My Schedule At Orgins
So, if you are going to be in Columbus, OH May 30-June 2, stop by Orgins, one of North America's largest game shows sponsored by GAMA.
There is a writers/authors track of seminars for the weekend and an area of the convention where you can sit and chat with the authors.
Below is the listing of my schedule:
Thursday, 5 PM: Surviving The Slushpile
Jean Rabe has edited more magazine issues than she cares to count, as well as a couple dozen anthologies. She’ll discuss what it takes to survive the slushpile, to rise to the top of the slushpile, and how to improve your odds of making a sale.
Friday, 10 AM: Tradition!
There’s still room on the bookstore shelves for traditional high fantasy. Dragons and elves and dwarves, oh my! Join our panel of writers in a discussion of the elements of traditional high fantasy and learn about the markets available.
Friday, 11 AM: Building Your World
Creating a fantasy world from scratch for your characters to adventure across can take an inordinate amount of time . . . and can keep you from actually writing. Our panelists discuss how and where to cut corners, what aspects to focus on, and offer suggestions on world-building.
Friday, 4 PM: Write What You Don’t Know
We remember English teachers lecturing: “Write what you know.” Well, we think you ought to write what you don’t know. How else can you write about space travel and alternate history and fire-breathing dragons and vampire detectives? We’ll discuss how a little research and common sense can give you just enough background to really write what you don’t know.
Saturday, 10 AM: Pushing the YA Envelope
YA fiction is edgy . . . drugs, teen pregnancies, tons of angst, and more. Are there limits to what you can put in your YA novel? Is there a line you shouldn’t cross if you want to make a sale? Our panelists discuss elements of YA fiction versus “adult” fiction and offer market suggestions for shopping your manuscript.
Saturday, 11 AM: Practice Makes Perfect
How can you tell if you’re getting better as a writer? How can you judge your progress? And what does it take to get to that next level of expertise? We’ll talk about benchmarks, writer’s groups, and how to analyze your fiction. You have to grow as a writer to compete in the marketplace; we’ll teach you how to measure your skills and to improve them.
Saturday, 12 AM: Setting Your Stage
The landscape for your fiction has a personality. It’s a compelling stage for your characters to dance on. It doesn’t matter whether you pepper it with ruins, castles, caves, or soaring cities, you have to choose what details to put in and what to leave out. Our panelists, expert world-builders all, discuss the elements of crafting vibrant settings.
Saturday, 2 PM: Writing as a Juggling Act:
So you’ve got a full-time job. How do you manage that and find time to write. All of our panelists have full-time careers outside of writing, and yet have managed to pen multiple books and dozens of short stories. It really isn’t all that difficult . . . if you juggle properly. We’ll teach you how to master the art of juggling.
Saturday, 3 PM: Self-Publishing and Small Presses:
There are alternatives to the big New York houses. In fact, some writers are finding wild success by publishing their own manuscripts or taking them to the small press. We’ll look at the options out there and examine the pros and cons. Our panelists have been published by major houses, small press markets, and have listed stories on their own electronically.
Saturday, 4 PM: Nuts and Electronic Bolts:
We can’t seem to get enough of this e-publishing topic. Actually, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer you lots of information about the e-volution of publishing. In this seminar we’ll talk about the various markets for electronic fiction . . . magazines, anthologies, book markets, as well as how to format your submissions and how to look for places to sell to.
Saturday, 7:30 PM: Reading, R.T. Kaelin: His books are massive—books that you can use as a doorstop when you’re done reading them. But he guarantees you to only read a half-hour’s worth. Come hear why R.T. gets rave reviews.
Sunday, 10 AM: Not Your Tolkien Elves:
Author Jean Rabe fills her novels with elves, dwarves, goblins, and the like. They’re complex characters that go far beyond the race Tolkien dreamt up. She’ll discuss how to look at fantasy races from different points of view, how not to rehash what’s already printed, and how you can make elves . . . or dwarves, gnomes, or whatnot for that matter . . . fresh and engrossing.
Sunday, 11 AM: Forging an Online Presence:
Do you need a website? Should you Twitter? What about Facebook and other social media? Yes, an online presence is helpful—if not necessary—for authors. We’ll discuss the options available so you can pick and choose how to maintain an online presence and when you should draw the line so you still have time to write.
