Posts Tagged ‘Reading’

My Tentative GenCon Writers’ Symposium 2016 Schedule

No Comments » Written on July 27th, 2016 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading, Writing

Huh. Oh well, I thought this had posted to the blog a couple weeks ago, but apparently not. Soo…

And now for something completely different, in a calendar year that has had me bouncing around the country to an unprecedented number of conventions and bookstore signings â€” and beginning about two weeks before I head off to Kansas City for the Worldcon â€” I’m going to Indianapolis to take part in the GenCon Writers’ Symposium 2016.

And not just me, but dozens of brilliant authors (as well as some agents and editors) too. And, oh yeah, I think there’s a big gaming convention going on around us at the same time.

Anyway, here’s where you can find me:

Thursday, August 4th
9:00 a.m. (Capital 1) Special Event: Symposium Opening Ceremonies
With Marc Tassin

10:00 a.m. (Chamber) Short Fiction: Plotting Short Stories
With Donald J. Bingle, Gabrielle Harbowy, John Helfers (M), and Sunil Patel

2:00 p.m. (Chamber) Short Fiction: Where to Start the Story
With Marie Brennan, Steve Drew (M), Cat Rambo, and Peter Tieryas

Friday, August 5th
9:00 a.m. (Chamber) Marketing: Social Media 101
With Gwenda Bond, Joshua Alan Doetsch, Steve Drew (M), Melanie R. Meadors

1:00 p.m. (Causus) Writing Novels: Story Arcs that Drive the Reader
With Matt Forbeck, John Helfers (M), Jody Lynn Nye, and Aaron Rosenberg

2:00 p.m. (Capital 1) Character Craft: Characters That Aren’t Reflections of You
With Rachel Dunne, Susan J. Morris (M), Carrie Patel, and Aaron Rosenberg

5:00 p.m. (Cabinet) Writer’s Craft: How to make your alien language alien

Saturday, August 6th
12:00 p.m. (Chamber) Writer’s Craft: Fun Story, Smart Message
With James Lowder, Christoper Rowe, Aaron Rosenberg, and Gregory A. Wilson (M)

5:00 p.m. (Congress II) Reading
With Sunil Patel

As always, all of the above can change, from topics to timing to the people listed. If I become aware of any major changes prior to the event, I’ll do my best to post a “final” schedule.

See you at GenCon!

Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading, Writing
Posted in News

My Tentative Confluence 2016 Schedule

No Comments » Written on June 28th, 2016 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Barsk, Conventions, Klingon, Reading

Don’t look for me in the greater Philadelphia area come the end of July. I’ll actually be at the other end of the state. For the first time ever, I’ll be attending Confluence, which this year runs July 29 thru 31st.

Even better, I’m one of the convention’s GOHs â€” which means someone else is providing me with Diet Coke!

They have lots of things planned for me, and I’m hoping there may even be some Barsk-based hall costumes (with a potential Tuckerization up for grabs), but we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, they sent out tentative schedules with a month to spare, so here’s mine:

Friday, August 29th
4:00 p.m. (Commonwealth East) Invented Languages
Characters need to speak it, but readers need to be able to follow it, too. How to invent a new language for a story, and make it “work.”
With Fred Capp

6:00 p.m. (Ballroom 1) GOHs Gone Wrong
Confluence’s featured author guests discuss the many things in their writerly careers they have done badly, backwards, or just plain wrong. NB: Authors are professionals, do not try this at home.
With Saladin Ahmed

9:00 p.m. (Ballroom 1) Meet the Confluence guests
Emcee Kevin Hayes will introduce the Confluence guests of honor and special guests. There may be singing and tomfoolery.
With Saladin Ahmed, Jeff Bohnhoff, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Steve Goodie, and Kevin Hayes

Saturday, July 30th
11:00 a.m. (Commonwealth West) Communicating with Aliens
A standard theme in SF is the challenge of communication with an alien intellect. This is often treated as a novel enterprise. But humans have millennia of experience communicating with nonhuman intelligence. We have coevolved and can communicate with domesticants, commensals, prey, and predators. Experts in interspecies communication through shared work can cast insight into the bridges and the barriers with new and newly encountered form of nonhuman intelligence.
With William Keith, Charles Obendorf, Bud Sparhawk

