Getting close to Worldcon...

...so, for those of you who are going, this will be where to look for me:

Thu 1300 Readings
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER


Fri 1000 Autographs
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER


Fri 1200 Unexplored Alternate Histories
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER, Ben YALOW, Linda ROBINETT, Robert Charles WILSON, Edward JAMES
What makes for a good alternate history? Are WWII, Rome, and the US Civil wars all overused? Are there other overlooked but interesting possibilities? If so, why aren't they being used?

Sat 1000 Research 101
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER, Jon COURTENAY GRIMWOOD, Stanley SCHMIDT
Writers must know what they are writing about: or must they? How much research is enough? Must you know and identify your target audience (hard science/trek/fantasy) first? Is there a minimum amount of science a SF author needs to know.

Sat 1400 Making Writing More Vivid and Memorable
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER, Jean LORRAH, Kirsten (KJ) BISHOP, Jay LAKE
How can a writer make their story particularly vivid or memorable? Show, don't tell? How else do writers bring their writing to life? Why do some passages stay with us after the book is done, but others are gone a month later. Panelists are welcome to bring their favorite passages.

Sun 1200 Interstitial Arts Foundation
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER, Delia SHERMAN, Ellen KUSHNER
"Art that crosses boundaries." What does this mean? What does it include? Why does it need a Foundation? What can the Foundation accomplish? A talk about the Foundation, it's accomplishments and goals. http://www.interstitialarts.org/

Sun 1600 Kaffeeklatsche
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER

Actually, LJLand, how about some input...?

One of my Worldcon panels is this:

Making Writing More Vivid and Memorable
Participants: Alma ALEXANDER, Jean LORRAH, Kirsten (KJ) BISHOP, Jay LAKE
How can a writer make their story particularly vivid or memorable? Show, don't tell? How else do writers bring their writing to life? Why do some passages stay with us after the book is done, but others are gone a month later. Panelists are welcome to bring their favorite passages.

So - open thread, if you'll have one - what makes YOU cry, scream, smile, laugh, get angry or feel awe (or anything else you care to mention) when you're reading a book? Pointers to favourite passages welcome, and I may even use a few on the panel to flesh out my own. Have at it - I look forward to seeing what moves you...