Appointment with a Story: Special Edition Interview with Julia Rios
Hi Friends! Today I’m delighted to bring you a special edition of Appointment with a Story, featuring an interview with writing industry professional and frequent convention panelist/moderator Julia Rios.
Since I started this newsletter I’ve wanted to bring in interviews with writers on different aspects of the writing life. There are so many different ways to succeed, and none of us can do them all.
I’m so happy to have Julia on for this first interview, because they were one of the first people I met in my 20’s who was committed to building a writing community and creating projects they believed in. Over the years, I’ve watched Julia travel the world representing projects that win prestigious awards and, more importantly, that make the SFF community a more inclusive, more exciting, and better edited place.
Put another way:
Julia Rios is a queer, Latinx writer, editor, podcaster, and narrator whose fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, Lightspeed, and Goblin Fruit, among other places. Their editing work has won multiple awards including the Hugo Award. Julia is a co-host of This is Why We’re Like This, a podcast about the movies we watch in childhood that shape our lives, for better or for worse. They’re also one of several cohosts for The Skiffy and Fanty Show, a general SF discussion podcast, and they’ve narrated stories for Escape Pod, Podcastle, Pseudopod, and Cast of Wonders. They’re @omgjulia on Twitter.
I hope you enjoy this interview and that you’ll follow Julia on twitter and substack. Paid subscribers to my newsletter (Appointment with a Story) can also look forward to a special “Ten Tips for Moderating Panels” newsletter from Julia in the next week!
And now, here’s my interview with Julia Rios:
Q. How long have you been moderating panels and what was your first one?
A. The first time I moderated a panel was in 2011, I think. I’m not actually sure, but I think it was a panel about doing historical research for fiction writing. I had a couple of years of experience volunteering at conventions in different roles by then, and I also hosted a podcast where I interviewed people and did virtual panel type discussions, so the moderator role was a pretty easy transition.Q. How is being on a panel different from moderating one?
A. Being on a panel is different because your job as a panelist is just to talk about the topic. You might present your own work, or talk about your opinions, but it isn’t your job to guide the discussion. The moderator’s job is to keep track of the whole discussion and make sure that all the panelists get time to speak, and that the audience is engaged and that the topics in the panel description are covered. I’m always happy to moderate because I really enjoy hearing what others have to say. I think everyone has interesting points of view and stories to tell, so finding the right questions to open up interesting veins of conversation is really rewarding for me.Q. How did you become a moderator? Do you just have to know the right people, or apply somewhere, or what?
A. I don’t think it has to do with knowing the right people! A lot of the time on a programming survey there will be a section asking if you are willing to moderate. I usually say yes. If there isn’t a section like that, you can usually leave a note somewhere else, or email the programming coordinator directly. You can also stop by program operations at a convention and offer to be a substitute panelist or moderator if they need one at the last minute. Sometimes I’ve arrived at a panel to discover no moderator has been assigned, and in that case, I’ll offer to moderate unless one of the other panelists really wants to.Q. Does moderating panels (and/or being on them) open up other opportunities at conventions and conferences?
A. It’s one avenue of potential opportunity, yes. I got to edit Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy because my co-editor and publisher, Alisa Krasnostein heard a recording of a panel I was on and decided she wanted to work with me. But that’s one panel out of so many that I have lost count. Usually I don’t get specific opportunities like that, but being on panels does give me a way to talk to and become friendly with other people in the field in general, which can lead to opportunities. Other people get the same effect just by having a great lunch conversation with people or making a popular tweet, though, so it’s definitely not the only way, or a guaranteed way.Q. Moderating seems like it takes a lot of energy. Are you naturally an extroverted person? How much time does it take to prepare, including researching, writing questions/topics, or other things you do?
A. I’m more of an introvert, actually. I love people, but social interactions take a lot of my energy. I usually psych myself up before a convention starts, preparing to be on for the duration. After I get home, I usually take a week or so to be alone and recharge. Some people I know get pumped up from being at big events like that. They write in convention hotel lobbies, even! I can’t do that. It seems like some kind of sorcery is at work for the people who can focus in the middle of all that.
