FRIDAY
7:30PM Opening Ceremonies, Maryland Ballroom  Duration: 1:00
Welcome our Guests of Honor and Special Guests, applaud the Compton Crook and Heinlein Awards, and honor those we’ve lost since we were last able to meet in person.

SATURDAY
8:45AM Friends of Liad Breakfast in the hotel dining room

11:30AM Interview, Maryland Ballroom Duration: 1:00
Sharon Lee, Tom Schaad

2:30PM Speculative Poetry Open Mic and Contest Winners Reading, Federal Hill Duration: 2:00
The winners of the Steve Miller BSFS Annual Poetry Contest will also read their winning poems. Sharon Lee will present the awards.  Come read your speculative poetry! Share what you’ve been working on.
Miguel O. Mitchell, PhD, Sharon Lee

7:00PM Making Readers Care About Your Characters, Gibson, Duration: 01:00
Plotting is awesome, but it’s characters, and the emotions they make the reader feel, that people remember. How do we make the reader care about our characters? How do we use plot events to evoke character feelings and reactions? Learn tips and tricks from our illustrious panel.
T. C. Weber (mod), Christiane Knight, Sebastien de Castell, Diana Peterfreund, Sharon Lee

SUNDAY
10AM Kaffeeklatsch with Sharon Lee, Club Lounge, Duration: 01:00
Spend an hour with Guest of Honor/Heinlein Award winner Sharon Lee.
Limited to 10 spaces. Sign-up sheet is at the Info Desk next to Registration.

1PM The Stakes are High, and They’re Well Done, Gibson, Duration: 01:00
Have you ever DNFed in the middle of a book? Whether as a reader or a writer, we have all encountered the treacherous canyons of the “saggy middle.” But how can authors avoid this common pitfall? Our panelists will talk about utilizing tension and raising stakes to bridge the gap between the call to action and the final showdown, and keep readers turning pages.
Charles E. Gannon (mod), J.D. Blackrose, Sarah Avery, Sebastien de Castell,
Sharon Lee

2:30PM Autographs: Sharon Lee and Jo Miles, 5th Floor Lobby Duration: 01:00

4:00PM Reading: Sharon Lee and Jean Marie Ward St. George, Duration: 01:00

MONDAY
10:00AM Basic Novel Writing Organization Gibson, Duration: 01:00
Whether you’re a plotter or panster, or somewhere in between, at some point in the process you have to make sure your pacing and story arcs all make sense. How do you organize and plan out your novel or book series so that your editor loves you? Let’s talk story structure.
Alan Smale (mod), Sharon Lee, Samantha Mills, Sebastien de Castell