Schedule

List of Panels

A Horror Renaissance in Games

From video games like Alan Wake 2, Hellblade and The Quarry to the popularity of TTRPGs like Call of Cthulhu, Liminal Horror and Ten Candles, it’s clear that the next horror Golden Age isn’t only limited to prose and film. How are recent horror games using unique mechanics or setting to stand out? Which creators are injecting more weirdness in effective ways? What about horror that’s more quiet in tone? And what’s next in horror gaming that has our panelists already quaking?

Acquisitions 101: The Editorial Perspective

How do editors make the tough decisions on what to acquire? Whether it’s which stories to buy for an anthology, or what books to pitch to their publishers, sometimes an editor is forced to decide between too many good possibilities. When that happens, what tips the scales? In other words, what helps an editor feel confident pitching pieces or authors? And on the flip side, beyond the obvious (ex: not following guidelines), what factors these days strike a sour note with our panelists?

Advice to Aspiring Writers Live Q&A!

A Can*Con staple, with a twist! Established pros assemble for a full 50 minutes of brain-picking on as many aspects of writing as we can fit, from developing your craft to navigating the industry, hard lessons learned and stories of triumph, and more. Our moderator will introduce the panelists and their expertise (including what areas are off limits) and then the floor is yours, dear attendees. Bring your questions!

Augur Presents: Can Spec and the Literary Veil

Whether for aesthetics, awards, or personal taste, the line between literary and speculative fiction in Canada has been a firm one. And yet, Canadian literature often occupies both, with what we’re calling a “literary veil” layered on top of overtly speculative content. Panelists discuss speculative media and its relationship with and within the broader Canadian literature landscape.

Augur Presents: From Sub to Pub: The Inside Scoop on Reading & Editorial Processes

Ever wondered how a short story or poem goes from “accepted” to “published”? The ins-and-outs of editorial decisions, pitching, author relations, and who reads all those submissions? Join our panel of editors as they break down what goes on at magazines after you hit “submit.”

Augur Presents: More Passion, More Energy: Playfulness in Speculative Poetry

While poetry uses powerful language and imagery to evoke deep emotions, sometimes poets aim to just have fun! From rhyme to form to narrative, join our panel of poets as they discuss how they've used poetry to explore playfulness, delight, and good old-fashioned entertainment.

Blue Pencil Cafe

Want feedback from a pro writer or editor on your work? Bring 2-3 pages of writing and get real-time, in-person feedback from one of our expert critiquers. Or, sit down for a one-on-one Q&A about the writing industry. Sign-up in advance or at registration.

Breaking In: Tales of Getting Into the Gaming Industry

Tabletop roleplaying games - whether they're high on narrative, dungeon-crawls, or something else wild and wonderful - are well and truly an established mainstream medium. The gaming industry also provides opportunities for writers of all stripes to hone their storytelling and world-building skills, and have fun in the process! But how does someone break in, and what might you need to navigate as a new games writer? Listen as our panel regales you with tales of how they started on their journeys, and what they learned along the way.

Building a Better Near-Future Canada

With change happening around the world, some of which is sorely overdue, it’s likely that Canada will look very different in the next ten to twenty years. From infrastructure and innovation to reconciliation and cultural shifts, what might a near-future Canada look like - particularly a hopeful one? Panelists will discuss both realistic and dream scenarios, from the practical to the absurd, and the considerations writers should make before writing their own near-future Canadas.

Capitalist Horror

The words “capitalism can be horrible” probably don’t need to be said — we all just know. And in today’s world of an increasing wealth gap, unwieldy social supports, affordability crises and more, human greed can be the scariest (and most realistic) monster of all. In shows like *The Fall of the House of Usher* or books like Kiersten White’s *Hide,* how do creators use fantastical elements to enhance the horrors of capitalism? How do they balance metaphor with reality, and ensure their critiques don’t get lost in flashy gimmicks? And are these stories solely letting us vent, or can they actually help encourage change?

