Saturday Schedule

Join us early in the morning for Lazer Tag with a round robin format. All equipment will be provided. We will play with vintage Star Wars Lazer Tag equipment from Tiger Electronics.

A dedicated place for BIPOC and AAPI members of the Norwescon community to gather, rest, and refresh.

BIPOC=Black, Indigenous and People of Color. AAPI=Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Social time for families with babies and young children. Ages 0-3.

Calling all costumers, cosplayers, and stage crew volunteers! Swing into the pre-masquerade meeting to find out the essential details for entering or assisting with this year’s masquerade. Whether you want to strut your stuff for the first time or are returning to up your game, we will cover the information you will need to participate in this year’s big event. All masquerade entrants must come to one of the pre-masquerade meetings: the Friday meeting at 7 p.m. in Cascade 10 or this meeting for regular entrants, or the Saturday meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Cascade 5 & 6 for children under 13.

“The New Flesh.” A witch can knit even the most gravely injured back together. For a price. Rated R.

How do we create neurodivergent-friendly spaces? Join this panelist-led discussion to learn ways we can be more supportive to one another, even within our own community.

Freelance comic artist and illustrator Eric L. Vargas will share his process for designing mecha. Then, with audience suggestions, he will design a custom mecha.

Come check out games from our lending libraries. We have role-playing games, card games, board games, and so much more! An official state license or state ID is needed to check out games. This space has tables to play the games you borrow, or the ones you bring yourselves. There will also be some scheduled games here. Do you need accommodation for a disability? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs. Cascade 13 is on the second floor by the stairs in the lobby or off the tower elevator.

This panel of published authors, beta readers, and editors discuss the importance of professional-level critique in finalizing your work. How do you find such critiques? How can you spot a good “pro” group for you? How do you know when your work is ready to submit?

You were there for the previous part, right, where we figured out what we needed and planned out this movie? Quick! Time travel! Or drop in anyway and become a valued actor person. Today we shoot like mad weasels because there isn’t much time, and, if we’re going to make a movie at light speed, we have to move like light! So don’t be late, or you’ll just see red-shifted versions of us. The key to making a movie is to get the footage in the can—or “box,” because we’re shooting video. But you know what we mean. It’s two hours of madness, but it’s worth it in the end.

Storytime with mermaids! Color your own mermaid as you listen. For families with youths ages 0-8.

Have you always wanted to do role-playing, but don’t know how to start? Learn about the types and avenues to get into role-playing in this panel. For teenagers.

Our guests of honor and attending professionals are available to sign autographs. Please note: so that as many fans as possible can participate, we will enforce a three-item (or single-sketch) autograph limit.

Come check out games from our lending libraries. We have role-playing games, card games, board games, and so much more! An official state license or state ID is needed to check out games. There will be tables to play the games you bring or the ones you borrow. Do you need an accommodation related to a disability? Please speak to our staff so we can be sure to meet your needs. Maxi’s Ballroom is located on the top floor of the tower.

Come sign up for a game! We have Pathfinder Society, Adventures League, role-playing games, card games, and so much more! After scheduled games closes, this area is available for open games. Do you need an accommodation related to a disability? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs. The salon is located on Maxi’s level (top floor) of the tower.

Come sign up for a game! We have Pathfinder Society, Adventures League, role-playing games, card games, and so much more! After scheduled games closes, this area is available for open games. Do you need an accommodation related to a disability? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs. The salon is located on Maxi’s level (top floor) of the tower. The Rotundas are located down Concourse 1 or 2 on the first and second floors.

Curve of Humanity. An alien race crash-lands one year after Roswell is debunked. Rated R.

Erica L. Satifka reads from her Endeavour Award-nominated cyberpunk story, “How to Get to Apocalypse,” about a climate refugee who sells her memories of a cataclysm that destroyed her home state. Rated PG.

There is more than talent to making a living as an artist. Health insurance, taxes, marketing, organization, selling yourself, commissions, and portfolios are critical when you make art your job. Our seasoned artists walk you through industry insider pitfalls, from deposits to roughs to actually getting paid.

