It’s a month with five Mondays, which means this post will appear on Monday Musings and Dear Maggie. At the moment, I’m busy prepping for my next book event. For those of you who want to get their geek on, join me at Boskone February 18-20, 2022 at the Westin Boston Seaport. Boskone is the longest-running science fiction & fantasy convention in New England, and this year it is a hybrid (virtual and live) event. You can learn more about it and register HERE.
Here’s my weekend schedule…
VIRTUAL: Apocalypse Now and Then: Pandemic-Inspired SF/F/H Format: Panel
18 Feb 2022, Friday 19:00 - 19:50, Marina III (Westin)
How will the ongoing COVID-19 catastrophe inform apocalyptic fiction in our genres, moving forward? What will writers do with all their new material — from greater knowledge of epidemiology to personal experiences of loss, sorrow, anger, fear, or determination to increased optimism or pessimism about the human future?
Lurking in the Id, or How to Write a Really Scary Monster Format: Panel
18 Feb 2022, Friday 20:00 - 20:50, Marina II (Westin)
Clowns, zombies, vengeful ghosts. These things haunt our dreams and our collective psyche. But what does it take to write a truly scary monster? Crafting something terrifying requires more than imagining sharp teeth and sharper claws. We must dig deep to unearth that which keeps us up at night. How can we tap into this when writing and creating new monsters.
Group Reading (Fantasy): Mike Allen, Tabitha Lord Format: Reading
19 Feb 2022, Saturday 11:30 - 12:20, Griffin (Westin)
Worldbuilding — Mind Your Myths and Backstory Format: Panel
19 Feb 2022, Saturday 13:00 - 13:50, Burroughs (Westin)
There’s much to consider when constructing a mythical, magical, or futuristic world. One important factor: the foundation myth or backstory. What does the writer need to know? What does the reader need to know? When do they need to know it? How does the backstory impact the characters and current events in their world? Let's talk about how to effectively craft a backstory and weave it into your tale
Anatomy of a Relationship: Writing Characters Who Display Healthy Human Connections Format: Panel
19 Feb 2022, Saturday 15:00 - 15:50, Harbor II (Westin)
Move over emotionally constipated lone wolves! We're looking for characters who connect with each other in strong and compelling relationships. How can we build romances that are both healthy and riveting? How does a character's gender impact the cliches and problematic patterns we see, and how do we get past those in creating a character's ties to others? How do friendship and other non-romantic social connections get represented in positive and impactful ways? Let's also discuss the strong bonds that can form in subculture communities, rather than only having the token gay kid or the token immigrant.
Boskone is a fun, intellectually stimulating event, less focused on pop-culture like Comic Cons and more focused on science, books, art, games, music. If this sounds like your jam, please be sure to stop by the dealer’s room and say hello!