Miscon Schedule

Miscon in Missoula is fast approaching! If you’re going to be attending, come on by and say hello to me! I have a full schedule:

Fri 4:00 – 4:50 PM, Writers’ Workshop Meet and Greet, Great Hall (Upstairs)
Panelists: Josie Beaudoin, Carol Berg, Larry Bonham, M. H. Bonham (Maggie), Brenda Carre, Ann Gimpel, James Glass, Rhiannon Held, Andrea Howe, C.L (Candi) Norman, J.A. Pitts, Joyce Reynolds-Ward, Patrick Swenson

Participants and Critiquing Authors get together to meet and discuss how the workshop works. They’ll also discuss workshops in general, and how to take criticism. Open to anyone interested in the Writers’ Workshop.

Fri 5:00 – 5:50 PM, Minor Characters, Thunderdome Left (Big Room Left)
Moderator: Rhiannon Held; Panelists: Dave Bara, Manny Frishberg, Anne Groell, Laurey Patten

Minor characters might not be as important as your protagonists, but they’re still important in their own way. Let’s discuss some of the ways you can make your minor characters as fully dimensional and real as your main ones without over-sharing.

Sat 10:00 – 10:50 AM, Downton Abbey: a Bygone Era, Thunderdome Right (Big Room Right)
Moderator: Krista Wallace; Panelists: Justin Barba, Brenda Carre, Rhiannon Held, Krista Wallace

As far as we know, Downton isn’t science fiction, fantasy, or horror, but it reminds us of an era before the Wasteland. Its dialogue and characters are examples of great storytelling, and its setting is a staple among so many genre stories that we just need to discuss it. Spoiler alert! We won’t hold back, so everything in the show is on the table.

Sat 6:00 – 6:50 PM, Second Draft Blues, Upstairs Programming 2 (260)
Panelists: Rhiannon Held, Andrea Howe, Laurey Patten, Shawn Speakman
Finish manuscript. Check. Read it through. Check. Writers’ Group critique. Check. Umm…now what? How do you begin to process all the suggestions into a coherent revision that won’t have you running for the hills? In this panel, we’ll discuss the almighty revision process and how to stay on top of it without losing faith in your abilities.

Sun 10:00 – 10:50 AM, Author Book Signing, Thunderdome Right (Big Room Right)

Sun 11:00 – 11:50 AM, Reading: Rhiannon Held, Upstairs Programming 3 (261)

Sun 5:00 – 5:50 PM, Family in Fiction, Upstairs Programming 3 (261)
Panelists: Carol Berg, Rhiannon Held, Laurey Patten, Beth Stoops

The apocalypse is a great way to kill off everyone related to your protagonist, but is that really the best idea? When is having your character’s relations show up on the page useful, and when is it distracting? What benefits can family members of characters bring to stories?

Mon 11:00 – 11:50 AM, The Building Blocks of Backstory, Thunderdome Right (Big Room Right)
Panelists: Carol Berg, Brenda Carre, Rhiannon Held, Andrea Howe

How do you create sufficient character backstory? Do minor characters need backgrounds, as well? How do you keep them straight? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you give your readers this information without resorting to info dumps?