With so much happening in the world, it can be hard to look to the future with any sort of hope. Yet many people are doing wonderful things to lessen the effects we have on our planet and to improve our lives. From reducing greenhouse emissions by feeding cows brominata (red seaweed) to off-grid houses in the middle of a bustling city, changes made at the community level stretch much further than we know.

What makes a good short story? How do you learn the art? Where should you send a story, and who are some of our great short story writers today? This is your chance to ask questions of experienced short fiction editors.

Writing and reading fanfiction goes beyond individuals adoring a show or a book and wanting to play in that universe. Fanfiction means reclaiming control of characters and stories we love, and re-creating popular culture as we want to experience it, not as companies and corporations decide. Discover how fanfiction isn’t about obsession, but about exploring new ideas, facets, and aspects of characters and worlds popular media would never dream of.

Pirates are back and definitely have more swash in their buckle than before. We jump aboard with Captain Blackbeard and check out the fun pirate costumes and the rich world of Our Flag Means Death. What are your favorite looks from the show? Let’s talk pirate costumes, matey!

Build rocks and monsters will come (maybe even monster rocks—or rock monsters—or even—rock lobsters!). Part 1 of a collaborative worldbuilding exercise. You will be invited to participate in small groups to help build a world.

Make rocket ships out of recycled materials. For youth aged 0-8.

Do you want to write in a specific genre, but don’t know where to start? In this workshop, writers of all genres help you create a story to hit the tropes you want and avoid ones you don’t! For teens and tweens.

Padawans, do you feel the call of the Force? Join the Jedi and Sith of Kamino Temple and learn how to use a lightsaber! Take your first steps into a larger world. For ages 5-12.

Masquerade entrants run through their performances with their tech, the emcee, and the ninjas.

Join Foulplay Games for a pop-up space western murder mystery game, Wanderstar! Visit the Doublestar Cantina in Lone Rock Port, a lawless port on the Outskirts of the Frontier star system, where you can partake in two hours of mystery and intrigue to figure out whodunnit. Discover friends and rivals as you play a suspect with secrets of your own. Bribe and blackmail con attendees to find clues and gather information to solve the crime! No experience needed. Prizes and swag are available for participants and super sleuths. First come, first served. Join us at Maxi’s Lounge. Recommended for ages 13+.

Artemis is a spaceship bridge simulator in which players assume the jobs of captain, helm, science, communication, engineering, and weapons and work together to defeat alien enemies.

The Convention of Fiends, Book 1: 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 is 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.

“Two Aunts and the Cornwall Horror.” From the anthology LOLcraft, a humorous take on H.P. Lovecraft’s undocumented and near-disastrous visit to his ancestral home in the moors of southwest England. Rated G.

Pre-registration is not required to compete in the Single Pattern Contest. Bring your completed entry to Cascade 5 & 6 for judging. Please provide a short description of your entry, its inspiration, and any special techniques or materials used.

When a group of people develop an intense dislike for their government and can’t find a peaceful solution, they might rebel. But when the government possesses power—economic, police, and military—that makes direct confrontation impossible, their efforts may go underground. This panel will examine ways that dissident groups organize and conduct asymmetric or unconventional warfare.

“I think hard times are coming,” said Ursula Le Guin in 2014, “when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now… and even imagine real grounds for hope.” For some Americans, the Dobbs decision heralded the arrival of hard times, when the right to bodily autonomy was suddenly removed. For others, the right to choose was already apocryphal. How can those who suffer from the legal erasure of pregnant bodies create a culture of consent, and what role does speculative fiction play in its imagining?

From Mord Wraiths in Terry Brooks’ Shannara series to Nazgûl in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to Mistborn in Brandon Sanderson’s world, do magic users and monsters render normal soldiers moot? Our panel of authors will discuss how adding magic to conflict changes the tactical and strategic challenge of approaching battle.

Writers are beginning to explore innovative story structures, such as the heroine’s journey or Ursula K. Le Guin’s Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, that aren’t the hero’s journey or the three-act structure. Writers discuss their efforts to create new structures in their fiction, what succeeded in their eyes, and why challenging this status quo in literature is important to them.

