Michael A. Ventrella

I will be participating as a guest at the 2011 Lunacon science fiction convention on the weekend of March 18 – 20. Below is my schedule, and boy, are they keeping me busy!

Developing Believable Cultures and Religions for Fiction (Friday 5:00 pm) (description forthcoming) With Ginjer Buchannan, Gail Z. Martin, and Joshua Palmatier.

LARPing 101 (Friday 6:00 pm) Introduction to Live Action Role-Playing. With Heidi Hooper, James Prego, and Raven Stormbringer.

The Fundamentals of Role-Playing Games (Friday 7:00 pm) The basics of designing and running games. With Neil Levin, Mike McPhail, and Anthony Minacarelli.

Urban Fantasy (Friday 10:00 pm) Are there werewolves on the subway, vampires in the condo next door and faeries in Central Park? What makes Urban Fantasy both “urban” and “fantasy”—and how do you get readers to accept fantastic elements set in a real-world contemporary setting? With Gail Z. Martin, Joshua Palmatier, KT Pinto, and Meredith Schwartz.

The Eye of Argon (Friday midnight) The worst science fiction story ever written gets a reading by our brave panel as they compete to go the longest without tripping over a misspelled word of laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to rake a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With Keith DiCandido, Susan De Guardiola, and Hildy Silverman.

The Greatest Animated Films (Saturday 10:00 am) A debate over a list of the greatest animated films. With Daniel Kimmel, Kim Kindya, and Chuck Rothman.

Incorporating the Supernatural (Saturday 11:00 am) Supernatural elements are showing up in fantasy, sci-fi, romance, mystery and cross-genre books. There’s a ghost under every bed and a vampire in every basement. How do writers decide how—or whether—to incorporate supernatural elements? Is the supernatural just a gimmick, or can it add depth to the plot? Find out the tricks from our panel of “ghost” writers. With Pauline Alama, Laura Anne Gilman, Gail Z. Martin, and KT Pinto.

The Biggest Mistakes New Writers Make (Saturday 12:00 noon) (description forthcoming) With Tim Burke, Joshua Palmatier and Michael Stanwick.

Monsters of Modernity (Saturday 1:00 pm) What if a vampire isn’t just a vampire bite? From vampires and sexuality to Frankenstein and the enlightenment, to the Thing and the AIDS epidemic, monsters have often stood in as allegory for modern issues. With James Chambers, Kim Paffenroth and Misty Pendragon.

Self Publishing (Saturday 6:00 pm) Easy as clicking and uploading. But what do you after tyou have it? How do you get it sold? With Tim Burke, Michael D’Ambrosio, and Robert Rosenberg.

Using Social Networks to Promote Your Writing (Saturday 7:00 pm) (description forthcoming) With Shannon Delany and Laura Anne Gilman.

“Real” Folklore and Mythology in Fantasy World Building (Saturday 10:00 pm) World building for fiction and gaming — how to make it believable and real. With Pauline Alma, Hal Johnson, Gail Z. Martin, and Michael Swanwick.

Potter-verse Holes (Sunday 10:00 am) As much as we love them, the Harry Potter books have some logical inconsistencies. This panel will discuss the parts we tend to ignore or overlook. With Marilyn Bahen, Ginjer Buchannan and Ian Randall Stock.

Writing a First Chapter That Sells (Sunday noon) If your first paragraph, first page and first chapter aren’t magical, the editor will never know how good your book is on page 200. Find out how to increase your readership and your chances of publication by learning how to write a first chapter readers can’t stop reading. With Gail Z. Martin, Joshua Palmatier, and Lawrence Schoen.

Book Promoting for the Broke (Sunday 1:00 pm) How to sell your book on a limited promotion budget. Learn how to promote your book in an every-changing world. No secrets here, just tips and tools to make you a better promoter, even without the big bucks. With Michael D’Ambrosio.

Writing Battle Scenes (Sunday 2:00 pm) What do you have to know about weapons, and warfare, to make a battle scene sizzle? Can someone who’s never thrown a punch in real life kick ass on paper? Find out how you can write exciting battle scenes without getting yourself arrested or wounded. With Gail Z. Martin, Kate Paulk, and Joshua Palmatier.

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