Storming The Castle

DayTimeRoomTitleDescriptionPanelists
Friday12:00 PMGreenfieldAttrAction The reactive interplay between the magnets in AttrAction is what gives this game its spark! Players must flick their "shooter" magnet into the playing area to attract and collect other magnets. Of course, it's not quite that easy since the magnets repel as easily as they attract! Strategies unfold and develop in reaction to the patterns on the table. 
Friday12:00 PMGreenfieldCelesteyou board an aircraft with a team of adventurers to perform many trips through the cities of Celestia and recover their wonderful treasures. Your journey will not be safe, but you will attempt to be the richest adventurer by collecting the most precious treasures! 
Friday12:00 PMGreenfieldRoll for the GalaxyBuild a space empire direct your populace to develop new technologies, settle worlds, and ship goods. The player who best manages his workers and builds the most prosperous empire wins! 
Friday1:00 PMErieThe Business of Episodic Storytelling Serialized fiction has experienced a renaissance in the age of the internet. Our panelists discuss the business side of episodic storytelling-- What are the trade-offs between self-publishing and going with a publisher like Serial Box? If going through a publisher, how do you pitch serialized projects? If self-publishing, which platform is best for your work and audience? Pablo Defendini (M), Michael R. Underwood, Mackenzie Flohr, E.D.E. Bell (Emily), Christian Klaver
Friday1:00 PMGreenfieldAlien Artifacts Build powerful ships, develop new technologies, and explore distant planets for anything (or anyone) you can exploit. Fight the Ancients or each other. 2017 Golden Geek Best Card Game nominee. 
Friday1:00 PMGreenfieldAttractionThe reactive interplay between the magnets in AttrAction is what gives this game its spark! Players must flick their "shooter" magnet into the playing area to attract and collect other magnets. Of course, it's not quite that easy since the magnets repel as easily as they attract! Strategies unfold and develop in reaction to the patterns on the table. 
Friday1:00 PMOntarioNetworking for Genre Fiction Professionals Some people hate the idea of networking, feel it's "shmoozing" or disingenuous communication. But it's highly useful to building a creative career. Panelists will talk about how networking has helped their careers (or not) and how to do it right. Jennifer Blackstream (M), Dyrk Ashton, Ferrett Steinmetz, Cherie Priest, Dan Wells
Friday2:00 PMErieAn Author's Guide To Newsletters Keeping up with the shifting landscape of social media can me a tall order for busy writers. E-mail newsletters are a simple, effective way to let your most engaged fans know where to find you and your work. Our panelists have tips on how to set up and maintain an effective newsletter. Angus Watson (M), Lawrence M. Schoen, Marissa Lingen, Patrick S. Tomlinson, Natalie Luhrs
Friday2:00 PMGreenfieldCastle Paniche forest is filled with all sorts of monsters. They watched and waited as you built your castle and trained your soldiers, but now they've gathered their army and are marching out of the woods. Can you work with your friends to defend your castle against the horde, or will the monsters tear down your walls and destroy the precious castle towers? You will all win or lose together, but in the end only one player will be declared the Master Slayer! 
Friday2:00 PMGreenfieldGood to the Last Drop (4hrs)You stumble upon a city seemingly under siege by mutanoid forces empowered by strange arcane magics. Running low on morale and supplies you are asked by a desperate populace to save them by destroying the menace. Simple enough, or is there more to this story...  
Friday2:00 PMHenry FordDeath March to a Parallel World (3hrs)  
Friday2:00 PMOntarioCommas Are An Art, Not A Science (And Other Copyediting Notes) Come and hear the wit and wisdom of professional copy-editors, who wish to sing you the song of well-placed commas and how they can contribute to your storytelling. Carl Engle-Laird (M), Stephanie Lorée, Richard Shealy, Vanessa Ricci-Thode, Melissa Ann Singer, Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Friday3:00 PMAtrium Paint and Take (6hrs)  
Friday3:00 PMErieA Pro Writer's Guide To Consultants There are a wealth of consulting services available to professional writers these days, including paid editing, sensitivity reading, marketing and social media consulting, and career coaching. What can these consulting services offer to trad and indie authors? When are they a good investment, and how do you vet and choose providers? Cat Rambo (M), Richard Shealy, Dan Stout, Michael R. Underwood, Dan Wells
Friday3:00 PMGreenfield Dice Forge Dice Forge is a development game featuring innovative mechanics based on dice with removable faces. In this dice crafting game, players build their own dice to gain resources to purchase upgrades. 