What does it take to design, build, and operate a robotic spacecraft to explore the solar system? Even with no one onboard, robotic spacecraft are still packed with human contradictions and complexities. This talk will discuss the engineering process at play in the development of a robotic space mission, and the hard decisions taken along the way. While not as intense as a space battle involving the USS Enterprise, building a real spacecraft may after all involve all the classical elements of a good drama.

Learn what it takes to tell stories in a shared world, the type of collaboration necessary, and the pitfalls and possibilities of such stories. Learn about legal issues, such as who has rights to a given property, and what responsibilities writers have regarding another’s intellectual property.

Join Norwescon’s Bibliophiles, the official book club of Norwescon, for a discussion of our March book, Widowland, by C.J. Carey, an alternate history book nominated for this year’s Philip K. Dick Award. The book asks, what if England had surrendered to the Nazis in 1950? All are welcome. Norwescon’s Bibliophiles meets online on the third Monday of each month, with occasional in-person gatherings. Look for us on our Facebook page.

Learn how to make an environment that makes all game players feel welcome. This panel will have players and game masters of all ages who are experts on inclusion in games. For teenagers.

Kamino Temple of Saber Guild welcomes all prospective Jedi and Sith. Learn lightsaber combat and develop your first choreographed performance. Come dressed to move. Loaner lightsabers will be provided.

Swim with the mers in the pool!

Wither. For nearly 1,000 years, Lucas, an immortal shapeshifter, has waited for his murdered human lover to reincarnate. He has no way of knowing when or where she will return, or if she will look the same in her new life. He can only hope he will be able to recognize her fiery soul and her knack for attracting a killer king’s attention. An ancient enemy offers help, but it comes at a price he might not survive. Rated R.

Impossibility Crow. Paulo, a Kingdom Coffee missionary/mercenary, strives to spread the gospel of the Bean, the Brew, and the Buzz in a near-future, rundown SoCal. Will he achieve enough conversion points to receive the Goddess’ blessings via his augmented reality goggles and be forgiven for the death of his hermanito? Rated R.

See the entries to the Single Pattern Contest and learn about them firsthand from their creators. The people’s choice award will be decided, and winners announced at this panel following the show-and-share of the items.

Anachronisms and just plain wrong details are sure ways to ruin an otherwise immersive fantasy tale. It is the writer’s responsibility to get it right. We will focus on finding and placing accurate medieval/historical details into fantasy settings to keep the reader immersed in the story. We will work on writing rich textures, avoiding common cliches and faux pas, showing rather than telling, avoiding info-dumping, and making the reader’s experience smooth, compelling, and exciting.

From Watchmen and The Boys to Loki and Mad Max, anti-heroes have a tradition of amazing costumes that are as good, or even better, than heroes. We look at classic and current anti-heroes and discuss what makes their costumes successful and appealing.

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

Panelists explore how poetry can help make sense of the world, both outer and inner. It can create angst or catharsis depending on the author’s mood.

Russia, in response to sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine, says it will withdraw from the International Space Station in 2025. This could include removing five modules, including Zvezda, which play critical roles in maintaining the station’s orbit and internal environment. If Russia carries out this threat, what will happen to Earth’s greatest space laboratory?

Alternate history can be used to interrogate dominant views in history and look at events pushed to the margins of group narratives. How do writers of different backgrounds and identities approach historical novels and alt-history, and how does it influence the hidden or fantastical histories they tell?

Hit pause on the tablet and play a good, old-fashioned board game! We’ll have classic games and new ones, too. For families and youth ages 3-12.

Using wire, ribbon, artificial flowers, and foliage, make a durable, adjustable floral head wreath—realistic or fantastical. A $10 materials fee is due at the time of the workshop. Space is limited. Sign up at the information desk. Recommended ages 13+.

From monsters to ghosts to creatures that go bump in the night, horror is an expansive genre full of creeps. Learn about the elements of horror and make your own horror story, or start one in this workshop. For teens only.

