Sunday Schedule

Join us to watch a recording of the masquerade and have a debriefing!

So your story requires a small unit to engage an enemy force? Here is how to get it right. We’ll review several of the timeless elements of combat: superior firepower, fire and movement, and using terrain to your advantage. This will be an especially useful panel for those participating in our battlefield tactics workshop.

Sit back and enjoy things you didn’t know existed. Four biologist types each bring five-minute presentations of two or three organisms they think are unusual.

Less is more. You’ve heard that before. A blank canvas kills ideas. You’ve heard that, too. How do constraints actually stimulate creativity, and what’s it like to write under particularly esoteric constraints? Can work made this way stand as something other than a gimmick? Join our panelists as they explore—and demonstrate by example—how writing in hard mode stimulates the creative mind.

With time off because of the pandemic, there is no reason not to get your sewing area cleaned up and organized for maximum efficiency. Our veteran costume experts share their tips on how they organize their sewing area and suggest tools and methods that can help you.

Sea Change is a new novella from Tachyon about genetic engineering, ocean blooms, and love. Rated PG.

It’s been called a roots movement for the Star Wars franchise, and part of that is because The Mandalorian is as much a love song to Flash Gordon as Star Wars: A New Hope was (but also Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns and the John Wick movies, too). What did we think about the first two seasons? Is Mando a classic Star Wars hero? And what’s next for Boba Fett?

What makes a good monster/villain scary, and how can we create our own? Together we’ll figure out how to make some good monsters… and how to defeat them. For older kids, or young ones with help.

Making art is a political act; writing fiction has been a popular way of discussing various political, social, and cultural issues. Dystopias are cautionary tales. Fantasy worlds speak to ethical decision-making. Character choices are inherently political, either speaking to a desire to include, or exclude, representation in our culture. Come to this panel and engage with writers wrestling with how to employ their art to engage with our social and political reality.

Weave the Lightning. Empire. Revolution. Magic. Gerrit is the son of Bourshkanya’s Supreme General. Despite his powerful storm affinity and the State’s best training, he can’t control his magic. To escape the brutal consequences, he runs. Celka is a traveling circus performer, hiding both her link to the underground and her storm affinity from the prying eyes of the secret police. But Gerrit’s arrival threatens to expose everything: her magic, her family, and the people they protect. Rated PG.

Consent is about more than dating and relationships. It begins in youth, when children are often expected to hug family members or cope with their cheeks being pinched by granny. By teaching body autonomy early, children can grow into dating teens and adults with a clearer understanding of what consent means and why it matters. Panelists discuss the importance of teaching consent early on and how incorporating it into sex education in schools might be a great first step.

We’re all told not to judge a book by its cover, but in reality, a cover’s artwork plays an important role in attracting new readers. Learn what goes into the design of these covers, including how artists are chosen, what they are given to work with, and how they design artwork that attracts interest, even though it is partially obscured.

Playing games has been proven to bring people together. With so many ways to play now, our community is growing even larger. Join panelists as they discuss hobby gaming as an avenue for inclusion and expanding our chosen family.

Sometimes it feels like all the advice offered to new authors involves spending a lot of money on workshops. This acts as a barrier when an author can’t afford a workshop or the time off work. Join panelists as they discuss options for peer critique groups and workshops that offer scholarships, and online classes that allow access to content at any time convenient to the author.

Play Norwescon’s fannish version of the iconic television trivia game show based on real survey responses! Each question has multiple answers, but the top answers (that were selected most frequently by the survey respondents) provide the most points. Play or watch Norwescon’s Fannish Feud to see the most popular responses from fellow fans. Compete to win bragging rights!

Want to ride the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro in from the parking garage? Buy chocolate-coated “miracles” from Max and his not-a-witch wife? Pretend to pilot the TARDIS? In the grand tradition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, come join a completely imaginary “planning board” for the ultimate fandom theme park and pitch your ideas for attractions, snack carts, parades, and the grand fireworks spectacular.

