Thursday Schedule

What follows is a listing of all events planned for Thursday, April 2nd. You can also download a program grid for Thursday (53KB .pdf) or the full weekend (127KB .pdf).

Schedules for the rest of the weekend are listed here, or jump directly to Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

We will be updating this list as major changes occur, until the convention opens. This list is current as of Mar. 27, 2015.

Minecraft is coming… to Norwescon 38! We are proud to present Norwescraft on the first floor of the Rotunda! Come create, explore, quest and do battle on the Norwescraft server and meet special guests from all over the world at the virtual con, using either one of the provided computer portals or via our wifi access and your laptop!

Norwescon Open Gaming is gearing up for 38! Open Gaming will be on the 2nd floor only of the Rotunda this year. Bring your boards, books, cards and best scenarios to meet up with others for a quick game at the con!

Come sign up for a game run by our DMs or check out games from our lending library. We have RPGs, computer games, LARPs, card games, board games, and so much more! Need ADA access for a game? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs.

All weekend there are dealers and game developers running demos of games in Maxi’s Salon. Come up and see the latest and greatest games and talk to game developers.

in Norwescon 38 Writer Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin for a special solo signing session. Please be aware: Due to time constraints, we can only permit one signature per person, no personalization, and a strictly-enforced maximum of 375 people in line so everybody gets a chance to meet our GoH. Miss this session? Never fear! We have two more afternoon signing sessions, one on Friday at 1:00, and our joint Guest of Honor signing on Saturday at 12:30.

George R.R. Martin

Everybody wants to make a demo. What can you do with what you’ve got? If that won’t do – and it probably won’t – what do you really need to create a good demo? How little can you get away with; or, if you have even a small budget, what can you do to turn a spare bedroom into decent recording space?

Dara Korra’ti (M)

Yes, there will be cookies. Really. Don’t mind those people in the front of the room; they’re just poets, and they’re as afraid of you as you are of them. They will be reciting a little poetry, but it won’t hurt; honest. And remember; Cookies!

Mike Brennan (M)

Not that long ago, everything about hydroelectric dams was good. Now, not so much. Join the discussion of what is up, down, past, and future in power form water.

Bart Kemper (M), G. David Nordley

What is Ingress? A walking game? Panelists will talk about this great game played on your phone.

Matt Hammond (M), Keffy R. M. Kehrli, Mickey “Meowse” Phoenix

Not every ghost is an American Civil War soldier or Victorian spinster. The cultures and folklore of unquiet dead from around the world bring a spirit all their own to horror.

Nathan Crowder (M), Pat MacEwen, Jude-Marie Green, Arinn Dembo, Jeremy Zimmerman

In 1968 Stanley Kubrick introduces us to the wonders of the year 2001: Sentient computers, giant space stations, colonies on the Moon and commonplace commercial space travel. What did he anticipate correctly and what did he miss completely?

Stephen L. Gillett (M), Alan Boyle, Arthur Bozlee, Dr. Dana Andrews, John Cramer

Part 1! For more than a decade, we’ve been making movies every workshop, like some sort of terrifying clockwork monkey. Be a part of history without actually burying yourself in the desert for a thousand years! In this introduction, see a choice selection of movies made as part of this ground-breaking workshop, including hilarious introductions by the filmmakers. Here’s the best place to watch all these movies at once, and behold the genesis of one of the weirdest and funniest workshops ever! Hear heinous behind-the-scenes stories! Feel free to ask the filmmakers questions afterwards, if they’re brave enough to stick around! Be inspired for the other parts! (note – you don’t have to attend all the parts to enjoy the workshop, but attending all the parts gets you the best possible experience!)

Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, J.E. Ellis, Brian D. Oberquell

Come build, and then help the monsters bring down all we have built! Grab the materials to make your best monster masks and wings. Add to the city that is in process of being built. Then lurk around, waiting for the signal to go and destroy it.

Patrick McKinnion (M), Jess Allen

There are fungi that can alter behavior and chemicals that erase independent will, so zombies aren’t entirely in the realm of fantasy. Is a zombie apocalypse really a possibility? How might one unfold?

Pat MacEwen (M), Jim Kling, Kristi Charish, Dr. Ricky

Do you love ebooks or hate them? Are you a paper-sniffer to the end? What changes do you predict (or wish for) in print and digital books?

Tod McCoy (M), Tori Centanni, Marta Murvosh, Jude-Marie Green

What is the difference, and which is better? Is the difference genetic, cultural, or a function of technology? What is the future of each?