Challenging Assumptions Through Wonderworks

In 2017, Daniel Heath Justice coined the term “wonderworks” to acknowledge speculative fiction from BIPOC authors that isn’t constrained by colonialist tropes or expectations—where authors can focus on hope and possibility and difference, instead of being told “your work needs to be X.” In what ways has recent speculative fiction embodied this idea, and challenged assumptions or expectations around story and genre? Where has this framework helped to open spaces for BIPOC creators? How can creators continue to break through biases baked into both “fantasy” and “realism,” and where is the notion of “wonderwork” still sorely needed?

Climate Fiction: Existential Anxiety or Inspiration?

Climate fiction, or cli-fi, gives authors the opportunity to grapple with arguably the biggest problem humanity has ever faced: the current climate crisis in which we live. This comes with great potential, but also great existential worry. Does cli-fi dwell on dystopian and post-apocalyptic futures too much, ignoring more hopeful alternatives? Does it generate too much anxiety or paralyze people into inaction, or can it inspire readers to take matters into their own hands to avoid such terrible potential futures?

Cosmic Horror: Reaching Forward with All Tentacles

Cosmic horror has a long and complicated history as a genre—but the most exciting thing about it is its vibrancy. The list of incredible recent works is long, from shows like Lovecraft Country to works by authors like Cassandra Khaw, Victor Lavalle, and Premee Mohamed. How are works grappling with both serious real-world themes through horror, and launching the genre forward in badass and incredible ways? In what ways do they address complex histories related to race, gender, etc., and what ways do they not need to?

Creature Comforts: Making the Monster Your Friend

While a lot of horror centers on the monstrous being … well, *monstrous*, there seems to be a growing body of work centered on the idea of a creature or presence that’s lonely, misunderstood, and/or seeking connection. The end result, in these cases, is often not simply a friendship or detente between human and monster (or ghost, etc.), but a situation where the human in the equation changes or gives something up to bond with the monster. Why do these relationships connect with readers? When does a story about joining with the monster feel hopeful or bright, as opposed to one where the humans lose? Does there need to be something recognizably “human” about the non-human, or can this occur with the truly alien and bizarre?

Cross-Pollination Between Writing Forms

Cut away things like genre and style, and no matter how we create, we’re all storytellers. There are certain essential strategies that can overlap between different forms—and adapting one to another can help spice up your writing, break you out of a slump, and practice a skill that will directly help you elsewhere. What about comics writing has helped with short fiction? Or short fiction with video games? Or video games with novels? Panelists who have worked in a variety of forms discuss how cross-pollinating these strategies, either intentionally or not, has made them better creators—and led to more fun.

Deep Research

Sometimes writing requires research, but where does one start? When we have nearly infinite information available at our fingertips, the prospect can be overwhelming. Even further than this, how do we know what information to trust, especially when it comes to specialized topics, and how do we avoid ending up lost in the weeds? What are the tools available to the average writer, and how does one develop the skills needed to sufficiently research a subject in depth, in order to write about it?

Disabling Fantasy

While there is some progress being made, fantasy still tends towards problematic tropes when it comes to disabled characters. The disabled mentor, the supercrip, the hero who “overcomes” their disability, the magical cure, etc. all still show up with some regularity in popular works. This panel will examine those tropes, as well as provide new possibilities for making fantasy a more disability-friendly genre.

Disrupting English: Decolonizing a Colonial Language

While there is obviously a booming non-English SFFH world, there are also many excellent works being published in English that deal with themes of colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation. How do authors navigate exploring these themes within a colonialist language? How do they destabilize or deconstruct the ways in which English imposes colonial heritage, while writing in English? How does this change when working in a secondary world, versus on something approximating our own Earth?

Disrupting English: Neurodivergent Edition

In academic and publishing worlds, there are certain norms of English that writers are expected to uphold and subscribe to. However, just because a particular performance of English is expected, that doesn’t mean that it is the best way to do things, or that it works for everyone. These norms have been countered more frequently within fandom spaces, but more and more, these conversations are coming to publishing. Neurodivergent writers take a look at how their own processes affect how they approach writing, the English language, and how they engage with the publishing process at large.

