I’ve got a good set of panels this year. I’ll be really busy too.

Writers’ Workshop: Vylar Kaftan (scheduled) unlisted Fri, 9:00 am–12:00 pm Senate A

Taboo V: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back Into The Water (scheduled) participant Fri, 9:00–10:15 pm Conference 2
Charlie Jane Anders, Vylar Kaftan, Jennifer Pelland, Rachel Virginia Swirsky
The taboo, the controversial, the confrontational. Fifth in the series of readings from Vylar Kaftan, Rachel Swirsky, and Jennifer Pelland, this year with Nebula-nominated guest Charlie Jane Anders.

Let’s Build a World (scheduled) participant Sat, 2:30–3:45 pm Room 629
Benjamin Rosenbaum, Vylar Kaftan, Rachel Kronick, Victoria Lopez, Carol Townsend
Whether it’s for movies, TV, literature, or games of all kinds, creative people in SF&F have to build their worlds from scratch. Let’s see how they do it. We’ll start with some categories (tech level, economic system, climate, races, etc.), get ideas about each of them from the audience, select the best ideas in each category, then watch the panelists writhe as they figure out how to make them work together.

Intersectionality in the Writing Workshop Environment (scheduled) moderator Sat, 9:00–10:15 pm Conference 4
Vylar Kaftan, Keffy R. M. Kehrli, Ibi Zoboi about this item.
Intensive writing workshops can be incredible life-changing experiences. But what’s it like to attend them as a writer of color, a woman, a trans person, a queer person? What if you have disabilities or are lacking in financial means? Let’s discuss which workshops are the most accepting (and to whom) and uncover strategies to help you get the best out of the experience. The focus will be on in-person workshops, but online workshops may also be discussed.

Critique Groups: How to Give and Take a Critique (scheduled) participant Sun, 10:00–11:15 am Caucus
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, Heather Beatty, F.J. Bergmann, Vylar Kaftan, Stacy Thieszen
Writers groups and other ways of giving and receiving critiques are important parts of the writing process for many authors. What are the keys to giving useful critiques to other writers? How can you get the most out of critiques of your own work? How do you cope with the emotionally tender bits of receiving criticism?

It’s Actually Quite Hard to Rip a Bodice: How to Use (and Not Abuse) Historical Details in Fiction (scheduled) moderator Sun, 1:00–2:15 pm Capitol B
Vylar Kaftan, Lucy Adlington, Ellen Klages, Alex Dally MacFarlane, Elizabeth Bear
Anachronisms can really get a person’s stockings in a twist. A 19th-Century heroine stalking the land in stiletto heels? Or, worse, being assaulted by a hunk who has no idea how to access a body bound by corsetry? But readers don’t want the story derailed by an author’s excessive display of “see-what-I-know-itis.” There are an increasing number of online sources for historical research. How do you gauge their accuracy? When telling your story, how do you strike a balance between imaginative flair and downright pedantry?

The SignOut (scheduled) participant Mon, 11:30 am–12:45 pm Capitol/Wisconsin
Come and sign your works, come and get things signed, come and hang out and wind down before you leave.