My Preliminary Schedule for Dragon Con 2022

It’s finally starting to feel real. Dragon Con just sent my preliminary schedule for this year’s con. The panels, dates, and times may change, but my final schedule will be close to what you see here. Can’t wait! I’ve been missing my friends way too long!

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, September 1

Title: Virtual: Fact or Fiction, A&HFT 2022 Edition
Description: Our historical fiction writers will refresh your memory on major historical events and goings-on. Of course, not everyone can remember history as it truly happens. Is it fact? Is it fiction? Join our cast of unlucky souls who will determine which story is FACT and which is FICTION...
Time: 10:00 am
Location: STRM_YTTC (Length: 1 Hour)

Friday, September 2

Title: Defining SF in the Era of the Sub-Genre
Description: There are so many different definitions of sf. There are an equal number of sub-genres (military sf, space opera, etc.) Our panelists discuss how definitions have changed through the years.
Time: 11:30 am
Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Finding Balance: Shifters & Werecreatures in UF
Description: Werecreatures & shifters of various types display a wide range of characteristics within the genre, and each deals differently with maintaining a balance between their human and non-human side. Our panel of authors will discuss their versions, as well as some of their favorites in books & media.
Time: 01:00 pm
Location: Chastain 1-2 (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Humor in SF
Description: It takes a deft hand to imbue science fiction with humor, Whether it is subtle or slapstick, our panelists talk about how this is best done and give examples.
Time: 07:00 pm
Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour)

Saturday, September 3

Title: Herstorically Speaking: Vanishing Women in History
Description: Explore the women that changed the world as we know it, both living and dead. Where would we be without these women that seem to have vanished into the mists of time and how would the world have changed if they hadn't been erased?
Time: 05:30 pm
Location: Macon (Length: 1 Hour)

Sunday, September 4

Title: Scandalous: Historical Gossip
Description: Some of our favorite authors share secrets and stories they've uncovered as they dug deep in their research. Bring the tea, because these authors will spill it as they unearth the side of history that couldn't remain hidden forever.
Time: 05:30 pm
Location: Macon (Length: 1 Hour)

Monday, September 5

Title: If I Could Do It Over Again...
Description: Every writer makes a (some? many?) mistake. Maybe this panel will help beginning writers avoid those same mistakes.
Time: 11:30 am
Location: Embassy EF (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Win, Lose or Draw
Description: The game show where contestants have to draw various things from sf, Dragon Con itself, and fantasy. If their team guesses it in the allotted time, they win the round.
Time: 02:30 pm
Location: Embassy AB (Length: 1 Hour)

Tags: #DragonCon #conschedule #JeanMarieWard

My Schedule for Balticon 2022

Balticon is almost here, and I can’t wait to see my friends—including you! I hope you’ll join us at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor May 27-30 for all kinds of fannish fun. I also hope you’ll check out one of my panels or my Sunday reading. It’s a great slate of topics and participants. See you there!

Friday

4 PM, James Meeting Room

Dark Baptism: Coming Into Her Power

How does the supernatural teenage girl trope explore important themes like coming of age, social alienation, and finding a path?

Panelists: Gwendolyn Clare, Michael N. Jones, Ryan O’Nan, Michelle D. Sonnier, Jean Marie Ward (moderator)

7 PM, Virtual Panel Room 1

Frontier Fiction

From undersea development to life in the asteroid belt, it's not just "the weird wild west" out there. What other frontiers can be sought out and explored through SFF? Why is life on the frontier an interesting setting for SFF? How do you write frontier fiction without simply reworking colonial/imperialist dogma?

Panelists: C.J. Cherryh, Monica Louzon, Gillian Polack, Jay Smith, Beth Morris Tanner (mod), Jean Marie Ward

8:30 PM, Guilford Meeting Room

Alternate History—Just Add Magic!

Starting with a well-known period of history and throwing in magical elements into the mix is a popular approach to developing a basic concept for a story. Examples of this include Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, and the recent Dead Djinn Universe. We will talk about the benefits and pitfalls of this approach, how much rigor to put into the magical system, how much history you need to learn, and how to decide where to get started.