12:00 p.m. (Kaffeeklatsch Room) Anthropomorphic SF: Not Just Furries In Space
What are the pros and cons of bringing in anthropomorphic characters in lieu or in addition to traditional aliens in science fiction? GOH Lawrence M. Schoen discusses how the nonhumans in his novel Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard resonant better than aliens.
Kaffeeklatsch – advance sign-up in Registration required

2:00 p.m. (Solstice) Perhaps It IS A Good Day To Tryâ€¦ Klingon
An introduction to the Klingon language. No one will be admitted during the voiced velar fricative portion.

Sunday, July 31st
10:00 a.m. (Equinox) Reading
Warning: There may be elephants. Oh, who are we kidding, of course there’ll be elephants. Also Q&A if desired.

Of course, we are a month out, and anything above could change. I will likely post a “final” schedule a week or so before the convention.

See you at Confluence!

Tags: Appearance, Barsk, Conventions, Klingon, Reading
Posted in News

My Tentative 2016 BayCon Schedule

No Comments » Written on April 27th, 2016 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Barsk, Conventions, Memory, Reading

One month from today I’ll be back on the west coast (northern California this time), starting my Memorial Day weekend by attending Baycon, where I’ve had the privilege of being named their “Special Language Guest.” We’re still working out a few of the details (like just how much Diet Coke I’ll drink in the course of four and a half days), but here’s the current version of my schedule. Personally, I think it looks pretty fantastic, but I confess I’m slightly biased.

Friday, May 27th
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Convene ) Opening Ceremonies
The official start of what you know will be an awesome weekend!
With David Gerrold, Chris Butler, Anastasia Hunter, and The Library Bards

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (Connect 4) How to Remember EVERYTHING!
Mnemonics and You! Come here me explain how memory works and how to enhance yours.

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. (Collaborate 2) Star Trek – Why We Still Love It
From The Man Trap to to Star Trek Beyond, the franchise has spanned 50 years and still captures new generations of fans. Our panelists talk about the shows, the movies and the captivating universe that is Roddenberry’s legacy.
With David Gerrold, Wanda Kurtcu, and Irene Radford

7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Convene) Meet The Guests
All attendees are invited to come meet and mingle with our guests at an informal reception.

Saturday, May 28th
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (The Courtyard) GOH Breakfast
We’ve got to eat, and apparently it’s a spectator event at this convention.
With Chris Butler, David Gerrold, Bonnie Gordon, Anastasia Hunter, and Xander Jeanneret

11:30 – 1:00 p.m. (Collaborate 2) Klingon 101
What’s the point of a convention having a Special Language Guest is you can’t learn some Klingon? In less than an hour I will teach you 80% of Klingon grammar. Believe it!

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (Synergy 4) How Can Science Fiction and Fantasy Blend Well?
Yeah, how? Well, I could tell you here, but then you wouldn’t come to the panel. Ha!
Jennifer L. Carson, Jacob Fisk, Todd McCaffrey, and Irene Radford

Sunday, May 29th
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. (The Courtyard) Reading
Come and hear me read from Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard.

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (Strategy) A Chat With Lawrence M. Schoen
They tell me there is ***LIMITED SEATING*** for this event. Please visit Prog Ops to sign up and be a part of the small group of attendees with whom I will officially chat.

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. (Convene) GoH Interview: Lawrence M. Schoen
They won’t tell me what the questions are in advance, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be under oath. With luck, they will not be solicited questions from colleagues and family members.

Monday, May 30th
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Synergy 4) Second Life’s Second Life
The living world is not enough. Come here us discuss existence in the virtual world of Second Life.
With Chris Butler, David Gerrold, Bonnie Gordon, Anastasia Hunter, and Xander Jeanneret

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (Engage) How We End
Death – social and personal experiences, in life and literature.
Gregg Castro (M), Colin Fisk, Setsu Uzume, Fred Wiehe, and Randy Smith

As always, be aware that some of the people listed on the items above may change or disappear. Times and locations of panels may alter. All attendees are responsible for their own action verbs.

