Back in The Day, when I attended a great many more writers’ conventions than I do now, I developed somewhat of a reputation for being someone who could “fill-in” to moderate panels at the last minute. It’s a useful talent to have – not just for me, but for the convention promoters as well – as, in the hustle and bustle of a busy convention, scheduling conflicts are an omnipresent hazard and, even when no conflicts exist, people are people. 

They might simply forget that they’re due on a panel, or they might have gotten busy elsewhere. Air travel being what it is nowadays, a guest might arrive at the con late, or be forced to catch an earlier flight out. People oversleep and, let’s be honest, sometimes a hangover wins out against showing up for a 9 AM panel. 

The very first panel I ever moderated happened by accident. The scheduled moderator hadn’t shown up, and I happened to walk by the convention promoter who recognized me and pretty much conscripted me into subbing in. Later, during that same convention, the promoter got caught short again only, and again I was shanghaied into moderating. 

In both cases, I had only the most superficial knowledge of the panel’s subject matter, yet I made it work. Doubtless, I was helped by my training from when I was a child-actor, and by my experience as an attorney. Thanks to that, I have no fear of public speaking, and I’m used to asking questions to draw out the information I want. 

After that, I began attending panels – a lot of panels. I didn’t do it because I was particularly interested in the subject matter; I did it to observe the moderators. It quickly became very apparent to me that the vast majority of those moderators hadn’t a clue what they were doing. I saw awkward moderators, moderators who merely read from a list of prepared questions, moderators who treated the panel as an opportunity to display how funny or witty they were, moderators who completely lost control of their panelists, and moderators who barely let their panelists speak. I watched panels veer wildly off course from the intended subject, and I saw moderators who were too rigid to explore anything other than the precise topics they had planned to discuss. Some moderators constantly interrupted their panelists, while other panels were so heavily dominated by one of the panelists that the moderator was unable to slip in a word edgewise. One of the worst disasters I witnessed was when a member of the audience managed to “take over”, and the moderator simply gave up trying to re-take control. 

After that, I almost always made it a point to introduce myself to either the convention promoter(s), or to whoever was in charge of scheduling/facilitating the panels. I let them know that, if they got caught short, I would be happy to fill-in – not as a panelist, because practically every writer with a new book out wants to sit on a panel! -- but as a moderator. I made sure to give them my cell phone number, and if I planned to spend any significant time at a particular booth in the dealer’s room (if, for example, I would be sitting behind the table promoting a new book), I let them know which one. 

I think what the promoters may have appreciated the most was that I’d taken time before approaching them to find out if I had any conflicts myself with a particular panel. If so, I made sure to let them know that I could not sub-in during that time. Above all, I made it simple for them, and made it clear that I was offering my services to help out if they found themselves in a pinch, and not because I was seeking additional ways to promote myself. 

I don’t do many panels anymore, primarily because I rarely attend conventions nowadays. But many conventions now stream their panels, and I’ve watched quite a few. I’ve noticed that, where moderators are concerned, some of the same difficulties and issues continue to persist – even when everyone shows up to the panel who is supposed to be there. So, I thought it might be helpful to share a hint or two, and maybe even a little advice, that has served me fairly well over the years. 

1) Don’t over-schedule yourself. 

One author I knew – who shall remain nameless – heard what I was doing and decided it was a great way for her to “get on more panels.” She approached the coordinator with a three page, hour-by-hour schedule of her various panels, previous commitments, signings, and meetings, all highlighted in various colors, and offered to fill-in during her “free” time. Needless to say, the coordinator did not ask for her help. Angry and hurt, she later scoffed at the idea that her intricately highlighted calendar had been too complicated. 

On the other hand, I had deliberately refrained from trying to put myself on panels. If memory serves, the sole exception that year was a panel that I was particularly well-suited to, and to which I thought I could add a perspective that was different and unique from that of the other panelists. 

This is also, by the way, is a great guideline for choosing which panels you’ll agree to be on as a panelist. To my mind, it’s far more productive to limit yourself to panels where you have something new and interesting to say. You want to be the person who sticks in the audience’s memory rather than being “that guy” who shows up on virtually every panel but who never really contributes anything worthwhile or, worse, says the same things over and over again whether they’re relevant to the panel or not. 

Trust me, when it comes time to buy books, it’s your name that they’ll remember, not the name of the ubiquitous panelist who has bored them to tears time and time again. 

2) Do some research – when you can.