Dragonlance is Cool and We Should Talk About It

It has never been made into a live-action movie or TV show. It has not been adapted into a video game since 1992. It has not had the ‘Stranger Things treatment’. The company that originally launched the franchise is long out of business. Even so, the ‘Dragonlance’ fantasy setting has remained active for 40 years and over 160 novels set in Krynn have been published. How can we understand the multi-generational appeal of these stories? What keeps us coming back for more, and continues to hook new fans? (It’s not the Kender.) WHY IS DRAGONLANCE SO COOL???

Exciting New Discoveries in Space, and Why They Matter

Between the James Webb telescope’s incredible view of outer space, to a renewed interest in returning to the Moon, and planned excursions to places like Mars and Europa, our understanding of the cosmos continues to change. But for science fiction writers, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up with new discoveries—which is why you have us! What recent developments in space exploration have excited our panelists? How could new discoveries or evolving theories shape how we envision near- or far-future science fiction?

F*** your Sacred Timeline

Alternate histories can be fun and engaging scenarios to explore from either a sci-fi or fantasy perspective - but what makes for a good ‘What if?’ What kind of themes and stories can an alternate version of the past tell really well? And are there some problems unique to the genre? Our panel of variants has the answers.

Fantastical Body Modification

Body modification has existed in most cultures for thousands of years, whether for religious, aesthetic, or accessibility reasons. Speculative fiction only adds to the availability and novelty of changing one’s body, whether through magic or advanced technology. How do authors use body modifications to explore questions of identity, culture, and disability? What are common pitfalls that exist within speculative fiction when it comes to changing the physical form, and how do we grapple with the questions it poses? What roles do the erotic and the horrific play in the exploration of the body's limits?

Food, Identity and Creative Non-Fic: The Personal Canons Cookbook

Last year, Guest of Honour Sarah Gailey released The Personal Canons Cookbook, a fabulous collection of essays and recipes centered on the many ways food is a part of our lives and feeds our identity. We’re lucky this year to not only have Gailey, but several contributors here at Can*Con! Join us for an in-depth discussion of approaches to personal stories and creative non-fiction, how The Personal Canons Cookbook came together, and more!

Grappling with Monarchy in Fiction

In real life, monarchies are mired by ties to imperialism, colonialism, and general bad behavior. But in fiction - okay, those ties are still there, and though we often deliberately paint the royals as corrupt or ineffectual or ridiculous, is that getting across the right message? How do we balance commentary on the complexities of royalty with less problematic elements like aesthetic? Essentially, why do we still love to incorporate the royals into our fiction, either in their worst possible forms or with a character desperately trying to reform the system?

Guiding Prickly Characters in Romance (or, Every Rose Has Its Thorns)

Romance novels are all about the interpersonal relationship, and the connection between two (or more!) people. Often, this involves seeing how characters can change in contact with each other; add in the escapism/fantasy piece, and you have a recipe for compelling character drama. How do these writers craft characters who are rough-edged and prickly, yet still likeable enough to carry a story and be rooted for? How do they make these characters’ transformations feel genuine and earned, without losing the core of who they are (and what made them sexy in the first place)?

Infernal Salon w/ Special Guest C.S.E. Cooney

Join us for a fun and creative Infernal Salon with returning Special Guest C.S.E. Cooney! The Infernal Salon is a fun, low-stakes writing workshop, high on community, ix-nay on the essure-pray. Each participant is given a prompt of one or more cards from the very spooky deck that C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, and artist Rebecca Huston invented for the TTRPG “Negocios Infernales.” Once every writer has their prompt, we set a timer for 25 minutes. Everyone makes something: poetry, story, bit of novel, short play, art, whatever! When the timer dings, those who want to will share their infernally-inspired works with all of us. If you’re looking for your next story idea or a way to shatter writer’s bloc, have we got a salon for you! You can learn more about the game Negocios Infernales here and check out the deck via Outland Entertainment’s website here.

Live from the Capital: Worldbuilding a Capital City

What makes a capital city special? How did it come to be considered as such, what particular quirks come from housing the seat of government, and how does that change depending on what that government looks like? Our history is full of fascinating stories about how cities came to be capitals, and what makes them special, from the USA’s sprawling monuments and museums, to South Africa’s three distinct capital cities, to city-states like the Vatican. Join us in our own weird, special capital of Ottawa to discuss how to translate some of these ideas into worldbuilding your own capital.