There is a writers/authors track of seminars for the weekend and an area of the convention where you can sit and chat with the authors.
Below is the listing of my schedule:
Thursday, 5 PM: Surviving The Slushpile
Jean Rabe has edited more magazine issues than she cares to count, as well as a couple dozen anthologies. She’ll discuss what it takes to survive the slushpile, to rise to the top of the slushpile, and how to improve your odds of making a sale.
Friday, 10 AM: Tradition!
There’s still room on the bookstore shelves for traditional high fantasy. Dragons and elves and dwarves, oh my! Join our panel of writers in a discussion of the elements of traditional high fantasy and learn about the markets available.
Friday, 11 AM: Building Your World
Creating a fantasy world from scratch for your characters to adventure across can take an inordinate amount of time . . . and can keep you from actually writing. Our panelists discuss how and where to cut corners, what aspects to focus on, and offer suggestions on world-building.
Friday, 4 PM: Write What You Don’t Know
We remember English teachers lecturing: “Write what you know.” Well, we think you ought to write what you don’t know. How else can you write about space travel and alternate history and fire-breathing dragons and vampire detectives? We’ll discuss how a little research and common sense can give you just enough background to really write what you don’t know.
Saturday, 10 AM: Pushing the YA Envelope
YA fiction is edgy . . . drugs, teen pregnancies, tons of angst, and more. Are there limits to what you can put in your YA novel? Is there a line you shouldn’t cross if you want to make a sale? Our panelists discuss elements of YA fiction versus “adult” fiction and offer market suggestions for shopping your manuscript.
Saturday, 11 AM: Practice Makes Perfect
How can you tell if you’re getting better as a writer? How can you judge your progress? And what does it take to get to that next level of expertise? We’ll talk about benchmarks, writer’s groups, and how to analyze your fiction. You have to grow as a writer to compete in the marketplace; we’ll teach you how to measure your skills and to improve them.
Saturday, 12 AM: Setting Your Stage
The landscape for your fiction has a personality. It’s a compelling stage for your characters to dance on. It doesn’t matter whether you pepper it with ruins, castles, caves, or soaring cities, you have to choose what details to put in and what to leave out. Our panelists, expert world-builders all, discuss the elements of crafting vibrant settings.
Saturday, 2 PM: Writing as a Juggling Act:
So you’ve got a full-time job. How do you manage that and find time to write. All of our panelists have full-time careers outside of writing, and yet have managed to pen multiple books and dozens of short stories. It really isn’t all that difficult . . . if you juggle properly. We’ll teach you how to master the art of juggling.
Saturday, 3 PM: Self-Publishing and Small Presses:
There are alternatives to the big New York houses. In fact, some writers are finding wild success by publishing their own manuscripts or taking them to the small press. We’ll look at the options out there and examine the pros and cons. Our panelists have been published by major houses, small press markets, and have listed stories on their own electronically.
Saturday, 4 PM: Nuts and Electronic Bolts:
We can’t seem to get enough of this e-publishing topic. Actually, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer you lots of information about the e-volution of publishing. In this seminar we’ll talk about the various markets for electronic fiction . . . magazines, anthologies, book markets, as well as how to format your submissions and how to look for places to sell to.
Saturday, 7:30 PM: Reading, R.T. Kaelin: His books are massive—books that you can use as a doorstop when you’re done reading them. But he guarantees you to only read a half-hour’s worth. Come hear why R.T. gets rave reviews.
Sunday, 10 AM: Not Your Tolkien Elves:
Author Jean Rabe fills her novels with elves, dwarves, goblins, and the like. They’re complex characters that go far beyond the race Tolkien dreamt up. She’ll discuss how to look at fantasy races from different points of view, how not to rehash what’s already printed, and how you can make elves . . . or dwarves, gnomes, or whatnot for that matter . . . fresh and engrossing.
Sunday, 11 AM: Forging an Online Presence:
Do you need a website? Should you Twitter? What about Facebook and other social media? Yes, an online presence is helpful—if not necessary—for authors. We’ll discuss the options available so you can pick and choose how to maintain an online presence and when you should draw the line so you still have time to write.
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