A. L. Kaplan

Author: A. L. Kaplan

  • My Saturday Balticon Schedule

    My Saturday Balticon Schedule

    Sat 10:00 AM

    Writing Novels – the Long Haul

               Writing a novel can be a marathon. It can take years – whether from life changes or plot and character problems. Our panelists will discuss staying motivated during the process, and the new perspectives that arise over time.

    Alan Smale  mod                                                     Maeghan Jo Kimball            Patrick                                                                A. L. Kaplan                Sally Wiener Grotta                               

    Sat 1:00 PM

    Where Have All the Parents Gone?             

               Kids are always being thrown into life threatening situations in books, but in real life, their parents would never let this happen. Is that why so many parents in middle grade and young adult stories are either dead or oblivious? How can authors navigate the “parent problem”? What does portraying neglectful adults as normal or even beneficial teach young audiences? Do authors have the responsibility of addressing who should be watching these kids?

    Patrick Thomas                                      DM Mewha  mod                                                                     Wendra Colleen                        A. L. Kaplan                                              Rigel Ailur                                                                                

    Sat 4:00 PM 

    Author Readings

               Authors A.L. Kaplan, DM Mewha, and Mark Painter will read selections from their works.

    Balticon Link

  • My Friday Balticon Schedule

    My Friday Balticon Schedule

    Fri 5:30 PM

    Food in Fiction                 

               From the feasts in Song of Ice and Fire to the elaborate cuisines in Steven Brust’s works, food is often featured in fiction, sometimes even central to the plot. Descriptions of meals and meal creation can drive a lot of storytelling. What fictional foods would you like to eat? How do some writers describe food in ways that leave readers hungry for more?

    Mark Painter (Mark Painter)                                                                Martin Wilsey (Martin Wilsey)                                                                                 A. L. Kaplan (“Amy” A. L. Kaplan)                                                                         Jen Finelli, MD (Jen Finelli, MD)                                                                

          

    Balticon Link

  • My Balticon 60 Schedule

    My Balticon 60 Schedule

    I’m thrilled to announce that I will, once again, be a panelist at Balticon, the amazing Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention held on Memorial Day weekend. This year is their 60th anniversary and there are some special events planned.

    Here is where you can find me:

    Friday, May 22

    Food in Fiction – 5:30 PM

    From the feasts in Song of Ice and Fire to the elaborate cuisines in Steven Brust’s works, food is often featured in fiction, sometimes even central to the plot. Descriptions of meals and meal creation can drive a lot of storytelling. What fictional foods would you like to eat? How do some writers describe food in ways that leave readers hungry for more?

    Mark Painter, Martin Wilsey, A. L. Kaplan, Jen Finelli, MD

    Saturday, May 23

    Writing Novels – The Long Haul – 10:00 AM

    Writing a novel can be a marathon. It can take years – whether from life changes or plot and character problems. Our panelists will discuss staying motivated during the process, and the new perspectives that arise over time.

    Alan Smale, Maeghan Jo Kimball, Patrick, A. L. Kaplan, Sally Wiener Grotta

    Where Have All the Parents Gone? – 11:30 AM

    Kids are always being thrown into life threatening situations in books, but in real life, their parents would never let this happen. Is that why so many parents in middle grade and young adult stories are either dead or oblivious? How can authors navigate the “parent problem”? What does portraying neglectful adults as normal or even beneficial teach young audiences? Do authors have the responsibility of addressing who should be watching these kids?

    Patrick Thomas, DM Mewha, Wendra Colleen, A. L. Kaplan, Rigel Ailur

    Author Reading – 4:00 PM

    Authors A.L. Kaplan, DM Mewha, and Mark Painter will read selections from their works.

    Sunday, May 24

    Memories of Balticons Past – 10:00 AM

    No sh*t, there I was… This really happened at Balticon…. And nobody was arrested. Let’s listen to some fans and pros talk about past Balticons.

    A. L. Kaplan, Tom Schaad, Thomas The Red, Eva Whitley, Brick Barrientos

    Authographs – 4:00 PM

    Monday, May 25

    The Structured Pantser – 10:00 AM

    What if I’m neither a pantser nor a plotter, but something in-between? What if I want to focus my discovery writing without tying myself to an outline? What if I want more discovery writing without ruining a perfectly good outline? Like most things in writing, there is no one answer. Panelists will discuss ways to combine the two methods.

    A. L. Kaplan, Samantha Mills -CC 2025 Winner, Jen Brinn, Haley Gelfuso-CC 2026 Winner, Cecilia Tan

  • Pardon The Dust

    Pardon The Dust

    It’s time for Spring cleaning!

    My website is getting and update, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.

  • A Tasting Menu of Speculative Fiction Delights

    A Tasting Menu of Speculative Fiction Delights

    A Tasting Menu of Speculative Fiction Delights.