Panelists: Phenderson Djèlí Clark, Tom Doyle, JL Gribble, Michelle D. Sonnier, Jean Marie Ward (mod)

 

Saturday

1 PM, Kent Meeting Room

Most Of What You Know About History Is Wrong

False, popular "facts" about history are so widespread that people often view documented facts with skepticism and even outrage. Medieval people did actually bathe, Edison did not invent the light bulb, and more than 300 soldiers defended Thermopylae. Let's tackle examples where real history runs into false popular narratives and the problems that result.

Panelists: Tom Doyle, Ada Palmer, Alan Smale, Jean Marie Ward (mod)

2:30 PM, James Meeting Room

Getting The Most From A Writers Association

Genre association groups such as the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the Romance Writers Association (RWA), as well as more local groups like the Maryland Writers Association (MWA), can offer benefits and perks. Panelists talk about what different groups have to offer and how to get the most out of your membership.

Panelists: Joshua Bilmes, Carol Gyzander, Amy Kaplan (mod), Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward

4 PM, Room 7029

Breaking the Hero’s Journey

There are many ways to break the established pattern while still making the journey entertaining for audiences. Panelists will examine examples of this and what makes them still satisfying to the audience.

Panelists: Sarah Avery, Carl Cipra, Robert L. Slater, Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward (mod)

 

Sunday

1 PM, James Meeting Room

Magic In The Ancient Mediterranean

From Greek curse tablets to Mesopotamian healing spells, the ancient world was brimming with magic, magicians, and demonic dangers. Let's discuss what evidence survives, what it tells us about who wanted to use magic and why, and how we reconstruct the magical worlds of the past.

Panelists: Tom Doyle, Rosemary Claire Smith (mod), John Robison, Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward, Sherri Cook Woosley

2:30 PM, St. George Meeting Room

Readings

Brian Ketchum and Jean Marie Ward

7 PM, Virtual Panel Room 1

Giving Your Work Away For Fun And Profit

Everyone loves free stuff, but authors need to pay the bills. Can you make money by giving your work away, and if so, how do you choose what to distribute for free? What tools and metrics can you use to show a publisher or business partner that the work that you give away for free is driving sales?

Panelists: Leonardo Espinoza Benavides, Brenda Clough, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Angela Yuriko Smith (mod), Jean Marie Ward 

My Discon III schedule

 

I’m really going to do it this time. I’m going to attend a con, and not just any con, but DisCon III, the first Worldcon to be held in Washington, DC, since 1974. They even let me participate in the program. This may be a mistake. But you’ll only know if you check it out. All the deets can be found at DisCon3.org. Meanwhile, here are my panels:

 

Wednesday, December 15

4 PM, Forum Room (In-Person)

What to See in DC

Sarah Avery, Joshua Bilmes, Matt G. Leger (Moderator), DW “Lemur” Rowlands, Jean Marie Ward

Listen to the locals. We’ll tell you all the cool stuff to see in Washington, DC, and the close in suburbs. You don’t want to miss this!

 

Saturday, December 18

1 PM, Kress (Virtual)

Unsolved Historical Mysteries

Emad Aysha, Kate Heartfield, D.W. Rowland, Steven H. Silver (moderator), Alan Smale, Jean Marie Ward

Where is Punt? Where is Cleopatra buried? Who was Jack the Ripper? What happened to the Minoans? If you had access to time travel, which burning questions and unsolved mysteries from history would you want to solve?

 

Sunday, Dec 19

I PM, Capitol Room (In-Person)

Reading

I’ll be sharing the hour with David D. Levine, the Andre Norton Award-winning author of Arabella of Mars, its sequels, and lots of short stories. And as always, there will be chocolate.

 

Hope to see you there! 😊

My Schedule for Capclave 2021

 Finally, I’m going to a real, live convention this weekend (October 1-3)! Capclave 2021 will be the first in-person con I’ve participated in since…well, since Capclave 2019. But the wait will totally be worth it, because this year’s Capclave will be two conventions in one. Not only does the con boast Guest of Honor Peter S. Beagle, but it will also be hosting Eric Flint and the 2021 Ring of Fire Con.