Get your 2023 winter holiday season card photo well ahead of time! Bring your camera or cellphone. Krampus and Santa will be on hand for you to snap pics with either or both of them. These two fine, er, people ask only that you make a donation that will be given to the convention’s chosen charity, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.

Join Foulplay Games for a pop-up space western murder mystery game, Wanderstar! Visit the Doublestar Cantina in Lone Rock Port, a lawless port on the Outskirts of the Frontier star system, where you can partake in two hours of mystery and intrigue to figure out whodunnit. Discover friends and rivals as you play a suspect with secrets of your own. Bribe and blackmail con attendees to find clues and gather information to solve the crime! No experience needed. Prizes and swag for participants and super sleuths. First come, first served. Join us at Maxi’s Lounge. Recommended for ages 13+.

Caroline M. Yoachim reads from multiple short stories, including her recent Uncanny Magazine story “Collaboration?” Co-written with Ken Liu, “Collaboration?” is a collaboration about collaboration! Rated PG.

What makes a costume scary? How can you design elements of horror into your costume to scare, shock, or creep people out? Learn how to add that “eww” element to your next scary costume.

Although we are slowly learning the complexities of neurodiversity, we have a long way to go in terms of accurate information, acceptance, and representation. What is neurodiversity and what are the right terms and ways it can be expressed? Are we accurately representing neurodiversity in movies, television shows, books, and games, or are we simply reinforcing negative and outdated stereotypes? How can we do better? Let’s learn about good examples, bad examples, and how we can work toward better recognition and representation of neurodiversity.

Feeling brave? Want to see how your first page holds up in a cold read? Send the first page of your manuscript to idol@norwescon.org to have it anonymously read aloud and critiqued by a panel of pros.

Computers and information technology are omnipresent in our daily lives and in science fiction, but most SFF doesn’t focus on them deeply or scientifically, and often uses old, inaccurate tropes. What writers are great at conveying interesting things about actual computer science and techno-culture? What are our favorite examples of AI, programmers, and tech support that feel accurate or insightful?

Come participate as part of the live audience for the YouTube show/podcast Writers Not Writing. Listen to a panel of authors confess to their most amusing procrastination habits, share about the pop culture and news that has been keeping them from their writing lately, and generally have a lot of laughs. Bring your fun procrastination questions, and be on the show!

What kind of careers are out there (book covers, illustrators, video games, film, hobby games) and what do you need to break into those fields? What do art directors look for in your portfolio, and how do you get an introduction? Come to this panel to learn about what you need to break into the professional world of media arts.

Join Norwescon 45 Writer Guest of Honor P. Djèlí Clark for a reading of past and upcoming works and a Q&A session.

Are cloud-seeding and removing carbon from the atmosphere viable strategies when combating climate change? Are there more technologically feasible solutions available? Is it time to start terraforming the Earth to save us from a climate catastrophe? Panelists discuss.

Every wondered where your story might go if it was in the hands of another author? Find out here! You provide the first idea and pass it around for people to add. You get to brainstorm with other’s ideas and see where other people take yours! At the end, you’ll get the opportunity to read the new story. For tweens and teens.

What is it like standing in the shield wall? Groups of 20+ participants, equipped with wooden swords, spears, and shields, will learn and practice basic Norse weapon combat skills in a safe, controlled environment.

Tales from the Shitty Unicorn: Elfheist! So, a unicorn walks into a bar… Gabe Denning reads the opening chapter of a comic fantasy novel, featuring a heist set in a world where characters are self-aware of their stats, class, and race limitations. Rated R.

“Cistern.” The father of modern obstetrics falls into a portal and arrives in a strange land where women hold the power, and the knife.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out brings psychological horror movies to the forefront again. But the ‘70s and ‘80s also had a fair amount of psychological horror: Messiah of Evil, The Exorcist, and The Omen, to name a few. How do these movies hit differently from other kinds of horror? What makes horror “psychological”?

You absolutely can pair your passion for costuming and your passion for politics. Costuming as a form of visual protest has a long, rich history, and you can be using your costume skills and social media savvy to draw attention to your cause. Come in and ask questions and learn how.