Bart Kemper (M), Mike Brennan, Joseph Malik, Bill Gruner, Doug Staudt

Faster than light travel is a staple of much of science fiction, yet it’s not even possible according to our current understanding of physics. Nevertheless, time and again SF writers have invented their own ways around Einstein — the Alderson drive, Alcubierre warp bubbles, jump drives… What are some of the best realized FTL drives in SF? The worst? What if we never go faster than light? Come explore the possibilities with us.

Loretta McKibben (M), John Cramer, David Nasset Sr., Jake McKinzie, B. D. Kellmer

Getting into the heart and head of someone or something you’re not, and how to do so with authority.

G. Willow Wilson (M), Arinn Dembo, Luna Lindsey, Mir Plemmons

The court costumes of Westeros feature stunning examples of beadwork and applique. Our experts take you through some of the techniques employed by the outstanding design team that make the Game of Thrones costumes the best looking fantasy costumes on television.

Margaret Organ-Kean (M), Bethany Roullett, Tammie L. Dupuis

Fantasy stories often use insults from today’s culture instead of dreaming up new and inventive ways to cast scorn upon others. Our panelists will discuss a variety of new insults for general use in fantasy societies. Audience participation is definitely invited. Anyone who doesn’t show up is a _______ full of ________! (You fill in the blanks…)

David J. Peterson (M), Marta Murvosh, S. A. Bolich

Every year there’s something about flying cars, but really, aren’t planes, helicopters, etc. cool enough? What’s happening in the world of things that fly? Is there ANYONE around here who knows about these things?

Arthur Bozlee (M), Dr. Dana Andrews

Tips and techniques for using Worbla — a non-toxic, reblendable thermoplastic that is thinner than Wonderflex and handles curves better than Sintra — in your costumes and props.

Anita Taylor (M), Melissa Quinn

The accessibility of games is increasing due to phones and tablets, so who is actually playing all these new games? Let’s talk about what is out there and how to find the good ones.

Donna Prior (M), Adrienne Carlson, Jonny Nero Action Hero

How closely should adaptations follow the source material? Do you want the exact same experience of a story on film or television that you got from the book or is there value in a different medium bringing something new to the table?

Tori Centanni (M), Jeff Combos, J.E. Ellis, Morgue Anne, David Shoemaker

Fangirls. You’ve seen them. Clustered around manga, squealing over the new hot actor (of any gender), discussing why exactly it is perfectly feasible for Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to be in a relationship (seriously, did you see the movie? The fanfic wrote itself). What are they? Where do they come from? And is there an age limit? Our panelists discuss fangirl culture, and whether they themselves identify as such.

Mickey Schulz (M), Wednesday (Nessie) Phoenix, Victoria Shaffer, Berlynn Wohl

Take time to get down to the arty basics. Fantasy and science fiction themed coloring pages, markers, and colored pencils will be provided. Actual kindergarteners also welcome.

Jeliza Patterson-McGuire (M)

Yes, we all bought Powerball tickets, but the sad truth is that none of us won, so we get to figure out how to do special effects on what a shoestring would be embarrassed to call a shoestring. Join our intrepid filmmakers for our infamous coast-to-coast workshop, and learn how we’ve solved a wide variety of tricky effects problems. Even better — bring us your own puzzlers and problems and let’s see if we can help you with your next movie project! (note – you don’t have to attend all the parts to enjoy the workshop, but attending all the parts gets you the best possible experience!)

Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Brian D. Oberquell

The names you choose add flavor to your story, but sloppy naming can detract from it. Which characters and places need names at all? Where do good names come from, and how can you tell when you have one? And most importantly, when is it time to stop worrying about names and just get on with writing?

Dean Wells (M), Frances Pauli, Erik Scott de Bie, Brenda Carre, Elliott Kay

 

“The Correspondence” – This piece was co-written with Aaron Dietz (writer of SUPER from Emergency Press). Its a correspondence between an incarcerated super villain his nemesis who no longer remembers their rivalry. Rated G

Cole Hornaday

A new short story. – Rated PG

Alex C. Renwick

The first anatomically modern humans appeared about 200,000 years ago. Where are we heading, and what might we be in another 200,000 years?

