Tag Archives: schedule

August 9, 2019 · 10:50 am

Dublin 2019 WorldCon Schedule

Oh, look, it’s a WorldCon schedule!

SEND IN THE CRONES
Saturday August 17th, 9pm
CCD – Wicklow Hall 1
Sam Hawke (m), Ali Baker, Julie C. Day, Devin Madson, Lauren Roy

Very often SFF stories centre on young women, with older female characters being consigned to background dressing at best and cliched depictions of elders and antagonists at worst. Is anyone writing stories that focus on older women? Where are the middle-aged heroines?

WELL-MEANING VS. “PLAIN-DEALING” VILLAINS
Monday August 19th, 12pm
CCD – Wicklow Room 1
Russell Blackford (m), Dr Máire Brophy, Lauren Roy, Paul Anthony Shortt

Villains come in many different guises. Characters like Marvel’s Thanos do terrible things for what they believe to be good reasons, whereas The Other Mother from Coraline is alien and terrifying. Do certain genres lend themselves to different types of villainy? Are villainous women held to a different standard than their male counterparts?

I hope to see you there!

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February 16, 2018 · 1:48 pm

Boskone 55 Schedule

I will be at Boskone this weekend. If you spot me, come say hi!

Friday
INCORPORATING CULTURES INTO FICTION
17:00 (5:00pm) – Marina 3

In writing, it’s hard to navigate between inclusion and appropriation of a culture or cultural elements. But like it or hate it, people write what they know … or at least what they think they know. Complicating matters, the definitions of these two words are fuzzy for many. So, what is cultural appropriation? How do we incorporate cultures or aspects of cultures without crossing the line?
Panelists: Beth Meacham, Mikhu Paul, Carlos Hernandez, Erin Roberts, Lauren Roy

Saturday
THE HEART & HORROR OF STEPHEN KING
12:00 – Marina 3

The throne of the King of Horror seems more secure than ever, with recent releases including the novel Sleeping Beauties (with his son Owen), and movies based on his work including The Dark Tower, It, Gerald’s Game, and 1922, plus TV series The Mist and Mr. Mercedes — as well as an anniversary reprint of The Stand plus a Christine video short and a collector’s DVD of The Dead Zone. Stephen King revitalized and sustained the horror genre through a rough period of redefinition and rebranding. What is it about his scary stories that’s so compelling? Why do his characters stand out? Which tales will keep our dark little hearts beating faster for years to come?
Panelists: Vincent O’Neil, Kenesha Williams, Paul Tremblay, Jack Haringa, Lauren Roy

OPEN MIC: MYTHS & LEGENDS!
20:00 (8:00pm) – Galleria

Live from Boskone: A special selection of tall tales as told by our program participants — plus audience members. All show off their open mic skills in the third annual Boskone Open Mic extravaganza. This year features the myths and legends of yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Each participant contributes his/her most legendary performance — a 5-minute story, poem, song, skit, interpretive dance, or whatever!

OPTIONAL: For extra appeal, feel free to come dressed as your favorite mythic or legendary character.
Participants: Elaine Cunningham, Kenneth Schneyer, C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Gabriel Erkard, E. Ardell, Benjamin Newman, Roberta Rogow, Don Pizarro, Trisha Wooldridge, Mary Ellen Wessels, Edward L. Stauff

SUNDAY
READING
10:00am – Independence
Come see me read some stuff! Possible snippets from works-in-progress, maybe the Myths & Legends piece if people who missed that come. Requests taken, chocolate a strong possibility.

HORROR AND HUMOR
11:00am – Marina 3

That’s awfully funny! Horror and humor may be strange bedfellows, but the two genres can combine in surprisingly complementary ways. How can you best weave them together into a terribly amusing tale? And why do they work so well together?
Panelists: Don Pizarro, James Moore, Craig Shaw Gardner, Marianna Martin PhD, Lauren Roy

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January 13, 2017 · 11:51 am

Arisia 2017 Schedule

Somehow Arisia has snuck up on me. I’ll be there this weekend, huzzah! Here’s my schedule:

SATURDAY

Crafting Memorable Worlds
10:00am, Faneuil

Before your characters go off on an adventure, you must first set the ‘stage’ upon which they will make their journey. Where do you find inspiration to build your fictional world? What ‘laws’ must your world follow? How do you describe it without purple prose? Our panelists will discuss how to make your world a character in your story and shape a canvas so memorable your audience will never want to leave.
Heard the Dice Hit the Table: Games as Fiction
11:30am, Marina 1

In the last 40 years, SF/F has had an uneasy relationship with the kind of games that generate fiction, both tabletop and computerized. From magazine submission guidelines that warn off fiction that sounds like it came from a tabletop game to stories about people playing games, gaming is clearly part of the storyteller tradition. How does fiction incorporate gaming and game materials, and what in gaming might help us find interesting literature?
Writing YA Fiction Teens Will Actually Read
4:00pm, Marina 3

Young adults are particular about what they read. Vampires? Werewolves? How about a spaceship warrior queen with a sword and a psychic cat? Before you can write it, it seems they’re off to the next great thing. But if you *listen*, young people are brimming with story ideas. Our YA-expert panelists will discuss what teens *wish* authors would write, what makes a teen’s eyes roll, and how to get past the gatekeepers to reach your teen audience. There will be Q&A at the end.
Keeping Long Tabletop Campaigns Interesting
7:00pm, Faneuil

GMs, has this ever happened to you? The campaign has stretched into its winter years, and every companion book and monster manual has been used. Your players are completing each other’s sentences, and you can even recite their likely takeout order from every local place that delivers. Don’t worry for help is here! Panelists will discuss ways a GM can keep a long-running campaign fresh and exciting.

