My Worldcon 2018 Schedule

I'll be in San Jose next week for Worldcon 76, and wonder of wonders, I am actually scheduled to be on some programming items! Here's where you can find me:

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FRIDAY, 17 Aug 2018

SFWA Business Meeting
08:00 - 10:00, 210DH (San Jose Convention Center)
All SFWA members are welcome!
Cat Rambo (M), Kate Baker, Curtis Chen, Andy Duncan, Erin M. Hartshorn, Jeffe Kennedy, Terra LeMay, Sarah Pinsker, Lawrence M. Schoen, Steven Silver, Nathan Lowell

Autograph Session 1 of 2
12:00 - 12:30, SFWA autographing table (exhibit hall)
I'll sign anything except body parts! You can also pick up a FREE Kangaroo-themed postcard from Mars or the Moon.

Lighting a Creative Spark Without Burning Out
14:00 - 15:00, 211C (San Jose Convention Center)
An entire novel in a month? A new song every week for a year? A drawing a day for a 31 days? Time-based artistic challenges like NaNoWriMo, the Song A Week Challenge, Inktober, National Poetry Writing Month, and others can stretch your creative chops, but they might also burn you out. Our panelists will discuss their experiences with creativity challenges. Learn what worked for them and what didn’t, how they were impacted when they did not meet their goals, and what success meant for each of them.
Pablo Defendini (M), Cameron Steiman, Curtis Chen, Sara Felix

What Can SFWA Offer Me?
15:00 - 16:00, 210F (San Jose Convention Center)
Learn what SFWA has to offer authors at all stages of their careers, from networking opportunities to sample contracts to the grievance committee. SFWA's officers will provide an update on what SFWA is doing and where the organization is going and answer questions from potential (or current) members.
Kate Baker (M), Cat Rambo, Curtis Chen, Erin M. Hartshorn, Jeffe Kennedy, Lawrence M. Schoen

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SATURDAY, 18 Aug 2018

Autograph Session 2 of 2
12:00 - 12:30, SFWA autographing table (exhibit hall)
I mean it, folks. NO BODY PARTS. Maybe you have the August 2018 issue of Locus Magazine, which includes an interview with me? Or the March/April 2018 issue of Playboy Magazine, which includes my short story "Go, Space Racer!"? Or even a hardcover of my award-nominated debut novel, Waypoint Kangaroo, or the sequel, Kangaroo Too? You gotta work with me here.

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MONDAY, 20 Aug 2018

Reading with Zandra Renwick
14:30 - 15:00, 211A (San Jose Convention Center)
My awesome friend Zandra is very generously sharing her reading time slot with me! Come let us share some words with you before the closing of the con.

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ALSO

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights I'll be staffing the SFWA Member Hospitality Suite (open to SFWA members and their guests only; members, check your email for details in The Singularity #49). Otherwise I'll generally be around. Probably at the bar.

Follow me on Twitter for the latest updates!
Follow @curtiscchen

My Norwescon 41 Schedule

It's that time of year: I don't know why Norwescon always falls on Easter weekend (probably some combination of hotel contracts and fannish tradition) but it's happening again! If you'll be there at the end of this month, here's where you can stalk* find me (recommended sessions are ★ starred, YMMV):

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Friday, March 30

Reading: Tina Connolly
10:30–11 a.m. @ Cascade 4
Something new and different. Tina Connolly reads something you probably haven’t heard before. There may be marshmallows. Rated: PG.
(SPOILER: I'm joining her to present a selection from BOX, a thriller play she co-wrote!)
Tina Connolly (M)

First Page Idol
2:00pm - 3:00pm @ Cascade 11
Curtis C. Chen (M), Tina Connolly, Mark Teppo, Cory Skerry
Feeling brave? Want to see how your first page holds up in a cold read? Send the first page of your manuscript to idol@norwescon.org to have it anonymously read aloud and critiqued by a panel of pros.

★ The Best Comedy Workshop You've Ever Attended
5:00pm - 6:30pm @ Cascade 13
Curtis C. Chen, Tegan Moore
Do you want to write funny stories? Or would you prefer to be a wry storyteller? What’s the difference between jokes and humor? (Don’t say one’s a liquid. DON’T SAY ONE’S A LIQUID.) Tegan Moore and Curtis Chen explain it all. No props, no animals, no hyperbole, no refunds. Presented by Clarion West. Ages 18+. Space is limited and advance sign-up is required in Cascade 1.

