Thursday Schedule

What follows is a listing of all events planned for Thursday, April 17th. You can also download the Thursday programming grid (51KB .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. For the most up-to-date information, please use the fully interactive Guidebook app.

This list is current as of Apr. 16, 2014.

Come on up to scheduled gaming at Maxi’s. We’ve got great games going all weekend, with our game masters and some pros! Don’t forget to sign up in advance. During this time block our whole room is all ages.

Drop in to the Rotunda and check out what’s happening. It’s always changing, so every trip is a mystery!

Come on up and check out the dealer demos running this year in the Salon. Play before you buy, and buy at your gaming table.

A family friendly movie will help you wind down and prepare you and your kids for all the exciting panels you plan to attend.

Patrick McKinnion (M)

Prepare to use your stealthy skills to hunt down and collect tokens from your fellow hunters! Come and collect a token and get started on the road to becoming a con ninja!

“A Scythe of Her Own,” a steampunk time travel story that appeared in Gears and Levers II featuring Penelope “Pixie” Jones, Member in Good Standing of the Sisterhood of Chrones. Rated PG

Kurt Cagle (M)

How to tackle a major rewrite. Rescue your story from your writing, and actually learn from your mistakes while you fix them.

Marta Murvosh (M), Jennifer Brozek, Renee Stern

Some debut novelists discuss the path they took in selling their first novel.

Anne Charnock, Erik Scott de Bie, Frog Jones, Patrick Swenson

A wagon train to the stars is a familiar trope in SF. Firefly, Star Trek, Farmer in the Sky, Outland, Cowboys & Aliens – we see examples of Western stories set in space all over the place. The immense distances in space create problems similar those encountered by American settlers colonizing the continent. Come and join in the discussion of this popular form of our genre.

Elton Elliott (M), Camille Alexa, Arthur Bozlee, Dean Wells

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.

Berlynn Wohl (M), Wednesday (Nessie) Phoenix, Melissa Quinn, Mickey Schulz, Chasing River

Yes, yes they are. What is nerdcore, how did it get started, and why are they rapping about videogames and robots? Come meet our nerdcore artists and learn where this came from and what it’s all about.

C0splay of Death*Star (M), Shubzilla

Miracles Wrought Before Your Eyes, a desperate fight between disheartened good and flourishing evil boils over at a seedy circus. Rated PG

Jude-Marie Green (M)

Arabella and the Marsman, a YA Regency Interplanetary Airship Adventure. Arabella is a Patrick O’Brian girl in a Jane Austen world — born and raised on Mars, she was hauled back home by her mother, where she’s stifled by England’s gravity, climate, and attitudes toward women. When she learns that her evil cousin plans to kill her brother and inherit the family fortune, she joins the crew of an interplanetary clipper ship in order to beat him to Mars. But pirates, mutiny, and rebellion stand in her way. Will she arrive in time? Rated G

David D. Levine (M)

What’s the best way to get your comic noticed: a regular webcomic, digital distribution, local zines, or a publishing company? How should a creator or creative team approach a small press publisher or a large publishing house? Is crowd-sourcing the best way to pay for printing your comic, or are there other less work-intensive (and risky) methods? Creators give their opinions on the ever-changing field of comics publishing.

Erik Scott de Bie (M), Charles “Zan” Christensen, Phil Foglio, Roberta Gregory

Take a world that is entirely water, or one that has few oceans, a world where gravity is twice that of Earth, or maybe only half. A world tidally locked to a red dwarf star, or one in a distant orbit around a blue supergiant. Maybe it orbits a Sun-like star but has a five-hour day. What might life look like on that world? Let’s ask the pros.

Janet Freeman-Daily, Brent Kellmer, G. David Nordley

There are a lot of gaming conventions out there and they all have their own cultures and mores. Come find out what conventions there are and what they have to offer the adventurous gamer in you.

Ogre Whiteside (M), Julie Haehn, Jeremy Holcomb, Donna Prior

Fiction is full of artificial intelligences that accidentally become anything from quirky (Holly on Red Dwarf) to homicidal (HAL) to genocidal (Skynet). But what if you design the AI to have personality problems?

