Programming 2014

Welcome, welcome one and all to the Imaginarium Main Event! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, we’re talking about Programming! We’ve put together a fantastic list of events for your perusing pleasure. So come on in and take a look around!

First, a list of our dedicated workshops that have limited attendance. Sign-up information on these will be placed online shortly. Below the list of workshops are our panel sessions!

Imaginarium Workshops

Friday, September 19, 2014

2:30 PM New Panelist 101: A crash course in convention etiquette and panel performance for new guests. A team of seasoned professionals will answer questions and help guide you through the ins and outs of the con experience from the other side of the table.

Moderator: Lee Martindale

6:00 PM The Plotter’s Workshop: Author Terri-Lynne Smiles demonstrates the differences between “plot” and “story” in this interactive book-building workshop. During this two-hour session, you will learn the types and elements of a good plot and how to utilize them effectively.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

10:00 AM Comic Script Critique: Imaginator Dan Jolley has offered his services to five lucky comic script authors! Register early for a chance to have an in-depth critique of your comic script during this two-hour intensive workshop.

Scripts should be no more than ten pages in length, submitted through the form below. Script submission will close on September 1, 2014, and the authors selected will be notified by email.

While the critique session is limited to five scripts, there is no limit to attendance!

12:00 Noon “A No-Nonsense, No-Gimmick Approach to Marketing Your Book: Presented by Eric Beebe

Before Eric established the successful Post Mortem Press, he spent years gathering business experience in corporate America.
He will discuss how the cornerstones of basic marketing—like promotion, engagement, and audience—can provide authors and small publishers with an edge in today’s dynamic marketplace.

This workshop is limited to 12 participants maximum, 4 minimum.

2:00 PM Level Up! Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level: Do you find yourself getting rejections that say, “Close, but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on this one?” Do you feel like your writing has a hit a wall, and that no matter what you do, it’s not progressing? What does it take to move from talented beginner to seasoned pro?

If you’re just starting to write, this workshop will give you the tools to decrease your learning curve. If you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll learn tips and techniques to elevate your fiction so your stories are stronger, sell faster, and delight both editors and readers.

Presenter: Tim Waggoner
Fee: $10.00 per participant

4:00 PM Myth & Fiction: Whether from their time-honored structure and plotting, their inherent sense of mystery and wonder, or their willingness to take on the large and important human issues, ancient myths remain among the best stories in all cultures. Imitating them, adapting them, or even just thinking about them can add depth and power to your own fiction, and in this workshop, we’ll discuss and practice ways of doing just that.

This workshop is limited to 10 attendees, so register early to reserve your seat!

Presenter: Michael Williams

6:00 PM Comic Script Creation, Part One: Join comic book writer Sean Taylor (Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Bad Girls Club, The Invisible Man) for a two-day workshop to help you begin and complete a comic book script for a four-page anthology short. Super heroes, horror, drama, slice of life — all genres welcome.

This workshop is limited to 12 attendees, so register early for your seat.

6:00 PM Writing Genre Short Fiction:

Join Apex Magazine editor-in-chief Jason Sizemore for a two hour workshop that will (hopefully) lead you on the path to mastering the art of short fiction. The workshop will cover common new writer pitfalls, cover the basic structure of short stories, examine plot, talk about the importance of perfecting your first page and how to tantalize your reader from the start, and discuss the short fiction venues and short fiction editors that you should follow.

Workshops for Sunday, September 21, 2014

10:00 AM Exploding Out of the Gate: A 2-hour workshop on getting that piece started with a bang. A modified version of Allan Wold’s workshop, hosted with his permission by Toastmistress Lee Martindale, this session help authors master the art of a strong opening. Limited to 15 participants, no non-participating observers, please.

12:00 PM Comic Script Creation, Part Two: Join comic book writer Sean Taylor (Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Bad Girls Club, The Invisible Man) for the second part of a two-day workshop to help you begin and complete a comic book script for a four-page anthology short. Super heroes, horror, drama, slice of life — all genres welcome.

2:00 PM The Creative Process: Join Tiffini Johnson as she takes her audience through the creative process, from conception to post-publishing and marketing. This interactive workshop will feature activities and discussions on inspiration, story-building, research, writing, and publication options.

