Posts Tagged ‘GCWS’

My schedule at GenCon Writers’ Symposium 2022

If you’ll be attending the GenCon Writers’ Symposium this week in Indianapolis, from Thursday, August 4, through Sunday, August 7,  here’s my schedule of panels and signings.

All GCWS panels take place in the meeting rooms on the second floor of the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown hotel on W. Maryland St., across from the Indiana Convention Center.

Author signings are taking place next to the Half-Price Books table in the rear of the Main Exhibit Hall, at the end of the 1100 aisle.


THURSDAY, 4 AUGUST

10:00 a.m. – Ballroom 1
“Plot It Out” — How do you plot out a novel, anyway?
[Howard Andrew Jones, Jerry Gordon, Bryan Young, Dan Jolley, David Mack, Steve Diamond (M)]

3:00 p.m. – Austin/Boston
“Author Horror Stories” — Hear about some of our worst writing/publishing experiences.
[Dan Jolley, Toiya Kristen Finley, Mary Fan, David Mack]

5:00 p.m. – Ballroom 1
“Blank Page Blues” — Tips and tricks for getting past that dreaded blank first page.
[Jennifer Brozek, Bryan Young, Toiya Kristen Finley, Jerry Gordon, David Mack]

 


FRIDAY, 5 AUGUST

1:00 p.m. – Ballroom 1
“Who Cares? It’s Magic!” — Does using magic in a fantasy story mean no rules need apply?
[Dan Jolley, Chris A. Jackson, Erin M. Evans, David Mack, Paul Weimer, Steve Drew (M)]

2:00 p.m. – Austin/Boston
“My Book Has a Soundtrack” — How does music inspire our panelists’ literary efforts?
[Toiya Kristen Finley, Gini Koch, David Mack]

5:00 p.m. — Austin/Boston
“Hang With the Authors” — A chance to hang out and ask what YOU want to ask.
[Bryan Young, Cat Rambo, Matt Forbeck, David Mack]

 


SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST

2:00 p.m. – Ballroom 1
“Working With Editors” — What should you know and what can you do to improve the process?
[LaShawn Wanak, Katherine Monasterio, David Mack, Patrick S. Tomlinson]

4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Exhibit Hall, end of 1100 aisle
AUTHOR SIGNING: David Mack and Patrick S. Tomlinson

5:00 p.m. – Austin/Boston
“Defining Traits” — How to distinguish one character from another without overdoing it.
[Jennifer Brozek, Erin M. Evans, Dan Jolley, Jason Sanford, David Mack]

 

Where to find me at GenCon 2018

This year I will once again be taking part in the GenCon Writers Symposium as an author guest. The symposium runs from Thursday, August 2, through the morning of Sunday, August 5, on the second floor of the Downtown Marriott, adjacent to the Indiana Convention Center.

My schedule of events for this year’s GCWS is as follows:


Thursday 8/2

10am–11am, Boston Room
What Is Historical Fantasy?

1pm–2pm, Ballrooms 3-4
Justice and Law Enforcement in Speculative Fiction

2pm–3pm, Ballroom 1
You Got Science in my Fantasy!


Friday 8/3

10am–11am, Signing Table (main show floor)
Signing: I will be signing autographs alongside Gail Z. Martin

Noon–1pm, Ballrooms 3-4
Playing in Someone Else’s Sandbox

4pm–5pm, Ballroom 1
Action!


Saturday, 8/4

Noon–1pm, Austin Room
What Makes a Story Science Fiction?

7pm–?, Ballrooms 3-4
Return to the Forbidden Library
(Watch me and fellow authors play AD&D for your amusement!)

 

If you’re coming to this year’s GenCon as either an attendee or a guest, I’ll look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis!

GenCon 50 Writers’ Symposium Wrap-up

Last week I attended for the first time the GenCon Writers’ Symposium, which runs as auxiliary programming at the world-famous GenCon gaming convention. Now that I’ve had a couple of days at home to catch up on emails, bills, and life in general, I’m excited to share my post-convention thoughts.

First, I apologize for the general lack of photos. I was kept pretty busy at GCWS, and most of the time I was having so much fun that taking photos rarely occurred to me. That said, I will remark that I found downtown Indianapolis to be quite a lovely place:

For those not familiar with GCWS, it is a comprehensive program of panels, workshops, and seminars designed to offer something of value to everyone from novice writers, authors of moderate experience, and even grizzled literary veterans. There are tracks of programming devoted to the writer’s craft, the writer’s lifestyle, the business of writing, and much more. Its participants include authors, editors, and agents, and its team of dedicated moderators are truly exceptional at their jobs.

