Storming The Castle

DayTimeRoomTitleDescriptionPanelists
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 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
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, Theresa Nielsen Hayden
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 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
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
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
Saturday10:00 AMOntarioThe Trouble With Susan (and Donna, and...) Many beloved genre stories don't treat their female characters well. Our genre is full of stories that punish female heroes with debasement and tragedy and unhappy endings, either implying or stating outright that the heroines with whom we identify were too ambitious for their own good. How do we reconcile our love for these stories and characters with the poison pills that come with them? Can we keep loving stories that don't love us back? Marissa Lingen (M), Navah Wolfe, Karen Osborne, K. Lynne O'Connor, Cat Rambo
Saturday11:00 AMOntarioWakanda and The Political Power Of Alternate Presents While The Princess Bride and Black Panther both feature fictional countries, Black Panther uses its alternate history to challenge common narratives about colonialism, centering political commentary in its worldbuilding and plot. How can Science Fiction best use alternate history and alternate present to center and celebrate people whose real histories bear the scars of colonialism, genocide, and/or slavery? How can alternate histories that don't center on these themes avoid making light of, or reinforcing the inevitability of, these atrocities? David Anthony Durham (M), LaShawn M. Wanak
Saturday12:00 PMOntarioWriters Talk About Anything BUT Writing Our panelists answer your burning questions on anything--except writing. Ask about cooking, motorcycle repair, science, the meaning of life, color theory, their favorite and least favorite airports--anything but writing! (accuracy of answers is not guaranteed). Mark Oshiro, John Scalzi, Delilah Dawson
Saturday1:00 PMOntarioHistory of Detroit Fandom 60 years have gone by since Detroit's one and only WorldCon, Detention, and it's been over 45 years since the first ConFusion. Now a whole 5 years have passed since Detroit's wildly successful NasFic, DetCon1. Come relive some of the highlights of Detroit convention history with Fan Guest of Honor David Stein, and bring your own memories to share! Jeff Beeler (M), Bill Higgins, David M Stein, DI
Saturday6:00 PMOntarioJoe R. Lansdale and Lewis Shiner on Story Ideas Joe and Lew have been kicking story ideas back and forth for years; the main reason because the originator didn't want to write it. Here they will discuss story ideas they didn't want to write, why they didn't work for them, and what makes a successful idea. How do they turn a scrap of an idea into a full blown story? Cherie Priest (M), Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner
Saturday8:00 PMOntarioAda Palmer Spoilers Reading Spoilers ahoy! Unlike Guest of Honor Ada Palmer's earlier reading, this one will be rife with spoilers, so proceed at your own caution!Ada Palmer
Sunday11:00 AMOntarioCosplaying 101 What do you need to know about the ins and outs of cosplaying? An informational presentation from longtime ConFusion member Brian Bay! Brian Bay
Sunday12:00 PMOntarioNo Shrinking Violets: The Women of Genre Media From Dale Arden to Lois Lane to Emma Peel to Peggy Carter, genre women have been kicking ass and taking names since the very beginning. David M Stein, DI, Bonnie Jones, Jennifer Skwarski
Sunday1:00 PMOntarioWhose Cartoon Is It, Anyway? Whose Cartoon is It Anyway? The audience picks a cartoon plot, and artists jam to figure out what happens next! MC and Fan GoH Dave Stein narrates the story so that it makes sense. Or at least cartoon-sense. David M Stein, DI (M), Sean Martin, BluRaven C. Houvener, Emily Zelasko