12:00 PM:  The Write Way to Success!  Presented by Entrepreneur, Author, and Promoter Kenneth Daniels. 

 Marketing your way to a career as an Author.

 Key Steps to take to save you $1000’s of dollars and years of wasted time marketing yourself.

What you will learn from this 90min Workshop:

• Getting Noticed! There is a glut of authors. Too many and not enough attention given to the ones who deserve to be read. Find out how to do it and do it by being a better marketer.
• The Write steps to take to make a living as an author.
• Finding your perfect market. Which one’s are a waste of your time and money and which ones are going to cause you to give up eventually.
• Why it’s NOT about YOU?
• Why you should RETHINK your whole model of what being an author is?
• Vending the WRITE way. Successful tips to increase your vending success by 100%.
• How to FIND the WRITE market, then WRITE for that market.
• Learning the difference between MARKETING, SELLING and ADVERTISING. These key differences can set you up for OUTSTANDING success or ABYSMAL failure!
• Why most authors fail to ever launch a financially successful book.
• How to navigate social media without paying for it.
• Why marketing to your PEERS may not be the best way to be successful in the world of writing.
• How to navigate the world of EBOOKS without using traditional Methods.
• Niche, Niche, Niche.

This Workshop is NOT for you if the following apply to you:

• If you are a hobby author and enjoy it for fun and have no desire to make a carreer or living as an author.
• If you are someone who thinks marketing and sales doesn’t apply to you.
• If you think promotion is beneath you.
• If you believe you are a great writer and everyone should bow down and automatically read your material.
• If you love to disagree because that is just your nature.

Limited to 40 People Only! This will be strictly enforced. Please Register Ahead. Thank you.

 

Imaginarium Panels

This is a master list of panels featured in our programming, and you may also navigate each section separately using the menu on the site.

CRAFT Of WRITING

A Brief History of Storytelling: From ancient oral traditions to today’s digital publishing landscape, our panelists discuss the art of telling stories and the future of the craft.

A Poet? You Know it!: Poetry experts discuss the craft of writing effective verse.

Ask an Author:  Join our authors for an anything-goes roundtable discussion about the literary world. Bring your best questions and a good sense of humor.

Author on Author Interviews: Moderated by Lee Martindale – Authors break into teams and interview each other.

Congratulations! It’s an Anthology!: Anthologies are a good way for readers to find new authors without a large investment. Come learn how anthologies work, why they’re popular, and what Anthology editors expect from their submissions.

Cover Lovin’: Regardless of genre, cover art is often an author’s first and only shot at hooking a new reader. But what makes a good cover? Come get the skinny on choosing an appropriate cover for your work.

Crafting a Hero(ine): Every book needs a strong lead character. Authors discuss best practices for building strong, believable heroes and heroines that shine in any genre of fiction.

Creating Your Space – How Authors Find Their Zones: It’s not easy being an author in today’s fast-paced society. We’re constantly pulled in so many directions that sometimes it’s hard to find the time to sit and write. Sometimes we have to take control and make time to write. Come hear from our authors about their writing spaces and the techniques they use to get back to their worlds despite their busy schedules.

Faith in Fiction: Whether it’s contemporary religious fiction or a fantasy novel where religion plays a major role in the events of its world, there are both right and wrong ways to utilize characters’ faith to tell a story.

Finding the End: Getting to those two beautiful words isn’t always easy. Panelists discuss how to end a story while avoiding plot holes and kitchy tropes.

How to Build a Better Bad Guy: Heroes are important, but having a strong villain can make or break a story. Learn how to make your bad guys the best they can possibly be.

LGBT Themes in Popular Fiction: Our panel, well-versed in LGBT fiction, discusses the rising trends across all fiction markets and how to properly execute these themes in your work.

Plotters vs. Pantsers: The age-old war rages on: are you a plotter or a pantser? Or are you something in between?  Come hear our panelists talk about their storytelling prep work.

Pulp Fiction 101: What is Pulp Fiction? This panel will cover the history of pulp writing and how today’s trends differ from the stories that started it.

