My Lunacon Schedule
No, No, Really; That’s TMI
Friday 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
How much is too much when it comes to a story? Some authors have tens or even hundreds of pages of notes, but is that all really necessary? What do authors need to know that their readers don’t? How much do they actually need to know and how much can be faked?
Sam Butler, Leigh Grossman, Daniel Grotta, Glenn Hauman, Jane T. Sibley, Ian Randal Strock [M]
Creating Your Own Sandbox
Saturday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
World-building in your sci-fi/fantasy writing. Geography, society, language… how detailed do you get?
Sam Butler [M], Michael D’Ambrosio, Teel James Glenn, Michele Lang
Anybody Wanna Have Sects Tonight?
Saturday 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
In many sci-fi and fantasy works, the author will invent entire religions for the purpose of plot or flavor. How do we go about creating gods and rites of worship that seem believable to the reader? What doesn’t work?
Alma Alexander [M], Sam Butler, Louis Epstein, Jane T. Sibley, Michael A. Ventrella
Reading: Sam Butler
Saturday 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Divine Inspiration
Sunday 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Drawing from parables, myths, and prophecies for science fiction and fantasy. Religious motifs can be seen in many of the major works of literary fiction and mainstream media over the years, from the recurring iterations of Gilgamesh’s Heroic journey to the spiritual and philosophical explorations of Lost and Battlestar Galactica. Why do fans enjoy these religious stories and retellings so much, and what are some iconic myths that have not been retold in recent years that are begging for a new adaptation?
Sam Butler, Ef Deal, Rosemary Edghill, Alexis Gilliland, Elizabeth Glover [M]
Whither Wander You?
Sunday 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
The physical journey can mirror and drive the spiritual journey of the characters, while providing an interesting and amusing source of external conflict. When done poorly, it can devolve into tedium, and wreak havoc on the pacing of the novel. How do you keep one from sliding into the other? What are some of the best travel scenes we’ve written and read? Which have been done poorly? How do you write a compelling travel scene without losing the reader to what seems like a hundred pages of endless trudging through snowy wastelands?
Alma Alexander [M], Peter V. Brett, Sam Butler, Keith DeCandido, Josepha Sherman