UPDATE:

Unfortunately, I have come down with flu-like/COVID-like symptoms, and will be staying home instead of spreading whatever this illness is further. 😦

ORIGINAL POST:

It’s time for my first con appearance of the year! I’ll be at my first RavenCon this weekend in Richmond, Virginia, which runs from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28. Here’s when you’ll be able to find me (I’ll only be there Friday/Saturday):

Friday

6:00pm — “Writing Readable and Believable Near-Future SF” (moderating) with Doug Burbey, David Keener, Evan Ratke, and J.L. Yarrow
We are looking at global warming, resource wars, mass migration, a fragile world economic system, and global political systems that seem unable to deal seriously with real problems. How does a writer extrapolate from the present into the future while avoiding the pitfalls of infodumps and exhausted tropes?

8:00pm — “Horror in Space” with R.S. Belcher, Bill Bridges (moderator), Amanda Downum, and Ken Schrader
What SF elements pair well with horror when set in space? Does religious horror (spirits, demons, possession, etc.) work in such a science-focused setting? With space so inherently dangerous, does space horror need a monster at all? Let’s talk about what works and what doesn’t.

Saturday

10:00am — “Soft World Building in Speculative Poetry” (moderating) with Cassandra Rose Clarke and Adele Gardner
Poetry elevates us from animal to person, from electric currents to connected souls, from unbridled meat and instinct to… er, well, there’s no escaping that last one. Speculative poetry lets the reader escape while connecting with themselves. Soft world building inside poetry immerses readers without overcrowding. This panel discusses the art of revealing just enough for poetry to shine.

11:00am — Reading! with Adele Gardner
Adele and I will take turns reading excerpts from our works!

12:00pm — Signing! with Adele Gardner
Adele and I will sign things for people and chat if you stop by!

4:00pm — “What Every Editor Wished Authors Knew” with Ellen Datlow, David Keener, Gray Rinehart (moderator), and Michael A. Ventrella
At some point in your writing career, chances are that you are going to work with an editor, but many authors know next to nothing about the field of editing. Copyeditors, acquisition editors, managing editors, line editors, developmental editors… What do they all do? How do you know what kind of editor you need? How do you find a good editor? How do you work with an editor of a magazine, anthology, or publishing house? Everything you need to know but were afraid to ask.

8:00pm — “Science Fiction, Gender, and Queerness” with L.R. Gould, Dennis M. Myers, and Leona R. Wisoker (moderator)
How does science fiction provide unique opportunities to explore gender or queerness? How do those ideas apply to robots? Or aliens?

Feel free to chat with me between panels, or visit and say hi during the signing! (I’ll be giving away some random free stickers and pins!)