Friday3:00 PMGreenfieldRising Sun (3hrs)A game for up to 6 players about feudal era japan where players are controlling different clans attempting to become the next ruler of japan. This game focuses on negotiation over force of arms as having an ally can often swing the tide of war in your favor.  
Friday3:00 PMOntarioProject Management Software In Publishing Taking a title from manuscript (or idea) to the finished product requires more than an editor who polishes and enhances the story. Distributing the correct information to various channels can become cumbersome when relying on classic spreadsheet styles. Project management tools are plentiful in the market from custom software to free online organizers. How can strategies in project management help create a smoother product? Pablo Defendini (M), Geralyn Lance, LaShawn M. Wanak, Chris Bell, Natalie Luhrs
Friday4:00 PMErieCultivating a Fanbase as a Publisher Just as fans follow specific authors or magazines, with the proliferation of small presses, we're increasingly seeing publishing houses develop followings of their own. Apex Publishing, Subterranean Press, World Weaver Press, Small Beer Press and many others have distinct voices and aesthetics which distinguish them in the marketplace. Some, such as Ugly Duckling Presse and Restless Books, offer annual subscriptions to their catalogs. Are readers following publishers as they follow authors, and what are publishers doing to cultivate fan bases? A. Carina Spears (M), Pablo Defendini, Yanni Kuznia, Michael J. DeLuca, Joe R. Lansdale
Friday4:00 PMGreenfieldPaperbackWord-building meets deck-building in the unique game Paperback. Players start with a deck of letter cards and wild cards. Each hand they form words, and purchase more powerful letters based on how well their word scored. Players buy wilds to gain victory points. 
Friday4:00 PMOntarioRunning Productive Critique Groups Critique groups can be a huge source of support for writers. They can provide practical advice on the architecture and carpentry of our stories, camaraderie and social support from folks within our career cohort, and mutual accountability to actually get things done. Our panelists have advice on how to build and maintain productive crit groups. Karen Osborne (M), Jordan Kurella, Tim Boerger, Lucy A. Snyder, Anthony W. Eichenlaub
Friday5:00 PMAllen Park Escapism, Coming Back, and Beyond Fans of SFF can get pretty prickly about their escapist pleasures. In the era of #metoo, #ownvoices and bot-fueled reactionary troll backlash, it's time to unpack that. What do we get by escaping the real world into fiction for a little while? How does it feel coming back? How else can fiction help us weather and overcome the hardships of the real world, and how can it hurt? Michael J. DeLuca (M), Eric Anderson, Sandee Rodriguez, Andrea Johnson, Jessi Cole Jackson
Friday5:00 PMErieWriting Tie-In Fiction Tie-in fiction can help writers expand their fanbase, put money in the bank, and occasionally even propel writers onto bestseller lists--but working in a world over which you have limited creative control comes with its own set of challenges. Panelists who've written tie-ins will talk about the differences between tie-in and original work, how to navigate in someone else's sandbox, and what they wish they'd known when they started. A. Carina Spears (M), James L. Sutter, Mur Lafferty, Nathan Rockwood, Delilah Dawson
Friday5:00 PMGreenfieldSushi Goyou are eating at a sushi restaurant and trying to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Score points for collecting the most sushi rolls or making a full set of sashimi. Dip your favorite nigiri in wasabi to triple its value! And once you've eaten it all, finish your meal with all the pudding you've got! But be careful which sushi you allow your friends to take; it might be just what they need to beat you! 
