Michael A. Ventrella

Between May 24 – 27, you can find me at the 53rd annual Balticon convention! This year’s guest of honor is Elizabeth Bear!

I’m moderating a bunch pf panels this year, so I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there. Here’s my schedule:

Keeping Your Anti-heroes Likable (Friday 4 pm): They’re gruff, uncouth, and tough to get along with. So how do you make them fun to read?  Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Paul E. Cooley, T. Eric Bakutis, Ada Palmer, Robert E. Waters

Sustaining Tension in Your Writing (Friday 6 pm): A narrative work, even a small one, maintains audience interest through the buildup and release of tension. But how do you keep tension going after you’ve resolved a major plot point and there’s story to go? Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Paul E. Cooley, T. Eric Bakutis, Ada Palmer, Robert E. Waters

Readings (Friday 8 pm): Authors Jamaila Brinkley, Doc Coleman, and Michael Ventrella read from their works. Doc Coleman, Jamaila Brinkley, Michael A. Ventrella

Steampunk vs. Gaslight Fantasy (Saturday 10 am): Sorcery & Cecelia or The Difference Engine? Captain James T. West or Thomas, Lord Darcy? What makes a work steampunk and what makes a work gaslamp fantasy? Is there a significant difference or is it merely cosmetic? Doc Coleman (moderator), Scott Roche, Jamaila Brinkley, Philippa Ballantine, Michael A. Ventrella

Pitch Session: “Across the Universe” Anthology (Saturday noon): Co-editor Michael Ventrella is looking for “what-if” stories on The Beatles for an upcoming anthology featuring stories by Spider Robinson, Peter David, Jodie Lynn Nye, and David Gerrold.

Game of Thrones: What Did You Think? (Saturday 1 pm): After eight award-winning seasons, Game of Thrones has finally finished its HBO run. How did it manage to live up to your expectations? How do you feel about the final seasons being written without complete source material? What will you do with your Sunday evenings now?  Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Sarah Avery, Cerece Rennie Murphy, Chad Dukes, Liz Dukes, Perrianne Lurie

Ask me Anything: Editors and Publishers (Saturday 3 pm): A panel of professional editors and publishers answer questions from the audience. Michael A. Ventrella (moderator), Joshua Bilmes, Scott H. Andrews, Alex Shvartsman, Ian Randal Strock, Hildy Silverman

Tales from the Slush Pile (Sunday 6 pm): Editors share tales of some of the gems they’ve received, and give advice on how to avoid becoming fodder for future panels like this. Joshua Bilmes (moderator), Scott H. Andrews, Alex Shvartsman, Michael A. Ventrella

Here are some pictures of me from previous Balticons!

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