As for how much time it takes, that varies. It depends on how well I know the topic or the other participants. Sometimes it doesn’t take much time (except for all the time I’ve already invested over the course of many years in learning about my work), and other times it takes a lot of time. I was on a panel a while ago about an author I’d really enjoyed as a kid, and that one took a lot of research because I hadn’t read any of the books since I was small, and I certainly hadn’t learned about the author’s life and work in the larger context of the evolution of children’s literature.
Q. Are there particular goals you have as a moderator (for example – make sure everyone on the panel has an equal chance to speak, or call on commonly ignored audience members, etc.)? What do you wish more moderators would do? What do you wish more panelists or audience members would do?
A. Yes, my goals are always to make sure that all the panelists get time to speak, that all the topics in the panel description get covered, and that everyone is interested in the conversation. Sometimes I will poll audience members about why they’ve come so that the panel’s discussion can more accurately reflect that. As for calling on audience members, I usually try to get a sampling of people from different parts of the room (not just the front rows), and I also try to repeat the question into a microphone so that everyone can hear it because often an audience member’s question will not be audible to everyone.
One wish for panelists: please never say, “I don’t know why I’m on this panel.” That’s so disrespectful of everyone else in the room. I know sometimes people say that because they may be feeling impostor syndrome, but honestly, if you agree to be on a panel, then that’s why you’re there, and the least you can do is try to say something vaguely related to the topic.
One wish for audience members: please ask questions if you have them, but also, please don’t give us a lecture unless you’ve been specifically invited. Sometimes audience members seem to feel like they should be on the panel rather than in the audience. You may be qualified to discuss the subject, but if you aren’t on the panel, please save that discussion for another time.Q. In addition to all your other roles, I know this week you’re becoming a podcast host. First, can you tell us a little about “This is Why We’re Like This” the pod? How did it come about?
A. Yes! This is not my first experience with podcasting, but this is a new podcast and a really fun one!
My friend Geoffrey Pelton and I are both involved in the local comedy scene (he’s mostly in improv, and I am mostly in standup), and we decided to start this together after we had a discussion with some other friends about some of the really bizarre movies and shows we saw as children. There are so many things made for children that are really weird when you stop to think about them, and yet that’s what we grew up on! So in This Is Why We’re Like This, Geoffrey and I (and our guests) watch movies or episodes of TV shows that made a lasting impression on one of us as a kid, and then we talk about how well it holds up, the most dated moments, what lessons it teaches (intentionally or unintentionally), and most importantly, whether we would show it to a child.
Geoffrey and I are both involved in the local comedy scene, so our guests are a mix of comedians, authors, and some of our friends and family.
Q. How does hosting a podcast compare to moderating a panel?
A. They have some similarities because a podcast host is also trying to make sure the topic is covered and that people get a chance to speak. It’s different, though, depending on the podcast format. In a podcast like This Is Why We’re Like This, for instance, the hosts are also part of the main discussion. We’re involved in giving our opinions and reactions. That’s different from an interview show (like Fresh Air on NPR) or a panel style show (like the BBC’s In Our Time). But for this podcast, our guests are like the panelists on a panel in that all they have to do is watch the movie and be ready to talk about it. They don’t have to worry about the structure of the episodes. Geoffrey and I divide the work of guiding the conversation.
Q. What’s the link to your podcast? Where else can readers find you (either in person or online)?
A. You can find us on Twitter at @thisiswhy_pod and on Substack at https://thisiswhywerelikethis.substack.com/p/coming-soon
If you sign up for our newsletter you can get our show notes directly in your inbox!
I’ve also got my own personal Substack newsletter at https://omgjulia.substack.com/ where I talk about different aspects of creative lives and processes. That’s the best place to find out where you can see me in person because I generally update that newsletter with my public appearances. Personally, I am also on Twitter as @omgjulia.
Thanks to Julia Rios for taking the time to answer my questions!
Want to know more about moderating panels? Upgrade to a paid subscription to Appointment with a Story now (and get your first month free!) to be sure you receive Julia’s list of “Ten Tips for Moderating Panels” in your email later this week.