Friday5:00 PMHenry FordYuri on Ice! (5hrs)  
Friday5:00 PMKidFusionWelcome to ConFusion!Kids welcome tour of ConFusion. KidFudsion Staff
Friday5:00 PMOntarioDragon's Den Join the Board of the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association and pitch your idea to make the con even better! Impress the Board and get your idea funded to improve the con experience for everyone. Dave Klecha, Amy Sexsmith, Anna Carey, Allison Anderson, Cylithria Dubois, Eric Guy, Brian Decker
Friday5:00 PMTeenFusionWe fit together like two pieces of a puzzle with your hand a perfect match for meNo, this isn't about love. This panel is dedicated to doing puzzles and playing games with a deck of 52 cards 
Friday6:00 PMAllen Park Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance have a lot in common: mythical creatures in modern settings, noir and crime fiction aesthetics, and, often, romantic plotlines. What distinguishes the two genres, and where to they overlap? How do they use their common elements to create different goals? Jennifer Blackstream (M), Andrew M. 'Fish' Popowich, Josef Matulich, Michael Cieslak, Delilah Dawson
Friday6:00 PMDearborn The Future of Masculinity Masculinity and “manliness” are social constructs, and like all social constructs, they evolve and change over time. How will our definitions of masculinity evolve over time? How can we portray positive visions of masculinity in speculative fiction? Jason Sanford (M), Pablo Defendini, Michael R. Underwood, John Chu, David Anthony Durham
Friday6:00 PMErieOutlining Methods For Short and Long Fiction Outlines are a popular and powerful tool for planning out fiction, but the persuasive non-fiction outlining methods that many of us learned in school aren't particularly well-suited to storytelling. Many writers have developed their own methods for outlining, and many have tips you can adapt for your own use. Come learn about the outlining methods that work for our panel of writers, and where to find additional resources on how to make outlines work for you. Annalee Flower Horne (M), A. Merc Rustad, Cherie Priest, Mark Oshiro, Ada Palmer
Friday6:00 PMGreenfieldCodenames two teams compete to see who can contact all of their agents first. Use clues that could point to multiple words on the board to guess your teams words, but not the other teams! 
Friday6:00 PMGreenfieldHalls of the Minotaur (4hrs)A villainous minotaur has beset your small hamlet, raiding, killing, and even stealing children! A valiant paladin went after the beast but he has not returned. With no other options left five brave villagers decide to take matters into their own hands and end this villain's reign of terror once and for all! 
Friday6:00 PMKidFusionSparkly, Shiny Suncatchers!Make a suncatcher using jewels and glue. Will need time to dry. KidFudsion Staff
Friday6:00 PMOntarioPuns Some people love puns. Other people are wrong and hate fun. Our panel of experts discusses one of the greatest tools in the comedic toolbox. Richard Shealy (M), John Wiswell, Clif Flynt, Jon Skovron, Nibedita Sen
Friday6:00 PMTeenFusionDinner Break"Dummy, dummy, go out now and fill your tummy."  
Friday6:00 PMWarren So This Is Your First ConFusion (Fri) First time at ConFusion, or science fiction conventions in general? Join us to hear about the history of the convention and even a little tour of the con. We'll answer any questions you have (about the con; quantum physics questions are handled elsewhere).  
Friday7:00 PMFairlane Right Song, Right Time Whether it's a full concert or a few songs in a Filk circle, picking the perfect song for a given moment can be challenging. Panelists will talk about the many varied approaches to how they pick and arrange songs for a given setting, about giving song introductions, having potential backup songs prepared, and more. Mark Bernstein (M), Eric Distad, Jen Distad
Friday7:00 PMGreenfieldCodenames two teams compete to see who can contact all of their agents first. Use clues that could point to multiple words on the board to guess your teams words, but not the other teams! 
Friday7:00 PMKidFusionBedtime Snack and Story TimeGrab your pjs and a blanket and join the KidFusion staff and friends for a bedtime snack and a fairy story.KidFudsion Staff
Friday7:00 PMMichiganOpening Ceremonies Welcome to Storming the ConFusion! Please join our ConChair and Guests of Honor Ada Palmer, Steve Macdonald, Jen Piatek, and David Stein, along with our Special Guests, courtesy of Subterranean Press, Joe Lansdale and Lewis Shiner! Hear about all the exciting stuff you can expect from them, and us, this weekend! Ada Palmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner, Steve Macdonald, Dr. Jennifer Piatek, David M Stein, DI, Amy Sexsmith
Friday7:00 PMTeenFusionD&D(Teens) Play D&D in the Teen Room. Previous experience is not required.  