You just can’t go wrong with that. Check it out at the Rockville Hilton and Executive Center in Rockville, Maryland. For a taste, check out my panels:

Friday

5 PM: Reading (Monroe Meeting Room)
Yes, there will be chocolate, a soupcon of Dionysus, and possibly the opening of the story where I bellow “Struuuuudel!” at random intervals. Join us and find out!

Saturday

5 PM: What I Did to Survive the Great Pandemic (Washington Theater)
Participants: Mary Fan, Natalie Luhrs, Suzanne Palmer, Jean Marie Ward, Ted Weber (Moderator)
What did people do to survive the pandemic? What changed in their lives? How are they adjusting to getting their lives back? How comfortable are you with post-pandemic conditions? What does normal mean? How will your life be different? When will you give up your mask?

7 PM: How Do I Use History Without a Ph.D. in It? (Eisenhower Meeting Room)
Participants: Tom Doyle, Eric Flint, Alan Smale (M), Jean Marie Ward, Ted Weber
Okay, Harry Turtledove and Arkady Martine have advanced degrees in history. What can other authors do to get historical information? What are the best and most reliable sources? Should writers do all their research before outlining or just leave blanks to research later? Which sources are best for inspiring ideas, and which are helpful inwriting? How do you identify biased sources, and can you still use them? What if your sources conflict? How much history do you put in your novel?

Sunday

Noon: Magic’s Price (Truman Meeting Room)
Participants: Donald S. Crankshaw (M), Carolyn Ives Gilman, Karlo Yeager Rodriguez, Jean Marie Ward
In many stories there is a cost to doing magic. What are the costs of doing magic: physical, mental, societal, or other? When are the gains worth the price, and when is this in question? What books show this well?

1 PM: Twice Upon a Time—Revisiting Classic Tales (Washington Theater)
Participants: Leah Cypess, Mark Huston, Jean Marie Ward (M), A.C. Wise
Disney was not the first to redo fairy tales. As part of an oral tradition, they were never static but were altered by every storyteller. Re-tellers have remixed archetypes and traditional elements down to the present day. So how can writers give new life to these old stories? And given that everyone knows how the original stories went, what can authors do to make their version stand out?

If you like what you read, check out the Capclave website <https://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave21/> for more program goodness and join us at the Rockville Hilton, Friday through Sunday, October 1-3. Looking forward to seeing you there!

My 2021 Balticon Schedule

 

All hail the SFF highlight of my Memorial Day weekend: Balticon! This year my panels span bureaucracy, history, worldbuilding, monsters and a reading. Hope you’ll check them out, as well as all the other wonderful programming available for free! Panel registration and links can be found here. While you’re there, I hope you’ll consider supporting the con’s GoFundMe to ensure all this fannish goodness is available in person in 2022.

 

 

Friday, May 28

 

Beyond Red Tape: Why Bureaucracy Happens

Time: 5:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Location: Watertable
Panelists: Brick Barrientos (Moderator), Doc Coleman, Monica Louzon, Beth Morris Tanner, Jean Marie Ward

Description: Bureaucracy can be more than a comical obstacle for characters or a Kafkaesque nightmare. Societies and organizations create bureaucracy as a tool to solve specific problems. How can bureaucracy and governance structures be a part of good worldbuilding and good problem solving?

 

 

Sunday, May 30

It's A Novel, Not History Class

Time: 1:00 PM ET

Location: Mount Washington
Panelists: Gail Z. Martin (M), Doc Coleman, R.F. Kuang (2019 Compton Crook Award winner), Wendy Van Camp, Jean Marie Ward

Description: When writing in a historical setting creators can greatly over- or underestimate how much information they’ll need to incorporate for their audiences to understand what’s going on. We will explore how to immerse audiences in the past without losing focus on plot and characters. How can a creator tell how much the audience already knows, and how much needs to be explained?

