klwilliams

I'll be at FOGcon this weekend. This is a small, regional convention, with interesting panels and interesting people. It's one of my favorite cons, and takes place in March in a very barcon-friendly hotel.

My panels are:

Saturday, 4:30 - 5:45 pm
Pitches, Presentations and Proposals: making your point without resorting to kidnapping your boss
I'm moderating, with panelists Marie Metivier-DeMasters, Alfred Nash, Loren Rhoads

Having to get a complicated point across in a brief "elevator pitch" -- or even in an actual presentation -- can be very intimidating, whether you have five minutes or fifty. The legal system and basic moral sense mean you can't really kidnap your audience for appropriate brainwashing: let's talk about tips for pitches, presentations and proposals that won't end in your humiliating arrest -- and that might get other people excited about your idea. Whether for work or passion, being effective often depends on communicating your idea compellingly. Learn the common -- and a few uncommon! -- mistakes, and how to avoid them.

Saturday, 3:00 - 4:15 pm
Reading by Chaz Brenchley, Ellen Klages, Ellen Kushner, and Karen Brenchley

Or as I call it, the Brenchley-Ellen-Ellen-Brenchley show, in which I will be very outclassed. But I'll read the beginning of my Friar Tuck story.

If you're there, look for me in the downstairs lounge area in front of the bar.

I very much enjoy FogCon. We've been to all of them so far, and the guests, attendees, hotel staff, and everyone else involved are friendly and intelligent and fun. The hotel is designed so that when you come inside, right across from the hotel registration is the bar/restaurant area, open and inviting. I like just hanging out in that area, because even if you're not part of the convention you'll still get to meet the guests. Everyone stops by eventually.

Chaz and I were scheduled to do a reading together, but I have a job now(!) so I won't be there on Friday. I'm listed on the schedule as Karen Brenchley. Still, you can see me on Saturday and Sunday here:

Misfit Toys in Space (Guy W. Thomas (moderator), Lynn Alden Kendall, Karen Brenchley)
Sat 10:30 - 11:45
A discussion of the depiction of people with disabilities in S & SF. Are they just symbols of evil or innocence? How realistic are PwD's presented? How about in Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and other works? What happens when your self-identity is seen as something that can and should be "cured".

The Setting is Another Character (Marie Brennan (moderator), Anna Leah Blumstein, Megan E. O'Keefe, Terry Weyna, Karen Williams)
Sat 1:30 - 2:45
Some stories have such a strong sense of place that the setting comes to life, sometimes becoming as important as any other character. What makes a setting more than scenery? How do settings play a role in our favorite stories?

The SF/F of Suburbia (Karen Brenchley (moderator), Mary Anne Mohanraj, Steven Schwartz)
Sun 10:30 - 11:45
There's a lot of fiction set in the City -- urban fantasy, cyberpunk, you name it. And quite a lot is set out on the Frontier -- whether that frontier have rayguns or be the deep dark forest. But many of us live (or have lived) in the suburbs -- that's our experience of the world. And who is writing the SF/F of that environment? "Edward Scissorhands", J.G. Ballard, and who else? What makes a suburban fairy tale? Or Suburb-punk?

I realize I'm falling short in providing a new photo of a cat, but instead I have something a little meatier (and no, I don't mean a photo of Barry). BayCon is held every year on Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend of May), and I'll be on the following panels. Come see me (and the other cool people on the panels). I'll be moderating the Self-Promotion and Publicity panel, and I'm interested in seeing what the panelists will say in answer to my questions.

Fairy Tales and Mythology on Saturday at 2:00 PM in Winchester
(with Juliette Wade, Jenna M. Pitman (M), Irene Radford, Margaret McGaffey Fisk, Beth Barany)

What are we teaching our children about the fairy tales and mythology in today's media, or even as bedtime stories? Are we staying true, or drifting?


Self-Promotion and Publicity for Writers on Saturday at 4:00 PM in Lafayette
(with Lex Parisi, Tony N. Todaro, Bob Brown, Beth Barany, Karen Williams(M))

So you've figured out this whole writing thing and your work is finally out there. Wouldn't it be great if people actually bought it? Just because the publisher bought your book doesn't mean they're going to publicize it. Learn the whys and hows of self-promotion from the experts.


Evolution of Female Characters on Sunday at 4:00 PM in Lafayette
(with Jenna M. Pitman (M), Karen Sandler, Ingrid Paulson, Lynn Ward)

From damsels in distress to sword-wielding, gun-toting, and military masterminds, have women found their place, or are they 'feminized' men? Do the women truly reflect changing attitudes about the roles of women?