Saturday, April 20, 2024!
Tickle your muse back to life this spring with Can*Con Virtual (name not final. Probably.)! Spend a full day being inspired by industry professionals as they discuss the business and craft of science-fiction, fantasy, and horror writing. Starting at 10am ET and going for about twelve hours (it ends on some fun, so it might go later!), this event will help your stories bloom to life!
Participants will have access to our private Discord Channel, and be able to ask questions of panelists. It’s a full day of learning, growing, and having fun in a community of your SF writing peers.
Schedule:
Trying to sign with a literary agent can be nerve-wracking, and as a result we tend to see agents as these aloof, unknowable, terrifying figures. But really, most are just geeks who love books and are navigating this industry along with the rest of us. And we can prove it! Join us for a discussion with three phenomenal agents, about what outside of their day job keeps them going on the hard days, and the hustle aspects of their jobs that you might not be aware of, from negotiating tactics to interacting at cons, and more.
Speculative fiction has long had an interest in the interactions between mortals and gods, going all the way back to the Epic of Gilgamesh. In more contemporary SFF, the role of gods is given a twist, with works where these immortals are everything from implacable forces of nature to simply people trying to survive an ever-changing world or galaxy. How do the best works of godpunk play on mythological tropes and bend them to a more modern story? Where does the “punk” element come in? And where is this emerging subgenre going, with the stories and authors at its forefront?
Retellings of myths, legends, and history are fascinating to many, and increasingly, these retellings include gender-swapped heroes (e.g. woman Percival in Nicola Griffith’s “Spear”). Why do these re-imaginings hold such interest for us? What can be explored about gender roles, femininity/masculinity, and identity, as well as how these play into our cultural storytelling and myth-making? Are there any major pitfalls or cautions that should be exercised in this kind of exploration of gender and myth?
Co-writing a novel, novella, game or series can be an incredibly rewarding experience – with the right people. But it can also be daunting or intimidating to try. How did our panelists approach that big question: hey, do you want to work on something together? In what ways does co-writing offer a chance to level up your craft? How do you navigate disagreements on a project? How do you make sure the voice, style, etc., of the project is consistent throughout, with multiple creators involved? If you’ve ever thought about co-writing, this is the panel for you!
Despite the conscious efforts of some to break down barriers, publishing stats show that publishers still produce relatively few titles by Black authors, especially those centering Black experiences and perspectives. There is particularly an ongoing need for unapologetically Black books, a phrase used by past Editor GoH Nivia Evans in 2020. But what makes a work unapologetically Black? How is our industry celebrating these stories, and what more is needed? How can allies play their part, beyond general signal boosting and retweeting?
Poetry’s various lyrical forms and subjects are often deeply rooted in the rhythmic patterns and cultural observations of a poet’s home. What do speculative poets from beyond the world value sonically and thematically in their work, and what can they tell us not only about those poets’ places, but about the craft of writing poetry overall? When notions of place and home are complex, and even dark, how does crafting and sharing that poetry help to navigate that?
Are we past the renaissance of the scrappy underdog taking on their speculative world? We say: no! How are characters like Doctor Aphra, Kaz Brekker and the Crows, and the Lower Deckers still crucial to SFF? Why is the downtrodden person on the fringe such an enduring archetype? Is any aspect of this type of journey overdone, or are we still carving new ground?
Prices
Early Bird (until January 15)
Adult – 35$ CAD
Student – 25$ CAD
Regular (Until April 19)
Adult – 45$ CAD
Student – 30$ CAD
Register here: https://www.eventbee.com/v/virtual-cancon-2024#/tickets