Pi-Con Panel Schedule

The last Pi-Con will be held in Windsor Locks, Connecticut July 31-August 2, 2015.

Guest of Honor: Tanya Huff
Guest of Awesome: Vikki Ciaffone
Location: Sheraton Hotel at Bradley Airport, Windsor Locks, CT

I'll be on the following panels:

Paranormally Yours–Writing the Paranormal Tale or Novel

Friday, July 31, 2:00 PM
Debi Chowdhury, Susan Hanniford Crowley (M), Bianca D’Arc, Tanya Huff, Morven Westfield
The panelists will examine the many aspects of writing the paranormal tale from setting to character. What qualities are in every paranormal from sheer horror to paranormal romance that define the genre?

Building Strong Characters

Friday, July 31, 4:00 PM
Grant Carrington, William Freedman, Tanya Huff, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Morven Westfield (M)
The panelists will discuss how hero, heroines, and villains must be of equal strength, while secondary characters must move the story forward. You’ll learn how to make your character strong, believable, memorable and beloved by readers.

The Day Job and Your Passion - What works for you?

Friday, July 31, 8:00 PM, in McLean
Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Lisa Evans, Jennifer Pelland, Morven Westfield (M)
We all have to earn a living. Do we get a day job that earns a lot of money, in the hope that we can afford to retire early, or save up to take some time off? Or do we just do our creative stuff nights and weekends? What are the best jobs for inspiration? Is it better to have a job that doesn't use up most of your brain?

Building a Better Character

Saturday, August 1, 1:00 pm, in Ellsworth
Vikki Ciaffone, Tanya Huff, Morven Westfield, Trisha J. Wooldridge (M)
Whether you are creating characters for a novel, a play, a television series, or an RPG the person you are making should have a background that makes sense, motivations beyond the plot of your story and be a balanced, even if broken, human being (or whatever). Come and discuss how this is achieved.

The Evolution of the Vampire

Saturday, August 1, 5:00 PM, in Parsons
Susan Hanniford Crowley (M), Mario DiGiacomo, Heather Dawn, Morven Westfield
How have vampires changed in the media? A fun look at the large variety of vampires, from that first Nosferatu to young adult vampires in Vampire Academy and more. Come for the laughs to discuss all in fun. Don't forget your fangs!

Interpreting the Critique

Sunday, August 2, 10:00 AM, Ellsworth
Shuvom Ghose (M), Michael McAfee, Morven Westfield, Trisha J. Wooldridge
You've finished the draft and shared it with your beta readers or writers group. It comes back with edits and criticisms. How do you judge which are valid? When should you change something and when should you stick to your guns? How about when those criticisms come from a professional editor? How about when publication hinges on a particular change which your gut says is wrong? Do you trust yourself or your critic?

My List of Panels for 8Pi-Con (that is, Pi-Con 2014)

Billed as "the friendliest little convention in New England," Pi-Con is held at the Holiday Inn, Enfield, CT, just south of Springfield, MA. This year it's June 27-29, 2014 (next weekend) and I'll be on six panels.

Here's the list:

Fri 6:00pm     How to be a Good Panelist (mod)

Sat 1:00pm     Day Jobs for Writers

Sat 7:00pm     Broad Universe RFR

Sat 8:00pm     Vampires Past, Present & Future--Are They Morphing?

Sun 11:00am    So You Want to Write a Series (mod)

Sun 1:00pm     Kickstarter and Other Microfunding Programs (mod)



And here are the descriptions and lists of panelists.


Fri 6:00 p.m.

How to be a Good Panelist — Agawam

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Morven Westfield (M), Michelle Wexelblat

We’ve all been to panels where things got wildly off-topic or where a panelist or audience member hogged the panel. Sometimes it’s been a lot of fun or extremely interesting. Other times, it’s been aggravating. In this panel, experienced panelists talk about preparing for a panel, participating on a panel, being a good moderator, handling someone who’s obviously aggravating, and how different cons have different styles.




Sat 1:00 p.m.

