I will be at Norwescon next weekend! Come hear me read from my new Lightspeed story “The Archronology of Love,” or talk about worldbuilding, fictional religions, what drives a story, and more! Here’s my schedule:
Thursday
Worldbuilding in a SF Universe (4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 12)
Are there elements of SF worldbuilding that are unique to science fiction? Are there elements that need to be in any science fiction story? Technology, medicine, economics, government, religion, history, types of characters, clothes, languages, and food. What elements might be unique to SF? How much detail is enough?
Friday
Reading: “The Archronology of Love” (4:30pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 3)
Excerpt: When you visit the Chronicle, you alter it. Your presence muddles the temporal record as surely as an archaeological dig muddles the dirt in your excavation sites. In the future, human archronologists will look back on you with scorn, much as you look back on looters and tomb raiders–but we forgive you. In our early encounters, we made our own errors. How can we understand something so alien before we understand it? We act out of love, but that does not erase the harm we cause. Forgive us.
Fictional Religions in Fantasy (5:00pm – 6:00pm @ Cascade 9)
Real-life religions often aren’t internally consistent. How can a writer give a fictional religion the depth and humanity needed to convey a compelling narrative?
Saturday
Autograph Session 1 (10:00am – 11:00am @ Grand 2)
Nancy Pearl, Yanni Kuznia, Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel Koboldt, Neil Clarke, Tran Nguyen, Carol Berg, Stephen L. Gillett, Pat MacEwen, Lee Moyer, Spencer Ellsworth, Caroline M. Yoachim, Curtis C. Chen, Evan J. Peterson, Julie McGalliard, Scott James Magner, Joseph Brassey, Fonda Lee, Barth Anderson, KJ Kabza, Miss Violet DeVille, Abie Ekenezar, Greg Bear, Ren Cummins, Nisi Shawl, Nancy Kress
What is Your Story’s Engine? (1:00pm – 2:00pm @ Cascade 12)
Your story can be plot-driven, character-driven, or even author-driven in a voice piece or a more poetic work. Learn to recognize what’s driving your story, play to your strengths, and how to keep a balance that keeps your story moving forward.
Mommy, Where Do Writers Come From? (4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Cascade 11)
Do only MFA recipients get published? What advantages are there to attending workshops like Clarion, Odyssey, or the Norwescon Writers’ Workshop? Is it possible to write and publish completely on your own? This panel will explore the options available to new writers and what worked best for panelists.
Are You Blocked? (6:00pm – 7:00pm @ Cascade 11)
Is a writer’s block just laziness? Or is something bigger blocking writers who can’t write? We’ll talk about different kinds of blocks (e.g., emotional blocks, external demands, imposter syndrome, perfectionism) and how panelists have dealt with them. Come share ideas about how to shatter blocks!