The arc of a story is vital to successful narrative, but what are the expectations of the length of these arcs in flash versus short fiction, novelette versus novel? Listen and join in as professionals share their approach to arc and story development in a variety of story lengths.

Escapist fiction is how many of us connect and interact with society’s morals and shortcomings. What responsibility do writers have when presenting a message, and how do editors help a story get it across without making every story an allegory?

(CON)SCIENCE Book 3 in the Phoenix Horizon trilogy concludes her visionary, Philip K. Dick Award-nominated series of a world at war, a virtual search for identity, and the future of humanity. Out April 27, 2021. Rated PG.

NASA’s Perseverance rover is settling into its mission in Jezero Crater, the Ingenuity helicopter drone will fly a couple of weeks after the con, and China’s Tianwen-1 lander and rover are in orbit and expected to land this spring. Come hear what we’re learning.

Horror has an unfortunate history of using disability and deformity to signal evil. But some horror features heroic characters with disabilities. What are examples of good and bad depictions of disability in horror? What do we want to see more of?

We will be reading some egg-tastic books while you decorate eggs! Grab some plastic eggs and stickers, or dye and real eggs, and we’ll celebrate spring together! All ages.

Back for a second year, our examination of religion in fantasy aims to tackle not the creation of a complete belief system, but one that’s internally consistent. How can a writer give a fictional religion the depth and humanity needed to convey a compelling narrative?

This panel focuses on the history and employment of paratroopers: yesterday, today, and tomorrow, from the development of the parachute through Heinlein and beyond. Learn how and when to use these special warriors—and how and when NOT to. We’ll look at their roles in World War II, from lone special force missions to division-level deployments (e.g., D-Day and Operation Market Garden), and how paratrooper employment evolved in Korea, Vietnam, and current Middle Eastern conflicts.

Your second and final chance for the latest previews, news, and rumors from Hollywood. We’ll be LIVE, answering questions from Friday and today, and share news we couldn’t squeeze into Friday. Including at no additional cost the famous, “why? Why? WHY?”

Where the Train Goes. A young boy growing up in a dying town hears a train in the night—a train that no one else believes exists. An eccentric teacher at his high school tells him how to find the train, but warns the boy what will happen if the train stops and the conductor calls to him. Rated G.

Well-formed magical spells and rituals can make stories come alive, and the best authors make their magic feel grounded in reality. But how does one make supernatural rules seem normal? Let’s discuss both the perils and potential associated with using magic in fiction.

Actors admit to having read it and defend it on social media. More and more fan fic authors are becoming published authors. Archive of Our Own (AO3) has won a Hugo. Is fan fiction, and those who produce it, on its way to getting the recognition it deserves?

Operation GE-1, aka Operation Habbakuk, was the proposal during WWII to build aircraft carriers of ice. As part of her doctoral research, Dr. Langley relocated and documented the remains of the prototype of this vessel. She shares her research and findings in this one-of-a-kind presentation.

Don’t Read This Book. Magdalena Wallace is the greatest writer in the world. She just doesn’t know it. When she wakes up chained to a desk next to a stack of typed pages and the corpse of the person who read them, she learns just how dangerous her book can be. Rescued by a vampire, a werewolf, and a golem, she’s on the run with the manuscript—and the fate of humanity—in her backpack, and a whole lot of monsters hot on her heels! Rated R.

Writer guest of honor Jacqueline Carey and spotlight publisher representative Claire Eddy from Tor Books discuss the author-editor relationship behind Kushiel’s Dart, the first book in The New York Times best-selling series, Kushiel’s Legacy.

From the land of Fae comes the Faerie Tale Minstrel with songs and stories of days gone by and futures yet to come. Guitar and fiddle support a voice that enchants the ear and comforts the heart. Jigs and reels, lust and lullaby, the magic and music are there for those that believe.

Who were these intrepid sailors of yore? Where did they come from, and how did this industry develop? What about female pirates, and why aren’t they often portrayed in stories? Panelists will inquire into these questions and challenge some of the myths surrounding the romanticism of pirates.