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Saturday, March 31

Writer Talk: Dig That Rhythm
10:00am - 11:00am @ Cascade 10
Tod McCoy (M), Jack Skillingstead, E. Lily Yu, Curtis C. Chen
All writing must have rhythm: a balance between dialogue, internal monologue, action, and narrative. Without rhythm, a story bogs down and loses the reader’s interest. Tone is often tied to this rhythm, but authorial voice and theme can impact rhythm too. Chat with pros about how they find this music in their writing.

★ Reading: Curtis C. Chen
11:30am - 12:00pm @ Cascade 4
Curtis C. Chen (M)
Kangaroo Too. Kangaroo’s back! And this time it’s personal… maybe? Come hear an excerpt from the sequel to Waypoint Kangaroo, in which our hero travels to the moon in search of information and ends up digging up long-buried secrets from the past that will make his future very complicated. Rated: PG.

Autograph Session 2
3:00pm - 4:00pm @ Grand 2
Chris Pramas, Galen Dara, Ken Liu, Matthew Wedel, Nicole Lindroos, Barth Anderson, Tina Connolly, Fonda Lee, G. Willow Wilson, Joseph Carriker, Kat Richardson, Nancy Kress, Sandra M. Odell, Tanya D., Curtis C. Chen, Dawn Vogel, Nisi Shawl, E. Lily Yu, Eva L. Elasigue, Jack Skillingstead, Joseph Brassey, K. C. Alexander, Lee Moyer, Meg Elison, Pat MacEwen, Patrick Swenson, Rhiannon Held, Scott James Magner, Dean Wells
Our attending professionals are available to sign autographs. Please note that so as many fans as possible can participate, we will be enforcing a three-items-at-a-time (or single-sketch) autograph limit.

Ready, Set, Practice That Pitch!
5:00pm - 6:00pm @ Cascade 11
Curtis C. Chen (M), Susan Chang, Cory Skerry, Randy Henderson
Are you ready to pitch an agent? What’s the difference between the elevator pitch, a three-liner, and an extended pitch? Hear pros throw out some examples and listen as audience members share their elevator pitches with the pros. Find out if your pitch is worthy of a request for pages!

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Sunday, April 1

★ What is SFWA?
11:00am - 12:00pm @ Cascade 5 & 6
Cat Rambo (M), Curtis C. Chen
Panelists will discuss the origin and history of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), what the organization does for professional SF&F writers and the genre, and what its direction will be in the coming years.

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There is also a nonzero chance that I'll be at Friday night karaoke, one or more Saturday night room parties, and a Codex meetup at some point during the weekend. Follow me on Twitter for reminders and random thoughts!

*Stalking is bad! DON'T DO IT.

My Can*Con Schedule

Next weekend (October 13-15) I'll be at Can*Con, the Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature in Ottawa. And no, I am not Canadian, but they're letting me crash their party anyway. (Thanks to my literary agent Sam Morgan, last year's Agent GoH, for paving the way!)

Here's where I'll be:

Saturday, October 14

9:00AM - Salon B
SFWA: Supports for Writers & Routes to Membership
An overview of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) with current and former Secretaries and our current Volunteer Coordinator. Light breakfast fare and coffee will be available!
Curtis C. Chen, Susan Forest, Derek Künsken

11:30-12:00 - Dealer's Room, Chapters Table
Signing Session
Titles will be available for sale by Chapters, but no purchase is necessary – feel free to bring something with you for us to sign!
Curtis C. Chen, Yves Meynard

13:30-13:45 - Salon B
Reading
A scene from KANGAROO TOO, and possibly something from the new work in progress!
Curtis C. Chen

Sunday, October 15

2:00PM - Salon D
Leveling Up Your Writing with Formal Courses
Previous participants in courses like Clarion, Odyssey, Taos Toolbox, MFAs, etc. discuss (1) the benefits and drawbacks of residential vs. online writing courses, (2) how they got in, (3) what they learned there vs. other places to learn.
Curtis C. Chen, Suzanne Church, Timothy Gwyn, Leah MacLean-Evans, Kelly Robson (moderator)

Visit the Can*Con web site for complete Panel Descriptions & Schedule and more information.

Follow @curtiscchen or @CanConSF on Twitter for additional shenanigans!