Matt Hammond (M), G. David Nordley, Kurt Cagle

Writing fanfiction can be a long and involved process, with stories often spiraling into the length of novels, if not a series of novels. For many writers that kind of work is hard to sustain without feedback and love from their readers, but many readers are wary of reading WIPs, lest they become addicted to it only for the story to be abandoned by its creator. We’ll be talking about the experience from both the side of the writer as well as that of the audience. How do you keep yourself inspired to finish your story? What do you do if you can’t finish it? What are the benefits of reading a WIP and how can you as a reader help support your favorite authors to finish their work?

Rosa Acicularis (M), Laurie Noel, Tartan, Mimi Noyes

Great military leaders come from all different cultures and time periods. While history is generally written by the winners, a wide spectrum of leaders and leadership styles have proved successful. By looking at many of the great leaders throughout history and searching for what made them successful (or caused their downfall) we’ll determine what makes a military leader great, regardless of culture. Style points will be awarded. You’ll never look at military leaders the same way after this panel.

Russell Ervin (M), Alan Paulsen, Berlynn Wohl, Django Wexler, S. A. Bolich

Let’s face it — most of us are not built like the son of Krypton or Odin but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to emulate our heroes. We examine design choices, fabric selection and construction techniques that flatter and work with what you’ve got to make you look super cool or super villainous.

Bethany Roullett (M), Torrey Stenmark, Jonnalyhn Wolfcat, Adrienne Carlson

Selling’s a slog, but giving stuff away is easy… and it can actually boost your sales. Harness the power of giveaways to better serve your fanbase and build your readership.

Esther Jones (M), Diana Copland, Frances Pauli, Jeremy Zimmerman

Tips and tricks on being a good moderator, panelist, or presenter at a convention. What’s your job, really, when your name appears after a panel description in the program book? How do you keep it on-topic and interesting for the audience? And what do you do when some blowhard in the back row thinks they know more than you?

Margaret Organ-Kean (M), Donna Prior, Bart Kemper

How to stand, walk, turn, block, and cut like a real knight. A hands-on class taught by an SCA knight with 30+ years experience. We’ll talk about armor, weapons, defenses and attacks. How does the weight of your armor affect your posture and stance? How can a 2 to 4 lb. broadsword move quickly enough to defeat your opponent? How hard do you have to strike to penetrate various kinds of armor? Where does that power come from?

A.M. Brosius (M), Norman K. Moss, Bill Gruner, Joseph Malik

SILVER ON THE ROAD – In 1801, a large portion of North America still remains unclaimed. The dime store novels and newspapers call it the Devil’s Territory, and claim that demons and magicians roam the land alongside the Indians, and that to survive a settler needs to sell their soul to the devil.

The stories are (mostly) true. Rated PG

Laura Anne Gilman

 

 

Between the Garden and the Thorns – Faced with a monstrous enemy she cannot touch, a warrior must choose between the family she is charged to protect and her dying comrades. Dark military fantasy. Rated PG

Stephanie Herman

A new AI Search Engine has been developed to search the real world. You. You suddenly have the compulsion to scan your environment for images to represent the key words that have been entered into your computer brain interface. Use your discretion to return the best image database you can. The strength of your programing algorithms will be judged on the creativity of your entries. Using your electronic imaging device (whether native or auxiliary) store your results as pictures and return them to the email address provided. Join us on Thursday, Friday or Saturday to get your keyword list in person. Prizes will be awarded on Sunday!

Why is it so rare to see accurate depictions of science, computer programming, medicine, and weapons in popular media? What would it take to get it right?

Matt Hammond (M), Bart Kemper, Keffy R. M. Kehrli, Loretta McKibben, David J. Peterson

Come join our panel of seasoned costuming pros as we discuss what foundational practices and steps we take to make sure our costumes are successful. Learn why it’s important to make a preliminary drawing, why washing fabric is one of the most important steps (sometimes), and why the iron is probably the second most important tool in your sewing space.

Tammie L. Dupuis (M), Melissa Quinn, Deborah Strub, Jonnalyhn Wolfcat

The idea that fandom and SF/F is more accepting and diverse is often bandied around. Is that true? How do we move beyond the oppressive tropes? And what can we do to be aware of creating a truly accepting environment?

Sheye Anne Blaze (M), Amber Clark, Donna Prior

Current Urban Fantasy owes a lot to the American hard-boiled detective genre. We’ll discuss the ways in which urban fantasy draws from the detective genre and how you can integrate the best detective tropes when plotting your urban fantasy novel to good effect.