 

The Motivations of Monsters
Time: 2:30 PM ET

Location: St. George

Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (M), John L. French, Lee Murray, John Walker, Sherri Cook Woolsey

Description: Science fiction and fantasy have always featured "monsters," going all the way back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. While some are mindless destroyers, many are written with relatable motivations and desires. What are some monsters who have connected with audiences, and what are ways creators can make their monsters sympathetic while keeping them in an antagonistic role?

 

Writing Characters with Agency
Time: 8:30 PM ET

Location: Mount Washington

Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (M), Brenda Clough, Micaiah Johnson (2021 Compton Crook Award winner), Karen Osborne, Ryan Van Loan

Description: How do we give characters the power to make their own choices (and make those choices feel natural) while also moving the plot where it needs to go? What are some common mistakes that can take agency from a character without the author intending it? How does this problem affect audience investment?

 

 

Monday, May 30

 

Reading

Time: 1:30 PM ET

Location: Readings Break-out Room in the Con Suite

Panelists: Meeeeeeeeeee!

Description: According to the schedule, I’ll be reading urban fantasy, Steampunk and historical fantasy. Hmm, guess I’d better rehearse.

 

Hope to see you there!

My 2020 Capclave Schedule

 

October isn’t just Halloween. It’s also Capclave, the Washington DC area’s hometown science fiction and fantasy convention. Like so many cons, they’ve gone virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean the guests or the programming are any less stellar. Guests of Honor from past Capclaves are returning to help the con celebrate its twenty-year anniversary—an anniversary like no other. You can check out the full schedule here.

But we know you’re all here for me. 😉 So I’ll make it easy on you. Check out these offerings:

 

Saturday, October17

1:30 PM

Panel: Magic – Obvious or Mysterious

Participants: Sarah Beth Durst, Charlotte Honigman, John Skovran, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

Some modern fantasy settings have the existence of magic and magical creatures known to the public—think True Blood or Poul Anderson’s Operation Chaos. Others have the magic secret such as Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid series or the TV show Supernatural. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Why might an author choose one or the other? Are some authors better than one or the other?

 

7:30 PM

Panel: Sharing a Universe

Participants: Iver Cooper, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward

Shared universes have been around for years. 1632 is its own cottage industry these days, and Wild Cards has experienced a rebirth. Panelists will discuss the advantages, disadvantages and what it takes to work in this type of writing. What is the appeal to authors and readers? Why do some shared universes work while others produced a handful of volumes and vanished? What caused Thieves World to turn dark and toxic, and how can other shared worlds avoid their fate?

 

Sunday

1:30 PM

Reading

 

Hope to see you in Capclave’s virtual panel rooms soon. Stay safe!

Jean Marie Ward reading

My Dragon Con 2020 Schedule

Dragon Con is going virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the same wild mix of media stars, writers, artists, panels, gaming, costumes, performances, music and all the rest—even the blood drive! For everything that’s been awful about 2020, the year has given folks who wouldn’t normally make it to Atlanta over Labor Day a chance to share the fun. For free!

That’s right, Dragon Con is offering three free 24/7 streaming channels of live and pre-recorded programming at https://dragoncon.tv/virtual: Main Programming, Fan Programming and Classic Programming. In addition, each of their programming tracks will be offering a selection of live and pre-recorded programs on venues ranging from Facebook to YouTube and all the social media in between. For those of us who can’t imagine Labor Day without the camaraderie of the various hotel bars, there’s even a BarCon running on Discord. And all of that is also free.

 In addition, they’ve created the best virtual art show and vendors rooms I’ve seen so far. Artists, makers and dealers have been particularly hard hit by the loss of physical conventions. This is the perfect chance to show your love and support for the people who bring so much joy to the world.

For more details, head to https://dragoncon.org. The page is phenomenally easy to navigate. There’s even a link to a pdf of the Quick Start Guide we all live by at the RL con. Links to the individual track offerings can be found on p. 23.

