Origins 2016 Schedule

June 15-19, 2015
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Columbus, Ohio, 43215, USA

Origins is just a couple of weeks away! As with the past four years I'll be selling books as part of The Library and taking part in a bunch of cool panels. Here’s my schedule for seminars this year:

Thursday

Making Magic 101 (Hilton - Elijah A, 10:00 a.m.) - The believablilty of your magic system can make or break your story. Let our panelists tell you how to craft magic so well readers will think it could exist.  [with Aaron Rosenberg, John Helfers, Dylan Birtolo, and Robyn L. King] 

Creating Religion 101  (Hilton - Elijah A, 2:00 p.m.) - Great speculative fiction makes us think abour our own world, and how better to do that than with religion? Our panelists tell you how to make create believable religions.  [with Gregory A. Wilson and Jaym Gates]  

Creating Medieval Cuisines  (Hilton - Elijah B, 5:00 p.m.) - In Fantasy, food is usually in the background. Sometimes though, it seems to take on a life of its own and can even become the center of the plot. This panel will help make sure your cuisine is authentic for your setting.  

Friday

Incorporating History in Fiction  (Hilton - Elijah A, 2:00 p.m.) - It might make sense for you to create a detailed backstory to help you put the current events of your novel in context. Or perhaps you want to scratch the serial numbers off a real event so you can use it in your story. The authors on this panel will tell you how to get it done.  [with Tracy Chowdhury, Dylan Birtolo, Richard C. White, and Bryan Young]

Saturday

Dressing Your Characters  (Hilton - Elijah A, 4:00 p.m.) - If you're writing alternate history, epic fantasy, or even contemporary urban fantasy, Your characters need to dress the part. These panelists will talk about the importance of research and knowing when to say "that's enough!".  [with Kelly Swails, Sheryl Nantus, and Tracy Chowdhury] 

Sunday

Kinship and Sexism in Fantasy Worlds  (Hilton - Elijah B, 12:00 p.m.) - Families and gender roles can become prominent as you craft your story. Our panelists discuss how family hierarchies dictate who performs what work and how those duties determine power structures.  [with Robyn L. King, Addie J. King, and Jaym Gates] 

Origins is my favorite convention - while it's huge and pretty much has something for everyone, it somehow still seems small enough to get into those deep, one-on-one conversations. I'm really looking forward to it this year, especially the panel on Kinship and Sexism. There's so much to talk about and think about and learn!