I love pies!! And YES this is a picture of the front of a pot pie box. I don’t have time to make a pie for the sake of blog art.

This weekend it’ll be nuclear apocalypses, bad endings, scary movies (and a whole lot more!) for me at 8 Pi-Con, a three-day celebration of geekery held June 27-29 at the Holiday Inn in Enfield, CT. Panels, workshops, and gatherings will cater to everyone from the Dr. Who fan to the sari-wrapping curious to those who love drum circles and steampunk.

You can explore the recently-announced schedule for the weekend here.

As for me, here’s what I’ll be up to (in between going to some of the other pretty cool panels, especially the one that meets at the Indoor Pool!). Please note all descriptions were taken directly from their website:

Fri 7:00pm     Developing Deep Characters in Spec-Fic

Characters are more than talking props—a well-developed narrator or protagonist can reach readers at a deeper level and breathe life into a story. But what are some ways that authors can make the characters believable, give them different voices, and otherwise make people want to hang out with their imaginary friends?On this panel, I’m joining writers Vikki Ciaffone, Kate Kaynak, 3-time Hugo winner Allen Steele (Moderator), and Trisha J. Wooldridge.

Fri 8:00pm   The Broad Universe Book Buffet

Broad Universe, an organization I belong to which promotes women who write horror, science fiction and fantasy, will be serving refreshments, giving away swag and raffling off some great prizes (NO money required; walk in the door and you get an entry–and I’m throwing in a basket of Disney treats, just sayin’) in its store on Dealer’s Row. Come on by, say hello, meet some writers, and eat some treats!

Sat 11:00am   Reading (with Catt Kingsgrave)

I’m actually not sure what I’ll be reading from yet; I’ve got a lot of stuff out there in anthologies and I’m kinda burnt out on reading the same old stuff. So I guess it’s safe to call it a surprise. Catt Kingsgrave, who’s joining me, is the author of the Rainbow Award-winning One Saved to the Sea. Learn more about her here.

Sat 1:00pm  Day Jobs for Writers (mod)

Ha! If you know me personally then you know why I’m moderating this: What’s the best day job for a writer? Is it a writing job that helps you learn to craft a sentence, work with an editor, and meet deadlines? Or a less-demanding job that gives you time—and brain-width—to think about your current work-in-progress. Writers talk about their day jobs and how they’ve helped or hindered their writing progress. I’ll be joined by writers M. L. Brennan, Ellen Larson, Morven Westfield, and Trisha J. Wooldridge.

Sat 6:00pm     Scary Movies We Love

ROUNDTABLE: Come prepared everyone to talk about those scary movies we love and why we love them. What about them chills us to our bones and keeps us up at night. Audience participation is encouraged. Everyone be prepared with at least three movies to talk about. I’m joining writers Susan Hanniford Crowley (Moderator), Terry Franklin, Adam Lipkin, and Jennifer Allis Provost.

Sat 7:00pm     Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading Eight writers have six minutes each to blow you away! Broad Universe is an international organization supporting women authors of SF, fantasy and horror. Visit them on Dealer’s Row! Participating: Terri Bruce, Ellen Larson, Jennifer Pelland, Jennifer Allis Provost, Roberta Rogow, Morven Westfield, and Trisha Wooldridge, and me.

Sat 8:00pm  Bad Endings Some stories start with good ideas and just get lost (Battlestar Galactica, Lost, John Doe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse [OK so Dollhouse was not such a great idea to begin with], Roswell and many others) discuss how you can avoid the pitfalls and why having an ending in mind when you start writing is not such a bad thing. I’m joining writers George W. Claxton (Moderator), and Jennifer Allis Provost.

Sun 10:00am That Good Old-Fashioned Nuclear Apocalypse I’m really excited about this one! Back before zombie apocalypses were the latest end-of-the-world fashion, there was a time when the US and the USSR were on the verge of nuking each other into oblivion. This was reflected in Cold War movies like The Day After, Testament, and Threads that dealt with the direct horrors of nuclear war, as well as films in the Mad Max vein that dealt with post-nuclear wastelands. We’ll discuss classic nuclear holocaust movies, how they’ve held up, and what they say about their times. I’m joining writers Eric (I wish I knew who this person was, but there’s no last name! I’m sure he’s awesome), Terry Franklin (Moderator), and Catt Kingsgrave.

Sun 12:00pm Fiction has no Place in Our CurriculumThe new educational Common Core standards marginalize fiction in favor of non-fiction. What effect is that going to have on the imagination and inspiration of students? Hasn’t SF been traditionally marginalized? Now all of fiction is getting pushed aside. I’m moderating this panel and will be joined by Justine Graykin, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, and Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert.

Pi-Con is a great way to learn new things (or deepen your understanding of things you already know) and make new friends—and it’s reasonably priced (a one-day ticket is less than the price of a night at the movies for two people). Come and join the fun! Everything you need to know: http://pi-con.org/