Boskone is a major science fiction convention in Boston that I used to attend all the time when I lived there. We moved in 1994 so it’s clearly been a while, but I’ll be back this year, and as a guest panelist instead of just a fan! The Guest of Honor is Greg Cox and my good friend Keith DeCandido is the Master of Ceremonies, and there are lots of other great writers and artists who will be there! Check out this list!
When I’m not on a panel, you’ll probably find me at the Fantastic Books table in the dealer’s room. Here’s my schedule (subject to change):
Tips for Writers Attending Cons (Friday 4 pm): Is this your first convention? Welcome! Stop in and learn about how to attend cons and meet your fans without generating too many “I can’t believe that new writer did that!” stories. Learn why you shouldn’t build pyramids of books in front of you when you’re on a panel and why doing things like using a tablet or a laptop to play videos while you’re on a panel is strictly verboten. With Joshua Bilmes, Janice Gelb, and Tricia J. Wooldridge
Make ‘Em Laugh (Friday 7 pm): In most science fiction/fantasy stories, Donald O’Connor doesn’t fall through a wall to make the audience laugh. Instead, we might find someone screaming something like “Curse you and your surprising yet inevitable betrayal!” But sometimes, no matter how hard we throw the joke, it just doesn’t land. Humor is subjective which is what makes it
so tricky. Our panel of clowns writers will discuss the mechanics of humor and how to get your reader to laugh. With Randee Dawn, Daniel M. Kimmel, Robert V.S. Redick, and Steven Sawicki
Autographing session (Saturday 2:30 pm): with Theodora Goss and Walter Jon Williams
Censorship and How to Fight It (Sunday 11:30 am): For the first time in ages, our government has spoken out in favor of censorship. Has that impacted your writing (or reading or viewing)? What are some of the effective ways to counter censorship? With Kevin McLaughlin and Melinda Snodgrass
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Michael A. Ventrella 