Awesome Con runs from April 4-6, 2025, and I’ll be there on Saturday.
The Writer’s Ally Presents: How Authors Craft Great Characters!
Whether novel, movie, TV series, or comic book, the key to any great story is a great character. But what makes a character great? How do you craft a character who is dynamic and compelling–a character who compels readers and viewers to keep reading? This discussion will bring together a panel of published authors to discuss the mechanics of top notch characterization: defining characteristics, fatal flaws, conscious wants and unconscious needs, and character arc. In discussing the characters they’ve created and the characters they love, they’ll teach you how to build characters—main characters, supporting characters, heroes, villains, and everything in-between—that readers will never forget.
Panelists: Harrison Demchick, William Ray, A. L. Kaplan, Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev, Katie Aiken Ritter
Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025 Start Time: 10:00 AM End Time: 10:45 AM Room/Location: Room 206
Awesome Con Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW Washington, DC 20001
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.
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.
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.
For many years I’ve been working to earn a membership to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Until recently, the only way to join was to be published by specific qualifying markets. Publishing today is a vastly different animal than it was even a few years ago. Many talented and highly successful authors have self-published or have been published through small presses. In March of 2022, SFWA updated is membership qualifications to accommodate this changing environment.
I am a science fiction and fantasy author who has been published through small press. (Star Touched – Intrigue Publishing & several anthologies through other small press.) I’ve also self-published some of my short stories. (Look for Mark of the Goddess this fall) Sales have been good, but with the old SFWA membership requirements I didn’t qualify to join.
I am happy to say that now I do.
On May 30, I received a wonderful email saying that my application was accepted. Welcome to SFWA.
I read this at 1:30 AM Sunday morning at Balticon. On Saturday, I had moderated a panel on Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Organization, where we discussed SFWA’s new changes. Most of the other people on the panel were already SFWA members and I mentioned that I had applied. Needless to say, after two days of excitedly greeting people I hadn’t seen in three years, and reading that email, I didn’t fall asleep any time soon.
My first instinct was to announce to the world. First, I wanted to tell my family and a few authors at the con who I really liked and respected. All of them were excited for me as I bounced up and down while sharing the news. (They could have been laughing, which is still okay.) Several gave suggestions on how to navigate this brand-new open door to resources and networking. There was one person who made it clear that they thought SFWA had lowered their standards to let the riff-raff in. I tried not to let that bother me too much.
Now I’m sharing this wonderful news with you. Sorry it took so long.
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.
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.
Maryland’s Regional (Virtual)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
May 22-25, 2020
It’s Free and Open to All
Here is my schedule
You’ll need to register for each event to get the link, but it is free
Saturday, May 23, 11AM What Makes a Compelling Fantasy Religion?
Kim Hargan (Moderator), Daniel M. Ford, A.L. Kaplan, Mary G. Thompson
Throughout history, religion has motivated people to perform acts of both great altruism and unbelievable cruelty. A fantasy setting featuring a complex and consistent religion offers opportunities to explore deep, nuanced characters and plots. Which creators are notable for crafting believable and interesting religions, and what kind of stories have they been able to tell with them?
50 minutes
Literary, Religion
Saturday, May 23, 1PM
YA As Its Own Genre
Mary Fan, Starla Huchton, A.L. Kaplan, Mary G. Thompson
YA is often set aside as its own genre in bookstores, libraries, and suggested reading lists. Like children’s literature, it is frequently categorized by expected reader age, rather than style or content. How is a book classified as YA, and what differentiates it from adult books? Has this classification been beneficial to YA literature, or has it had a negative effect?
50 minutes.
Literary, Reading
Monday, May 25, 2PM Outlining vs. Pantsing
A.L. Kaplan (Moderator), Charles Brown, J.L. Gribble, Vivian Shaw, Ryan Van Loan
Some storytellers require a detailed outline to start fleshing out their story, but others prefer to write by the seat of the pants. What are some techniques to help you get better at one when you prefer the other?
50 minutes
Writing
