Eastercon 2012 had three win conditions, namely [1] put in a good showing at my own particular panels, [2] see at least some of the other panels [3] have a writer to writer (2) conversation with George R R Martin.

Arrived lunchish Friday in the company of Justina Robson, fellow Leeds-based writer, and was treated to sumptuous lunch by my agent at MacDonalds (3) where we discussed The Plan. He and his minion have both read the draft of War Master's Gate, and they are in favour, which is just as well. I didn't make the fight demonstration (fail on [2]) but did squeak into "Pushing the Boundaries of Genre" (Gillian Redfearn of Gollancz moderating Paul Cornell, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Sophia McDougall and Robert Reddick.) This was my first sight of Paul at the con, who was not only one of four guests of honour, but was also giving awards, nominated for awards, and filling in  as a volunteer setting up and taking down and generally being sufficiently indispensable that it was a wonder they didn't it COrNell and just have done.

Missed the "Archery on screen" (fail [2]) but did at least tick [1] by making the launch of Newcon Press' Dark Currents anthology, for which I contributed a story, and got to meet Ian Watson in the flesh, a writer whose own short fiction has had a big influence on me.  From that I got to the genre "Just a Minute" (Justina Robson, Tricia Sullivan, Jo Walton and Donna Scott, chaired by Paul Cornell (4)) which was just as good (5) as the SFX version, and is apparently now a regular feature of the con circuit.

There was a picture circulating on Facebook a while back of "people you see wandering about conventions" and it's quite true, hence, at some late hour, the man himself does wander on into the bar and I do get as far as buying him a drink before the awestruck fanboy social inadequate part of me ensures that I then fail to make any impression or say anything of any use, so that's the first (of several) fails on [3]. By that time, after hooking up with Sophia McDougall and David Anthony Durham (both of whom I met at previous conventions) and a host of others  — and FYI, the cliché is true, and late on in the bar is absolutely the place to hang around if you wish to meet an author, editor, agent or similar — I make the call to go to bed at around 1pm, because I've a panel first thing on Saturday.

I am reliably informed that, presumably about 5 minutes after I've headed off, George turns up and spends until the small hours generally passing the time with whoever remains in the bar at that point. So that's fail number 2.

To be continued…

(1) Bonus points for spotting the Jonathan Coulton title I'm shamelessly stealing.

(2) Or, let's be honest, writer to Writer.

(3) You see how we celebrities live?

(4) It's like a drinking game

(5) I think I entered some kind of contract with Sarah Pinborough and Joe Abercrombie about using other comparative terms.