P.S. Has it really been almost two months since my last blog post here? Maybe I ought to put up or shut up on this whole blogging thing. :P

My Norwescon 40 Schedule

Earlier today I realized that Norwescon is NEXT WEEK. Time to start making plans! Here's where you can find me at the con (other than the bar):

Thursday, April 13

Write Your Elevator Pitch Workshop
Cascade 12
2–3 p.m.
Got a good elevator pitch for your manuscript? Whether you’re seeking an agent and traditional publisher, or planning to self-publish, you need to have an elevator pitch of your book. Loglines and elevator pitches are ways to explain your story/series and pique interest in your work in one or two sentences. This workshop will teach you how to condense your 90,000 word novel or 5 book series into a quick, effective elevator pitch. Ages 18+. Space is limited and advance sign-up is required in Cascade 1.
Curtis C. Chen (M)

What is a Story?
Cascade 9
3–4 p.m.
Writers talk about story, but what is it really? Something with a beginning, middle, and end? A witch’s brew of words and punctuation? Come discuss with our panelists what separates a coherent narrative from a random series of events.
Marta Murvosh (M), Cat Rambo, Curtis C. Chen, Nancy Kress, James C. Glass

Friday, April 14

Reading: Curtis C. Chen
Cascade 2
5–5:30 p.m.
Kangaroo Too, sequel to Waypoint Kangaroo (Thomas Dunne, 2016). A suspicious spacecraft accident sends our favorite superpowered secret agent to the Moon hunting for information, but there are more secrets buried there than he suspected. Rated PG.
Curtis C. Chen (M)

Saturday, April 15

Technical Sci-Fi
Cascade 11
1–2 p.m.
The balance between technical details and story are discussed as our panelists dive into the junction between being specific and still captivating the audience.
Curtis C. Chen (M), Dr. Rob Hoyt, John Cramer, PJ Manney

Autograph Session 1
Grand 2
2–3 p.m.
Our attending professionals are available to sign autographs. PLEASE NOTE: So that as many fans as possible can participate, we will be enforcing a three-items-at-a-time (or single-sketch) autograph limit.
Ethan Siegel, Ian McDonald, Catska Ench, Cory Ench, Nancy Kress, Marc Gascoigne, Mike Underwood, Carol Berg, Alex Irvine, Annie Bellet, Caroline M. Yoachim, Curtis C. Chen, Dean Wells, Greg Bear, Jack Skillingstead, James C. Glass, Jeff Sturgeon, John Cramer, Kat Richardson, Lee Moyer, Nathan Crowder, Nisi Shawl, Peter Orullian, Randy Henderson, Scott James Magner, Tori Centanni, Wendy N. Wagner, PJ Manney, Julie McGalliard, Crystal Connor, David D. Levine, Susan diRende, Claudia Casper, Kristy Acevedo

Singularity
Evergreen 3&4
4–5 p.m.
Join our panelists as they discuss the concept of the singularity, both as a scientific principle and an element in fiction.
Django Wexler (M), PJ Manney, Curtis C. Chen, John Cramer

First Page Idol
Cascade 9
5–6 p.m.
Feeling brave? Want to see how your first page holds up in a cold read? Send the first page of your manuscript to idol@norwescon.org to have it anonymously read aloud and critiqued by a panel of pros.
Curtis C. Chen (M), Wendy N. Wagner, Patrick Swenson, Mark Teppo


Follow @curtiscchen on Twitter for up-to-the-minute shenanigans.

ALSO: the following week (April 19-20), I'll be in Hong Kong for the first-ever Melon HK conference. Tell your Southeast Asian friends!

How Far I'll Go

Short answer: Hong Kong, in April.

Long answer: Below is a list of all my currently scheduled author events and appearances in 2017. Bookmark curtiscchen.com/events for the most current details, and contact me if you'd like to invite me to something in your neck of the woods!

