Next month, I’m returning to ConFusion, just outside Detroit, Michigan. I had a marvelous time when I went last year, and one of the most fun parts was the programming. I’m honored to be a participant again next year.

Here’s my schedule:

Bechdel, Mako Mori, and the “Strong Female Character”

Sandra Tayler, Michael R. Underwood, Brigid Collins, Rae Carson, Christian Klaver

6pm Friday – Southfield

A female character is not strong just because she can kick someone in the head.  What are the limitations of the Bechdel Test (2 female characters have a conversation about something other than a male character)? How does the Mako Mori test come into play? And when did the notion of a “strong character”–meaning a rounded character with agency and a backstory–get replaced by simple physical strength?  How does all of this apply beyond female characters and move into representations of other marginalized groups?

Missed Trends in Urban Fantasy

Lucy A. Snyder, Christian Klaver, Michael R. Underwood, Courtney Moulton, J. C. Daniels

9am Saturday – Erie

Sometimes an idea fails to find an audience, or zeitgeist just zigs when a story zags. For whatever reason, there are a number of unexplored areas of Urban Fantasy that we might want to revisit.

Writing Young Adult/Middle Grade

Sarah Zettel, Michael R. Underwood, Kelley Armstrong, Courtney Moulton, Merrie Haskell

2pm Saturday – Southfield

Everything you wanted to know about writing young adult and middle grade fiction.

Big Six now the Big Five

Laura Resnick, Myke Cole, Bradley Beaulieu, Michael R. Underwood

5pm Saturday – Southfield

How does the consolidation of publishers affect the landscape of publishing?