Writers as Real People: Writing can be demanding, isolating, and exhausting. Writers often struggle with depression, self-esteem issues, or chronic health problems.  Learn how our writers find balance in a life where they’re often juggling day jobs, works in progress, backlists, marketing, public appearances, and a personal life.

Stop Telling & Start Showing: New writers often find themselves falling into the dangerous trap of over-descriptive narratives. While flowing descriptions of scenery and characters help pad word counts, what industry pros have come to call “purple prose” is a serious no-no for any publisher. Listen in and learn when description works and when it’s better to just get to the point.

The Pen Name: Many authors choose to write under a name that is not their own. If you’ve ever considered choosing a new name for your literary self, be sure to stop by this panel and hear the arguments for and against pseudonyms.

The Plot Thickens: Sometimes plots can be tricky things, full of holes or overly complicated. Sometimes they just don’t work no matter how you try to mold them. Our authors will be talking about how to keep your plot in check while toeing the line between too much and not enough.

The R-Word: Tips and suggestions for effective research to go with your writing.

What to Write…: Keeping up with all of the ideas in a writer’s brain is no easy task. And just because we have ideas doesn’t mean they’re all good ones. This panel will help you sift through the clutter and find your way to picking out the best ideas and getting them on paper.

Writing for Children: Everyone knows keeping the attention of a child isn’t easy. Keeping a child’s attention with a book is even harder. Our panelists discuss what goes into writing children’s literature, from important themes to plotting and final output.

Writing Serial & Episodic Fiction: How to write in pieces and keep your readers coming back for more. Our authors share tips and techniques for building a story in multiple parts.

PUBLISHING

“For the Love” Isn’t Always Love: Authors, editors, and publishers discuss the usefulness of “For the Love” anthologies, the proper way to select them, and the potential for scams in those markets.

Amazon, Oh Amazon: Amazon has single-handedly changed the landscape of the publishing industry. It’s quick, cheap, and easy…but what’s the trade-off for that sort of instant gratification? What’s next for authors in the face of this retail giant?

Avoiding Self-Publishing Pitfalls: You’ve written your book…now what? Self-publishing, the growing new trend, lends a unique chance to completely control your creative outlets. However, like any other new system, there are some risks. Come hear what our authors have to say about self-publishing’s pros and cons and what it means to be in complete control of your work.

Breaking the Cycle: It’s not an easy road from hobbyist to professional. Editors can be tough and negative reviews sting. But if you believe in yourself, good things can happen. Our authors will taken an hour to tell all about their individual literary journeys.

Cover Art for the Self Published: Self-published authors are responsible for making sure every aspect of their book is perfect. With cover art often being the first and only chance to catch a reader’s attention, some would contend that it’s just as important as the story itself. Our self-published authors discuss best practices for procuring good artwork for your self-published titles.

Fiction for Children: An in-depth discussion about writing and publishing fiction for children.

Here There Be Scumbags: Scams built on separating new and aspiring writers from their hard-earned cash are everywhere. Learn to spot a legitimate opportunity and identify a scam.

Indie or Agent: Publishing professionals discuss the pros and cons of an author choosing to contract and agent or remain independent, including a discussion of presses of varying sizes and the amount of work and control that goes into publishing a book on both sides of the coin.

Making Your Novel Shine in an Editor’s Eyes: Our editors and publishing pros give the low-down on what they want to see in a submission. From checking your plot to polishing your dialogue, this is the tell-all panel for prospective authors looking to break into the market.

Paths of Publishing: A look at various publishing avenues – major press, indie press, and self-publishing – and what it means to be a part of each. Come listen to our panelists, ask questions, and decide which path is right for you.

Pitch Perfect: If you’re looking to pitch a book to a publisher, this is the panel for you. Our panelists discuss the right way to build a pitch. Bring your best pitches for the chance at a critique!

Publishing Magazines: Have you ever sent  story to a magazine? Or perhaps you’re thinking of starting your own.  Our publishing professionals talk candidly about editing magazines and the triumphs and tribulations that come with getting each edition out on time.

Publishing Nightmares Roundtable: From editorial mishaps to publisher scams, the literary world isn’t always a bed of roses. Our panelists share some cautionary tales of the dark underbelly of publishing.