• January 28th (Saturday), 2pm - reading/signing at Vintage Books in Vancouver, WA with fellow local author Alexis Radcliff.
• January 31st (Tuesday), 7pm - SFWA Reading in Kirkland, WA with Fonda Lee and Randy Henderson.
• February 2nd (Thursday), 7pm - SFWA Reading in Portland, OR with Fonda Lee and Randy Henderson.
• February 10th (Friday), 8pm - the SMART Alphabet Ball (fundraising dinner and auction) at the Portland Art Museum, where you can bid on a personalized short story written by me and illustrated by the fantastic Natalie Metzger!
• February 15-19 (Wed-Sun) - Rainforest Writers Village 2017, Session One, where I'll be giving a talk entitled "Dying is Easy, Young Man, Comedy is Harder."
• March 2-5 (Thu-Sun) - Emerald City Comicon 2017 in Seattle, WA, where I'll be one of the guests for a live recording of the "Inconceivable!" game show podcast. Other schedule items TBD.
• April 13-16 (Thu-Sun) - Norwescon 40 in SeaTac, WA, where I'll be one of the panelists for "First Page Idol." Other schedule items TBD/TBA.
• April 19-20 (Wed-Thu) - Melon Hong Kong, a new conference intended to "bring together Asia's best Science Fiction writers, filmmakers, game developers, technologists and investors."
• May 18-21 (Thu-Sun) - Nebula Conference and Awards Weekend in Pittsburgh, PA.
• June 20 (Tuesday) - Kangaroo Too launch party featuring Ariel Waldman at The Bindery, The Booksmith's new event space in San Francisco, CA!
• July 9 (Sunday) - SF in SF with Megan E. O'Keefe!
• November 17-19 (Fri-Sun) - OryCon 39 in Portland, OR.

If you'd like to get periodic reminders and related updates in your inbox, sign up for my mailing list. Also feel free to follow me on Twitter, or "like" my Facebook Page.

My OryCon 38 Schedule

Next weekend (Nov.18-20) I'll be reading, paneling, and drinking at Oregon's premier, fan run, annual science fiction/fantasy convention held in Portland. Please stop by the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront if you're around. We can raise a glass to freedom, if nothing else...

Thursday night 11/17 (pre-con)

Karaoke with friends. Contact me for details, if we be friends.

Find me to get KANGAROO swag!

Friday 11/18

4pm - Reading from Kangaroo Too - Hawthorne (2)
You won't believe where the superpowered secret agent is going next, in the forthcoming sequel to Waypoint Kangaroo! #clickbait

5pm - Panelist: "Social Media and the Modern Writer" - Meadowlark (3)
with Lizzy Shannon, Stephanie Weippert, Elton Elliott, Katie Lane
Websites, Facebook fan pages, email lists, contests, twitter, tumblr, Pinterest, ads, blogs and that annoying thing called a "platform": what works, what doesn't, and why you need to care (spoiler: you do).

Saturday 11/19

11am - Moderator: "First Page Idol" - Douglas Fir (3)
with Annie Bellet, Doug Odell, David Levine
Submit the first page of your novel to our talented author panelists, and listen to them read aloud that first page(keeping the writer's identity anonymous) and give thoughtful reactions. ADD(14 Nov 2016): E-mail your first page submission (please omit the author name) to: ww@orycon.org

2pm - Panelist: "How to Blurb Your Novel" - Meadowlark (3)
with Dale Ivan Smith, Tori Centanni, Lizzy Shannon
We all need them, we all hate them. Summing up our books may be harder than writing them in the first place! Learn techniques to write compelling book descriptions (aka "blurbs"), and hook readers.

3pm - Co-Host: "Sci Fi Ask Me Another! (Quiz Show)" - Columbia (L)
with Jeff Soesbe
Curtis Chen and Jeff Soesbe present a variety of games involving science fiction and fantasy trivia, puzzles, and wordplay. Audience participation is required, and rewarded! Can you make it to the final Elimination Game? Come have fun while competing for prizes!

7pm - Moderator: "The Star Trek Universe: My, How You've Grown!" - Columbia (L)
with Alma Alexander, Jennifer Willis, Phyllis Irene Radford
A wide ranging panel, with the changes (or consistencies) found in TOS, TNG, DS9, and all movies being fair game. Gene Roddenberry tried to create a future without racism or hatred, and a Federation that prioritized peace and non-interference. Yet disagreement, jealousy, envy, war, and a monetary system for keeping score of one's successes are all excellent literary plot devices. With the benefit now of 20/20 hindsight, did the writers succeed? Is the Star Trek future one you'd want to live in?

Sunday 11/20

11am - Panelist: "Feedback Workshop" - Douglas Fir (3)
with Susan Matthews, David Weber, Richard A. Lovett, David Levine
Bring your questions, manuscripts, critiques, etc. A hands-on workshop on how to apply the feedback you get from readers, editors, writer's workshops, critique groups, etc.

1pm - Autograph Session - Autograph Area (LL1)
with Blythe Ayne, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, Deborah Ross, David Dvorkin
Get your books (or whatever) signed by your favorite authors!