MONDAY

Vertigo on TV: iZombie and Lucifer
11:30am, Faneuil

While neither show really stays close to their comic-book origins, both *iZombie* and *Lucifer* are successful shows that have been adapted from Vertigo books, and both have dedicated fan audiences. We’ll discuss both shows, talking about our favorite and least favorite elements of each, as well as how the process of changing from the comics has made things better or worse.

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February 13, 2015 · 9:55 am

Boskone 2015, Winter Is Never Leaving Edition

Despite yet another impending blizzard, I will be at Boskone this weekend. If you’re braving the snow, come say hello!

It’s Complicated: Kids and the Culture They Consume

Friday 19:00 – 19:50, Harbor III (Westin)

As the lives of young adults in our ever-changing modern society become more complicated and diverse, so do their personal interests and experiences. Panelists discuss how the growing complexity of our world affects the content of young adult literature, comics, games, and film. How do the philosophical issues that impact today’s society affect how teens see themselves within the fiction they consume? What are some practical ideas for better connecting today’s children and teens with yesterday’s or tomorrow’s literature?

Veronica Koven-Matasy (M), A.C.E. Bauer, Bruce Coville, Lauren Roy, Stacey Friedberg

Gaming Review 2014-2015

Friday 20:00 – 20:50, Burroughs (Westin)

What are the hot new board/card/RPG games for 2015? What’s trending? What new expansions to previously released games are out now? Let’s discuss all things related to new games.

Michael Sharrow (M), Heather Albano , Lauren Roy, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Autographing: AJ Paquette, Lauren Roy, Jo Walton, Jane Yolen

Saturday 10:00 – 10:50, Galleria-Autographing (Westin)

Finding Diverse Fiction

Saturday 12:00 – 12:50, Marina 2 (Westin)

There is a clear desire for increased diversity within SF/F fiction and fandom. There are also a lot of emerging writers who are bringing diversity to the genre, but many of them are still flying below the publicity radar. Authors and publishers come together to share their “must read” lists and tips on where to find some of the new up-and-coming authors.

Charles Stross (M), Susan Jane Bigelow, Don Pizarro, Jarvis Sheffield, Lauren Roy

Authorship, RPGs, and the Legacy of D&D

Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Marina 3 (Westin)

Dungeons & Dragons, the first commercially available role-playing game, was published 40 years ago. D&D ushered in a new era of cooperative storytelling that has inspired Game Masters, players, and authors to dream big and create their own fictional universes. Panelists explore the many facets of RPGs — from developing challenging and believable frameworks for cooperative story construction to taking the story beyond the game.

Chris Jackson (M), James Cambias, Mur Lafferty, Lauren Roy, Bill Todd

Writers on Writing: Worldbuilding from the Ground Up

Sunday 12:00 – 12:50, Harbor III (Westin)

Some spectacular stories take place in worlds very different from our own: from life on (or in) a gas giant to a civilization that lives on a world-tree as big as the Himalayas. But there are perils associated with venturing far beyond human experience. An inconsistent or poorly described worldscape can furnish a confusing story, or challenge a reader’s ability to suspend disbelief. Hear from writers who have created fully realized worlds that their readers can almost see, touch, and smell.

E. C. Ambrose (M), Myke Cole, Peadar Ó Guilín, Lauren Roy, Rosemary Kirstein

Reading: Lauren Roy

Sunday 14:00 – 14:25, Independence (Westin)

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January 14, 2015 · 11:15 am

My Arisia 2015 Schedule

Hey there, cats ‘n’ kittens, if you’re going to be at Arisia this weekend, here’s my schedule:

Sunday, 5:30PM, Bulfinch
Reading with Felicitas Ivey, Hildy Silverman and… me!

Sunday, 10:00PM, Marina 4
A Game of Thrones: 2015 Edition
Panelists: Terry Franklin, George Claxton, Mark. W. Richards, Jessa Phillips, Lauren M. Roy

As Game of Thrones continues, it manages to diverge from the book in significant ways, while still fitting into George R.R. Martin’s vision. The story has now caught up to the books for some characters, and changes to the story are becoming more rampant. We’ll talk about the state of the show after the fourth season, with potential book and TV spoilers as we predict the fifth season.

Monday, 10:00AM, Marina 1
Running Great Games
Panelists: William “Ian” Blanton, William C. Walker III, Peter Maranci, Morgan Crooks, Lauren M. Roy

Any gaming group can kick open doors and collect treasure. How do you and your friends collectively tell an engaging and memorable story that you’ll talk about for years to come? Our panel of experienced GMs will share stories, tips, and tricks.

Friday night and Saturday I will be poking around attending panels and seeing what there is to see. If you see me around, say hello!

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