Tons of fans from the Pacific Northwest go to Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Convention, every year. And yet it has only been held three times in this region:  Portland in 1950, Seattle in 1961, and Spokane in 2015. Worldcon members vote on the Hugo Awards and rub shoulders with the best and brightest stars of our field. Come learn how Worldcon operates, find out why you should go, and learn what it will take to bring Worldcon to Seattle in 2025.

Where does Sherlock Holmes land in genre and in time? Victorian or Edwardian? Historical versus modern? Steampunk, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery? All the above? Why is it so adaptable? Presented by Britcon.

What does it mean when people say your characters are two-dimensional or “flat”? How can you find and correct common problems? Join our panelists, and learn how to write characters and bring them to life.

While he is primarily thought of as a hard science fiction writer, Greg Bear’s achievements and interests were wide-ranging. He delved into fantasy and horror, and was an artist, teacher, and avid scholar of film, history, and science. Did you know he was one of the co-founders of San Diego Comic-Con? Join a panel of Bear’s colleagues and friends to discuss his wide-ranging accomplishments and enduring impact on science fiction and fandom.

We’ve got the geology of our world established, let’s move on to biology! And no, it’s not spontaneous generation—or is it? Part 2 of a collaborative worldbuilding exercise. You will be invited to participate in small groups to help build a world! Participation in Worldbuilding Part 1 is not required.

This is a simple drawing lesson. Bring your ideas for what to draw, and ask our artist to show you how it’s done!

Poets Brian U. Garrison and R. Thursday present mind-bending poetry of their own and from their connections in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association. Time will be given at the end for attendees to try writing their own. For tweens and teens.

Learn what it’s like to stand in the Roman line! Teams of 20+ participants, each equipped with a wooden gladius (sword), and regulation scutum (shield) will learn and practice basic Roman legionary combat skills in a safe, supervised environment.

Join Foulplay Games for a pop-up space Western murder mystery game, Wanderstar! Visit the Doublestar Cantina in Lone Rock Port, a lawless port in the Outskirts of the Frontier star system, where you will partake in two hours of mystery and intrigue to figure out whodunnit! Discover friends and rivals as you play a suspect with secrets of your own while bribing and blackmailing other con attendees to find clues and gather information to solve the crime! No prior experience needed. Ages 13+ recommended. Prizes and swag for participants and super sleuths! Limited slots, so first come, first serve.

Bones of Starlight. My fantasy space opera trilogy Bones of Starlight is coming to its conclusion, and there are fresh, new exciting things to share. Rated PG.

It’s time for the younger folks to get a crack at Frankenstein’s lab! Youth, tweens, and teens are invited to start mashing some monsters and create something all new. Younger participants will need an accompanying adult to help them.

Curtis C. Chen will read from a work in progress. Probably a new Kangaroo adventure, but who knows?! Rated PG.

Most of us don’t like to discuss the “hard to talk about” things in life, but facing challenges is what makes us grow. If we allow our fear of getting it wrong to prevent us from being vulnerable and trying, then we are only furthering the status quo of harm. Join panelists as they discuss ways to recover if you make a mistake and how to move forward toward being an agent of change.

Every historical novel is science fictional in a way, since it rigorously examines history for a readership that probably knows the facts well. This panel asks, how do writers employ research when developing a historical novel? How do they decide when to fictionalize? Which authors are writing the most accurate historical books today?

How do merfolk handle wigs, crowns, waterproof their makeup, and rock tops made of seaweed, silicone, and seashells? What gadgets do they film underwater with, and how do they choose adornments that won’t rust underwater? Come ask the merfolk any questions you may have and see a few treasures in person, as we wade waist-deep into treasured gizmos aplenty that make merfolk so glam-MER-ous!

What are the fundamental elements all successful stories need to have, and which are particular to YA?

Many times, fantasy stories are expected to paint epic outcomes on a vast canvas. But narrowing the focus to everyday people can make for a more immediate narrative. What are some of our favorite workaday fantasies, where the stakes might be personally important but the protagonist isn’t responsible for saving the world? Which stories zoom in on everyday magic?