Pat MacEwen (M), Kurt Cagle, Kristi Charish, Laura Anne Gilman

Personal conflicts? Scheduling hassles? Trying to sort out what snacks to bring and who helps clean up afterwards? In game conflicts that brew into out of game unpleasantness? We should talk about this, and our panelists will.

Sar Surmick (M), Jeremy Zimmerman, Eric Cagle, Ogre Whiteside, Lola Watson

In this hands-on workshop-style panel, audience members will pitch our panelists as if they were agents or editors. Best pitch wins an agent referral.

Kevin Scott (M), Susan DeFreitas, Frog Jones, Tricia Narwani

Drawing from life, drawing from photographs, drawing from other people’s drawings — let’s discuss strategies for how to do it usefully and how to not be led astray.

Margaret Organ-Kean (M), Lee Moyer, Julie Dillon

A screening of winning films from this year’s 10th Annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival program, presented in partnership with EMP Museum and the Seattle International Film Festival. SFFSFF showcases animated and live-action science fiction, fantasy, and horror-tinged short films from around the globe: Caldera (Grand Prize), In the Beginning (1st Runner Up), Little Quentin (2nd Runner Up), Gumdrop (Douglas Trumbull Award for Best Special Effects), Carn (Dark Shorts: Grand Prize), and Kekasih (Dark Shorts: Runner Up). EMP Curator Brooks Peck will also be presenting an overview of the museum’s new science fiction exhibits. For more info: http://www.empmuseum.org/sffsff

Brooks Peck (M)

Nerdcore’s Shubzilla teams up with drift-compatible Lex Lingo and DJ Bill Beats to inflict category 5 kaiju-level damage on your geek-rap. That’s right, she’s doing dance-friendly hiphop about Hello Kitty and gaming, there is no wall that will stop them, and you absolutely want to see this.

There are a thousand ways to outline a story, but they all won’t meet your needs. Our experts will talk about outlines and offer suggestions to help you discover what works best for you.

Jennifer Brozek (M), G. David Nordley, Dean Wells, Kevin Radthorne, Jude-Marie Green, Suzanne Brahm, Anne Groell

 

A short story, yet to be determined. – Rated G

Russell Ervin

Earth Children – 10-minute short fantasy story published in Yearbook Office at http://yearbookoffice.com/earth-children. Rated PG

Nicole Dieker

Join us as we Climb Mountains of Sound With Epic Drops. Fight Changing Tempos and Genres on a Rotating Plinth. Dive Into Pools of Audio Serenity. All to Find Out That The Princess… is in Another Castle.

When humans begin to grow beyond our planet, which of Earth’s 6,500 living languages will we take with us? Will it be Mandarin, the most widely spoken? English, the lingua franca of science and commerce? An auxiliary language like Esperanto? Or will it just come down to who gets out there first?

David J. Peterson (M), G. David Nordley, B. D. Kellmer, Dr. Ricky

Superman to Superwoman. Wonder Woman to Wonder Man. And what about Thor, Loki, or Captain America? Changing the gender of a superhero means more than just changing their body. It’s also a chance to change up their costume! Join our panel as we take on popular comic book heroes and discuss what gender changes would mean for the costume as well as their behavior and outlook on hero life.

Torrey Stenmark (M), Victoria Shaffer, Bethany Roullett, Amber Clark

It used to be that comics art was relatively homogenous. However the last 30-ish years has seen a proliferation of very individual and recognizable art styles, from Dan Brereton to Dave McKean to Filipe Andrade. Comics art seems to be less about fitting within narrow style guidelines, and more about fitting a narrative or vision.

Mickey Schulz (M), Cole Hornaday, Matt Youngmark

Cxu vi volas paroli Esperanton? You might have heard of Esperanto reading Harry Harrison’s books, or you might have caught a few words here and there in Red Dwarf. Or maybe you even overheard it through the loudspeaker announcements in the movie Gattaca. It’s actually real, and serving an estimated two million speakers worldwide. Designed to be a bridge language more than 150 years ago, Esperanto is easy to learn, easy to understand, and is often considered “the language of people who want to be friends.” Come pick up a few words, a few phrases, and a fascinating glimpse into a peculiar piece of history that’s still alive and thriving today!

