Nervous about con programming

[redbird]

I just said, to brisingamen, "I look forward to seeing you at Wiscon, even if I'm not sure what I'll be doing there or why I agreed to be on programming. (This happens to me betimes; with any luck I'll get over it in time to actually think about said programming.)"

In particular, sometimes there's programming I'm sure I know enough to be on, like the Earthsea panel a few years ago; sometimes there's programming I'm obvious for for other reasons, like our Tiptree jury discussing what we'd done; and sometimes I cheerfully say "sure, I can do this" and then wonder what on Earth I'm going to say, and why they picked me. (Once in a while I walk into a program item and find myself drafted. That's worked well, so far, and it doesn't leave me time to be nervous beforehand: it's someone saying "This is Vicki Rosenzweig, your fellow panelist" to a woman I don't know when I expect to sit and listen in Hall 4 [1] or tnh demanding to know what I'm doing in the back of the room when I should be up on the panel with her and three other people, and me not saying "I wanted to be able to slip out unobtrusively if the panel wasn't working for me."

I haven't yet looked at the list of things kalmn is looking to fill; all else aside, I'm taking adrian_turtle to what is effectively her first Wiscon (she did one day of one quite a while back, while looking at grad schools and not feeling well) and don't want to overbook myself in other directions.

[1] Yes, Intersection, with the horrid acoustics, and me completely dried out by the end and gratefully claiming my drink entitlement as a panelist after the fact, and downing a glass of pineapple juice fast.

Comments

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Based on what you've told me, I'm confident you'll do fine. *hug* And you don't need to worry about showing me around the con as a constraint on your limited time. I am really looking forward to being there with you, and to having you introduce me to your friends, but I can look after myself alone at a con much better than I could 16 years ago (or you can point me to another native guide if you're going to be busy for a while.)

The question appears moot

[redbird]

It transpires that the set of panels looking for panelists and the set of panels I'm interested in have no overlap: apparently the things that I want to attend appeal to enough other Wiscon people that they're all set.