Living a More Relaxed Creative Life

The hustle doesn’t seem so glamorous anymore, and the grind has lost its shine — is there a way to create things without causing ourselves psychic damage? Our panelists say yes! It’s one thing to identify stressful mindsets and patterns of behaviour, but what can we do to build a better lifestyle that works for us? After we unlearn bad habits, how do we create new ones and stay adaptable to change? What small steps can each of us take today to start living a more relaxed creative life?

Lose Canon? Embracing Discontinuity in Fiction

George Miller recently answered concerns about how to reconcile various *Mad Max* stories by declaring that the films have no strict continuity. Strong reactions ensued. Contemporary audiences are often highly focused - some would say obsessed - with ‘canon’ and the idea that all the details of fictional worlds must fit together. Storytelling hasn’t always been this way, though - and does it have to be? Our panel considers why audiences may want - or think they want - continuity in fiction, and explores the possibilities opened up when we throw the canon overboard.

Maintaining a Sustainable Creative Business

Particularly in recent years, finding stability and success for a creative business is a difficult undertaking. From promotion, to logistics, to workload and more, there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of potential hiccups and glitches that can get in the way. But success *is* possible, and there are creatives doing this every year - like our panelists! Join us for an in-depth discussion of how to manage workload, avoid burnout, maintain reasonable expectations and navigate particularly challenging hiccups. And the ways to have some fun at the same time.

Making the “Fun Stuff” Work For Your Story

Whether it's an intricate fight scene, a horror gorefest, or explicit sex, many subgenres have sequences that enhance the fun, while not necessarily furthering the plot. While readers enjoy these features, and often expect them from certain subgenres, how do writers navigate hitting the "pause" button on the plot for the sake of these sequences? How can we make sure that these scenes enhance the story, rather than just existing? Is there a way to craft them so that they appeal to those who aren't excited or titillated at the start?

Managing a Big Games Project, From Step 1 to Step 1000

Have you always wanted to work in games, be they video, text-based, or big TTRPG projects, but haven’t known what to expect once you’re in? Are you interested, but concerned about the various moving parts and considerations that will play into the process? Fear not! Our panelists will discuss the timelines, pitfalls, and considerations that mark the process of working on a long-term project with a games publisher or company, and how to know if that would be right for you.

Mundane Horror: The Terror of the Everyday

It’s one task to make an unfamiliar situation - a deserted space station, a gothic mansion, or an old monastery - sinister and scary. But what about the mundane? Your home, your work, your commute; what changes about how we engage with horror when it happens in places similar to our everyday lives? How do creators play with twisting the mundane in works like Grady Hendrix’s “Horrorstor,” Shirley Jackson’s “The Summer People,” or even podcasts like “Parkdale Haunt” or “Welcome to Nightvale”?

My Sequel Sucks: What Do I Do?!

Whether you’re an indie author planning a series or you’ve been contracted for more from a traditional publisher, writing a sequel can come with a lot of pressure. And sometimes that pressure compounds with a touch of impostor syndrome and the feeling that your sequel a) isn’t as good as the original, b) will never be as good, and c) maybe you’re a hack or a one-trick pony. That’s a lot - but our panelists have faced that demon and won! Join us for a discussion of how our panelists got past the lowest points in their sequel-writing journey, and how you might overcome the same.

Oceans and Coastlines of the Near Future

Earth’s oceans are complicated - teeming with life, incredibly fragile, economically vital, and a source of ongoing innovation due to our changing climate. How might our oceans and coastlines look in the future? How have flora and fauna been changed by the climate (or us) and how might they continue to? In what ways might industries and oceanic travel change to reflect increased sustainability? Our panelists will discuss this (and more!) to help you write new and exciting oceanic SFF.

One More Job: Heists and Capers

Everybody loves a heist! From assembling a group of experts, to the intricate planning, to the pivot when everything seems like it’s going wrong, a well-done heist or caper basically guarantees a good time. But what makes for an engaging heist, something that feels new but also makes use of beloved, well-worn tropes? And how are those tropes balanced or complimented by existing within fantasy (as in Six of Crows) or science fiction (as in The Quantum Magician)?