See you at BayCon!

Tags: Appearance, Barsk, Conventions, Memory, Reading
Posted in News

My (probably) Final Ravencon 10 Schedule

No Comments » Written on April 10th, 2015 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Conroyverse, Conventions, Reading

In two weeks I’ll be heading down to Richmond, VA where I’m among the GOHs for Ravencon.

Here’s the full lineup:

AUTHOR: Allen Steele
ARTIST: Frank Wu
GAMING: Brianna Spacekat Wu
SPECIAL AUTHOR: Jack McDevitt
SPECIAL AUTHOR: Lawrence M. Schoen
PLUSH: Barry Mantelo

That’s right, Barry is a GOH. He has his own room in the hotel (okay, it may be a safe in someone’s closet, but it’s all his!), his own guest liaison, and first class travel to and from Richmond (you wish you could fit in a jiffy mailing bag, don’t you?).

While there’s always the chance that some last minute changes will pop up, here’s what I currently believe is my schedule:

Friday, April 24th

7:00 p.m. | Rooms E & F
Opening Ceremonies

Saturday, April 25th

10:00 a.m. | Anna Writing Dialogue
Panelists discuss writing convincing, interesting dialogue. What about accents, physical quirks, and differing vocabulary from character to character. How can you use physical beats and dialogue tags to pace a conversation?
Lou Antonelli, Noah McBrayer Jones, Karen McCullough (M), Kate Paulk, and me.

11:00 a.m. | Dealersâ€™ Room Signing
That’s right, this is your chance to have me sign a copy of one of my books. What? You don’t have any of my books? Not a problem, I’ll have some at the table to sell you!
Just me (and Barry).

1:00 p.m. | Room G How to Remember ANYTHING!
I’ll discuss some of the kinds of memory that human beings have, and then walk you through the underlying principles that make them work. Then we’ll go through both mnemonic techniques and mnemonic systems, and end by teaching you one of the latter so you can amaze your friends with your incredible memory!
Me (and anyone who remembers to show up).

3:00 p.m. | Board Room Reading
I’ll read a story the opening of my new novel Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard, and if there’s time tell talk about a completely different book I’m working on.
Me (and a throng of eager readers!).

6:00 p.m. | Chesterfield Pictionary: Authors vs. Artists
This is going to get ugly, ain’t no doubt. My only hope is that the artists can draw pretty but suffer from aphasia, lockjaw, or are eating peanut butter.
Victim List Still in Progress

Sunday, April 26th

10:00 a.m. | Room E No Right Way To Write: Techniques for New Writers
There is no one correct way to write. One of the challenges for new writers is to find the way that works best for them. Some people need strict outlines. Others require only bullet points. While still others want for nothing more than an idea and a few notes scrawled on a dirty napkin. Panelists will discuss a variety of methods they’ve used, and offer you a range of options for you to try out on your own.
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Mary Miley, Robert Sommers, Allen Steele, and me as your Sunday morning moderator.

1:00 p.m. | Anna The Best Critique Group For You
Critique groups are a great way for both new and experienced writers to improve their stories, but for many these gatherings may seem mysterious or even intimidating. What do writing groups do? How can you find one? We’ll share our experiences, offer our advice, and then send you loose into the wild.
J.T. Glover, Darin Kennedy, Robert Sommers, Meryl Yourish, and moderator me.

That’s pretty much it. At this point, it’s not clear if there will or will not be a San Marino Worldcon Bid Party (but if there is, it will be Saturday night â€” unless, um, it’s not).

See you in Richmond!

Tags: Appearance, Conroyverse, Conventions, Reading
Posted in News

Boskone 52 Schedule (more than a month out!)

No Comments » Written on January 11th, 2015 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Conroyverse, Conventions, Fiction, Reading, Traveling

Bucking the trend of recent conventions, this morning I received an email from the programming people at Boskone revealing what they referred to as my “final schedule,” and including a note that the full schedule is up on their website

I am agog!