Katie Cord (M), David Shoemaker, Sar Surmick

Walking a mile in their shoes. Panelists dressed in appropriate, well-documented period clothing, will share details on research and construction of garments that look and fit correctly. A handout will be available with patterns and suggestions.

Michael Tinker Pearce (M), Sven Red Beard, Adrienne Carlson, Bill Gruner, Jonnalyhn Wolfcat

Or: Nobody Told Me My Masquerade Entry Needed a Presentation! How to write a presentation, move on stage, pick your music, and generally look like you know what you are doing, even if it’s your first time.

Janet Borkowski (M), Richard Stephens, Anita Taylor

What is it and why is it an important baseline? The Bechdel test crops up for the first time in the comic Dykes to Watch Out For. The test is: “Are there two named female characters? Do they hold a conversation together? About something other than a man?” A depressing number of movies fail this very simple and not at all comprehensive sexism test every year, including some of our favorites.

Catherine Kyle (M), Sheye Anne Blaze, Mimi Noyes, Mickey Schulz

That beautiful script on the title pages of your old copy of Return of the King actually says something – in English! It’s written in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish alphabet, Tengwar. Come learn how Tengwar can be used to write in English, Quenya, Sindarin, and other languages. Bring scratch paper – a handout will be provided.

SunnyJim Morgan (M)

Back by popular demand, Dancin’ Dan teaches you eager fans some popular dance moves to make you feel more comfortable on the dance floor. From ‘The Twist’ to ‘Gangnam Style’ – you request it, he’ll teach it.

Dan Murphy (M)

Kids can create amazing creatures from an old sock and some miscellaneous craft supplies. A workshop for the younger children, with some help from the adults.

Katrina Marier (M)

Something new. Rated PG

Lauren Dixon (M)

A new piece of fiction. Rated PG

M. Todd Gallowglas (M)

You’ve checked in, you’ve gone through registration, and you’re waiting for Opening Ceremonies. Come join other nonconformists, gathered in an out-of-the-way place, doing a couple lines of poetry. Come on, you’ll like it, and we won’t even tell your friends.

Mike Brennan (M), Camille Alexa, Eva-Lise Carlstrom, Lauren Dixon, Lucas Johnson, G. David Nordley

To enter the masquerade you MUST attend either of the two Masquerade Pre-Masquerade meetings. You will receive the important information that you need to know to compete. This year we are asking for everyone’s music by the end of this panel even if you can’t stay for the panel. If you haven’t already gotten your masquerade forms at the information table, you can get them here. Please turn in your completed entry forms by the end of this panel. If you have questions about entering, or aren’t sure you want to, stop by and we will help you get the answers to your questions.

Alan Bond (M)

What does it mean to be sex positive? Where can you find sex positive environments? How can you get involved? Learn more about this movement and what it implies.

Mickey Schulz (M), Sheye Anne Blaze, Burton Gamble, Jeremy Holcomb, Sar Surmick

From The Ring to Let Me In (Let the Right One In) to The Host, the American film market has remade international horror films for US audiences. We’ve also seen a number of international horror books translated into English. Panelists will discuss the draw of international horror and how the Americanization of it affects the original story.

Jennifer Brozek (M), Tori Centanni, Amber Clark, Shannon from Seattle Geekly

What makes dialogue effective? What are the pitfalls and opportunities when approaching writing dialogue? How to write dialogue that (1) seems natural, (2) builds character, and (3) advances the plot.

Jude-Marie Green (M), Jason Andrew, James C. Glass, Frog Jones, GregRobin Smith

How to make costumes for the fannish child with or without a sewing machine or spending a lot of money – Kids welcome!

Katrina Marier (M), Victoria Shaffer

How do you build (and maintain) an intricate fantasy world that holds up to intensive fan interrogation?

Diana Pharaoh Francis (M), Brenda Carre, Andrea Howe, David Nasset, Sr., Dean Wells

A writer must learn to critique both their own work and the work of peers. What makes a good critique? How do you critique yourself and how do you critique someone else?