Since 1999, The Endeavour Award has recognized the best of science fiction and fantasy novels published by authors in the Pacific Northwest. The award seeks to encourage the growth of literature in the field and recognize works of excellence.

Our panelists recommend which episodes are essential to viewing as you begin adventuring with the Doctor. Presented by Britcon.

One of the key plot elements in the hit movie The Martian is the ability to grow crops on the Red Planet. The question to be asked is, “Is this is even possible?” The panel will discuss Martian agriculture based on the latest soil analyses and whether crops on Mars are feasible.

Stop by for some quiet time to read, color, or just rest in a quiet environment. For families with youth ages 0-8.

What’s the difference between traditional and digital art? When deciding what to draw, how do you know what form the final product will be? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each in different industries? Answer these questions and more with this panel of artists who work traditionally, digitally, and a mixture of both. For teens.

The combination of sword and shield dominated the battlefield for well over a thousand years. What is it like to stand against a similarly armed opponent? Join veteran SCA knights and sergeants in learning the use of sword and shield. Equipment will be provided for a measured and safe experience.

Come to a tea party hosted by the Seattle in 2025 Worldcon bid! Meet some of the plotters planners angling to bring the World Science Fiction Convention back to Seattle for the first time since 1961, hear about what a Worldcon entails, and add your two cents about how to make it a great event. The agreement with the Seattle Convention Center is for August 13-17, 2025, at the brand-new Summit convention center expansion, with the selection to be confirmed at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, China (Seattle is running unopposed!). The tea party will feature a special blend of tea, snacks, and conversation. You can learn more about the bid and pre-support at seattlein2025.org, or by visiting the club table in the lobby.

Hunting After Ghosts. Excerpt from most recent werewolf book. Rated G.

From October Vines. A weird horror story about a backwards dinner party divination game with some unwanted guests. Rated PG-13.

Need an editor? What can you expect? How do you find one that fits within your budget, has a good reputation, and is knowledgeable of your genre?

We are slowly starting to see more diverse representation in our television shows, movies, books, and podcasts, but we still have a long way to go. Why do people react so negatively to new ideas, new characters, and new cultures? Is it just racism? Is it an assumption that audiences won’t be able to relate? How can we, as fans and consumers of popular media, encourage greater interest and support for this growing but still fragile movement of increased representation?

After hearing a short passage, two artists compete to come up with a cover for the story, and the audience gets to cheer them on.

Come hear news of the past year from the non-U.S. space agencies. With pictures! Come early to get a seat—this one usually runs OUT of space.

What goes into writing a great first sentence? Like the opening notes of a great song, first sentences of stories tend to ring in readers’ minds long after the ending is reached. Writers and editors discuss their favorite opening lines in literature, what makes them unique, and how their own first lines came to them.

Meet with a panel of scientists to ask questions about what is, what was, and what could be to help brighten up your writing, art, and games! For tweens and teens.

Sonnets of Science Fiction. The sonnet form is old but can translate the most modern, and future, fears, hopes, and dreams. Rated G.

Do you have a little one who wishes to enter the children’s masquerade? Are you under the age of 13 and wish to enter the masquerade? This is where you get signed up. Please come in costume and ready to go. After paperwork, you will be escorted down to Grand 3 when the time is right. Children go on first to accommodate their early bedtimes.

What Good is a Sad Backhoe? A future archivist sends an email detailing the discovery of a curious operation log from a huge digging machine humanity abandoned on Earth. Direct text from the log follows the digger’s journey as it realizes its sole purpose is obsolete and bonds with a colony of rats. Rated PG.

Outlining isn’t everyone’s favorite way of plotting their stories. Some people flat-out hate it. But there are countless ways to plot yourself a course without losing the magic of discovery writing. Learn different methods for creating an outline that can work for you, no matter your writing process.

A common horror trope is a guy who seems nice on the surface but turns out to be literally monstrous. What are some of the most interesting examples? What does this trope have to say about dating or being a cis het woman in our times?

“Yes, and” is a pillar of improvisation. The concept is you accept what someone has said as truth and then build on it as part of the reality that has been set. But we’re not all improv experts, and there are more ways to keep the story rolling and your players engaged. Our panelists share their best improv techniques for this integral tabletop RPG skill.