Not just because lately it’s been much more common to get my schedule in the final week before the con (and often much less), but because of the incredible array of authors who will be showing up at the convention, folks like Elizabeth Bear, Charlie Stross, Karl Schroeder, Allen Steele, Carrie Vaugh, Walter Jon Williams, and many more. And, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Steven Brust is their GoH, as I am a long time fan and collector of his work.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s my schedule:

Friday, February 13th
3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. | Burroughs | Food in Fiction
Stories that make you go, “Yum!” How do you describe food to convey mood or set the scene? Join our panelists as they dish on the culinary delights that tantalize us in fiction, from regional teas to kingly feasts. What works? What doesn’t? And what should you know about a food-centric scene?
with Carrie Cuinn (M), Steven Brust, James Cambias, Fran Wilde, and me!

4:00 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. | Galleria-Kaffeeklatsch 2 | Kaffeeklatsch
Let’s talk about psychology, linguistics, Klingon, hypnosis, small press publishing, award nominations, my forthcoming book from Tor, or whatever else you want to ask me about as we enjoy coffee, tea, or in my case a Diet Cokeâ„¢. Sign-up is required at Program Ops in the Galleria, but I’m sure we can fit you in.

Saturday, February 14th
10:00 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. | Independence | – Reading
I’ll likely read from my new novel, Barsk: The Elephants Graveyard, unless people would rather hear a bit from my recent Amazing Conroy novella, Calendrical Regression. Either way, come on by, show me some love, on this cold Valentine’s Day morning (sniffle, cuz my wife is back in Philadelphia).

2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. | Galleria-Autographing | – Autographing
This is your chance to bring stuff for me to sign! I know, it’s exciting!
with M.L. Brennan, Daniel M. Kimmel, and me!

5:00 p.m. – 5:50 p.m. | Burroughs | – Rejectomancy
Is there really a blue sheet of death? Does an encouraging form letter mean less or more than a generic personalized response? These are just a few of the questions that new writers ponder as they try to read between the lines of the rejection letters they receive. Every new writer goes through this dreaded stage (better known as “rejectomancy”) as they try to glean some hidden meaning within the text. Writers who have been there share their own rejectomancy stories and give some helpful advice on ways to avoid the “rejectomancy” trap.
with Stephen P. Kelner (M), Craig Shaw Gardner, James Patrick Kelly, Margaret Ronald, and me!

And of course, Barry will be on hand to pose for photos with you. See you in Boston!

Tags: Appearance, Conroyverse, Conventions, Fiction, Reading, Traveling
Posted in News

My Final Capclave 2014 Schedule

No Comments » Written on October 9th, 2014 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading

The glory that is Capclave begins tomorrow and I am very excited to be participating in the convention.

Here is my shiny and updated schedule:

Friday, October 10th

3:30 p.m. | Salon A – “Holy Shuftik!” he cried
How does an author create a distinctive language for characters in the future or in a different world and keep it understandable to the reader? What’s the right balance between creating language and making sure the reader can figure it out without a dictionary appendix to the story?
Paolo Bacigalupi, Tom Doyle (M), Diana Peterfreund, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and me.

Saturday, October 11th

11:00 a.m. | Frederick – Reading
I recently turned in a new novel to my editor at Tor, and assuming he doesn’t wrestle the manuscript from me, I’ll read you a bit of it.
Come to hear me, and stay to listen to Walter Hunt, who follows me (as if!) at 11:30.

12:00 p.m. | Author’s Hallway – Shameless Hucksterism
They’ve given me half a table in the middle of a busy corridor so I can sell you things! Specifically, I’ll have copies of my books, as well as offerings from my small press, Paper Golem.
Tom Doyle will be sitting alongside me, so come visit him too.

3:00 p.m. | Rockville/Potomac – Rules? Rules? There are no Rules!
When writing fiction, if it works, it works. Our panel debates whether authors need to know “rules” that they can then break if they are good enough, or if this only constrains creativity.
Paolo Bacigalupi, Walter H. Hunt (M), Alma Katsu, James Morrow, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and me.