Putting an End to Piracy: Piracy is an artist’s worst nightmare. Our panelists discuss forms of piracy and the best ways to help stop the theft of creative property.

Read the Instructions: There are two things every artist needs – a strong product (be it a manuscript, play, or film), and a strong understanding of the submission guidelines. On this panel, our pros will walk you through submission etiquette for new artists.

So You Wrote a Book – The Idiot’s Guide to Small Press Publishing: Writing the book is only the beginning of the journey! Come here our authors, editors, and publishers talk about what it takes to get a book published in the Small Press world, from edits to cover art, and even promotion.

What Writers’ Organizations Can Do For You, and What You Can Do For Them: From promotion to awards, this panel hosts a frank discussion of literary organizations, membership guidelines, and proper etiquette when joining and participating.

What’s in a Name: There are so many tags and titles in today’s publishing world. How are we as writers supposed to stand out from the crowd? With our titles, of course! Come talk to our industry professionals and learn tips and tricks for properly naming your books, your series, and even your website.

Whose Genre Is it Anyway: Best practices for properly categorizing your book for the right market to get it in the hands of the people who want to read it.

 

WORLD OF EDITORS

Critique Groups: Positives & Negatives: Some people call them a blessing, others a curse. Here’s your chance to get the lowdown from published authors on critique groups and how they both help and harm writers.

The World of a Magazine Editor: Submissions, Deadlines, and Edits, oh my! Sit down with editors as they share the inside scoop on editing for magazines. Learn why pieces are accepted, why they’re rejected, and what magazine editors expect of their authors.

Finding the Right Editor: An in-depth discussion about evaluating editors and choosing the right one for the job, whether for small presses or self-published authors.

Growing Thick Skin: Authors and Editors discuss best practices for making friends with your editor. Learn when to fight, when to step back, and when to simply agree to disagree for the sake of your work.

Making the Most of Beta Readers:  The best audience for a new book is a test audience. Come learn how to choose and utilize proofreaders to help make your work the best it can be.

The Editor’s Function: Hear what real editors have to say about why they do what they do, and how their “being mean” benefits you as an author in the long run.

What Editors Expect of a Professional Author: They aren’t the enemy, and here’s why. Editors sit down with the audience and candidly discuss their requirements for working with authors and how authors should behave when working with their editors.

ROMANCE

Destroying the Archetypes – Writing Good Romance without a Formula: Romance is currently the #1 selling genre of fiction, but that means there are a lot of ideas out there being used, re-used, and abused. Our romance novelists will be discussing how to write fresh, new romance without a rehash of what’s already been done.

Erotic Romance vs. Erotica: A panel of our romance authors will discuss the difference between “erotica” and “erotic romance” as well as the growing trends in today’s explicit fiction market. 18+ only.

Happy Ever After: The most important part of a good romance novel is the ending. Romance readers are fiercely loyal creatures, and if you give them a satisfying ending, they’ll keep coming back for more. Our romance panelists will discuss the “happy ever after” and “happy for now” terms and how to make them work in your own tales.

Make me Scream!: Join us for a late-night chat about the thrills of writing sexy romance! Our erotic romance experts will be telling all when it comes to steaming up the pages and making your readers beg for more. 18+ only.

Monster Porn – Cool New Trend or Really Bad Idea: A candid look at the frightening new trend in paranormal romance: Monster Porn. The ladies of the pen will be discussing monsters in their envelope-pushing glory , from the ways the new subgenre is helping and hurting the romance market to the controversy facing retailers and marketing specialists.

Racial Lines in Romance: Authors and editors discuss how to properly execute an interracial romance scene without being trite or offensive.

Sex is Transformative: There are right ways and wrong ways to use sex in fiction. This panel will help outline the best ways to use sexual scenes to strengthen and move plot along.

The Authoress’ Guide to Good Steamy Romance: A late-night panel for steamy romance enthusiasts. Come listen to our literary beauties as they talk about good romance for grown-ups and where to find it. 18+ only.

The Gothic Romance: Paranormal romance hasn’t always been sparkly vampires and brooding shapeshifters. Come listen to romance industry pros discuss the ideas and themes of gothic romance and how it has evolved into today’s chart-topping genre of choice.

