Fandomfest 2013

I (and my other half) will be attending Fandomfest in Louisville on Saturday, July 27th. We went last year; I didn't know what to expect but ended up having a fine time. The problem with many cons' writing tracks is that they tend to have the same panels over and over, every year- and usually those panels are aimed at beginning writers. “How to Get Published”, “How to Avoid Scams”, “How to Edit”. These panels are often entertaining but not very informative. Fandomfest was different. There I found panels about what is taboo in different genres, about writing GLBT fiction, and about the Lovecraftian mythos (which I enjoy writing stories in).

The panel list for this year looks equally fun. Here are some of the panel names from the programming list on their website:

Animals in Fiction

This panel will explore the topic of animals in fiction, including animals that are characters and the use of animals in stories. Some of the most heartwarming stories in literature have involved animals who have been main characters (Watership Down, for starters), or important parts of the cast (Shadowfax in LOTR). Join this panel for a fun and interesting overview of the use of animals in fiction.

I like animals. I like fiction. I use animals in my fiction pretty often, so this should be interesting.

Book Blogging

Book Blogs have become quite a force in today’s publishing climate. Book Blogs have propelled self-published authors to the heights of the sales charts, and major presses now place a great focus on the book blog community. This forum will discuss the world of book blogging and why it has become so important for today’s authors.

Perhaps I can make this blog better...

Crossing Genres: A Forum

There will always be readers of particular genres, whether it be steampunk or epic fantasy, but many storytellers are having wonderful experiences bringing in elements of many genres. This panel will explore some examples of cross-genre fiction, and also discuss why cross-genre fiction is growing fast in popularity.

A lot of my own work is between genres, and I like reading things that cross boundaries.

Episodic Fiction: An Effective Format for Today’s Publishing Climate

The explosion of eBooks has brought along with it a great potential for publishing stories as episodic fiction. This panel will give an overview of episodic fiction, and also discuss why the digital media world makes episodic fiction increasingly attractive for many authors.

Hmmm...interesting. It worked for Dickens.

Literary Costume Contest!

Yes, that’s right, a literary-themed costume contest. If you have a costume relating to a literary character, then this event is perfect for you! There will be prizes awarded in several categories in what is going to be one of the favorite activities in the Literary Track at FandomFest.

Hmmmm... should have had that Honor Harrington costume made last year. Ah, well.

World Building 101

World building plays a key role in all kinds of speculative fiction, from steampunk, to epic fantasy, to science fiction and urban fantasy. How do you go about creating an interesting and compelling world to set your story in? There are so many considerations, from geography, to sociology, to technology, and much more. What world-building elements can be used in developing a story set in our world? Come and explore the exciting topic of world building with our expert panelists.

Well...even I don't know everything.

So if you're a local specfic writer, consider checking out Fandomfest. And if you go, look for me! We can chillax together and talk the craft.

Click here for the complete list of literary panels at the con.