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 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!