Obviously, when you’re asked to moderate a panel with only ten minutes advance notice, there’s not a hell of a lot you can do to prepare. But, at the very least, you can delay the start of the panel by two or three minutes– which is more than enough time to speak to each of your panelists, get the proper pronunciation of their names (Yes, that’s a big one!), and to elicit a fact or two of who they are, what they’ve done, and most importantly, why they’re appearing on this particular panel. 

If pinch-hit moderating is something that really interests you, I think that good preparation involves checking out the various panels and panelists beforehand – to the extent that you can. Many conventions post the names of the panelists online prior to the convention, and almost all of them will include the panelists’ names in the program booklet that every guest receives when they pick up their badges and Goody Bags. My advice is to take fifteen minutes doing a quick google or Wikipedia search on each panelist. The intent is not to learn everything about every one of them. It’s more of a quick review, rather like skimming the author biographies at the back of an anthology. Even if you absorb very little of the information, if you are called upon to moderate, some little tidbits may stick in your mind – and any pre-existing familiarity with the panelists on your panel is a very good thing!

Of course, if you’re already scheduled to moderate a panel, you should do far more research in advance, up to and including sending emails to your panelists, if appropriate, if you need more information. I was once asked – a week in advance, thank God! – to moderate a penal on motion picture background art at a fan convention. All three panelists were digital artists, no less – a nightmare for someone like me who can barely use a computer to type on! 

I got through it by doing research. I discovered that all three had worked on a the same fairly high-profile film when they were just starting out. Several times, I was able to use their shared experience as a “hook” to get the panelists talking to each other and keeping things entertaining for the audience. 

3) Embrace Spontaneity.

There is nothing more stultifying than a moderator who passes out a questions to the panelists as they arrive or, worse, reads from a list during the panel itself. We’ve all attended those kinds of panels. The questions, by definition, almost have to be overly broad so that all the panelists can answer them, leading to a discussion that if often so general that it invites boredom. I’ve noticed that the moderators who use predetermined questions also tend to “go down the row”, from panelist to panelist, asking each of them the same question in order. Unless the panelists themselves are fairly personable, interesting to listen to, and at least somewhat witty, the panel is likely to be unmemorable at best, and boring-to-tears at worst. 

I find that the best panels contain more than a little spontaneity. You want your panelists to talk – and not merely to answer bland questions in turn. Spontaneity, of course, can complicate the moderator’s job – especially when you have a panel of people who all have big personalities. Nevertheless, the most interesting and most memorable panel discussions tend to arise unexpectedly and you want to encourage that. Which brings me to-- 

4) Stay on topic. But don’t be limited by it.

Remember that the audience has decided to attend your panel for one of two reasons – either they’re fans of one or more of the panelists, or they’re interested in the topic. Since there’s almost nothing you can do about choosing your panelists, you need to focus on that second aspect – the topic. Your job as moderator is to make sure – within reason, of course – that the discussion doesn’t stray too far away from the topic. That said, you never know when something will trigger a panelists memory of an hysterically funny story that, while it might not be completely relevant, it’s close enough – and it’s a gem. 

You need to be flexible enough as a moderator to go with the flow when unexpected things like that happen. But you also need to be able to “bring it back” if one of your panelists who thinks they’re a raconteur extraordinaire is droning on endlessly about that time he got a paper cut while reading a Stephen King novel. 

5) Make an effort to include all your panelists. 

This is one of your most important tasks as the moderator and, in may ways, it can be the hardest. Some panelists will instinctively hog the floor. They’ll speak at great length when it’s their turn, and they may also interrupt the others when they have something to say. Sometimes, it happens because the panelist is simply obnoxious or egoistic and, when that’s the case, the danger is that the panel will turn into a figurative wrestling match between the panelist and the moderator. Short of responding in kind, there’s often not a lot you can do in that situation except allow the offending panelist to make an ass of themselves. 

Luckily, most of the time the panelist is simply over-enthusiastic. With a little skill and some “handling”, a good moderator can overcome that. Often, you need only to interject, “Do you know, I’ve never thought of it that way?” or “That’s absolutely fascinating” and then, quickly, ask a different panelist “Jill, what do you think about that?” Even if the original speaker persists in barreling on, you can often interrupt (while making sure to keep things light and humorous) “Oh, hush, Jack. We want to hear what Jill has to say!” 

Generally, that will get a laugh from the audience, and Jack will get the point. But, above all – be careful of your tone! You don’t want to risk offending Jack, and you don’t want to come across as a bully in front of your audience. Personally, I find the best way to do this is by hyperbole – I can make a Big Production out of an interruption, and make it come across as very funny. Try that only if you know you can carry it off; otherwise, a courteous but firm interruption will usually do the trick. 

