Mass gatherings are still on hold, so it looks like 2020 will be the first year since I was 14 during which I won’t get the chance to attend at least one face-to-face meatspace convention. As has happened with many recent cons, next weekend’s Capclave has also transformed into a virtual event.

Which means whatever part of the planet you happen to inhabit, you can easily be there.

Here are the four programming items on which you’ll be able to find me —

Breaking the Genre Boundaries
Saturday, October 17, 10:30 a.m.
What is the purpose of genres? How do they help and hinder authors and readers? How do bookstores know how to shelves slipstream or multi-genre books? How do some authors intersect SF/Fantasy with Horror, Romance, Erotica, Literary fiction, young protagonists, Mystery, Thriller, and other elements? Who does this well and who tries to overload a book?
with Kenneth Altabef, B. Sharise Moore, Joshua Palmatier, Troy L. Wiggins, and A.C. Wise

Reading
Saturday, October 17, 3:00 p.m.

When To Outline and When To Pants It
Sunday, October 18, 1:30 p.m.
“Fleshing out a detailed outline” versus “Diving right into an idea and seeing where the story goes” is one of the perennial debates of the writing craft. What are the advantages of each approach? What are the weaknesses and limitations? Our panelists will discuss when to prefer one approach over the other, and when it’s a good idea to switch to the opposite style even when it’s not your preferred method.
with Beth Cato, Mary Fan, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Alan Smale

Kaffeklatsch
Sunday, October 18, 3:00 p.m.

I hope to see you there!