Tag Archives: convention

JordanCon VI Panel Schedule

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I got my preliminary JordanCon schedule today! Looks to be a fabulous and fun lineup:

  • “Flawed Worlds in Fantasy” – Real societies have problems, so should the ones we create. But how do we address race, sex, and class when writing? With Delilah S. Dawson, Patrick Rothfuss, Jana Oliver, Balogun Ojetade, and Eugie Foster. Sat (4/12) 10AM.
  • “More Than Just Prose” – Our favorite books are more than just paragraphs strung together. From poetry to songs to hidden word play, what goes into doing it right? With Patrick Rothfuss, Eugie Foster, and Harriet McDougal. Sat (4/12) 11:30AM.
  • “How to Polish” – What tools, tips, and tricks are there to taking that first draft up to a final? With Eugie Foster, Idaliz Seymour, Paul Stevens, Toni Weisskopf, Deb Dixon, and Peter Ahlstrom. Sat (4/12) 2:30PM.
  • “Fairy Tale Hour” – A look at Fairy Tales in literature, TV, and film. With Jana Oliver, Eugie Foster, and Pat Rothfuss. Sun (4/13) 11:30AM.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this local literary convention is one of my very favorites. It’s amazingly well run, with awesome programming, and a great venue. This year, it’ll be on April 11 through 13. I hope to see folks there!

Dragon Con 2013 Panel Schedule

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Got my (tentative) Dragon Con guest schedule:

  • “High Concept” – There is fantasy and high fantasy. Is there high SF? Fri 8/30, 1PM, Embassy A-B (Hyatt).
  • “YA Short Fiction” – Often short stories fill the gaps in between novels, or offer new character insights. Here’s how YA authors craft these bite-sized tales. Fri 8/30, 5:30PM, A707 (Marriott).
  • “Folklore in Fantasy” – Some stories are timeless, pervading the folklore and mythology of every culture on Earth; fantasy literature is no exception. Sat 8/31, 5:30PM, Embassy C (Hyatt).
  • “The Future of Fantastic Fiction” Mon 9/2, 4PM, Embassy D-F (Hyatt).

Hope to see folks there!

Dragon*Con 2012 Panel Schedule

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Got my Dragon*Con panel schedule! In all the Daily Dragon pre-con hubbub, almost forgot the non-Daily Dragon stuff:

  • “Sex and Romance in SF” -The existence of sex/romance in SF in an overt fashion is relatively new. If there’s too much is it still sf? Too little? Fri 10PM, Greenbriar (Hyatt).
  • “Race in SF and Fantasy” – An examination of the way ethnicity is used in science fiction and fantasy literature. Sun 4PM, Fairlie (Hyatt).
  • “Short and Not So Sweet Stories” – Help for short story writers from the pros. Sun 7PM, Embassy D-F (Hyatt).
  • “Future of Speculative Fiction” – Pros discuss the future of fantasy, SF, paranormal, urban fantasy, and other genres. Mon 4PM, Embassy D-F (Hyatt).

Looking forward to seeing folks there!

Faerie Escape 2012 Schedule

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I’ll be a guest at Faerie Escape: Atlanta this weekend (June 15-17) for a “celebration of all things fae.” It’s a fun little convention with impressively eclectic programming, including panels on fairy tales, workshops on everything from costuming to building faerie houses, parties, and gaming.

Herein my panel schedule (download the complete schedule booklet.) :

  • “Fairy Tales, Myth and Psychology” – What is the deep attraction of fairy tales and what do they mean to us? (Subtitle: Grimm, Cambell and Jung Walk into a Bar…) With Andrew Greenberg (m), Honora Foah, Dea Mozingo, Ted Friedman, and Bill Bridges. Sat. (6/16) 10:30AM.
  • “Fae in All Their Guises” – The fae is just one term for these beings. What names, forms and meaning do they take around the world? With Honora Foah, IK the Troll, Eugie Foster, Dea Mozingo, and Bill Bridges. Sat. (6/16) 1:30PM.

Hope to see folks there!

OutlantaCon 2012, Yoga, and Balancing the Writing Life

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Had a great weekend at OutlantaCon. Got to be on panels with fabu folks like Kayelle Allen, Kiernan Kelly, Dennis Upkins, Kage Alan, Paul Bright, and Shae Connor—some of whom I’ve known for years and some I met for the first time. I’m bummed I wasn’t able to catch up with Lee Martindale, though. Somehow, the stars never aligned.

Did have something of a hectic, panicky morning on Saturday, though. Lying in bed at 9:20AM, idly scrolling through the OutlantaCon schedule app on my phone, I realized I’d somehow missed being added to a panel: “Social Networking.” That day. At 10AM.

I woke Matthew with a yelp and chaotic scrambling ensued. I did make it to my panel on time—with five minutes to spare, even—but, of course, had absolutely nothing prepared.

