Chessiecon, Anyone?

Chessiecon is a new convention in the Baltimore area, rising from the ashes of Darkover, which has ceased to exist.

I’m pleased to say that I’ll be at the first Chessiecon next weekend. I’ll be doing a few readings, teaching a workshop on novel writing, and sitting in on some interesting panels. When I’m not doing that, I’ll be hanging out in the dealer’s room.

Here’s my schedule:

Friday, November 28, 2014

4PM-5PM Reading: Broad Universe, Timonium Room

6PM-7PM Workshop: Write a Novel in a Year in Just 15 Minutes a Day, Boardroom
Dreamed of writing a novel, but don’t have the time? It can be done in just a few minutes a day, and you can still take time off for vacation! Discuss the things that prevent writers from producing words, and learn tips and tricks to be more productive while you’re staring at the screen.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

11AM-Noon Beyond Christianity: Rituals and Religions in Speculative Fiction – GS3-5
Some novels integrate non-Eurocentric belief systems into the world of their characters.How does the integration of a non-Western value system affect the formation of a fictional speculative world? Does it affect plot? Who has written this well? How does the inclusion of different belief systems serve to bring more diverse sensibilities to the genre?

Noon-1PM Where are Your Gods? – GS3-5
Do you choose to publicize your beliefs or do you keep them private? Do you choose to risk alienating more traditional readers by an alternative spiritual path or do you stand up as an example? Do you feel ostracized for holding more traditional or conservative beliefs? Does your spirituality inform your writing? Can you be a monotheist but build a world of many gods? Join us for a discussion of the role of personal religious beliefs in your writing.

10PM-11PM Sex and the Believable Alien – GS1
When reading or writing SF erotica or romance, how alien can the aliens get before the story stops working for the reader? Do they have to be humanoid to make the story work? Why or why not?

Sunday, November 30, 2014

11AM-Noon Reading: Vonnie Winslow Crist and Kelly A. Harmon

Send me a note or comment below if you’re going to be there. I’d love to catch up with you over coffee!