Edward Martin III (M), Berlynn Wohl

The writing, and reading, of fanfiction goes beyond simply individuals adoring a show or a book and wanting to play in that universe. The creation of fanfiction is the audiences of the world reclaiming control over the characters and stories that they love and recreating popular culture as they want to experience it, not as companies and corporations decide for us. Discover how fanfiction isn’t just people obsessing about the same thing over and over again, but about exploring new ideas, new facets, and aspects of characters and worlds that the popular media would never dream of exploring.

Rosa Acicularis (M), Jamie Bort, Rachael Sabotini, thatworldinverted, Minim Calibre

What are the advantages and drawbacks of horror under 5,000 words vs. a Stephen King doorstopper?

Morgue Anne (M), Kate Jonez, Nathan Crowder, Jennifer Brozek

Which tropes would we like to see retired forever? Which tropes would we like to see more of? And why?

Jude-Marie Green (M), Jason Bourget, Tim McDaniel

The audience comes up with the clues, the artists do their best to draw them! Let the games (and the silliness) begin!

Mimi Noyes (M), Bijhan Valibeigi

The original fully-armed and operational nerdcore battle station heads for the deep wilds of Dantooine, a.k.a. Thursday, a.k.a. Electric Night. What will they discover, and how quickly will they blow it up? Find out by showing up for 45 minutes of intense Imperial domination.

Lazer Tag is a live action game. This is played only in the provided area. Those underage players must have a parent present to play. Equipment is provided at the play area.

Touch of Tides – An autistic woman runs an ice cream truck business with the help of her praying mantis service animal and protects a lost city hidden in the third freezer. Published in The Journal of Unlikely Entomology, Nov. 2014. Rated PG

Luna Lindsey

Part of a recently published or in-progress novel. – Rated R

A.M. Brosius

 

How to fill in the past without info dumps or clunky exposition, and what to do if they’re unavoidable.

Jude-Marie Green (M), Kate Jonez, Esther Jones, Christopher Bodan

House rules for card and board games are not new. These are the rules that you have come up with as a close knit group of gamers. Come hear the best and worst of the panelists house rules from their favorite games.

Ogre Whiteside (M), Dylan S., Julie Haehn

How to hook up and be safe, tips on enhancing your communication skills, safer sex advice, grooming tips, and etiquette suggestions of things to NEVER EVER do or say to keep you from being that creep others avoid. And who knows — today’s hook-up might be tomorrow’s happily-ever-after. Funny stories and serious advice. 18+ only, please.

Mickey Schulz (M), Burton Gamble, Morgue Anne

A place of meditation and discussion, contemplation and thought for those who have passed since the last Norwescon. Honor those who have passed on with a thought, memory, or a simple prayer to whatever you wish. Leave the name of someone you remember. The ‘Moderator’ will collect and post a sampling of these thoughts on the Norwescon Chat room.

GregRobin Smith (M)

J-pop nerdcore. I’m sorry, didn’t you hear me? J-POP NERDCORE. How awesome is that? Rai Kamishiro is back from Japan again and swinging by Norwescon, so come by and say HAI!

The Perambulations of Penelope Jones: Morlock’s Game – Penelope Jones, one of the sisterhood of time travellers known as the Chronoi, is in New Amsterdam, 1916, even as the Great War rages through Europa. Her mission – capture a dangerous Morlock who is attempting to subvert the time stream and open the doorway for an army of temporal predators from the far future. Yet little does she know that this particular Morlock has his eyes set on capturing HER. Rated PG

Kurt Cagle

Norwescon draws a huge crowd with diverse interests. Some of those interests are very adult, creating of sexually charged spaces. Every time you create such a space, you create a draw for predators. It isn’t reasonable to demand that adults not play as adults, so how do we make our space safe?

Lori Evans, Mark Steuart, Zoe Fae

Come get shrieked in at the inaugural Norwescon 38 Open Filk! This is where you can come sing or play whatever you want, alone or with friends, to the most supportive crowd you will ever run into ever anywhere. Seriously, you have no idea. Bring your instrument, bring your voice, and put some of that participation into participatory culture!

Nerf returns to Norwescon! Shoot your enemies, shoot your friends, shoot your parents, shoot your kids! All ages are welcome to come and enjoy the collection of the Nerf Herders, but no outside blasters allowed.

Tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens! We shall mock the earthquake – we shall command the thunders, and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature, herself! When I give the word, throw the first switch. Ahem. Sorry. If you’re blue, and you don’t know where to go to – come to Transylvania, and we shall find, together , the sweet mystery of life, with Gene Wilder and gang in Young Frankenstein.