 Or you can check out the feeds of your favorite Dragon Con participants. You can find me several places this weekend:

Friday, 7 PM

SF Literature Track

Reading: I’ll be reading from four of my science fictions: “The Wrong Refrigerator” (which has just been translated into Chinese for Science Fiction World. Squeeeeeee!), “The Wizard of Woodrow Park” from Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, “The Ellsberg Variations” from Lost Signals of the Terran Republic, and “Yesterday, I Will”, my shortest published work from the anthology of the same name. Check out how many times I can stumble over my own words. You’d think I’d never seen them before. Well, not for several months anyway. LOL

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173171899402965/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6yQUcszuJFwMw1iLMnP-w

 Saturday, 2:30 PM

Alternate and Historical Fiction Track

Fact or Fiction AFHT Edition: AFHT’s historical fiction writers will refresh your memory on major historical events and goings on. Of course, not everyone can remember history as it truly happens. Is it fact? Is it fiction? Join our cast of unlucky souls who will determine which story is FACT and which is FICTION...
Panelists: Tony Ballard-Smoot, AJ Hartley, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Michael Martinez, Tamsin Silver, Jean Marie Ward
Moderators: Liz Carpenter, Alison Helfferich, Brett Gordon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DConAlternateHistoryTrack/

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbMmPbV4bRnRdJ2zCYkPEA/featured

 Sunday, Noon

Writers Track

Mentoring Sessions: Four opportunities for me to share all the craziness I’ve experienced over a quarter century reporting on, writing for and editing in this strange business we call publishing

Sign-up Sheet: https://form.jotform.com/202435857025050

Mentoring Schedule: https://www.notion.so/Dragon-Con-Writers-Track-Mentoring-Schedule-9c72a7a124234eee9c2913e833c6c9e8

Sunday, 2:30 PM

Alternate & Historical Fiction Track

Quarantine Reads: A laid-back face-to-face with some of our favorite panelists discussing recently released and forthcoming alternate history and historical fiction books for the next year. What should you be reading to prepare for 2021?
Panelists: L. Jagi Lamplighter, Tamsin Silver, Jean Marie Ward
Moderators: Liz Carpenter, Alison Helfferich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DConAlternateHistoryTrack/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbMmPbV4bRnRdJ2zCYkPEA/featured

Sunday, 8 PM

Urban Fantasy Track—Live!

Gifts, Missing Mojo, and Murder: A Lucifer Fan Panel: A moderated fan-panel discussion over Season 5A of the hit show.

Panelists: Kevin Bachelder, Susan Griffith, Lisa Harrison, Wendy Hembrock, Jean Marie Ward

Moderator: Carol Malcolm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCUrbanFantasy/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaz0h4NfjHCTTDka26gkVpA/

 

Can’t wait to see you there!

 

June 6, Then and Now

I don't do a lot of significant day posts, because frankly, I usually forget the day is significant until it's over. But today, as I read the news, I was struck with a correspondence I couldn't ignore. Today is the sixth of June, the anniversary of D-Day, the launch of Operation Overlord whose purpose was to retake western Europe from the racist, fascistic dictators and their minions who had devastated the world.

Last night people all over the US assembled in remembrance of those we have lost, especially those black lives we have lost, to injustice and systematic racism. In DC along #BlackLivesMatterWay, houses of worship rang their bells for 8 minutes 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd. In the same way, chaplains of all faiths--not just Christian, I say this as someone who knew people who were there--prepared the soldiers, sailors and marines about to land on the beaches of Normandy.

Today unknown thousands will assemble across the country to march toward a better tomorrow. Significantly, the Department of Defense has unilaterally ordered home the active duty forces ordered to DC and disarmed the National Guard in the area. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has reminded all military personnel in writing that the military's oath is to support and defend the Constitution and all Americans exercising their Constitutional rights.

Whatever happens today, it won't be the end. D-Day wasn't the end of World War II. Evil clutches its power with the desperation born of fear. Racists and tyrants are cowards at their core, terrified of being held accountable for their deeds. What's worse, evil never stays defeated. There's always a bully or would-be dictator awaiting their opportunity to strike. And tragically, the very forces we fought in Europe and elsewhere so many decades ago are still at work today. But I can't help looking at the parallels between that June 6, 76 years ago today, and hoping.

Hoping with all my heart.