It’s almost time for my first convention of 2021, and as with all cons since this COVID-19 lockdown began, it’s going to be a virtual one. Which means I won’t have to hop aboard an Amtrak train to get to Boskone this year, and neither will you.

Here’s when and with whom you’ll be able to hear me pontificate virtually the weekend of February 12-13 —

Creating Across Media Format
Friday, February 12, 5:00-6:00. p.m.
Versatility is an author’s greatest tool in today’s publishing market. Whether it’s books, blogging, comics, drama, film, gaming, graphic novels, non-fiction, short fiction, social media, or TV there is a story to be told. When switching from one to the other, what do you need to keep in mind? What are some of the key tips and tricks to creating compelling content no matter which medium you are writing in at the moment?
with Christopher Golden, Walter Jon Williams, Gillian Daniels, Mur Lafferty

Admiring the Scene-ry Format
Friday, February 12, 6:30-7:30. p.m.
Our authors talk about how to craft a compelling scene — the nuance, description, and dialogue that make a reader fall into the story. What does it take to create that kind of literary spell? What are some great examples in our genres? How does dramatic action play into the overall effect of the scene?
with Carrie Vaughn, Michael Swanwick, and John Chu

Editing for the Damned (aka The Horror of Short Fiction)
Saturday, February 13, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Genres within speculative fiction come with their own sets of do’s and don’ts, especially when editing short fiction. What does it take to edit a horror short story? What sets the process apart from editing fantasy or science fiction? How can good editing highlight the horror, or a bad edit job kill a good horror story?
with Gillian Redfearn, Christopher Golden, and Ellen Datlow

Self-Defining Success as a Creator Format
Saturday, February 13, 8:30-9:30 p.m.
When people start writing, performing, painting, etc., they usually have some concept of “success.” That ideal is likely informed by social expectations and reflected off people in the field and in fandom. Not everyone can fit that image of success, nor would that be appropriate. So, how do we go about defining success on our own terms? What measures can we use? Our panelists share their advice and thoughts for creatives at every stage of their careers.
with David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson, Karen Heuler, Zig Zag Claybourne

I hope you’ll drop by so we’re not left talking only to ourselves.

You can find the full convention schedule here.

One year ago, Nick Mamatas and I were making plans to get together during Balticon last May and record an episode of Eating the Fantastic. Neither that meal nor the con where it was supposed to happen took place, of course. But because I’m trying to prevent the pandemic from stealing all of the voices I’d hoped to harvest for you while on last year’s con circuit, we had that meal recently, even though there were thousands of miles between us.

Nick has published fiction in genre publications such as Asimov’s Science Fiction and Tor.com, literary journals including New Haven Review and subTERRAIN, and anthologies such as Hint Fiction and Best American Mystery Stories 2013. His fiction and editorial work has been nominated for the Bram Stoker award five times, the Hugo Award twice, the World Fantasy Award twice, and the Shirley Jackson, International Horror Guild, and Locus Awards.

His novels include Under My Roof, The Damned Highway (cowritten with Brian Keene), Love is the Law, The Last Weekend, and I Am Providence, while his fiction has been collected in You Might Sleep, The Nickronomicon, most recently, The People’s Republic of Everything. His writing guide Starve Better: Surviving the Endless Horror of the Writing Life has prevented many a beginning writer from, well, starving, and I suspect also convinced a few to seek a different line of work. Upcoming in 2021, Solaris will be publishing his novel The Second Shooter, and The Planetbreakers Son will appear as part of the Outspoken Authors series from PM Press.

We discussed why there’s a generational divide when it comes to what potential readers might think his upcoming novel The Second Shooter is about, our joint Brooklyn heritage and history with professional wrestling, why he threw away the first dozen stories he wrote, the reason Marvel Comics was always better than DC, his encounters with the famed monologuist Brother Theodore, the first bad book he ever read, the way having been a journalist helps him collaborate without killing his co-writers, why work for hire assignments can be difficult, how we feel about our refusal to pick a genre lane, and much more.

Here’s how you can eavesdrop on our conversation — (more…)