Other panelists may sit back and say nothing. Then, it’s your job as the moderator to draw them out. Usually a direct question is sufficient, but you need to be wary of the panelist who consistently gives only a one or two word answer. If you suspect that’s going to be the case, make sure to have a follow-up question– or even several -- ready in reserve. Knowing something about your panelists can really help with someone who reluctant to speak. Often, you can open up a shy panelist by referencing something familiar from their background that they’re likely to be comfortable talking about. 

6) Listen!!!!!

As a moderator, you must show a legitimate interest in what your panelists have to say. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve watched a moderator completely ignore what a panelist is saying because they’ve already mentally moved on to the next question they intend to ask. The danger of this is twofold. First, all but the most oblivious panelists will sense your disinterest. Some will resent it, others may simply clam up. Neither reaction is particularly useful to the ebb and flow of conversation. 

Second, inattention may cause you to fail to follow up on a hidden gem. I once saw a moderator completely gloss over a panelist’s off-hand comment that they had grown up with one of the stars of the film that was being discussed. All the moderator had to do was to enthusiastically say, “Wait a second – tell us more about that” and the audience of fans would have eaten it up. Instead, the moderator simply moved on to the next question and the opportunity for a marvelous detour down a path that no one had anticipated was lost. 

7) Keep control. 

Keeping control of your panel is vital. The trick is not to turn into a dictator while you’re doing it. You need to be able to gently lead everyone back onto the topic, and to distract panelists who may go off on tangents, all while balancing the various personalities involved.

Many people believe they have the skills to do all that – but they don’t. Be brutally honest with yourself, and if you have any doubt about your ability, do not moderate! If you’re wrong, you’ll end up looking like that awkward guy who thinks he’s a “people person”, yet no one wants to talk to him at parties.

Nor is it just your panelists over whom you need to exercise control. I’ve seen audience members get out of line as. It might be something as simple as a long and rambling question posed during the Q&A portion of a panel, that really is nothing more than the audience member expressing an opinion, making a point, or gushing over a panelist they particularly admire. When that happens, you need to find a way to either bring them to the point (a difficult task at the best of times), or to cut them off without bullying or being rude. I find the best way is to very nicely say something like, “I need to interrupt you for a second because I think you’ve raised an interesting point. Joe Panelist, do you have any thoughts on that?” 

Once the panelist is finished responding, though, you have to be quick on the draw or the audience member may pick up right where they’ve left off. I think that a simple, “Does anyone else have a question?” is usually enough to keep that from happening. 

Remember that audience member I mentioned earlier? The one who took over the panel and the moderator gave it? It happened at a panel I was participating in. The subject dealt with how novels are adapted into screenplays, and it was supposed to be a craft-based discussion. Unfortunately, one audience member – who had never been in the US before, and who had never worked in the film industry – felt it necessary to interrupt the panel discussion multiple times in order to lecture everyone about “The Awful Things They Do to Writers in Hollywood.”

Every time the moderator managed to get the discussion back on track, the same woman from the audience interrupted and started in again. It got so bad that other members of the audience began walking out. After about thirty minutes of a ninety-minute panel had gone by, it was clear that the moderator had completely lost control. One of the other panelists finally took charge and, very nicely, said to the audience member, “I’ve written eight produced screenplays. I’m sorry but – how many did you say you’d written?” Thankfully, that shut her down. 

8) It’s not about YOU!

I cannot emphasize this enough. As a moderator, your job is to induce the panelists to speak. It’s not an excuse for you to speak. That doesn’t mean that, if you have something relevant to add to the discussion, you should stay silent. But, if you find that you are entering into the discussion, as opposed to merely guiding it, you have failed as a moderator. Similarly, if you find that you are providing information instead of asking question of your panelists, you have also failed.
In short, if you are “taking center stage” or stealing focus from your panelists in any way, you are not doing your job. 

Even in situations where you may have a shared experience with one of the panelists that is relevant to the discussion, you must try to avoid relating it yourself. Ask the panelist about it, instead, and allow them to tell the story. If you absolutely must, you can nod knowingly throughout -- but do not interrupt to add anything unless the panelist asks you to. 

This is, by far, the toughest rule for me, personally, to follow. As a natural story teller and, to be brutally honest, as someone who loves the limelight, it takes a great deal of effort for me to simply shut up when I’m moderating a panel. I must continually remind myself that the audience is there to see the panelists, and not me. But, it’s not easy – especially when I feel that I have a particularly juicy insight or an hilariously funny story to contribute.

Of course, when you are on the panel, and the audience has shown up, in part, to hear you speak, that’s a different story. When that happens, you just have to hope that your moderator knows how to do their job properly!