Urban Fantasy vs. Paranormal Romance: A common misconception among readers is that Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance are the same thing. While this can be true, there are very distinct differences between the two. Our authors discuss those similarities and differences to help you distinguish between them.

YA/NA Romance: Young Adult and New Adult Romance are the biggest thing since sliced bread, but what makes them work? Our YA and Romance panelists discuss the best way to write satisfying romance that’s still appropriate for young ‘uns.

MYSTERY

Mysteries Today: What are the hot elements of today’s best-selling mysteries? What might lie just ahead? A discussion of the genre’s trends in today’s publishing climate.

The Art of Mystery: Mystery is a pretty predictable genre – major conflict, plot twists, good guys turned bad… but sometimes the tropes can be a little too trope-ish. Join the discussion on the best way to write a good mystery without being silly.

The Big Reveal: Plot Twists are an important part of mystery writing. Ever wonder how to keep yours from sounding trite or goofy? Come talk to our experts about how they establish and reveal twists and turns in mystery settings without being corny.

The Dead of Night: Panelists discuss popular trends in Hardboiled and Roman Noir Fiction.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGGING and REVIEWING

Authors Behaving Badly: Authors, Editors, and Publishers discuss social media/public etiquette, as well as talk about how to handle public flubs with tact and professionalism.

Beyond the Book – ‘Net Marketing for Those Who Know Nothing of Marketing:  A quick and dirty look at today’s social media marketing opportunities and how authors without a marketing degree can make the most of their online presence.

Facebook as a Marketing Tool: Facebook is the place where the world hangs out. Learn how to use that massive audience to your advantage and boost your book sales.

Good Reviews: Our authors and Reviewers speak out about book reviews and the proper way to execute one so readers and authors alike can use them constructively.

Hashtags for People Who Don’t Tweet: New to Twitter? Don’t understand how to get your 140 characters heard over the din? We’re here to help! Join in the conversation on the best use for Twitter as a marketing tool.

How to Handle Negative Reviews with Grace: Worried about how to handle negativity toward your work? Come listen to authors and book bloggers talk about their firsthand experiences from both sides of the fence. They will offer suggestions for handling negative press without losing your cool and causing even more damage.

Marketing Roundtable: Our super-panel of artists and industry professional discuss the ins and outs of successful multi-media marketing and answer the audience’s questions.

So You Wanna Be a Reviewer: Reviewers, book bloggers, and authors talk about what it takes to be a successful book blogger. They will answer questions and discuss all aspects of the reviewing process, from procuring books to posting both positive and negative reviews.

Social Media Overview: A survey of the main social media networks, their strengths, and their importance for writers/storytellers.

The Blog Tour: What are they? Why do we use them? How do I get one? And what are they supposed to accomplish? These questions and more will be answered by our publishing professionals as they talk about this useful marketing tool.

The Newsletter and How to Make People Read It: Considering starting up a newsletter but not sure how to get people’s attention? Join in the conversation about newsletters, led by a team of panelists familiar with the art of making personal and publishing news interesting and fun.

Troll-Free Promotion: Are you tired of constantly ignoring Facebook and Twitter because all you see are ads for the same book or movie over and over? Worried your hard work is going to get lost in the mix? Then come on in and listen to what our people have to say! Our panelists will talk openly about the annoyances of promotion and how to get your word out without being obnoxious.

What Makes a Good Blog: Members of today’s blogosphere make up this panel which will tackles the touchy subjects surrounding blogging today. They will offer insights into how they built their followings and suggestions for creating a working, beautiful blog that will rise to the top of the web slush pile.

 

SONG, STAGE, & SCREEN

Documentary 101: From choosing a subject to finalizing the credits, our panelists will take you on a step by step walkthrough of the documentary process.

From Page to Stage: Screenwriters and directors speak about writing good dialogue that sounds natural on stage or in front of a camera.

Poetry in Motion: Poetry and song can serve as beautiful outlets for creative and emotional expression. But it isn’t as easy as you’d think. Our panelists will discuss the best practices for capturing your emotions in lyrical prose.

The Adaptation: Authors and filmmakers discuss what it takes to move a book to the screen, and how to translate work from one medium to another.

