Origins Game Fair 2012

(May 30-June 3, 2012; Columbus, OH)

     I'm delighted to announce that I'll be the Author Guest of Honor at this year's Origins Game Fair.

     In addition to running, with Michael A. Stackpole and Timothy Zahn, the updated Writers' Hourly Workshop seminar series, I'll be participating in panels and other events, and will have a table in the Library area of the Exhibit Hall.

     My preliminary schedule appears below. Seminars in the writing series incur a fee in addition to standard Origins membership costs; they are so noted in their descriptions.

     I'll provide updates to this schedule as more details fall into place.

• Thursday, 1 pm-2 pm: Showing Off Your Manuscript. "Bestselling author Aaron Allston discusses ways to put your fiction before the eyes of others, including advance readers, workshoppers, editors, and agents. We'll also talk about the hazards of showing off your manuscript, including submission mistakes, hurtful reviews, and loss of creative energy." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Thursday 3 pm-4 pm: Ruining Your Career Before It Gets Started. "Bestselling author Aaron Allston walks you through the minefield of deadly career-killers, including query letters that spell doom, research practices that murder a writer's reputation, 'everyone knows' fallacies that lead novices and even experienced writers into quicksand, and fan interactions that are pure poison." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Thursday, 4 pm-5 pm: Star Wars In Novels. "New York Times bestselling authors Aaron Allston, Timothy Zahn, and Michael A. Stackpole talk about their Star Wars books and about their future fiction plans in the galaxy far, far away." Aaron Allston, Timothy Zahn, Michael A. Stackpole. Room TBA.
• Friday, 10 am-11 am: Description. "Have your descriptive passages become blocks of text that stop your story cold? Bestselling author Aaron Allston discusses techniques to transform those passages into memorable experiences that propel your story to its conclusion." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Friday, 11:15 am-12:45 pm: Library Hours. For some or all of this time, I'll be at my booth in the Library (opposite Booth 245 in the Exhibit Hall). Aaron Allston.
• Friday, 1 pm-2 pm: Style and Mood. "Bestselling author Aaron Allston talks about establishing and sustaining the tone of a novel — how to switch from technique to technique, like a pitcher switching from a curve ball to a fastball, in order to make the readers experience exactly what you want them to." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Friday, 2:15 pm-4:45 pm: Library Hours. For some or all of this time, I'll be at my booth in the Library (opposite Booth 245 in the Exhibit Hall). Aaron Allston.
• Friday, 5 pm-5:30 pm: Reading. I expect to read Replay Value, a short story scheduled for publication quite close to Origins 2012. Aaron Allston. Room TBA.
• Saturday 10 am-11 am: Slaying Writer's Block. "There's debate whether there is such a beast as writer's block. We'll not argue that point here. Rather, we'll show you what you can do to knock down the barriers that are keeping you from typing away at your keyboard. Writer's block... or whatever you want to label it... we've faced it and beat it to a bloody pulp." Aaron Allston, Jennifer Brozek, Bryan Young. Room TBA.
• Saturday, 12 pm-1 pm: Unclogging Your Plot. "Bestselling author Aaron Allston describes the Thirteen Deadly Sins that can grind your novel's plot to a halt — how to detect them, understand them, and bulldoze them out of your way." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Saturday, 3 pm-4 pm: Talk to Me: Dialogue. "Bestselling author Aaron Allston discusses the art of writing dialogue — to improve characterization, to influence the reader's responses, and to deliver the emotional wallop your story needs." Aaron Allston. Room TBA. Additional fee will apply for this seminar.
• Saturday, 4:15 pm-6:00 pm: Library Hours. For some or all of this time, I'll be at my booth in the Library (opposite Booth 245 in the Exhibit Hall). Aaron Allston.
• Sunday, 11 am-12 pm: Steal An Hour of Aaron Allston's Life. "Origins Author Guest of Honor and New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston is waiting to have his brain picked. He's willing to talk about life, the universe, and practically anything else on your minds. Bring your questions!" Aaron Allston. Room TBA.

     A flyer promoting the convention's Library program is available in PDF format from me and from other guests participating in the Library track.