2pm - Panelist: "Hold on to Your Reader" - Douglas Fir (3)
with Caroline M. Yoachim, Maura van der Linden, Shawna Reppert
The wrong word choices can throw your reader right out of the story. Learn how to maintain suspension of disbelief.

4pm (offsite) - Powell's Sci-Fi Authorfest 10 (Cedar Hills Crossing)
"A starfleet of science fiction and fantasy authors descends for one galactic booksigning event. Meet Brent Weeks, Timothy Zahn, Daniel H. Wilson, Annie Bellet, Tina Connolly, David Levine, Curtis Chen, Lili Saintcrow, Dave Barra, Wendy Wagner, Jennifer Brozek, Mike Moscoe/Shepherd, J. A. Pitts, Devon Monk, Steve Perry, Patrick Swenson, Rhiannon Held, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Kevin James Breaux, and Deborah Ross."

For complete details, visit: orycon38.sched.org

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ALSO: I will not be running the ORCs (Open Read & Critique sessions) this time around, but I've passed the torch to three new facilitators! If you're a writer looking for some fast feedback, see if any of these sessions will fit into your OryCon weekend:

1. Friday 1pm with Jeremiah Reinmiller
2. Friday 2pm with Stephanie Weippert
3. Saturday 1pm with Stephanie Weippert
4. Saturday 2pm with Mark Niemann-Ross
5. Saturday 3pm with Jeremiah Reinmiller
6. Sunday 1pm with Mark Niemann-Ross

Look for ORC rules and sign-up sheets outside the Willamette room (lobby level).

My MidAmeriCon II Schedule

If you're going to Worldcon later this month, here's where you can find me:

SFWA Autographing: Curtis Chen
Friday 16:00 - 16:50, SFWA Table (Kansas City Convention Center)
I'm volunteering to staff the SFWA Table, and I'll be there starting at 3:00pm along with Ed Lerner. Stop by and say hello!

Reboot! Changing Up Comic Characters
Friday 18:00 - 19:00, 2204 (Kansas City Convention Center)
"Spider Gwen, Amadeus Cho, Thor, Captain America. We've seen a lot of rebooted characters in the the last couple of years with dramatically altered social and cultural backgrounds. The panel discuss how these 'new' old characters have changed the Marvel Universe, for better and worse."
Mr. Robin Wayne Bailey (M), Nina Niskanen, David VonAllmen, Mr. Curtis Chen

...and I'll otherwise be wandering around, probably in search of barbecue and/or booze.

If you run into me at the con, ask for a "TEAM KANGAROO" ribbon to decorate your badge and show your support for the hapless hero of my debut novel Waypoint Kangaroo!



Last but not least, my friend, Clarion West classmate, and all-around awesome person Marlee Jane Ward is organizing a Karaoke Extravaganza on Thursday night. This is a private(ish) event, so if you're interested, message me on Facebook and I'll invite you!

My Preliminary Westercon 69 Schedule

Two blog posts in one week? Madness! (But it is technically a different month, so.)

I've received my draft schedule from the Westercon 69 programming department, and it's pretty light (as I requested):

Curtis Chen Reading
Madison
Fri Jul 1 3:00pm - 3:30pm
Curtis Chen reads from a selected work.
Curtis Chen

Choosing a Writing Workshop
Roosevelt
Fri Jul 1 4:00pm - 5:00pm
From one-day workshops and moderated critiques to residential programs and even MFAs — what are the possibilities? How do you figure out what you need, and when? Panelists with experience as students, instructors, and program administrators review the pros and cons and answer questions.
Curtis Chen, David D. Levine, Karen Anderson (moderator), Manny Frishberg

Saturday 10am Kaffeeklatsch
Multnomah
Sat Jul 2 10:00am - 11:00am
Small group discussions with authors, artists, and other interesting personalities (referred to as "hosts") Sessions are limited to the host and a small group of attendees.
Anthony Pryor, Carol Berg, Curtis Chen, David D. Levine, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Sonia Lyris, Tod McCoy

Autographs
Autographs
Sun Jul 3 10:00am - 11:00am
Get your goodies signed!
Anthony Pryor, Curtis Chen, Emily Jiang

Of course, I'll be around all weekend. I'm always around.

Any updates to the above will be published in the official online schedule. If you're into Facebooking, feel free to add yourself to my rogue event listing for possible additional updates. And, of course, follow me on Twitter for my most up-to-the-minute blathering.