The Art of the Screenplay: Literary and Film panelists discuss the elements and qualities of a good screenplay.

The Role of the Screenwriter: A sober look at the place of the screenwriter in the equation of motion picture and television production.

White Page/Silver Screen: Our panelists compare today’s most popular film and television adaptations to the books that spawned them.

Writing Strong Female Characters for the Screen: Female Characters tend toward the week or the overconfident. Either way, they often come off as unrealistic. Learn how to give your stage women strength while still allowing them to be feminine.

NON-FICTION

Nonfiction Today:  A look at growing trends and topics in today’s nonfiction market.

Paranormal Reality: Authors discuss trends in the paranormal world, ranging from historical ghost stories to popular media portrayal of the spirit world.

Short Form Non-Fiction: From blogging to bios, our panelists host a discussion of the trends in short non-fiction and how to use it to break into the writing market.

The Nonfiction Pitch: Nonfiction authors and editors discuss what goes into a nonfiction pitch and how the genre differs from the rest of the literary market.

Why Do You Ask: A panel of authors, publishers, and editors discuss biographical work. They tell all about why it’s written and how to make people want to read it.

 

GAMING

Epic Adventure Awaits: Gamers and Game Writers discuss world building and storytelling for players’ ultimate enjoyment of gaming campaigns.

Pro Gamers Unite: A roundtable discussion from professional gamers and game designers on what goes into building popular role-playing games from the ground up, getting them published, and convincing consumers that they want to purchase and play them.

RPG 101: Hosted by gamers and game masters, take our crash course on running a role-playing game. Whether you’re the GM or just a player.

The Art Of Improv – Game Mastering On The Fly: Your players go left. It says so right here in the supplement. Why didn’t they go left? Why did they torture the NPC, sneak into the castle, and suspect the princess as a double agent? And what are you going to do about it? Come learn tips and tricks from award winning author John Arcadian.

The GM’s Guide to a Perfect Campaign: Veteran GMs and gaming professionals come together with their tips and tricks for building an interesting, engaging, and fun campaign for players of any age or experience level.

Video Game Storyboarding: Any good gamer knows the basis for a great game is a strong story. Our professionals walk you through the ins and outs of building an enticing tale for your virtual world.

 

COMICS and GRAPHIC NOVELS

Comic Book Storyboarding: Looking to break into the Comic Book industry? Here’s your opportunity to take an entry-level crash course on comic book layouts and the differences between traditional and illustrated storytelling.

Comics & Graphic Novels in an eBook World: Artists, authors, and publishers  discuss the state of comics and graphic novels in today’s literary world. An in-depth look at how the rise of digital publishing has changed the illustrated fiction landscape.

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words: Our panelists talk about how to tell a good story, graphic style.

Publishing Comics & Graphic Novels: Words and pictures…can’t be too hard, right? Think again. Our panelists discuss what goes into making a good comic series, from the idea’s inception all the way through final layout and printing. This is a must-see panel for anyone interested in breaking into the graphic literature world.

The Nuts & Bolts of Comic Book Scripts: Dan Jolley and a panel of comic professionals take you through the steps required to build a strong comic book script.

 

SPECULATIVE FICTION

Cross-Medium Horror Forum: Panelists spanning different media come together to discuss horror from every angle – the trends, the successes, the failures, and the multitudes of adaptations. Come get scared with the best of them.

Don’t Let Genre Get in Your Way: When you sit down to write do you find yourself trying to force your plot into a specific mold? It’s far past time you let your writing take flight without parameters. Come ask questions from our cross-genre panelists and learn the best way to write what you want to write on your own terms.

Gats, Gams, & Greenhorns: Everyone always remembers to build worlds, but do they always remember to build language? This panel covers the proper way to use slang, jargon, and other language mechanisms in genre fiction.

Inserting Science into Fiction: Enjoy science fiction but don’t know how to build the science? We’re here to help! Bring your best questions and your learning cap and our panelists will help make sense of the science in today’s best Sci-Fi media.

Into the Wastelands: Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian stories are on the rise. Join our panelists for a discussion of the world after the end of the world.