Is social media a blessing or a curse? It lets us connect with friends and communities. But there are hazards, from trolls to disinformation to doom scrolling. What to do? There is a movement to create internet spaces that are friendly, creative, and not overrun by corporate interests or insane CEOs. There are hosting sites that encourage social media, websites, and blogs that are personal and authentic, where money is not the object and being messy is okay. Let’s dive into what’s new and changing in social media and how that affects fandom. Where do YOU want to go?

You are out working or walking in the forest. Someone in your party is hurt. You slip while scrambling over rocks. What can someone in your party do to aid you? Some techniques for hasty first aid will be explained and practiced.

Intelligence has yet to form on earth, but we can imagine what it would look like based on what we have built so far? Part 3 of a collaborative worldbuilding exercise. You will be invited to participate in small groups to help build a world! Participation in the previous worldbuilding panels is not required.

Don your best mad scientist outfit and come create marvelous monsters and creative chimera! We will take cute fluffy stuffed animals and hack them to pieces, only to reassemble them in wholly unnatural ways. WARNING! Not for the easily distressed or children! We will be working with scissors and needles, and as such only mature mad scientists will be allowed to participate. The only skills required are rudimentary sewing skills (plush is very forgiving) and a sick sense of humor. $5 materials fee per participant to cover the cost of DNA splitters, splicers, and experimental specimens.

Masquerade doors open and you are invited to come find a seat.

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.

Whether you’ve been in the BDSM community for a long time or are seeking it out for the first time, RACK is an important acronym to know. But what does it mean to be risk-aware and consensual? Join panelists as they discuss what it means to be able to give not only enthusiastic consent but also informed consent when taking part in any sort of BDSM activity. Ages 18+.

We invite everyone to attend the annual presentation of the finest creations Norwescon costumers and cosplayers have to offer at the Norwescon 45 Masquerade. Join us in cheering on this year’s crew of creatives as they share their hard-wrought handiwork. Be a part of the oo-ing and ah-ing at the pageantry and presentation of these amazing makers.

Bummed that you can’t take flash photos in the masquerade? Want to take pictures of the masquerade contestants? This is your chance. Most contestants will come to the lobby photo area after they exit the stage to pose for pictures with the staff photographers. This your chance to get some too! Please be polite and listen to those directing the event and the masquerade contestants. If you want photos but aren’t in the masquerade, you can get in a queue to get a chance for photos, but the contestants have priority.

Fanfiction allows fans to remake their favorite canon material in ways that are relevant to their own experiences. This includes the production of adult material, which can lead to examinations of and—commentary on—gender, orientation, and social attitudes that are rarely discussed in mainstream circles. What can fanfic tell us about all these subjects, and how can it give writers a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have? (18+ only)

Do you know your sonic screwdriver from a warp bubble? Tell us all about how your ansible is working and why it hasn’t turned into a time machine yet! Can you tell the difference between technobbable used by scientists, that used by science fiction, and the stuff I made up last night? Only you will know!

Play Nerf until the wee hours of the night, either with or against your friends! All equipment is provided.

Play Lazer Tag until the wee hours of the night, either with or against your friends! All equipment is provided. We will be playing with vintage Star Wars Lazer Tag equipment for Tiger Electronics.

On Saturday night, the Maxi’s level becomes 21+ with legal ID required. Come sign up for a game! There will be various 21+ games scheduled in the salon, with open gaming space available in the ballroom, although the games library has been moved to Cascade 13. Do you need an accommodation related to a disability? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs. The salon is located on the Maxi’s level (top floor) of the tower. Remember to bring your state issued ID!

Join us in the Universe Ballroom (aka “The Grands”) as mc300baud spins a late-night barrage of popular hits and fannish favorites from the last five decades. Whether you prefer to spray with the Sprinkler, get down with the Dougie, do the Time Warp, or just hang out and socialize, there will be something for everyone. Removal of shoes, flippers, clogs, or other foot-coverings not required. Send your song requests in now!