Donât starve your main character. Donât force your villain to drink the wrong vintage of wine with his macaroni and cheese. Little details like food help make your fiction real and add depth to your characters. In fantasy and science fiction, it can also reveal important information about climate and culture. Panelists: Daniel Myers, Chris Pierson, Elizabeth Vaughan, Brad Beaulieu
Ghost stories are on the rise. The latest crop of paranormal writing is thick with clairvoyance, necromancy, and ghosts. Letâs take a look at whatâs out there, whatâs been done-to-death, and how to include fresh spirits in your fiction. Panelists: Steven Schend, Kerrie Hughes, Kelly Swails, Luke Johnson, Anton Strout
Donât give your elves a love of woodworking if there are no rules or equipment to support their craft. Donât put a mountain range on the map simply to hold back the dark hordes. In short, create wonderful, exciting, and interesting creatures and features while giving them a reason for being in the game. Panelists: Marc Tassin, Luke Johnson, Jennifer Brozek
There is no one formula that will help you write a bestselling or award-winning novel. But key ingredients for plots and characters, no matter the genre, are goal, motivation, and conflict. Join our panelists as they discuss how they incorporate these elements into their writing to make their fiction exciting and real. Panelists: Chris Pierson, RIchard Lee Byers, Anton Strout, Linda Baker, John Helfers
You write on the weekends, during your lunch hour, or in the evenings. Maybe you even take a few days of vacation to jump start a book. How do you set aside the time? How can you make deadlines while sticking with your 9 to 5? Our panelists, novelists all, have regular âday jobs.â Theyâll share their tips and inspire you to not give up. Panelists: Elizabeth Vaughan, Chris Pierson, Donald Bingle, Kelly Swails
If you want to write, edit, and design games in the hobby market, where do you begin? How can you get paid for your ideas and work? Our panelists offer tips on how to get the attention of game companies and land freelance contracts. Panelists: Jennifer Brozek, Steven Schend, Luke Johnson
How to Buff, Polish, and Make Your Manuscript Shine
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Get an editorâs attention. Find yourself moving up in the slush pile, not sitting forever on the bottom. There are things you can do to your manuscript to make it move a little quicker and to lessen the chances it will get rejected. Panelists: Jean Rabe, John Helfers, Richard Lee Byers
There are great stories being written under the heading of Magical Realism. Is it a subgenre of fantasy? Or is it something else entirely? Is it just a way for academics to study a few select authors while still keeping the rest of the fantasy genre outside their ivory tower? And if you want to pen your next novel in this subgenre, what is the best approach? Panelists: Patrick Rothfuss, John Helfers, Steven Schend
And make them suffer and die, too. There is an art to portraying death and suffering that can add realism and emotion. Learn how to write about your characterâs imminent demise without crossing the line in the realms of morbid, gross, boring, and toomuchinformation. Panelists: Brad Beaulieu, Chris Pierson, Tim Waggoner, Steve Schend
Making the Leap (From Talented Amateur to Publishing Professional)
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What does a writer who's on the verge of writing professional level prose need to do to make that final leap? When do you know youâve crossed the line to become a professional writer? When should you think about quitting the day job? Panelists: Tim Waggoner, Jean Rabe, Richard Lee Byers