Lone Hero vs. Heroic Group: What’s better when writing sci-fi and fantasy, a single hero or a group to share the task? This panel features on a discussion on heroic tropes and how to properly use both.

Mythological Creatures in Fiction: From the usual to the more obscure, our panelists discuss the use of mythological creatures in literature, and how to make even the most used tropes fresh and new.

Spy-Fi & Techno Thrillers – A Crash Course:  Join our panelists for a walk through the growing trend of technological spy and thriller fiction.

Steampunk Today: Ever wanted to ask a bunch of questions about Steampunk but were too afraid to sound like you were behind the times? Never fear! Our panel of experts are here to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the rise of Steampunk, its origins, and where it’s headed with today’s increasing technology and advancements in modern media.

Sword & Sorcery vs. Fantasy – What’s the Difference: Our speculative fiction authors and industry professionals will tell you, there’s a huge difference. If you’re unsure which is which, stop in to hear the discussion about the genres, their history, and the authors who defined each.

The Evolution of Urban Fantasy: Panelists experienced in the growing Urban Fantasy genre talk about the evolution of the genre and how both their work and the work of their contemporaries fits into the grand scheme.

The Language of Fear – A roundtable discussion of definitive horror elements and how to make and market them in new and interesting ways.

The Monsters: An in-depth look at how mainstream media has both helped and hindered the classic monster tropes.

The Zombie Horde: Zombies are popular, but are they too popular? Panelists take zombie-mania back to the bare bones and discuss the trends, how to use them, and how to create something new from the already-been-done slush pile.

Unconventional Fantasy: Not every fantasy novel has to be set in Medieval Europe, and not every fantasy novel needs a princess in a tower waiting to be rescued. Come learn how to buck the trends and stop writing the book everyone else has already written.

Urban Fantasy – The Gateway Genre: Let’s face it, Urban Fantasy is a huge trend and a growing portion of the Speculative Fiction realm. Our panelists discuss how the rise in Urban Fantasy has changed the sci-fi/fantasy landscape.

Utilizing Local Settings in Urban Fantasy: The most common bit of advice for new writers is “write what you know.” Our urban fantasy panelists discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using your hometown as a setting for your next novel.

Women in Genre: Our Ladies of Speculative Fiction come together to discuss the challenges and triumphs of women in today’s genre fiction market.

World Building 101: Our professionals are giving a crash course on best practices for building a believable, sustainable world in your fiction across all media and genres.

Writing Horror Without the Blood: Blood, guts, and gore are staples in the horror world, but are they necessary? Not all of our panelists think so. This hour-long panel will detail the alternate routes to a good horror story.

Writing The Other: Aliens, Fairies, and Animals, Oh My! Who gets it right, who gets it wrong, and what are the best practices for writing unconventional, non-human characters?

YA and Speculative Writing: Young Adult fiction is the hottest trend on the market right now, but is it always done correctly? Speculative Fiction often takes more focus and determination than readers realize, and our publishing professionals are here to give you the low-down on how to build a believable speculative story geared towards the younger crowd.

Creatures from A-Z Looking for something new in the way of supernatural beings and beasts to populate your stories? Tired of vampires, elves and dragons? Author Denise Verrico offers a fun and informative PowerPoint on mythological creatures from all over the world.

 

FANDOM

Copyright Law, Creative License, and Parodies: We talk a lot about fandoms, fan fiction, and works honoring our favorite books and movies, but do we ever take into account the legality of our love? This panel will cover the important topics facing authors across the entertainment world when it comes to acknowledging and respecting copyrights and the use of creative license.

Fan Fiction: Authors speak candidly about fan fiction, from the legalities and sometimes questionable nature to its popularity and usefulness as a literary practice tool.

Sherlocked: From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved books to BBC’s international TV hit, everyone has thoughts on the world’s favorite opinionated detective.

To Exterminate or Not to Exterminate: Panelists discuss Dr. Who in all of its incarnations and how it stays successful across multiple media forms.

Walk this (Dead) Way: A fandom panel for those who want to express their love (and hate) of the Walking Dead. Panelists discuss the pros and cons of the franchise, both as a graphic novel and a smash television hit.

Writers for Hire: A look at being the hired help in major franchise markets.