Immortal ConFusion

For those who live in or around Detroit Michigan, I hope you'll have a chance to stop on by the Dearborn/Detroit Doubletree this coming weekend and join me, and some other fantasy authors at Immortal ConFusion. Apparently this is the "little convention with the big names" and is also in my old home town so I'll get a chance to see the family, some friends, and hopefully meet some new folks as well.

So who will be there?  Aimee Carter, Al Bogdan, Amity Thompson, Anne Harris, Brian McClellan, Carrie Harris, Catherine Shaffer, Christian Klaver, Christine Purcell, Cindy Spencer Pape, Courtney Moulton, Diana Rowland, Doselle Young, Doug Hulick, Dr. Phil Kaldon, Geoff Landis, Gretchen Ash, Holly McDowell, Howard Andrew Jones, Jim C. Hines, John Klima, John Scalzi, Laurie Gailunas, Lawrence Schoen, Leah Zeldes Smith, Mary G. Thompson, Mary Turzillo, Merrie Haskell, Michael J. DeLuca, Michael J. Sullivan, Michael Underwood, Myke Cole, Patrick Rothfuss, Patrick Tomlinson, Peter Orullian, Peter V. Brett, Ron Collins, Saladin Ahmed, Sam Sykes, Sarah Zettel, Scott H. Andrews, Susan Dennard, Tobias S. Buckell, Violette Malan, Wesley Chu, Maria Dahvana, Headley, Mary Robinette Kowel, and Charles Stross, Scott Edelman, Jennifer Ouellette, James Davis Nicoll, and Bradley P. Beaulieu.

So for those that are interested, I'll be arriving midday on Friday and leaving mid-morning on Monday. The sessions I'll be on panels with include:

Saturday 10:00 AM The End (Erie Room)

Fellow Panelists: Catherine Shaffer(M), Christian Klaver, Lawrence Schoen, Maria Dahvana, Headley

What makes a satisfying conclusion? Do we wrap up all loose ends, or leave some plot threads deliciously unexplored in the hopes of returning to them in future volumes? Does the desire for sequels sometimes rob us of a more permanent and concrete end to a story? This panel explores how hard is it to lean back and write "The End". 

Saturday 3:00 PM Genre Expansion In YA Fiction (Southfield Room)

Fellow Panelists: Aimee Carter, Courtney Moulton (M), Susan Dennard

Books aimed at teens often strive for stories that are relevant to that stage of life. Often times this means a modern setting with teen protagonists taking on some challenge, but not always. Science fiction and fantasy often make the biggest impressions on the YA market: just look to Twilight, The Hunger Games, or Harry Potter. Why is this, and what can fans and creators of SF/F learn from these successes?

Sunday 10:00 AM Too Epic? (Dearborn Room)

Fellow Panelists: Patrick Rothfuss, Peter Orullian, Peter V. Brett (M)

Multi-volume epic fantasy that takes decades to write and publish is nothing new, nor is the anticipation of fans rabid for the next installment of favorites like Song of Ice and Fire. When the

composition of a narrative enters its second decade, how does that affect the story? Does the completed version of Wheel of Time bear any resemblance to the plot – or world – hinted at in The

Eye of the World? Can an author maintain fidelity to the initial construct? Should one even try? 

Sunday 11:00 AM I’m Not Even Supposed To Be In This Genre (Dearborn Room)

Fellow Panelists: Cindy Spencer Pape (M), Holly McDowell, Laurie Gailunas

These days we’re as likely to open a book and encounter a noir femme-fatale in our space opera as we are to find a wizard in a noir detective story. Some of  these pairings have been wildly successful, like westerns and sci-fi, while others are somewhat less common. What are some of the potential difficulties in lifting a trope from one genre and playing it in another? Why does this seem to be gaining in popularity? What are some of the best (and worst) uses of this tactic? 

I'll also be at the mass autograph Session which will be in the Ontario Room Saturday at 5:00.  Hope to see you there!