Stina Leicht (M), Christopher Bodan, Keffy R. M. Kehrli, Renee Stern, Patrick Swenson

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

Join us for dinner as you get to wine and dine with the Guests of Honor. We will have several awards to present, and you will get to hear firsthand from our honored guests. Perhaps you will even win a raffle prize! Tickets are available to all members for $50.00 per person. They sell out fast, but any remaining tickets may be purchased at the information desk.

Robert Gould (M), Seanan McGuire, Michael Moorcock, Catherine Plesko, David Pomerico, Jason Kirk, Anima! X

From her recent work. Rated PG

Ann Gimpel (M)

Bring your youngsters in for story time. Kids and their parents can relax and let the dulcet tones of our volunteer readers soothe them with tales of derring-do, space creatures, or whatever family-appropriate selection they decide upon.

Nicole Dieker (Hello (M), The Future!)

A selection from The Gauntlet Thrown. An epic fantasy tale about a man sent to retrieve a magical item in order to marry the princess, except that he doesn’t really want to marry her, and the magical item has gone missing. Rated G

Cheryl Dyson (M)

Ok, they probably won’t show up to steal our women folk, or our water, but what happens if they say “This space time continuum isn’t big enough to the two of us?” If we fight, what with? And, do we dare not fight? Touchy questions!

Alan Boyle (M), Elton Elliott, Greg Hallock, David Shoemaker

Matter used to come in three flavors: gas, liquid, and solid. Now there are other choices: ion, degenerate, and Bose-Einstein condensate. Also, what about slurries and non-Newtonian fluids? Come join our panelists in discussing the state of matter.

Kurt Cagle (M), Steve Gillett

As omnivores, humans will eat just about anything: matured plant ovaries, undeveloped bird embryos, raw mollusks, partially carbonized flesh, even the lactic secretions of mammals. What new sources of nutrition are out there waiting to be discovered?

Dr. Ricky (M), Annie Morton

Spending your Latinum: Who, what, when, how, and why?

Morgue Anne (M), Matt Hammond, MC-3PO of DeathStar, C0splay of DeathStar, Donna Prior

Old clothes from the back of your closet or from the racks at your favorite thrift store are a great way to build a foundation for costumes and cosplay. Repurposing that leisure suit or ruffled shirt into components for a super hero or super villain is not only an inexpensive alternative but also requires little to no sewing skills. Thanks to the wonder of modern no-sew components, fabric paint, glue, and other readily available items, even a novice costumer can create a great look.

Janet Borkowski (M), Katrina Marier, Victoria Shaffer

We’ve seen galaxy-spanning civilizations in many great SF series (and some not-so-great). How practical are they? What might they look like? And, how will their star-spanning (even galaxy-spanning) nature affect how they work (or perhaps don’t work)?

David Nasset, Sr. (M), Russell Ervin, Brent Kellmer

Bringing the look of fae into the 21st century and growing beyond the style set down in the Victorian era.

Bryan Syme (M), Kevin Radthorne

Bring your youngsters in for story time. Kids and their parents can relax and let the dulcet tones of our volunteer readers soothe them with tales of derring-do, space creatures, or whatever family-appropriate selection they decide upon.

Lucas Johnson (M)

Something new. Rated PG

Brenda Carre (M)

Bring your youngsters in for story time. Kids and their parents can relax and let the dulcet tones of our volunteer readers soothe them with tales of derring-do, space creatures, or whatever family-appropriate selection they decide upon.

Eva-Lise Carlstrom (M)

Welcome to Norwescon 37! Come meet our Guests of Honor and find out a little more about what’s in store for you this year.

Richard Stephens (M), Robert Gould, Seanan McGuire, Michael Moorcock, Catherine Plesko, David Pomerico, Jason Kirk, Anima! X,

A piece yet to be determined. Rated G

Mae Empson (M)

Some books and movies do a good job with biology. Others, not so much. Join our discussion on who did what right and what sharks got jumped.

Gregory Gadow (M), Katie Cord, Jim Kling, Dr. Ricky

Tips and tricks on being a good moderator, pro, or panelist at a convention. What’s your job, really, when your name appears after a panel description in a 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?

Janna Silverstein (M), Janet Borkowski, Charles “Zan” Christensen, Nicole Dieker (Hello, The Future!), Donna Prior

Educational Games have been a growing segment of the gaming industry, and one that has been pretty quiet. The panelists will share their knowledge of how games are changing the education landscape, and how to use popular games to teach your kids lessons.