Friday8:00 PMAllen Park Young Adult Authors in Conversation Our panel of authors of Young Adult fiction who write in different genres talk about their journey to publishing, their craft, and the future of YA. Jon Skovron (M), Cassandra Morgan, Stacey Filak, Merrie Haskell, Mark Oshiro
Friday8:00 PMConSuite Dessert Reception Come enjoy desserts and mingle with our Guests of Honor and Subterranean Press's Special Guests! Ada Palmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner, Steve Macdonald, Dr. Jennifer Piatek, David M Stein, DI
Friday8:00 PMErieFood, Flavor, and Culture In Secondary Worlds We live in a world where food and flavor profiles are closely linked with culture and family--be it handed-down recipes or the smells and tastes of particular ingredients viscerally signalling “home.” How can we incorporate distinct foods and food aesthetics into our secondary worlds to create a sense of place and culture? When is it the right choice to incorporate real-world foods that will be familiar to readers, and when is it better to invent new dishes? Dave Klecha (M), Jessi Cole Jackson, Dan Stout, Ken Schrader
Friday8:00 PMGreenfieldRed Dragon InnYou've defeated the dragon and returned to the inn to spend your well-earned gold. Prove that you can party harder than the rest of your party by being the last adventurer standing in the pub. 
Friday8:00 PMOntarioHow To Design A Monster Authors have a vast and deep mythology to draw from when writing vampires, werewolves, and other mythological creatures. How do we choose which parts of their myths to incorporate into our own worlds? How do we incorporate new traits while still making them recognizable, and how do we avoid making our monsters derivative and stale? We'll talk about how to work out their appearance, limitations, social structures, and how they fit into the larger society of a fantasy world. Jennifer Blackstream (M), John Wiswell, A. Merc Rustad, Tracy Townsend, Petra Kuppers
Friday8:00 PMRotunda Reading: Sean Martin, Anthony W. Eichenlaub  Sean Martin, Anthony W. Eichenlaub
Friday8:00 PMSouthfield Footnotes in Fiction While readers are accustomed to footnotes in translated and historical works, footnotes, endnotes, and other side-matter such as indexes pack powerful storytelling potential. Goldman used them to power the meta-story in The Princess Bride. Ursula K. Le Guin used the occasional footnote to define terms, and footnotes are popular in alt history and historical fiction for audiences of all ages. How can we use footnotes to best effect in our work, and how do we walk the line between entertaining flavortext and extraneous infodump? Annalee Flower Horne (M), David John Baker, Scott H. Andrews, Anaea Lay, Amy Sundberg
Friday9:00 PMFairlane Concert by The Faithful Sidekicks The Faithful Sidekicks are the Acoustic Geek Rock/Filk duo of Eric and Jen Distad. They write and perform an eclectic mix of original catchy songs about the geeky stuff they love from comedic pop songs like "Han Solo For President" to love songs written in SQL Code, and everything in between. They have released two CDs, the most recent being "Achievement Unlocked". Eric Distad, Jen Distad
Friday9:00 PMGreenfieldRed Dragon InnYou've defeated the dragon and returned to the inn to spend your well-earned gold. Prove that you can party harder than the rest of your party by being the last adventurer standing in the pub. 
Friday9:00 PMGreenfieldTorrent of Torment (2hrs)the adventures guild got a contract to recover a lost object while cleaning out the ruins of the undercity. A 4th level adventure. 
Friday9:00 PMMichiganDance Party With DJ Scalzi Dance the night away with DJ Scalzi spinning the tunes! John Scalzi
Friday9:00 PMModel T Friends of Bill W (Fri)   
Friday10:00 PMFairlane Theme Circle: Hello Computer Songs about living with (or in spite of) Computer Technology and the Internet. Hosted by Jen and Eric Distad. Eric Distad, Jen Distad
Friday10:00 PMGreenfieldRed Dragon InnYou've defeated the dragon and returned to the inn to spend your well-earned gold. Prove that you can party harder than the rest of your party by being the last adventurer standing in the pub. 
Friday10:00 PMHenry FordDarling in the Franxx (5hrs)  
Friday11:00 PMFairlane Open Music Circle