7:30 p.m. | Rockville/Potomac – Mass Signing
Your chance to get my signature on something! Woo hoo!
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sarah Avery, Paolo Bacigalupi, Holly Black, Marilyn “Mattie” Brahen, Neil Clarke, Tom Doyle, Andy Duncan, Scott Edelman, Jim Freund, Charles E. Gannon, Max Gladstone, David G. Hartwell, Alma Katsu, Pamela K. Kinney, Barbara Krasnoff, Dina Leacock, James Maxey, Will McIntosh, Mike McPhail, Sunny Moraine, James Morrow, Sarah Pinsker, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Darrell Schweitzer, Alex Shvartsman, Jon Skovron, Alan Smale, Bud Sparhawk, Janine Spendlove, Genevieve Valentine, Michael A. Ventrella, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and me.

Sunday, October 12th

2:00 p.m. | Bethesda – Best Books of 2014
Discuss your favorite new books of 2014. Which novels deserve your Hugo/Nebula/Tiptree/World Fantasy/Golden Duck, etc nomination? What novels won’t be nominated and deserve to be and why not?
Sarah Avery, D. Douglas Fratz (M), and me.

And there you have it!

Please note, Barry will also be in attendance (but, alas, not on programming) and eager to pose for photos.

Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading
Posted in News

My Preliminary Capclave 2014 Schedule

No Comments » Written on September 26th, 2014 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading

The autumnal convention season is gearing up and soon I’ll be heading down to the Washington, D.C. area for one of my favorite events: Capclave.

Here is my schedule as I currently know it to be:

Friday, October 10th

5:00 p.m. | Salon A – “Holy Shuftik!” he cried
How does an author create a distinctive language for characters in the future or in a different world and keep it understandable to the reader? What’s the right balance between creating language and making sure the reader can figure it out without a dictionary appendix to the story?
Paolo Bacigalupi, Tom Doyle (M), Diana Peterfreund, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and me.

Saturday, October 11th

Sunday, October 12th

Tags: Appearance, Conventions, Reading
Posted in News

Tom Doyle at PSFS this Friday

No Comments » Written on January 29th, 2013 by Lawrence Schoen
Categories: News
Tags: Appearance, Paper Golem, Reading

The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society (PSFS) meets this Friday night at 9:00 p.m. and their guest will be author Tom Doyle. Here’s the official blurb from PSFS:

“Tom Doyle writes science fiction and fantasy in a spooky turret in Washington, DC. He grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, so when he attended the Clarion Writers’ Workshop there in 2003, it was like coming home. He lived in Japan for over a year and has traveled widely. In 2004, he visited Ireland for the celebrations of the hundredth anniversary of Bloomsday, and that experience contributed greatly to his 2012 Writers of the Future story.

Tom won the 2008 WSFA Small Press Award. He has published stories in Strange Horizons, Futurismic, Aeon, and Ideomancer, among others. His essays on science fiction and millennialism have appeared in Fictitious Force and Strange Horizons, and in the book The End That Does. Paper Golem Press has published a collection of his short fiction, The Wizard of Macatawa and Other Stories. Tom has appeared on the Hour of the Wolf radio program and the Fast Forward TV show, and he has given a presentation on L. Frank Baum at the Library of Congress.”

Full disclosure, I published Tom’s short story collection. I did it because I think he’s a brilliant and extremely talented writer. But even better than that, he does a reading that is nothing short of awesome! So, if you’re anywhere near Philadelphia on Friday, or can get there, you need to go to Tom’s appearance at PSFS.

Oh, one more thing that PSFS didn’t know was happening when they invited Tom to be their feature speaker on Friday: He just signed a three book deal with Tor. Congratulations, Tom!

PSFS will be meeting at the University of Pennsylvania’s International House, located at 3701 Chestnut Street, in Philadelphia, PA.

I can’t be there because I’ll be up in New York doing a hypnosis thing. So, tell Tom I sent you. Thanks.

Tags: Appearance, Paper Golem, Reading
Posted in News

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