David Mack, Charlaine Harris
Sitting beside me? That’s mega-bestselling author (and truly delightful lady) Charlaine Harris. Behind her are Mary Robinette Kowal and Brandon Sanderson.

Without exception, I found the symposium’s roughly 2,300 attendees to be knowledgeable in their questions, keenly engaged with the subject matter, and serious about improving their craft. I was also pleasantly surprised at how many attendees were not only familiar with but were genuine fans of my work, both for and outside of Star Trek. They were also very receptive to the pitch for my upcoming original novel The Midnight Front—we gave away 72 advance reader copies of the book at the show.

It also didn’t suck that my fan traffic remained steady even while I was signing beside fantasy publishing titans Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Charlaine Harris.

The Symposium’s sponsors, WorldBuilders and Archivos, were generous enough to underwrite a welcome meal at The Old Spaghetti Factory (Archivos) and snacks at the authors’ Saturday-evening hangout in The Rock Bottom Brewery (WorldBuilders). I’m also grateful to the convention’s bookseller, Half Price Books, who took a chance on stocking three of my Star Trek titles (of which we sold nearly every copy they brought, in part thanks to some hard-core hand-selling I did from their table on Saturday afternoon).

The people whose labor made all of this possible were the Symposium’s volunteers, and most importantly its director, Marc Tassin, who after this year will be moving on to new challenges and placing the Symposium into the very capable hands of new co-directors Kelly Swails and Melanie Meadors.

As for my personal experience? I was most blown away by how many wonderful new friends I met among the other Symposium participants. It was a genuine pleasure getting to meet and/or know folks like Monica Valentinelli, Elizabeth Vaughn, Kelly Swails, Jerry Gordon, Raj Khanna, Susan Morris, Dave Robison of Archivos, Anton Strout, Steve Drew, John Helfers, Beth Cato, and Maxwell Alexander Drake.

GCWS participants, from left: (unknown man), Beth Cato, Susan Morris, and Ilana C. Myer.

I also had the pleasure of spending quality time with such friends as Ilana C. Myer, Aaron Rosenberg, Marco Palmieri, Matt Forbeck, and Gregory Wilson.

authors at dinner
Ilana C. Myer and Aaron Rosenberg, at Shula’s Steakhouse.

As much as I could gush about the Symposium’s programming and events, ultimately what I loved best about GCWS was the people I met. There was just a wonderful vibe to this event. I felt the eagerness of the attendees to learn, and the willingness of the participants to share all that they could. For years I’ve heard great things about GCWS from Aaron Rosenberg and Marco Palmieri; I’m glad I finally heeded their advice and committed to this event.

This was one of the most enjoyable and emotionally rewarding convention experiences I’ve ever had, and I hope that the fine folks at GCWS will want to invite me back for many more Symposiums in the years to come.

That’s my rhyme. Peace out.

#SFWApro

My GenCon 50 Writers’ Symposium Schedule (#SFWApro)

If you’ll be at the sold-out GenCon 50 show this week, here is where to find me at the Writers’ Symposium, which is taking place in the Westin Hotel, across the Skywalk from the Indiana Convention Center.


Thursday — August 17

1pm – Story Craft: Ending the Story Right [Caucus]

2pm – Worldbuilding: Creating a Universe [Capital 1]

7pm – D&D with the Authors: “Night at the Forbidden Library” [Chambers]

 


Friday — August 18

11am – Science Fiction: Avoiding Scientific Obsolescence [Cabinet]

Noon – Science Fiction: Getting the Science Right [Cabinet]

3pm – Autographing [Exhibit Hall, Authors’ Alley]

6pm – Writer’s Craft: How to Write Bestselling Tie-in Fiction [Caucus]

 


Saturday — August 19

Noon – Autographing [Exhibit Hall, Authors’ Alley]

2pm – Writer’s Craft: How to Use Editors’ Comments [Caucus]

4pm – Reading (from my upcoming novel The Midnight Front) [Congress 1]

5pm – Writer’s Life: Writers and Depression [Cabinet]

 


I’ll be hanging around the symposium in the morning on Sunday, August 20, before I leave to catch my flight, but I have no panels or other events that day.

See you at Writers’ Symposium, folks!

#SFWApro