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)
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
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.
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
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.
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.
