Programming ideas

CONDuit just sent out their list of panel ideas for next year. I thought I'd cross-post them here, in case they spark any ideas for our programming. Besides, its always a good idea to gather as many ideas as possible for the programming 'bag-o-tricks', to keep the pump primed for future years.

[I've edited out some of the person-specific panels (local Salt Lake fans)]

CONduit 19 short panelist list

GENERAL WRITING
-Grammar, schmammar: When to follow the rules. And when to break them.
-Anime fan writing.

-The Fan Fiction Panel.

-Writing evil overlords. They can’t be your ordinary evil villain. How do you write a great “evil overlord” without getting too campy?

-“You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it does.”

-Culture-Building in F&SF: How Do You Create a Viable and Consistent Culture.

-Research and writing: what you don't know can kill you

-Crossover Fiction – making it work, making it sell

-Aspiring Writer's Q&A. You’ve attended the writing panels at CONduit, but you still have some questions. Come ask our panel of experts questions that weren’t answered, or questions you have at the end of another CONduit.

-The stenchless chamberpot - how real should historical fiction or fantasy be?

-Turn the page to turn me on – tricks to writing good sex that doesn't read like bad porn

-Writing Comics

-Works well with others – collaborating with other writers

LITERATURE

-How Hugo Gernsback damaged science fiction.

-My Favorite Books. What books are writers reading?

-The Twilight Books Phenomenon. Why are so many girls (and women) reading Stephenie Meyer?

-What a girl wants – trends and themes in women's fiction – especially paranormal fiction.

-I like to giggle—humor in SF/F

-Are Vampires sexy or do they just suck?

-Myth and mythology in SF&F

-What urban fantasy means to me

-Religion in SF&F fiction. How is religion used in science fiction and fantasy? Is most SF atheist and most fantasy religious?

-The Paranormal Panel. Why is paranormal fiction so popular today?

-Post-apocalyptic stories

BUSINESS OF WRITING

-Manuscript submissions and query letters. The basic information you need to know to look and sound like a professional writer. What font do you use? What size margins? Where do you put your name and address? How do you write a query letter? Three chapters from the beginning of the book?

-Publishing online.

-Self-promoting for writers. Your book just came out in print. Now what do you do?

-Getting and using an agent

-Transparency in publishing

-Copyright laws and the Internet

-How to guarantee your story won't get published

-A swing and a miss: following through on your promises.

-Writing 5 to 9: how to be a writer and hold down a full-time job

YA/MG

-It’s not your parents’ fiction. Writing for the YA/Children’s Market

-How to publish and market your YA/MG book

-What is a YA/MG editor/publisher looking for?

-The next… Publishers are looking for the next Harry Potter or Twilight. How can you get your book sold in spite of overblown expectations?

HORROR/MYSTERY

-Lovecraft: what has he done besides Cthulhu?

-Authors that scared Lovecraft

-Lovecraft’s circle of writers. Who was writing at the time of Lovecraft?

-Cthulhu fan panel. The books, the game, the horror.

-How much gore is too much?

-Writing red herrings. Red herrings are standard in mysteries, but how can you be sure yours works?

-Modern Vampires: This is not your father’s Dracula. Vampires have adapted with the times. Find out how. (Jennifer Neilson)

-Blood, Death and Doom for fun and profit

-Plotting a mystery. When you have to know whodunit before you start and every clue must be carefully plotted.

-Dark fantasy - what's cutting edge, what's played out and where the genre is going

WORKSHOPS

-Poetry workshop

-Killer Stories. A hands-on workshop to teach the key to killer fiction, four parts of story and how they relate to the key; The 3-step creation process; seven principles of creativity; critical guidelines on suspense, plotting, setting, and character building. (Brandon Sanderson, John Brown)

-How to plot a story workshop

SCIENCE/WORLDBUILDING

-Machinima (presentation)

-Computer animation presentation

-Flight sims presentation

-Astronomy presentation)

-What is the future of the International Space Station?

-Where is NASA headed?

-Space travel in the private sector

-Amateur astronomy. What do you need and where can you find it?

-Kitchen science. Science you can do safely in your own home.

-Iron Age Celts presentation

-How to build your own telescope

-Archaeology panel. What IS archaeology and why are we so fascinated by it?

-Fringe science

-Bad science in media (movies and TV)

-Where to place your planet. Why you need to know basic astronomy and physics to place your planet in space.

-Exobiology: How alien would real aliens be?