Genre fiction often combines multiple disciplines, and many fantasy stories are murder mysteries with magic. What are our favorite mysterious magical stories? What do we need for a successful mystery inside our fantasy setting?

Is anime a genre unique unto itself? How has it inspired graphic novels (manga), movies, and television shows? It is the basis of its own genre of conventions like Sakura-Con, as well as reality television shows. Join panelists as they discuss how anime is a vehicle for fans to break out from mere fanfiction and actually create their own versions of their favorite characters.

Are there benefits to working with a small press? What perks are available that you can’t get with self-publishing? Find out what questions you should ask to ensure you are getting into business with a publisher that meets your needs.

(TEENS ONLY) Whether you’re Jedi or Sith, Alliance or Imperial, Twi’lek or Wookiee, test your puzzle skills and Star Wars knowledge in a challenge to escape from the ship of a dangerous bounty hunter! This virtual escape room includes downloadable puzzles and tasks to complete, and an interactive gamemaster to guide the solving experience!

How has the world changed in the past decade? How have smart phones, social media, and on-demand manufacturing made standard tropes of speculative fiction obsolete? Panelists will consider which emerging technologies writers need to be aware of and how they might impact fiction.

A discussion of the inclusiveness of men, PoC, genderx, plus size, and people of different abilities in the mermaid community.

“The Deepest Part of Shadow.” 1925, Boston, Mass: Mamie Aarons is a college student who’s more focused on the nearest speakeasy than her studies, but she’s haunted by strange creatures who blur around the edges and disappear into shadows. When she stumbles across a ruggedly delicious handyman at the school who distills his own hooch, she thinks he could be a lot of fun. But something about him is not what it seems, and he keeps showing up whenever she’s in trouble. She’s soon pulled into a secret underworld with people battling the rising threat of the paranormal creatures she’s able to sense. Rated PG.

Betsy Tinney is a cello storyteller. Using her cello and an electronic looper, she weaves rich, complex, and varied tapestries of sound. Her original cello compositions paint pictures and tell tales, from thunderstorms and skeletal mice to dancing elephants and humpback whales.

We’ve all heard that body positivity is important and that we should be confident in who we are. But that can be so hard when society is constantly telling us that we’re flawed if we’re not thin and white. Can Lizzo set us right? Join panelists as they discuss Lizzo and how she’s fighting back by being her authentic, beautiful, badass self.

When does an ethnically themed costume stray into cultural appropriation? How do we make clothing or costumes that celebrate culture but not insult the very culture we are depicting? What about ancient cultures that do not exist today? Our panel of stage designers, historical reenactors, and cosplayers discuss the ins and outs of this debate and help to lay out some practical guidelines to keep you from making a bad cultural gaffe.

Does a person’s limp change in another planet’s gravity? What does floating free of gravity feel like to someone with hydrocephalus? Join our panelists in a discussion of positive disability representation in science fiction.

NASA has accepted the mission of landing the first woman and next man at the Moon’s south polar region by 2024. What’s the plan? Can NASA meet this goal without sacrificing other programs?

(TEENS ONLY) After putting your adventuring and puzzly skills to the test all over Guilder, Florin, and Norwescon, why not attend our Scavenger Hunt Wrap-Up Panel to hang out with your fellow participants? Share your thoughts on the event, make suggestions for next year’s scavenger hunt, meet the designers and cast (as available), and more!

Food? Check. Protection? Check. Medicine? Check. When we’re done, your genes will survive. We even offer a money-back guarantee!

No matter where we are in our careers, getting constructive feedback can help us grow and become even better at our craft. But how do we take critique effectively? What do we implement from feedback, and what should we set aside?

“Witch Way.” A prequel story to his series, Agents of Sorcery. Rated G.

Come send off Norwescon 43’s guests of honor with fanfare. We’ve made it through another year, and we want to celebrate the good times we’ve had.

The convention is over. Here’s your chance to weigh in on what went well and what didn’t. Tell us your favorite and least favorite parts of the convention so we can try to make it better next year. As a member of Norwescon, this is YOUR convention!