Then again, I actually did some prep for my “Job By Day, Writer By Night” panel on Sunday but promptly forgot to bring up one of my talking points, which is ironic as it was on the importance of making time to do the little things like eat and sleep and exercise while juggling the myriad hamsters of writing and the day job so as to be able to maintain focus and productivity. So, yeah, unfocused. But my fellow panelists, Shae and Dennis, had it covered.

Sorta been feeling blah for weeks now. All year, really. Between having the worst lupus flare-up I’ve had in ten years and the rigors of the legislative session, I’ve been utterly wiped, which has not done great things for my emotional equilibrium. But the session is well over, I started doing yoga again, and have a search party out hunting for my absconded motivation. Here’s hoping the rest of 2012 is better than its beginning.

OutlantaCon 2012 This Weekend – My Panel Schedule

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OutlantaCon 2012 is this weekend at the Holiday Inn Select-Perimeter, as in it starts today! OutlantaCon is always a fabulous time, full of great panels that are both entertaining and enlightening, and sometimes even bawdy. Hope to see folks there!

I’m slated to be on these panels:

  • “Teen Fiction” – A discussion about the major players in the field; attendees are encouraged to bring up their favorite teen series as well. With Kiernan Kelly and Dennis Upkins. Sat. (5/5) 6PM, Board Room.
  • “Job By Day, Writer By Night” – How do our author and filmmaker guests juggle creating fantasy worlds and gay romances at night with computer support, database design, and other mundane careers during the day? There’s got to be some funny stories there. With Shae Connor, Paul Bright, and Dennis Upkins. Sun. (5/6) Noon, Board Room.

JordanCon 4: Steampunk Bedtime Story, Schmoozing 101, and Puppets

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Had a fabulous time at JordanCon 4! And I continue to be impressed by how well organized and devoted the volunteers are at this convention.

Got to meet Emilie P. Bush, the author of Her Majesty’s Explorer: a Steampunk bedtime story (which is indeed a children’s steampunk tale; how cool is that?) and Paul Stevens, an editor for Tor, both of whom are awesome. Also got to catch up with Mary Robinette Kowal and Michael Livingston.

I met Mike at the first Launch Pad workshop in Laramie, WY, in 2007. Can’t believe it’s been so long since we last gabbed. I’m so pleased JordanCon had him as a guest this year, and I greatly enjoyed doing panels with him.

Mary was the guest of honor so was, unsurprisingly, booked up pretty solid. She also had a story deadline this weekend—which she made—and is getting ready to move to Chicago. Yet she still managed to find time to chat and party and conduct informative and entertaining panels. I am slack-jawed with awe and admiration. I particularly enjoyed her “Schmoozing 101” and “At The Intersection of Puppetry and Science Fiction” panels where she shared some fascinating tidbits of her writing process with puppets as both correlate and metaphor. She also regaled us with a tale of a Puppet Show Gone Terribly Wrong, which had the audience howling. I laughed so hard I had to wipe away tears, and I will never think of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale in quite the same way ever again.

JordanCon 4 Schedule

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JordanCon 4 is this weekend (April 20-22) in the Doubletree Hotel in Roswell, GA. I was way impressed by how well run this convention was run last year, and I’m thrilled to have been invited back.

Here’s what I’m scheduled for:

  • Book signing (with Emilie P. Bush). Fri 2:30-3:30PM, Barrington.
  • “Young Adult Literature” Harry Potter, Alcatraz, The Hunger Games, Twilight… why are full-grown adults reading this stuff? With Tiffany Franklin and Rachel Little. Fri 5:30-6:30PM, Goulding C.
  • “Keeping it Short” A discussion on the differences in writing short fiction and novels. With Michael Livingston. Sat 1-2PM, Goulding A.
  • “The Business” Our industry professionals talk about what goes on in the publishing world. With Emilie P. Bush, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Paul Stevens. Sun 10-11AM, Goulding A.
  • “Folklore and Fairytales” Incorporating myth and tradition into fiction. With Michael Livingston. Sun 1-2PM, Goulding A.

Hope to see folks there!

Another Addition to My Dance Card: JordanCon IV

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And continuing the trend of conventions getting a massive head start on 2012, got a note from Jennifer Liang inviting me to be a guest at JordanCon next year!

I couldn’t send my “Yes, absolutely!” reply fast enough. In addition to Mary Robinette Kowal—who is fabulous—being their Author Guest of Honor, the JordanCon folks really impressed me with their organization and professionalism. They run an awesome convention, and I’m thrilled to be returning.

On My Dance Card: Dragon*Con and Outlantacon 2012

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Is there something in the air that’s rousing convention committees to get a massive head start on 2012? First got a “we are excited to have you back as a Guest” email from Dragon*Con’s guest committee last week. And now got a note from the fabulous Edward DeGruy inviting me to reprise my guesthood at Outlantacon for 2012. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! Just boggling.

And, of course, I said “absolutely, you bet, yes with bells on” to both :).