I will be at FOGCon Friday March 9th to Sunday March 11th. Unfortunately do to the day job, I won’t be arriving until late Friday. I can be found at the following panels.
Reading
Sat 10:30 – 11:45AM
Steve Brady, Marie Brennan, Sheryl R. Hayes, Dominica Phetteplace
I’m planning on reading from Chaos Wolf. This will be the novel’s first public outing.
When Familiar Waters Aren’t Safe to Go In Anymore
Sat 4:30 – 5:45PM
Moderator: Debbie Notkin.
Panel: Anna Blumstein, Sheryl R. Hayes, Madeleine E. Robins
Sometimes, when reading favorite books, one runs across something that just knocks you sideways–that you missed the first time, or did not react to as strongly in the past. What causes us to react differently on a reread, and how do we cope with books that may have suddenly become unsafe? Are there stories we have deliberately returned to in the hope of this impact, and if so, why? This is a very sensitive topic that will touch on personal trauma, so attendees are requested to be kind and compassionate to each other.
How to Get Into Stories
Sun 10:30 – 11:45AM
Moderator: Nancy Jane Moore.
Panel: Sheryl R. Hayes, L.S. Johnson, Caitlin Seal
For many of us, “falling into the story” or “putting yourself in the story” are goals we strive for when reading. But how do we actually do that? Some people do it just in their engagement with the text. Some people read Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. Some people play roleplaying games based on their favorite books. Some people write fanfic. We’ll get together to talk about why we do what we do, and what it gives us.
They Didn’t Stick the Landing: Disappointing Finales
Sun, 1:30–2:45 pm
Moderator: Sheryl R. Hayes
Panel: Emily Jiang, Dominica Phetteplace, Dave Smeds, Blackfeather Tanfur
We love series so much that we invest years of our lives waiting for the Grand Finale where All Will Be Revealed–only to be disappointed by the ending as some thing are still left unresolved, others are resolved poorly, and our personal hopes for plotlines are dashed. Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Kate Thompson’s Switchers trilogy, K.A. Applegate’s Animorphs series, N.K. Jemisin’s numerous series, Robin Hobb’s even more numerous series, Octavia Butler’s sadly-incomplete Parable series, and many more have left people grappling with emotions and questions afterwards. What have frustrating or underwhelming ending taught us, as readers and writers? When it comes to endings, how much closure should they provide? When did they not provide enough? What are our expectations of verisimilitude for the story leading up to the end vs. the end itself?
Otherwise, I’ll be wandering around, attending other panels, and probably spending way too much time in the dealer room. Look for the woman with the crochet red dragon sitting on her shoulder.