Julie Haehn (M), Jeremy Holcomb

Laser sights and target designators are all well and good, but where are the energy canons, the phaser rifles, the hand-held blasters we’ve been waiting for? Come join our panelists as they discuss what is real now and what is just over the horizon (which is actually a good place to hide from someone who has a beam weapon).

Mickey “Meowse” Phoenix (M), James C. Glass, Greg Hallock

Altering wigs to achieve a variety of sought after styles, like high ponytails/pigtails, towering spikes, and huge curls.

Melissa Quinn (M), Torrey Stenmark

Any story can be told from any point of view: How do you find the best one for yours? What gains and losses come with first person, with limited third person, with multiple third, with multiple first?

Carol Berg (M), Erik Scott de Bie, Cheryl Dyson, Tim McDaniel, Ann Gimpel, Kat Richardson

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), Eva-Lise Carlstrom, Matthew ‘Fish’ Dockrey, Berlynn Wohl

What can artists do to create new and unusual life forms? How does our understanding of human biology and animal biology help us take the known and twist it to create the unknown? Come meet some artists who excel in making realistic creatures that do not actually exist and make us believe that they could.

Bryan Syme (M), John R. Gray III, Margaret Organ-Kean

Nerdcore’s Shubzilla teams up with Lex Lingo and DJ Bill Beats to inflict multiple stab wounds on geek-rap. Yes, she’s doing hip-hop about Hello Kitty and gaming. You want to be there.

Shubzilla (M), Lex Lingo, Bill Beats

Want to put together costumes on the cheap for strong female characters but don’t know where to begin? Come learn some costuming tricks for characters like Rebecca Chambers (Resident Evil) Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games) or even Merida (Brave).

Katrina Marier (M), Wednesday (Nessie) Phoenix, Jonnalyhn Wolfcat

A new story. Rated PG

Suzanne Brahm (M)

A new piece of fiction. Rated PG

Esther Jones (M)

Does writing need to be a solitary profession? How can authors banding together improve their careers?

Ryan Macklin (M), Frog Jones, Frances Pauli

It must be true; I saw it on the Internet. How has pseudo-science infected popular culture lately? How does this kind of charlatanism interfere with progress and rational discourse? Are there things we can do to counter the untruths that are spread around?

Arthur Bozlee (M), David Nasset, Sr.

Was the time between the fall of Rome and the rise of the early modern nations a time of complete stagnation and ignorance? What if your teachers were just retelling old misconceptions? This session will take a new look at the scientific and technological accomplishments of Western Europe between Rome and the 17th century.

Adrienne Carlson (M), Cymbric Early-Smith, Jude-Marie Green, Bill Gruner, A.M. Brosius

Exploring and re-imagining the fashions of the earliest era of steam engine technology from 1675 – 1825. From the era of the man who discerned the laws of physics, Sir Isaac Newton, to James Watt the inventor of the steam locomotive: Drawing-out and brainstorming how the fashions of those eras might be realized in a steampunk world.

Katrina Marier (M), Bethany Roullett, Victoria Shaffer

“I absolutely refuse to leave until we are able to take back something in the nature of a chart.” (Arthur Conan Doyle: The Lost World). Maps are a traditional part of our fantasy stories. What revealing details do maps add -for readers and writers- to the description, look, and feel of realms that never were? What delights do they add to the landscape of the imagination? Which books depict their unknown lands with the sureness of a Captain Cook, and which imaginary lands do you most wish we had maps of?

Brenda Carre (M), Bradley P. Beaulieu, Kurt Cagle, Lee Moyer

This panel will cover what makes a good game mechanic and what makes a bad one in board and card games. Join our panelists while we discuss what a mechanic is and how they work as designers to root out the onions and smell the roses.

Jeremy Holcomb (M), Eric Cagle, Dylan S.

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 part 2! (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

How can you approach creating dynamic and compelling battle and fight scenes? Let’s talk about composition, color, and posing our warriors.