-Dissociative States (Dr. A. L. Carlisle)

-Zero-point energy

-Mars or Bust: the future of the space program

-Worldbuilding 101: What do you need to know to create your own fictional world?

-The science of evil: why are villains the way they are

-Military structure and strategy

-Military weapons Demo

-Dinosaurs! What is the current theories about dinosaurs?

-NUMB3RS and crime solving. Math as crime solver. Yes, the math is good, and yes, there are great teaching aids for math teachers to help kids want to learn math, but how accurate IS it?

-Weather for writers

-Sword Symbolism: A fine blade is much more than a weapon. Find out what swords mean to different cultures.

-Sword Fighting Demo: A live-action demonstration of weapons & technique

FILK

Friday: What the Filk?

Friday (eve): Filk Concert

Saturday: Found Filk

Saturday (aft.): Filk Contest

Saturday (eve): Masquerade

Sunday; Filk in an hour (and change)

Sunday: Evil Overlord Filk

Friday and Saturday night: Filk and Cookies. All-night filking in the consuite.

ART

-Art Auction Sunday from 1-3, pickup at 4.

-How to draw…

Castles

Backgrounds

Military armor and vehicles

Webcomics

Evil Overlords

-Colored Pencil Art Demo

-Comic art

-Making a living as an artist

-Networking for artists. How do you network with other artists and those who want to buy your art?

-Promoting your art (and yourself as an artist)

-How to put together a portfolio

-3-D art demo

-Sculpting

-Miniature painting workshop

-Model building: how to make the model your own by ‘tweaking’ it.

-Jewelry design

-Monster in an Hour

-Using dark in your art. Light can have a strong effect on your art. So can dark. How can you use dark effectively in your art?

-Texture in Art

MEDIA

-Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and the upcoming Stargate Universe. Where is our favorite series headed and why did the SciFi Channel cancel Atlantis?

-Our heroes have always been super. Superheroes on TV. Heroes, Smallville, X-men cartoons and the Batman movies and cartoons. Why are we so fascinated with superheroes on the screen?

-Comics in the 21st Century

-The British are coming, the British are coming! Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Torchwood and other British SF TV shows in the US. Why should YOU be watching them?

-Fan films on the Internet. Virals, fan films and serials on the web. Where fans take their favorite shows.

-The Future of Farscape

-Star Trek, the NEXT generation. What is the future of Star Trek?

-Joss Whedon BoF

-Cancelled TV shows we wish weren't

-Getting Lost in Lost - the TV series that has become an addiction and an obession

-Why do most SF movies suck?

History & Future of the B Movie: How did they become a part of the Hollywood distribution
landscape? what is their current role in the movie industry?

-Anime Jeopardy

-Anime 101

-SciFi Smackdown. This is the basic idea of Star Trek vs Star Wars; who would win. They've done the Borg vs Daleks, Cylons vs the Borg, Star Trek vs Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactic vs Firefly etc.

GAMING

-BoF: My favorite RPG character

-The Evolution of D&D

-D&D 4.0 Tips and Tricks

-How to GM and RPG

-How to deal with difficult players

-How to deal with newbies

-Playing your character with flaws and flair

-Writing a story based on your RPG

-Famous game designers

-D&D 3rd edition vs D&D 4th edition

-Writing a good gaming campaign

-Obscure RPGs

-MMORPGs

-Evercrack: the panel

-Board games you should be playing

COSTUMING

-Iron Costumer

-Media costuming. Making costumes from books and movies/TV. How do you create something that looks the same but doesn’t cost a fortune?

-Masquerade presentations: more than just a costume

-Accessorizing your costume

-The proper jewelry for the proper costume

-What are the Utah Costumer’s Guild and the International Costumers’ Guild?

-Making something from nothing

-Theatrical/LARP Costuming: making it LOOK authentic but still be able to move.

CRAFTS

-Beading workshop

-Carving workshop

-Chainmail workshop

-Halloween Makeup

KIDCON

-Readings

-Story creation

-Boffing: safe swordplay for kids

-Gaming for kids

-Costuming for kids

-Basic Halloween makup

-Milk and Cookies Klatch

ETC.

-Horror/ghost story readings on Saturday night (after masquerade)

-Eye of Argon reading?

-Punday Night on Friday Night

-The Mike Show

-Ice Cream Social

-Mascot Contest

-Masquerade

-Main Addresses

-Closing Ceremonies

-Dead Dog Party

-Evil Overlord Appreciation Hour

-Ghost Hunting

-Paranormal Investigations