I’ll be signing books all weekend. Here’s my full panel schedule with descriptions:

FEMINISM FOR NERDS

3:00PM - 4:00PM // Floor 1, Rm. 3

If the future is Feminist, is your writing? Maybe you have questions you’re afraid to ask. Or, maybe you have first-person advice you’d like to give. If you’ve ever wondered if your female character should pull her hair back before she battles a vampire (emphatically yes, and she should always have an elastic on her wrist), then this is the panel for you. Always wanted to tell the male writers how a woman really showers? Then join us! SciFi, Fantasy, Gamer, and Graphic Novel writers (or anyone, really, we like you all) let’s have a courageous conversation about what it means to have gender equity in our art.

A HERO, AN ANTI-HERO, AND A VILLAIN WALK INTO A BAR…

10:00AM - 11:00AM // Floor 1, Rm. 5

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes, and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.

YOU DON’T SUCK, YOU’RE JUST STUCK – THE GIFT OF WRITER’S BLOCK

12:00PM - 1:00PM // Floor 1, Rm. 3

Every writer has faced it - the dreaded blinking cursor and blank page. When the deadline looms but the ideas won’t flow and you’ve lost the plot, what’s a writer to do? Join a panel of experienced authors as they share their tips and tricks for writing their way out of creative paralysis.

WORLD BUILDING 101

1:30PM - 2:30PM // Floor 1, Rm. 5

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you.