Are you a writer? Are you coming to Frolicon in Atlanta?
Frolicon is an annual convention that mixes all the fun of a science fiction/fantasy convention with all the play and workshops of a BDSM convention.
I’m the organizer of the Ink Track, which are the writers panels.
If you’re in the Atlanta area or willing to travel there April 22-24 (Easter weekend), and you’d like to speak on panels or sell your book(s) there, contact me ASAP at ctan.writer @ gmail.com with a brief bio and any panel ideas or topics you’d like to speak on.
A few of the panel ideas we’re considering are below. There will be 8 writers panels total, with 3-4 writers on each.
Trends!
Instead of just asking “what’s the next hot thing?” this panel looks
at what trends and fads are in genre-land. Vampires were huge (and
still are) but they’re not the hot thing anymore. Werewolves are
pretty hot, too, but is the werewolf just the new vampire? Steampunk
continues to grow–what made it catch on when it did? If steampunk
represents a kind of retro-optimism in tech and society, is the
current rise in dystopian fiction (The Hunger Games) the backlash
against it? Is every new trend a reaction to a previous one, or can
spontaneous coolness erupt? What do you see coming next and why?
YA; Not Just For Kids Anymore?
Anyone who thinks books for “young adults” are tame and boring,
doesn’t know anything about the genre. As a well-respected YA editor
expressed it, the ONLY reason teens read books is to get exposed to
all the scary adult stuff they are either already facing or about to
have to face in life, including the realities of things like sex,
drugs, incest, and other things their parents wish they could insulate
them from. YA books often include frank and thoughtful (if
non-graphic) representations of not only gay characters but also
bisexuality (Love You Two), functional polyamory (Weetzie Bat),
multi-partner sex (Rainbow Party), and kink (any vampire book,
really…) Tame, it ain’t! What YA books do you like, and would you
let your kids read them? What do you do if you feel like a perv for
reading about teenagers?
Steampunk
Is it looking back, or looking forward? Is it science fiction, or is
it fantasy? Is it effete or adventuresome? Or is steampunk the genre
that defies all binary categorization and is that a huge part of the
appeal? Steampunk can’t even be confined to one dominant medium, with
books, comics, webcomics, music, art, design, costumes, and more.
There is a rebellious soul underneath the tight bodice of British
Imperial rule–one might say that technology was a huge part of the
unlacing of that bodice and the opportunities it afforded for massive
social change. What’s next for steampunk?
Steampunk and Kink
There’s much more in common between steampunk and BDSM play than just
the corsets. Some would say you can’t have neo-Victorianism without
someone getting birched on the bum. There are issues of protocol and
decorum, and extremes of power from master to servant, and from one
social class to another. Let’s explore the common ground between
steampunk and the BDSM/leather scene and how to incorporate one with
the other.
Frolicon Seeks Writers for Panels! Apr 22-24 in ATL
