What a crazy two weeks. Last weekend we were down in Roanoke for Mysticon and this weekend, we’re off to Albany for Albacon. Albacon is special because my wife Heidi Hooper is the Artist Guest of Honor!
Albacon is also special because on Friday, they start very early and have what is basically a writer’s conference. It’s like a convention and a conference all in one. I am hosting some of these sessions, and I look forward to meeting some new writers there.
Here’s my schedule:
The Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Authors (Friday 9 am): We’ll discuss not only writing mistakes but also promotional mistakes: How writers have screwed themselves over and killed their chances of making it in the publishing world doing easily preventable things! With Llalania Ghose, Jim Rudnick, and David Weber
Tooting Your Own Horn with Social Media (Friday 2 pm): Self-promotion is an important part of building a career. Poorly executed, it can do more harm than good. Our panelists will discuss what works and doesn’t work. With Debi Chowdhury, Kate Laity, and Keith Willis
Ice Cream Social (Friday 8 pm): What better way to meet the Guests of Honor and other participants than in a big party, complete with ice cream and all the fixings?
The Greatest Animated Films of All Time (Friday 10 pm): A debate over the list of best animated feature films. Will our panel agree or will the discussion break out in fisticuffs? With Susan Hanniford Crowley, J.A. Fludd, Herb Kauderer, and Dawn McKechnie
Reading (Saturday 3:30 pm): I’ll be reading from “Bloodsuckers” and, depending on time, perhaps a bit of a preview of some upcoming works.
The Eye of Argon (Saturday 11 pm): 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 or laughing uncontrollably. Audience members are also encouraged to take a chance. Can you keep a straight face, especially when the panel begins acting out the story? With James Cambias, Andre Lieven, Ryk Spoor, and Ian Randal Strock
Making Politics Work in Fiction (Sunday 11 am): Real world political narratives are filled with cultural revolutions, passionate speeches about social change, war, and intricate Machievellian plots. How can you portray them convincingly in your story? From noble houses in fantasy worlds to galaxy-spanning empires in SF, how do you make them believable and engaging without burying your reader in the intricacies of your setting’s political theory? With Ian Randal Strock and David Weber
Filed under: writing | Tagged: Albacon, conventions, Heidi Hooper, writing advice |
Michael A. Ventrella 
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