Balticon 60 begins in two weeks, and in addition to appearing on five panels and doing a reading, I’ll also be throwing a party to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Eating the Fantastic — a party which since my planning began has turned into a celebration for the podcast’s Hugo nomination as well.

There’ll be donuts and door prizes, so I hope you can make it.

If you’ll also be in Baltimore over the Memorial Day weekend, here’s where to track me down —

Building a Podcast From the Ground Up
Friday, May 22nd, 7:00 p.m. (Mount Washington)
Podcasts are a common way to engage a wide variety of listeners about interesting topics. Podcasts such as Writing Excuses and Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones got the attention of the Hugo voting public. What makes these podcasts unique and how can you choose a format that can be sustained over time? Let’s discuss planning episodes, defining your audience, and setting realistic production goals with an emphasis on thoughtful creation rather than chasing trends.
with Alan J. Porter, Mark Painter, and Dominick Rabrun

Do Plot Devices Really Need Explaining?
Saturday, May 23rd, 2:30 p.m. (Mount Washington)
Current writing advice encourages everything to have a reason for existing, that every question is a promise to the reader for the future. But what if there aren’t explanations to be had? When is it okay to leave things unexplained? Can the wondrous sometimes be left up to wondering?
with Sally Wiener Grotta, Brianna Wu, and Maeghan Jo Kimball

What Makes a Good Editor?
Saturday, May 23rd, 5:30 p.m. (Pride of Baltimore II)
What are the hallmarks of a good editor? What strategies and techniques do professional editors use to review a story or poem and help it become its best self? How does one navigate the editor/author relationship from the editorial side? Is there a trick to convincing a publishing team that this book right here is the one the publisher needs? Our panel of editors will discuss these and other important facets of editing.
with Dave ring, Scott H. Andrews, and JL Gribble

Eating the Fantastic’s 10th Anniversary Celebration
Sunday, May 24th, 10:00 a.m. (Ballroom A/Con Suite)

I Don’t Know How to Write What I Know
Sunday, May 24th, 1:00 p.m. (Guilford)
Writers hear ‘write what you know’ all the time. But how do you take this aphorism and apply it to SFFH? Let’s talk about what ‘write what you know’ really means and how to apply it to your fiction.
with Ann Chatham, Leslye Penelope, David Walton, Haley Gelfuso

Autograph Session
Sunday, May 24th, 2:30 p.m. (5th Floor Lobby)
with Charles E. Gannon and Walter H. Hunt

Author Readings
Sunday, May 24th, 7:00 p.m. (James)
with Jennifer R. Povey and MJ Huntsgood

If you’ll be there as well, please say hi!