FARPOINT 2023 PANEL PARTICIPATION REQUEST
[If you would like to participate in a panel, select the level of preference in the topic for that panel.  IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A PARTICULAR PANEL, please select "NOT INTERESTED."  Closed panels for each track are listed at the end of each section.]
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AUTHOR PANELS
(If you have any questions, please contact Zan Rosin - zanrosin@gmail.com, or Jill Marron - jillianmardesich@gmail.com)
THE AUTHOR CONUNDRUM:  TRILOGIES, ONGOING SERIES, OR STANDALONE NOVELS?
You've got one novel in your head. Or two, or three, or more. Do these characters warrant just a single adventure? Is there a trilogies' worth of adventures with these characters? Or can you write them indefinitely? This panel of authors and editors discuss the advantages and roadblocks of each approach, and how they make these critical decisions.
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HOW TO PROPERLY VET EDITORS & PUBLISHERS
Every author needs a good editor. And if they don't self publish, they'll need a good publisher. But trusting your literary baby with someone else can be scary. This panel discusses how to approach and vet editors, which publishers are on the up and up, and which ones might be worth avoiding, and how to determine which is which.
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I'VE FINISHED MY MANUSCRIPT -- NOW WHAT?
An overview and discussion of authors' publishing options, from self publishing to traditional press and everything in between.
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PUBLISHING NIGHTMARES & CAUTIONARY TALES
Panelists share stories of how publishing can go wrong and what aspiring writers should watch out for.
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PACING YOUR STORY
How do you decide when to push forward with the action and when to let the story breathe? Authors will share their tips and experiences with pacing, "filler" chapters, and more.
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WRITING TOOLS & SOFTWARE
How do you organize your writing? Scrivener? Note cards? Spreadsheets? Authors share their tips.
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PART TIME VS. FULL TIME WRITING
Some people are built for "writing all day" (and what does that even mean, really?). Others are better suited to writing being only part of their day. Which are you? How do you know?
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AUTHOR ROLE MODELS
Find out which authors our panels respect, admire, seek to emulate, both personally and professionally.
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SWORDFIGHTING ON THE PAGE
How to write exciting fight scenes.
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HOW TO BUILD AN ALIEN
Writers will discuss how they design a good alien species (how to NOT make them "Guys with Funny Foreheads") and give some tips on the design process.
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SALVAGING OLD IDEAS
Can you reclaim your old book ideas? Our panelists will discuss.
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WRITING MAGIC SYSTEMS
How you do build a realistic magic system for your books?
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COLLABORATIONS
We'll discuss different ways you can write with one or more other authors.
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DEVELOPING A WORLD
What is worldbuilding? How do we do it without losing track of story? How do you tell a story without losing track of the world? Economics, religion, ethics power, gender, history... how do you know where to start and how do you know when to stop?
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CREATING COOL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Most of us discover fantasy and sci-fi as kids, and more than ever good books/graphic novels are being created for young readers. If you have interest in writing and/or illustrating for this diverse and eager crowd, this panel of kidlit creators can give you tips on honing your work and helping to get it in the hands of the right agents and editors. All levels welcome.
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TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL...
The panel will discuss what SFF novels should be taught in schools.
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SELLING YOUR SHORTS
Short story markets are a gateway into creating your own fantastic worlds. But how do you write for pro short story markets? How can you maximize your potential to sell a story? How do you handle rejection, rewrites, and creating new content? Lots to discuss here!
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BUILDING IDENTITY
What defines a character's identity? Is it their behavior or their thoughts? How do we get that on the page and how do we honor identities that are not our own (be they aliens or our neighbor)?
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ARCHETYPES IN SF
What are archetypes? How and why do we use them in SF? Why are certain archetypes so prominent in SF? There is a deep well to explore here between the mono-myth and Jungian collective unconscious. We'll expose the audience to different interpretations of archetypes and how to use them in SF.
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PSYCHOLOGY IN SCIENCE FICTION
There have been panels about different types of science in science fiction, but not so many about psychology. We'll discuss everything from cutting edge psych science to making therapists seem realistic in your stories.
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"WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW" AND OTHER DUBIOUS WRITING ADVICE
How did this and other instructional cliches ever get started? What do they even mean? Our pro panelists will help new writers sort out the good, the bad, and the ugly.
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WRITING SCI-FI MYSTERIES
Sci-Fi and mysteries -- two great tastes that taste great together. But do you start with the sci-fi or the mystery? What opportunities are unique to this hybrid category? What are the pitfalls?
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WRANGLING WRITERS (EDITING ANTHOLOGIES)
Herding cats is easy. Handling writers is hard. Experienced anthologists tell us how they get their contributors to turn in their best work -- and to do so before cockroaches rule the Earth.
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MONSTER OF THE WEEK
With the growing popularity of cryptids in fiction and media, what draws us in? What defines a cryptid?
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CREATING A SERIES
Not just novels, but themes can be the foundation of a series. Single-author or multi-author, shared-world or do-your-own thing. The possible variations are many. What goes in to creating a brand and what can it encompass? What are the benefits and the challenges? How can it transition into bigger things?
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PUBLISHING BURNOUT
Promoting yourself as an author or publisher can be exhausting work, with at times little to show for it. How do you cope with the conflicting needs of promoting versus producing? With so many balls to juggle, how do you keep the wrong ones from falling?
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WRITING HORROR IN SCIENCE FICTION
A panel on how to merge science fiction with horror. Examples cited will include Lovecraft, Alien, and Event Horizon.
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RETCONNING:  YAY OR NAY?
When is it a good idea to retcon an established character, franchise or plot point? When is it a bad idea? Topics may include changes to characters in comic books and movies, as well as plot points such as Vulcan emotional suppression in the various Trek series.
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THIS WASN'T THE POST-APOCALYPSE I ORDERED!
Now that we’ve lived through a few apocalypses, why doesn’t it feel like the world ended? Is it because there’s more reason for hope than we thought… or is it that the apocalypse is still ongoing? And why does everyone wear spikes in the PA, anyway?
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WHY ISN'T THE FUTURE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED?
William Gibson observed "The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed”… and if we look closely, neither is the present. Why haven’t the benefits of the future been made available to all of us, and why are so many of our ideas, habits, and procedures still clinging to the past? What’s in the way of tomorrow arriving?
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SHERLOCK HOLMES FOR THE MODERN AGE/AUDIENCE
While the traditional Victorian detective continues to be popular in the 21st century, other more dynamic applications of the character are being seen now that Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain. Our authors discuss whether there should be a limit to where Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson are taken in the 21st Century, and whether the traditional Victorian sleuth can continue to endure. 
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CLOSED AUTHOR PANELS:
Crazy 8 Press - An hour-long panel with members of Crazy 8 Press to discuss current and future publications.

Alternate History: Creating Stories By Changing The Past  - An interactive presentation for writers and readers on the different facets and potential of alternative history storytelling.

Build-A-Book Workshop -  A single-presenter workshop, Danielle Ackley-McPhail walks interested individuals through the elements of book design using published works as examples of what to do and not to do.

Spy-5 -  A history of the connections between spy literature and films and science fiction.


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