    8 minute bites from 6 authors

    May 1, 2026 at noon EDT

    Free Event on Zoom

    Register Here Now

    Featuring: Elly Bangs, Lauren Beukes, E.D.E. Bell,
    A Y Chao, A.L. Kaplan, and Anne E.G. Nydam

    #SWSWQR

  • I’ll be at the VFES Annual Spring Fling: April 18, 2026

    I’ll be at the VFES Annual Spring Fling: April 18, 2026

  • My RavenCon Schedule

    My RavenCon Schedule

    I will once again be attending RavenCon this year.

    April 24-26, 2026

    Virginia Crossings Tapestry Collection by Hilton

    1000 Virginia Center Parkway

    Glen Allen, Virginia 23059

    Here is where you can find me.

    Friday – 6:00 PM – Jefferson Building – Dinwiddie – Using Food In Your Writing

    Friday – 9:00 PM – Jefferson Building – King William – One of the Craziest Shows the Sci-Fi Channel Gave Us: Welcome to Farscape

    Saturday – 9:00 AM – Jefferson Building – Dinwiddie – Galaxies & Kingdoms: Mastering the Art of Worldbuilding

    Saturday – 11:00 AM – Madison Building – Open area in front of Henrico Ballroom – Author Signing

    Saturday – 12:00 PM – Jefferson Building – Fairfax Library – Author Reading

    Sunday – 12:00 PM – Jefferson Building – Henry – My First Fandom

    STAR TOUCHED

    Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.

    Especially when your powers can get you killed.

    Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

    Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.

    Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.

    HUMMINGBIRD

    Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.

    One step toward understanding.

    One stride toward survival.

    One leap toward flying free from the past.

    MARK OF THE GODDESS

    Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.

    Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.

    Dragon’s Hanukkah

    It’s Hanukkah, and Dragon is helping his family celebrate.

    Have you ever made latkes or played dreidel? Come join the fun as Dragon makes latkes and lights the menorah. Then play the dreidel game and see where it lands!

  • Strong Women Strange Worlds QuickReads

    Strong Women Strange Worlds QuickReads

    Join me and Elly Bangs, Lauren Beukes, E.D.E. Bell,
    A Y Chao, and Anne E.G. Nydam at this live reading of speculative fiction stories by women and nonbinary authors.

    May 1, 2026 at noon EDT!

    Free Event on Zoom

    Register Here Now

    #SWSWQR

  • World Building Workshop this Saturday at 10:30 am ET

    World Building Workshop this Saturday at 10:30 am ET

    I am doing a world building workshop at the Maryland Writers’ Association Montgomery Chapter Saturday, April 11 at 10:30 AM.

    Visit the MWA website to register and get the Zoom link.

    Not a member? No problem. Meetings are open to the public.

  • My Saturday Norwescon Schedule

    My Saturday Norwescon Schedule

    Norwescon

    Here is where you can find me today

    Autograph Session

    10:00am – 11:00am @ Grand 2

    T. Kingfisher, Geneva Bowers, Summer Ash, Bradley Englert / Orbit Books, Dutch Bihary ContoursFx, A. L. Kaplan, Alexander James Adams, Amanda Cherry, Andie Penn Romine, Andrea Weilgart, Brenda Cooper, Brianna Malotke, Carol Berg, Curtis C. Chen, Daniel H. Wilson, Daphne Singingtree, Dean Wells, Diana Ma, Dr. Mark Rounds, Erik Scott de Bie, Evan J. Peterson, Gabriella Buba, Gordon B. White, GregRobin Smith, J. L. Doty, Jack Skillingstead, Jeff Grubb, Jeff Sturgeon, Josef B. Wilke, K.I. Tolles, Kendare Blake, L.J. Melvin, Laura Anne Gilman, Lauren C. Johnson, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Leslie Lutz, Lily Meade, Lish McBride, Liz Argall, Lizzy D. Hill, Margaret Owen, Megan E. O’Keefe, Michael Michel, Miranda Levi, Nancy Kress, Neena Viel , Nicole Glover, Perla X. Caballero, Remy Nakamura, Rhiannon/R.Z. Held, Rosemary Jones, Sandra Rosner, Sean K. Reynolds, Sebastien de Castell, Shanna Germain, Shiromi Arserio , Steven Barnes, Susan R. Matthews, Tara Campbell, Timothy W. Long, Tori Sharp, Virginia Black, William Boulanger, Koji A. Dae, William Alexander, Thomas Ha

    YA is for Everyone?

    12:00pm – 1:00pm @ Cascade 6

    The YA genre is technically for teens, but the profit comes from adults buying YA. How has this influenced the genre? What does this mean for what can and cannot be discussed in YA?

    A. L. Kaplan (M), Margaret Owen, Kendare Blake, L.J. Melvin, Lish McBride

    Prop Design & Materials

    2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Cascade 10

    Ever wonder how to build a six-foot-long sword that will fit in your checked luggage? Or how to take the wobble out of a wizard staff? Panelists will discuss some basic design concepts, tools, and materials.

    Richard Stephens (M), Belsac, Ben Honeycutt, A. L. Kaplan, Melissa Nichols

    Reading: A.L. Kaplan

    6:00pm – 6:30pm @ Cascade 3