Day Jobs for Writers — Agawam

M. L. Brennan, Ellen Larson, Kristi Petersen Schoonover (M), Morven Westfield, Trisha J. Wooldridge

What’s the best day job for a writer? Is it a writing job that helps you learn to craft a sentence, work with an editor, and meet deadlines? Or a less-demanding job that gives you time—and brain-width—to think about your current work-in-progress. Writers talk about their day jobs and how they’ve helped or hindered their writing progress.


Sat 7:00 p.m.

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading — Suffield

Terri Bruce, Ellen Larson, Jennifer Pelland, Jennifer Allis Provost, Roberta Rogow, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Morven Westfield, Trisha Wooldridge

Eight talented writers have six minutes each to blow you away! Broad Universe is an international organization supporting women authors of SF, fantasy and horror. Visit them on Dealer’s Row!


Sat 7:00 p.m.

Vampires Past, Present & Future–Are They Morphing? — Suffield

M. L. Brennan, Susan Hanniford Crowley (M), Morven Westfield

A serious and not so serious discussion of Vampires: Past, Present, and Future. Are they morphing into something else—worse—better? What do the legends teach us? Let’s really get into the teeth of the topic and explore where we would like to see vampires of the future go? Can science create the better vampire?



Sun 11:00 a.m.

So You Want to Write a Series — Somers

M. L. Brennan, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Allen Steele, Morven Westfield (M)

For writers who have written series of two or more books. How do you decide your plot and character arcs for each book? For the whole series? Trilogy or longer? How do you keep track of details? How do you bring new readers up-to-date, or do you put the onus on them to read the earlier books? Are series still being done the same way, or are there new trends in writing and publishing series?


Sun 1:00 p.m.

Kickstarter and Other Microfunding Programs — Suffield

David Larochelle, Jennifer Allis Provost, Morven Westfield (M)

Writers, artists, and musicians are using crowdfunding for their projects. People with experience with this booming trend this tell us how it’s done, what does and doesn’t work, and what they’d do differently.

Inanna Arthen's "Beyond Twilight" Presentation

I had the good fortune to listen to Inanna Arthen's talk "Beyond Twilight" this past April at Books and Boos in Colchester, CT.  In this lively talk, Inanna Arthen traces the history of vampires in fiction and debunks some of the common mistakes and misinformation about the genre.

Starting with folklore and literature that pre-dates Bram Stoker's Dracula, Arthen fascinates us with the story of vampires in folklore, literature, movies, and television series. She graciously allowed me to share her presentation. I've cut her 90-plus minute talk into three sections. You can listen to the first part here: Part 1 of “Beyond Twilight: The Infinite Variety of Vampire Fiction,” with Inanna Arthen.

Inanna Arthen is an author, designer, and vampire expert who has been studying vampire folklore, media, and culture for 45 years. She runs By Light Unseen Media, a small press dedicated to fiction and non-fiction with a vampire theme. She is also the author of the Vampires of New England Series of novels, which includes Mortal Touch, The Longer the Fall, and, coming soon, All the Shadows of the Rainbow.

Thanks go to Books and Boos for hosting the event. They have started an Indiegogo campaign to raise money to help them move to a larger store. If you appreciate independent bookstores and how they serve the reader, check out their Indiegogo campaign here. The campaign will run until 11:59 pm Pacific Time on October 13, 2013.

Celtic Mythology and Its Influence on Fiction

Looking for a different way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year? How about attending a panel discussion where two New England authors discuss Celtic mythology and its influence on fiction.

"If you like stories featuring Druids, fairies, banshees, leprechauns, pookas, or silkies, then you won't want to miss this one!" says author Terri Bruce, who has always been fascinated with the origins of myths and legends, especially those featuring the afterlife or King Arthur. Her Paranormal/Contemporary Fantasy series, Afterlife, draws heavily on Celtic burial and afterlife beliefs and features pookas, hobs/brownies, banshees, and various other folklore creatures.

She'll be joined by author Helen Collins, who has a long-standing love of myth and legends, which she has formally studied. Helen has been on archeological trips through remote regions of Ireland and is the author of several science fiction novels, including Mutagenesis and Neurogenesis.

This event is free. Join them Saturday, March 16, from 1-3 pm at 

Books and Boos
514 Westchester Road
Colchester, CT 06415

(Note that the driveway is on Loomis Road.)

See their website for more information.