Leith McCombs

Dance to the ants in your pants as Jonny Nero’s patented brand of 8-bit chiptune puts the electronic in Electric Night, covering all things artistic, nerdy, and goofy, but not necessarily all at the same time.

Jonny Nero Action Hero (M)

There’s more to queer culture than just those things the letters usually cited “LGBT” stand for. In addition to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transsexual identities, there are others, like Intersex, GenderQueer, Asexual. Some of these identities have been drastically under-represented in Queer discussions. Come find out more. *Norwescon has a “no outing” policy toward sexual identities. Make sure if you’re identifying someone else that you have their permission. Or better yet, just don’t do it.

Amber Clark, Sar Surmick, Gwen Yeh

Come one, come all! Whether or not you got your letter, Wizard Tag is here at Norwescon. We have wands for wizarding-style lazer tag. Get sorted into a house and play for its team! For players under 18, you must have a parent or guardian present at the arena. Wizard Tag is a live action, non-contact sport.

Scott Perrin (M)

Not only is it Thursday Night, but it’s also the first night of the Convention. So bust out the Neon and the Aqua Net. Dust off the Capezios and fire up Mr. Fusion. Hop into the DeLorean and get ready for a flashback to the 80′s. Dance the night away with DJ Stratacaster, who will tantalize you with audio delights that will keep you moving throughout time.

DJ Stratacaster (M)

Come see the seedier side of gaming during our adults-only block! Racier, more violent, and generally uncensored! We’ve got great games going all weekend, with our game masters and some pros! Don’t forget to sign up in advance! During this time block our main room is 18+.

Come check out our youth gaming space! All ages are welcome but this section is specifically aimed at and run by the younger part of our community! We’ve got great games going all weekend, with our game masters and some pros! Don’t forget to sign up in advance! During this time block the Salon ONLY is all ages.

Cold Iron, a new novel. Rated PG

Stina Leicht (M)

Original short fiction and poetry. Rated PG

Jason V Brock (M)

We’ve seen the show – surely that is not us! We parse a reality show about costuming and figure out what is true and what we “never ever do”.

Bethany Roullett (M), Jonnalyhn Wolfcat, Torrey Stenmark, Richard Stephens

Why is Sharknado a cult classic but Star Trek: Into Darkness disappointingly bad? How do you decide what makes science fiction and fantasy good or garbage, and is there garbage you can’t help but love?

Mimi Noyes (M), John R. Gray III, Chris Nilsson

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), Eva-Lise Carlstrom, Matt Case, Burton Gamble

Cyberpunk nearly always portrays societies in which governments are wimpy and power is concentrated in the hands of a wealthy or corporate elite. Despite the fact that cyberpunk evolved in the 80′s to describe the often nihilistic underbelly of an electronic society, is it still relevant today? Looking at today’s news, it would seem very now. How has cyberpunk evolved, and who is writing the great stories these days? And whose dark futures look bright?

Jason Bourget (M), Jason Andrew, Kurt Cagle, Frog Jones

Escher Girls, the Hawkeye Initiative, and Jim Hines Cover Posing project have all pointed out the crimes of wildly inaccurate anatomy and ludicrous poses the warrior women of genre book covers & comics are subjected to daily. How do we do it better, both as artists and voices of sanity?

Jeliza Patterson-McGuire (M), Lee Moyer

Josh Klopfenstein, Seattle’s omnicompetent, omnipresent, omnivorous, and possibly omnicorporeal nerdcore beats producer, in concert, has been known to pull out a guitar and sing about Jewish cowboys and prairie bagels. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Klopfenpop (M)

Tales from the Vaginomicon, horror shorts with a central theme of Womanhood. “Lillith’s Birth”, “The Fourth Bride of Dracula”, and more! A grab bag of spooky-sexy. Rated R

Morgue Anne (M)

A recent work. Rated R

Lucas Johnson (M)

Come play to and play along with the most supportive musical peer group you’ll ever find. Bring an instrument, or just your voice, or just come out to listen – everyone is welcome!

A piece yet to be determined. Rated R

A.M. Brosius (M)

Dust off your Brown Coats and join the crew of the spaceship Serenity as they try to evade an assassin out to recapture a member of the crew. This movie is Rated PG-13.