and KP, Chelsea, and Rysa had so many smart things to say. The audience asked great questions, and one woman even came up to speak with me afterward.
Panel time! Yay + yikes. #UtopYA2014 pic.twitter.com/ZuwlfchnJm
— Kristan Hoffman (@kristanhoffman) June 21, 2014
I had been live-tweeting throughout the weekend, sharing the best tips and observations, but sadly I couldn’t do that for my own panel. The next day, I noticed that a couple people had quoted me — yay! — so I’ve included those below as well.
My highlights from UtopYA Con 2014:
NY publishers are sometimes wary of "issue" books, but readers are clamoring for them. – @aammyyss #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
"The best thing is when people email me to say, 'I went through something like this, and your book helped me.'" – @MaganVernon #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
"I like characters who are gay, but they're not The Gay Character. There's more to them than that one trait." – audience member #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
"Stay true to the character, & stay true to the people who love that character." – @aammyyss on not hiding what a book is about #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
Sometimes books have a niche audience — but that makes for more passionate fans! Advice: Find your market. #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
All the panelists agree that publishing traditionally & indie are equally hard, just in different ways. #UtopYA2014 #hybridauthor
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
"I'm in love with my agent…It's kind of like having your own superhero." – @ChelseaFine, repped by @sztownsend81 #UtopYA2014 #hybridauthor
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 20, 2014
Great view of Nashville from the Crown Ballroom at #UtopYA2014. pic.twitter.com/TccP6V7NqM
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
Top drivers of traffic for #YAlit community: FB, Tumblr, Twitter. And each has their own language that you have to learn/speak. #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
From Gennifer Albin’s keynote on Saturday morning:
Writing was about "finding a way back to me." – @GenniferAlbin #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
"I create worlds and people. I can choose to share that with whomever I want." – @GenniferAlbin on #writing #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
"Hope does ask a lot of you, and it's easier not to answer. But hope is always the smartest investment." – @GenniferAlbin #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
"Everyone will survive wrinkled laundry and dusty baseboards." – @GenniferAlbin on feeling guilty about taking time to write #UtopYA2014
— We Heart YA (@weheartya) June 21, 2014
From my panel:
New Adult upcoming trends at #UtopYA2014: diversity, genre mashups, foreign settings, friendships & present parents will be hot next.
— Avery Oslo (@AveryOslo) June 21, 2014
New Adult protags are future oriented, Young Adult chars live more in the present. #UtopYA2014
— Avery Oslo (@AveryOslo) June 21, 2014
Don't be afraid to write something that isn't trendy. #YANAtrends #UtopYA2014
— Maria Pease (@PaisleyReader) June 21, 2014
Overall, the convention was a really good experience for me, and I’m so glad that I was invited to participate. From what I saw, the organizers did a great job — it’s no surprise UtopYA has been basically doubling in size from year to year.
I feel like I learned and grew quite a bit over the short weekend. And if nothing else, I got a big laugh out of what happens when 99% of your convention attendees are women:
7 responses to “My #UtopYA2014 experience”
Sounds like a great weekend!
“I like characters who are gay, but they’re not The Gay Character.” One of my pet peeves. It makes me think of the stock “gay best friend” character in movies — the one who’s there to give advice to the lead but who won’t have much of a separate life. I often have characters where it’s not obvious at once that they’re gay — because they have a lot of other aspects and characteristics.
Oh, and yes, write something that isn’t trendy. For one thing, it’ll be better, and for another, that’s how all the trends started in the first place. :-)
Anthony-
“that’s how all the trends started in the first place” — So true!
UtopYA2014 sounds like a great experience and you sound very happy. Living the writer’s life, for sure. I’m envious.
Oh, I LOVE that quote about hope. It’s so very true.
The whole convention sounds wonderful. Initial loneliness aside, it must have been such an invigorating and exciting experience to be with so many fellow writers and readers, and especially to take part in the panel. And Nashville? Extra bonus points for that! Glad you had a great time!
Shari-
Lol, you’re quite in love with the city, aren’t you?
That sounds like fun. Congrats. Is this your first time on a panel?
Yes, it was! I thought I’d mentioned that, but I guess not, haha.