Paranormal Canadiana

From former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King’s seances, to the Group of Seven’s involvement in the Theosophical Society, to Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan, Canada’s history is rife with the supernatural. Join our panelists in a discussion of the spooky and paranormal here in Canada, and how to work these ideas and themes into writing.

Post-Colonial Perspectives on the Post-Apocalypse

Post-apocalyptic “what if?” scenarios generally include a cataclysmic event that leaves people scrambling to survive and adapt - much like colonialism did, and continues to do to worldwide. People affected by colonial violence have already had to rebuild a society. How do those particular histories enhance our understanding of what it means to survive an apocalypse? How do you grapple with the challenges of rebuilding and healing after what you’ve lost? And what comes next, once the world has ended, and you still have to go on?

Presentation: Author Branding for Long Term Success

Author brands aren't only important and lasting—they're something that can be curated at virtually any step of your career and regardless of how you publish. What are the various elements that go into creating and maintaining an author brand? What are the questions you should ask in developing one for yourself? How can you leverage your author brand for optimum appeal to your ideal audiences? And what are some strategies to employ for creating an author brand that can have lasting appeal? Mark Leslie Lefebvre, an author with four decades of experience as a writer and more than thirty years working in the book industry, will share examples and ideas to help you ensure your own author brand is right for your own long-term author success.

Presentation: Machine Learning Misdeeds: AI’s Role in Financial Crime

Pat Poitevin, corruption crusader from the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Anti-Corruption, has been unravelling the complex web where artificial intelligence meets malfeasance. This presentation will examine the cutting-edge ways AI and machine learning are being exploited to facilitate fraud, corruption, and a variety of financial crimes. From algorithmic trading frauds to AI-driven identity theft and beyond, authors will learn how these technologies are reshaping the underworld of financial crime, and gain insight into how to feed these real-world challenges into compelling narratives.

Presentation: Writing Fiction as Narrative Repair

Narrative theory proposes that our identities are constructed through acts of storytelling, and that each person is an expert of their own experience. Narrative repair is the method by which we may come to terms with, reflect on, or reconstruct our identities through storytelling. Author A.D. Sui will discuss the the ways in which writing fiction can help reconcile and make sense of one’s many intersecting identities, experiences, and frustrations., through personal anecdotes and the frameworks of her doctoral work.

Questions Without Answers: Resolving Themes

Whether intentionally or not, most stories pose questions: What makes a person human? What does it mean to have power (either politically or magically)? How do we grapple with new technology that challenges our established view of the world? These questions hook us, and often help us reflect on our own lives, as well. But how do we effectively pose these questions to our readers - and our characters? How do we navigate finding answers or resolutions to these questions, without either spoonfeeding readers or leaving them unsatisfied?

Saturday Reading Soiree 

Join us in the penthouse for a night of literary fun and frivolity. Beginning at 7pm, enjoy a series of short readings from some of our community's best writers, along with some fresh up-and-comers. Chatting with our readers afterward is always encouraged! Mix, mingle, and maybe even have a drink or two with some new friends. 

Short Story Book Club w/ Agent GoH Arley Sorg

Do you love short fiction? Do you also love digging into them with a group of fellow short fiction fans? Sign up for a book-club style chat with longtime editor and critic (and our Agent GoH) Arley Sorg. You'll receive 2 short stories to read ahead of time, and take part in a deep dive about each author's work, with guiding questions from Arley. No particular experience needed - just a love of short fiction and discovering new works!

Short Story Collections: The Art of Anthology

Short story collections can be an excellent way to get your work out there, to find a home for some of the weirder pieces in your trunk, and to create a different kind of experience for readers than the typical “short story/novel” experience. But how does one go about putting together a short story collection, developing stories that are thematically cohesive but still separate? How do writers find publishers for such collections, or market self-published ones?

Social Media Didn’t Sell My Book … Now What?

For the last decade, many authors have been urged to use social media to promote their work online, posting at least twice a day, maintaining multiple accounts, and trying to conjure content out of thin air. It’s finally starting to sink in that this strategy doesn’t always translate to sales. So what now? Some writers are reframing the way we use social media with the intent to nurture rather than market, to build community with current readers rather than cold sell to potential ones. What has been working to bring real value to readers, make lasting connections, and not completely burn out the writer? If we abandon the social media rat race, what alternatives are available to us, and what could we achieve instead?

