My first time as a panelist at a convention approaches! Balticon 54 will be online this year, and it is this coming weekend, 22-25 May 2020! Panels will be held and streamed entirely online via Zoom, Discord, Youtube, Twitch, and Second Life (I didn’t realize anyone still used SL!).
I love Balticon, and I’m very excited to participate this year! Virtual Balticon will be free, though the hosting organization (the Baltimore Science Fiction Society) is soliciting donations via GoFundMe to help continue funding its literacy programs for Baltimore City’s disadvantaged youth, so if you can contribute, please do!
Here’s the full program schedule! Below is a list of the panels I’ll be on (all times are in EDT); you can read more about my co-panelists here:
Writing for Themed Anthologies (Friday, 22 May 2020, 6:00-6:50PM; Register here for this panel on Zoom!)
Panelists: Michael Ventrella (Moderator), Keith R.A. DeCandido, John L. French, Monica Louzon, Jean Marie Ward
Anthologies offer an excellent opportunity for writers to get their work to new readers. Writers and Editors discuss where to look for submission opportunities, how to write to a theme, and tips on catching an editor’s eye (for the right reasons).
Historical Research: Not Just Words (Saturday, 23 May 2020, 4:00-4:50PM; Register here for this panel on Zoom!)
Panelists: D.H. Aire (Moderator), E.C. Ambrose, R.F. Kuang, Melissa Scott, Monica Louzon
Much historical scholarship takes the form of written media, but other forms of information are available. We’ll talk about where to go to find these resources and how to use them for inspiration.
Writing the Spectrum of Feminine Strength (Saturday, 23 May 2020, 6:00-6:50PM; Register here for this panel on Zoom!)
Panelists: Val Griswold-Ford (Moderator), Jamaila Brinkley, Monica Louzon, Cerece Rennie Murphy, Wen Spencer (Balticon Guest of Honor)
“Strong female character” is often used as shorthand for women who have significant weapons training and who know how to fight—traits typically considered masculine in our culture. Why is it so difficult to write female characters who don’t fall into one stereotype or another, and how does this contribute to the problem of limited female characterization?
Writing Support Groups: Online and IRL (Sunday, 24 May 2020, 7:00-7:50PM; Register here for this panel on Zoom!)
Panelists: Val Griswold-Ford (Moderator), Jeanne Adams, Monica Louzon, L. Penelope
One of the most important relationships a writer can have is with their writer’s group. Thanks to modern technology, writer’s groups are available online and IRL in a wide range of genres and geographical areas. How does a writer find a group that’s right for them, and how does one get the most out of it?
Novel, Novella, or Short Story? (Monday, 25 May 2020, 1:00-1:50PM; Register here for this panel on Zoom!)
Panelists: Don Sakers, Monica Louzon, Karen Osborne, Sarah Pinsker, Margaret Riley
What is the right length for your story idea? How does outlining, submitting, revising, and other aspects of the writing craft change with story length? How do you go about rewriting a story for a drastically different word count? Panelists will discuss various techniques they have used and the pros and cons of each.
MOLO WRITES 