It’s time for another ConFusion! This has become one of my favorite cons and I think I’m up to about 5 or 6 years of attending in a row. It’s a great chance to kick off the year with some programming, catching up and talking shop with friends and colleagues, and eating some Detroit Style Pizza.
This year, here’s where you can find me as far as official programming at the con! Apart from these, I’ll be hanging out and catching up with friends in the common spaces, so please feel free to say hello!
Friday 1:00 PM Erie – The Business of Episodic Storytelling
Serialized fiction has experienced a renaissance in the age of the internet. Our panelists discuss the business side of episodic storytelling– What are the trade-offs between self-publishing and going with a publisher like Serial Box? If going through a publisher, how do you pitch serialized projects? If self-publishing, which platform is best for your work and audience? Pablo Defendini (M), Michael R. Underwood, Mackenzie Flohr, E.D.E. Bell (Emily), Christian Klaver
Friday 3:00 PM Erie – A Pro Writer’s Guide To Consultants
There are a wealth of consulting services available to professional writers these days, including paid editing, sensitivity reading, marketing and social media consulting, and career coaching. What can these consulting services offer to trad and indie authors? When are they a good investment, and how do you vet and choose providers? Cat Rambo (M), Richard Shealy, Dan Stout, Michael R. Underwood, Dan Wells
Friday 6:00 PM Dearborn – The Future of Masculinity
Masculinity and “manliness” are social constructs, and like all social constructs, they evolve and change over time. How will our definitions of masculinity evolve over time? How can we portray positive visions of masculinity in speculative fiction? Jason Sanford (M), Pablo Defendini, Michael R. Underwood, John Chu, David Anthony Durham
Saturday 2:00 PM Rotunda Reading
Michael R. Underwood, Ferrett Steinmetz, Patrick S. Tomlinson
Saturday 3:00 PM Erie Autograph Session (3pm)
Meet your favorite authors and get your books signed! Limit 3 items per person, please. Ada Palmer, Angus Watson, Anthony W. Eichenlaub, Cat Rambo, Diana Rowland, Dyrk Ashton, Jason Sanford, Joe R. Lansdale, Josef Matulich, Keith Hughes, Lucy A. Snyder, Mackenzie Flohr, Mark Oshiro, Michael R. Underwood, Mur Lafferty, Stacey Filak, Tracy Townsend
Saturday 7:00 PM Erie Sleeping In Light: A Look Back At Babylon 5
Babylon 5 has been off the air for twenty years. Come join us to reminisce about the best parts, reconsider the parts that haven’t aged so well, and cook up theories of what B5 could look like for a modern audience. Annalee Flower Horne (M), Michael R. Underwood, Scott H. Andrews, Natalie Luhrs
Hello! How did your Babylon 5 panel go? Sorry I had to miss that one. I take great inspiration from “Faith manages” and Lennier is one of my all time favorite characters (though I didn’t enjoy certain directions they went in Seasons 4 and 5 with him).
Also, could you remind me of the name of the author you pointed out to me in the signing room? I think it sounded like “Merf” but I did not catch her (I think) full name on the nameplate. I will try something of hers and if I like it, I will indeed buy more!
And one last thing: I don’t think I told you how much I loved Geekomancy and how vulnerable and resilient Ree Reyes was, and those TWISTS you put in. I read the first book right after finishing Genrenauts, and I thought introducing characters by stats was particularly clever and concise. I look forward to many more readings (silently to myself, or aloud from you at a con).
Any chance you will come to MarCon May 10-12 in Columbus? (Okay THAT was really the last thing.)
It was great, thanks! We had a great conversation, and it definitely warmed me back up for the Skiffy & Fanty rewatch series which had been on hiatus.
I recommended talking to Mur Lafferty – she’s a great writer and has cool podcasts worth checking out (I Should Be Writing and Ditch Diggers).
I’m so glad that you like Ree and the Genrenauts. 🙂
MarCon is not on my schedule, unfortunately. I have two cons for May already planned (BaltiCon and the Nebulas Weekend) and adding a third won’t work for me. But perhaps another year!