Spotlight on Atlantic Canadian Spec Fic

Every corner of Canada has its own unique scene of speculative fiction writers, and Can*Con is reaching across the divide to find out what’s happening there! Join us for a discussion centered exclusively on Atlantic Canada’s sci-fi, fantasy and horror, with authors hailing from Canada’s east. What ideas and themes seem to set Atlantic speculative fiction apart from other Canadian works? How are wide-ranging concepts like climate change and the future of capitalism articulated, and why? Who are the Atlantic Canadian SFF authors (other than our excellent panelists) who you absolutely need to read?

Sunday Reading Salon 

When all you want is to curl up with a good book on a Sunday morning, let another round of our best readers make it happen. Come up to the consuite, grab some complimentary coffee and a breakfast treat, and then settle in for a cozy reading series, featuring a mix of your favourite local voices and some exciting new ones to discover.

The Fast and the Furry-ous: The Rise of Anthropomorphic Characters

Anthropomorphic characters show up in many different cultural mythos, as gods and heroes alike, throughout history, and have continued to be popular. Recently, of course, there is increased interest in and availability of anthropomorphic characters, both in media and internet subcultures. What draws us towards these animal-like characters and characteristics? What does it allow us to explore? Is there a particular reason why it has gained such popularity in the present moment?

The Need for Community

From found family to intergenerational tales, stories across speculative fiction showcase the importance of community in a variety of forms, beyond the obvious need for human connection. In what ways have recent works spotlighted resilience and hope as something inherent to a healthy community? How do writers approach the notion of community in a way that’s nuanced and realistic? At what point does conflict become too much, bringing fictional community to its breaking point?

The Problem with a Con is it’s Full of People: Managing Cons as an Introvert

We’ve all seen those people: big smile, shaking everyone’s hand, meeting and greeting everyone in the room and some people who aren’t. We … are not those people. However, a convention is a precious opportunity to make contacts with fellow artists and industry pros. How can the shy, the retiring, or the softly-spoken make a convention space work for them?

The Pros of Being a Ghost(writer)

As writers, we usually want to be recognized for our work - but what about when we choose otherwise? What are the benefits of professional ghostwriting, and what are the potential pitfalls? How do writers get involved in these opportunities, and what are the things that they need to be aware of?

The Revenge of Mary Sue

Since its inception, the term Mary Sue — a character, usually a woman, who serves as wish-fulfillment/self-insertion for the author, often hyper-competent and beloved by all — has typically had a negative connotation. But have we been too harsh on poor Mary Sue? What do we gain (or lose) by engaging with our purest, deepest wish-fulfillment in creating characters and stories? How do we grapple with concerns about self-indulgence, self-realization, and the nature of “art”?

The Why Body Factor 

Why are bodies? Is a physical, biological body a necessary part of character creation? Spirits, robots, artificial intelligence, golems - characters without bodies can be found across the spectrum of SFFH. What considerations must writers take when creating these characters - and what about them appeals to us? How does writing these characters invite questions about how “the body” is perceived, understood, and experienced in our world?

Three’s (Not) A Crowd: Polyamory in Fiction

Though far from unheard of, polyamory is still somewhat rare as a focus in fiction. Whether it’s an open relationship, one character with multiple committed partners, or a full triad (or quadrangle, etc.), more characters means more interactions, more development, and more dynamics to balance. How do the elements of writing compelling relationships change when polyamory is added to the mix? What are the joys and challenges of creating polyamorous characters and relationships? Do these components change when writing polyamorous characters/relationships as a side plot, versus as a capital-R Romance?

Twisting the Tropes = Overdone?

For a long time, one frequent piece of writing advice has been to take a common trope and turn it upside down: the chosen one is weak and useless, and their followers are the heroes; the surprise villain; the monster is just misunderstood. Is reversing or twisting a trope still solid advice, or is it rarer now to see a trope played straight? How are writers still using this strategy and standing out? How do we ensure there is still space to play, without excluding authors who haven’t had a chance to do so yet?

