On Saturday February 18 there is a Science Fiction and Fantasy symposium at BYU. Howard has been invited as a guest for that day and the two days preceeding. The important thing about Saturday is that at 3 pm Howard and I will have our first chance to give a joint panel. I’m excited about this. I got to be part of a panel at Fandemonium a couple of years ago and it was really fun. I can’t imagine who better to share a panel with than Howard. So over the next week I need to be doing brainstorming over possible topics to discuss. I don’t think we can run out in just an hour. Especially not if we manage to foster a discussion rather than a lecture.
Possible topics:
running a home business
why we quit a high paying job to do cartooning
how we manage a home business with kids underfoot
the creative process for Schlock Mercenary
frugality as a way of life
making ends meet
what makes our marriage work
how we met
division of labor in our family
our 5 and 10 year plans for the future
why we blog
Those are just off the top of my head. Any suggestions for other topics? If you were in that panel with Howard and I, what would you want to hear about?
The quitting the high paying job thingy has always boggled me. I mean, sure, I read about Howard’s happiness and spending time with the family and I think it is clear you both have grown through this and whatnot but …
I dunno. It seems like a middle setting could have been found.
Of course, I always think that, and I always look for that.
And as much as I’d like to be there, it won’t happen. 6 hours just to see y’all is a little silly yet.
I think the running a home business, tips on money saving and 5-10 year plans would be the most interesting to me, and they’d be topics that both you and Howard would be able to contribute to. I think some info about your marriage and dealing with a business while having kids at home will just naturally come up as you discuss things.
Good luck! I wish I could be there 🙂
Quitting the high paying job is a matter of goals. Ever since Howard and I first knew that we wanted to build a life together, we also knew that we wanted Howard to be able to support our family with creative work. At first we thought that work would be in music, but it has ended up in cartooning. Our goal was never to make lots of money so that we can buy stuff. (We like buying stuff, but it isn’t what is most important to us.)
For us money is a tool by which we can achieve our true goals not an end unto itself. We quit the high paying job when it began interfering with our goals rather than assisting us in achieving them. It was definitely a leap of faith, but one I’m glad we made.
For every topic I’ve listed both Howard and I have a significant contribution to make. The topics you mentioned are highly likely to be covered. I’ll do a write up after the panel is over.
I wanna hear it all. Good thing I was already planning to be there. Now if I could only figure out how to get my wife there too . . . there is that little matter of the children . . . hmmmm.
Yeah I’m scrounging for babysitting as well. I may have to bite the bullet and hire a babysitter.
It’s good to know at least one person is planning to come. I’m not afraid of doing the panel. I’m pretty sure Howard and I can pull it off well, but it would be discouraging if no one showed up. The description in the LTUE panel schedule is less than compelling.
That seems like such a wonderful way to live. I always have admired the “starving artist” mentality.
And maybe that could be an extension of the “Quitting a High-Paying Job” theme – “How To Be A Starving Artist Without Actually Starving.”
Can I just scream now?
Let’s see, there are all of about four sessions at LTUE I really wanted to be at, and, oh yeah, yours and another one are AT THE SAME TIME! Arrrgh!
Why do we have hours of mildly interesting, but mostly filler stuff and then bang, just like the networks, stuff I want to see scheduled simultaneously. I suppose I will have to see if they let me video the other session because I’m giving you the moral support, but arrrrrrrrgh!
Re: Can I just scream now?
Sorry about the double booking. The only input I got into when the panel was scheduled was to tell them it had to be sometime on Saturday. I will not be hurt if you decide you really need to see the writing for Young Adults instead since that’s what you want to do.
Re: Can I just scream now?
Thanks, but I’m coming to your session. I figure that yours will most likely be a small intimate session, and I’ve heard the YA sessions before (though I’m going to see if they’ll let me tape it).
All of the above would be quite interesting, so whatever you have time for eees gooot. I wish I could be there, but alas, Texas is a bit of a drive from there. I look forward to the write-up afterwards, though!