Undesirables: Navigating the Banning of Books

Seemingly since the beginning of publishing, authors and readers have had to contend with the banning of books—but a new surge in the U.S. and beyond, particularly around schools and libraries, makes it seem like we’re sliding backwards. How do we navigate conversations around book banning, particularly when it’s tied to politics and identity? What can we, as industry professionals and as readers, do to combat this rampant censorship in our lives and in our communities?

UPT (Unresolved Platonic Tension)

Can you platonically ship two characters? Of course! Not all love stories are romantic, and not all yearning is for a partner. What does a non-romantic, non-sexual love story look like? How does a platonic dynamic incorporate tension, attraction, resistance, and vulnerability in deeply compelling ways? Is it a completely different shape to a traditional romance model as we know it? And what takes a relationship from nice-but-not-that-interesting, to something that captures a reader’s heart?

Using Your Voice for Good, Without Burning Out

Many creatives, regardless of the size of their platform, use their presence in Writer Land to support the causes that matter to them. While this involvement in activism or social justice is important, it also comes with risks, beyond the personal — time and energy aren’t unlimited resources, especially when times are tough. How can you lend your support to the causes you care about more effectively, to do the most good? How do you recognize when it’s time to step back and leave the cause to others? And more mercenarily, where’s the line between advocacy and taking too much away from your creative practice and promoting your work?

We're Still Not Done Talking About Fullmetal Alchemist

A continuation of last year’s panel on Fullmetal Alchemist, including the manga, the 2003 show, and Brotherhood (though attendance of that panel is not required to enjoy this one). How do FMA’s themes of ethics, violence, and resistance differ from one adaptation to another, particularly when it comes to their treatment of Scar and the Ishvalans? How do these themes exist in conversation with historical and current events in the real world?

Worldbuilding Focus: Culture of Food and Drink

On tour discussing his books *Mythos* and *Heroes*, Stephen Fry noted that sitting around a hearth, sharing a meal together, is an essential part of the human experience. The point: how we eat and drink is a core part of any society’s culture, and can be a source of rich and detailed worldbuilding in fiction. Who eats with whom, and where? What’s considered good manners? How do we constrain what and when and how we consume? Join our panelists for a discussion beyond the simple *what* people consume in your fictional world, to a deeper discussion of *why*?

Worldbuilding Focus: Magic Systems

Whether it’s memorized spells, access to specific substances, or complex rituals, many works make use of defined rules around which their world’s magic revolves—often defaulting to a strictly codified system. Why do we often constrain the magical elements of our speculative worlds? How can we weave magic into our stories in a way that doesn’t strictly follow dominant storytelling patterns? How can we portray magic that doesn’t fit the usual tropes, and what are the underutilized roles magic can serve as a storytelling tool?

Workshop: Short Story Submissions 101

This workshop is targeted towards writers who wish to publish their short stories in magazines/anthologies, but either have not taken the leap towards submission or still have questions around the process. Short story submissions will be broken down into concrete steps. The workshop will cover: how to use market search databases, standard manuscript format, cover letters, tracking submissions, submission etiquette, dealing with rejections/rewrite requests, and what eventual publication will look like. Workshop will include a segment where attendees are guided through a short story submission; attendees are encouraged (though not required) to bring a finished short story and a laptop or other electronic device on which a story submission can be completed.

Writing What (And Who) You Know

“Write what you know,” says the stereotypical advice, and, indeed, many writers pull very successfully from their own experiences. How does one determine what makes for good story fodder - is it something funny, something unjust, something scary? A quirk of an old roommate, frustrations of an old job, hurt from an old relationship? And where are the limits? At what point does using experience for inspiration become autobiographical writing, steeped in either real people or real trauma?

You’d Never Guess What (Also) Inspired Me

Every writer has works that inspire them. Sometimes you can see it clearly. But what about the books, shows, or creators from various genres and fields that directly inspired a writer’s work, but you’d never know on the surface? Panelists discuss the surprising, bizarre or unexpected inspirations they draw on for their writing, either intentionally or not, and how they incorporate outside influence without carbon-copying.