Nina Munteanu on Panels and Doing Two Workshops at Ad Astra 2014

I'll be guesting at Ad Astra, one of the bestest science fiction and fantasy conventions in Toronto, this April 4-6, 2014.

The convention is being held at the Sheraton Parkway North, 600 Hwy 7E in Richmond Hill, ON.

Guests of honour include David Weber, Anne Groell, Patricia Briggs with past guests of honour Julie Czerneda and Robert J. Sawyer and many more.

I'll be participating on several panels and doing two writing workshops.

Here's my schedule:

Saturday:
Panel: "Follow the Lead-her!" Markham A, 10-11 am
Panel:  "How to be a Lovable Critic" Newmarket, 2-3 pm
Author signings: Richmond A, 3-4 pm
Workshop: "The Hero's Journey: Plotting Your Way to Publishing Success" Markham B, 4-6 pm
Panel: "The Hybrid Author" Marham A, 11 pm-12 am

Sunday:
Workshop: "Mastering Revision & Polish" Markham B, 1-3 pm
Panel: "Stealth Science Fiction in Person of Interest" Oakridges, 3-4pm

As you can see, I'll be sprinting to some panels and having a few drinks prior to others. :)

Hope to see you there!
Best,
Nina

Toulouse and Nina Go To Montreal—in Anticipation of the 2009 World SF Convention

“We want to see a hero who works to achieve an environmentally sustainable world through innovation and creative technology,” said Tom Doherty, publisher of Tor Books, beside me at a panel on alternate energy. I was delighted to hear that Tor was officially embracing a new kind of hero along with a new paradigm for storytelling. One based on intelligent innovation, creativity and cooperation.

So, what was I doing sitting next to Tom Doherty at a panel on alternate energy? Truth be told, it was Toulouse’s fault.

Several weeks ago, Toulouse enticed me to embark on a book/convention tour that would last a month. The starting point was Montreal, Quebec (my old digs when I went to university). We went there to participate in the 2009 World Science Fiction Convention. These guys put me in a pile of cool panels on top of doing readings and signings for my latest books, Darwin’s Paradox and The Fiction Writer (Darwin’s prequel, Angel of Chaos, is still in pre-production, so I didn’t even have a cover for it yet to show). I participated in science/ecology, writing and SF panels with rock stars like Tom Doherty, Julie Czerneda, and new faces like Bruce Rockwood, David B. Coe, Peter Cohen, John Kessel, Jason Tuell, Kristin Norwood, Bob Sojka, Mike Gallaher, Michael Sestak and many others.

On the alternate energy panel, besides Tom and I there were science experts Bruce Lindsay Rockwood, Peter Cohen, and Charles Stross. The panel was hot with intelligent and lively discussion as we pursued topics that included solar and wind power, nuclear power and alternatives to hydro-electric power. Tom brought up Craig Venter and Shell Oil’s current venture with genetically modified algae to produce diesel oil, which fueled further debate on future ethical questions.

The other panels were also lively, contentious in some cases, erudite and fun. What struck me about the science panels at this particular convention over previous cons I’ve participated in was the level of commitment and knowledge shown by both panelists and those who attended.
I measure the success of a con through its surprises as well as by how many old friends I visit with and new friends I make. This one was a resounding success because I met so many weird—eh—wonderful people and encountered many thrilling surprises. The list is too long to give here but I’ll include some unexpected highlights.

• • The rockin’ Tor party (held at a penthouse suite in the Delta Hotel): where the bathroom had been converted into a wine and beer cellar…
  • attending another one of Robert J. Sawyer’s awesome readings (Woot!)
  • meeting L.E. Modesitt and his wife at the rockin’ Tor Party; they had to be the most elegant couple there (more on him later)
  • sharing an awesome world-building panel with Julie Czerneda, who’s joy for the craft, boundless energy and humor made the workshop fun as well as instructive
  • the rockin’ Tor party (where rumor has it that the bathroom was raided by strange ladies intent on having a shower AND a beer, possibly at the same time...hey, I'm just reporting what I hear, folks)
  • seeing Cory Doctorow in a tux (for the Hugo Awards)
  • getting “abducted” by a group of Romanian writers who took me to an ”Old Montreal” cafe to interrogate me using devious means like roasted wild duck and local cider (they were successful, btw)
  • meeting Gabrielle Harbowy, editor at Dragon Moon Press, who I hope to work with on a book soon. We explored Old Montreal and shared an awesome meal with local cider and she even laughed at my jokes (bonus!)
  • the rockin’ Tor party (where someone who shall remain nameless jumped on the bed and didn’t spill a drop of his drink!)
  • doing the rounds at the Con parties and slumming through old haunts in Montreal with cool dudes and old friends like Hugo and Nebula Award winning SF author Robert J. Sawyer, poet Carolyn Clink, Virginia O’Dine and Dominic McGuire of Bundoran Press , Karl and Stephanie Johanson of the Aurora Award-winning Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, SF author Alison Sinclair (Darkborn), Rick LeBlanc (photographer), fantasy author Marie Simonne Bilodeau , SF author Michele LaFramboise, Heidi Lampietti of Redjack Books, Diane Walton (On Spec), Claire Eamers, Peter Halasz and other members of the SF Canada crowd
  • the rockin’ Tor party (…well, I won’t go there–you’ll have to attend the next con to find out for yourself!)
  • sharing a reading with John Kenny, of Albedo Magazine out of Ireland who gave a stirring reading from his short story, Encore, from the anthology Emerald Eye
  • seeing Julie Czerneda navigate her way through an all-French panel: merveilleux, Julie!

For more adventures with Toulouse, check out his very own blog: Toulouse LeTrek, the COOL Travel Cat!


Photos:

1. Tom Doherty, Nina Munteanu and Peter Cohen discuss alternate energy (photo by Karl Johanson)

2. Montreal Convention Center (photo by Nina Munteanu)

3. L.E. Modesitt, Jr. and his wife, Carol Ann adding class to the Tor party (photo by Nina Munteanu)

4. Marie Simonne jokes with Larry Niven at the Tor party ... before the bathroom incident (photo by Nina Munteanu)

5. Aurora Award winning author Michele LaFramboise shows Toulouse her cool books (photo by Nina Munteanu)

6. Cory Doctorow wears his tux to the Hugo Award ceremony. You should do it more often, Cory! (photo by Nina Munteanu)

7. you guessed it, the Tor party crowd...before the bathroom incident (photo by Nina Munteanu)

8. those Romanian rascals take Nina to Old Montreal for food and cider: from left to right are Calin Giurgiu, Elena Rusu, Vali Gurgu, Costi Gurgu and Nina Munteanu

Nina Munteanu is an ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.

Nina Goes to Vcon

I'm going to be a panelist and doing several readings at Vcon, Vancouver's prime science fiction, fantasy and gaming convention, held at the Compass Point Inn (9850 King George Highway, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 4Y3) on October 3 to 5, 2008.

I'm not sure if you remember how much fun I had at last year's Vcon but this year they've decided to curtail my mischievous loitering in the hallways (okay, and in the bars) by assigning me to a bazillion panels. That's okay, because I like panels. And between you and me, I can do just as much mischief there... (sly grin).

I'll be doing panels on the following topics:

• Is technology replacing ideology as the driving force in human events?--Friday


• Growing SFF/Romance crossover market--Friday


• Is the scientific method the death of God?--Friday


• Blogs and the media--Saturday


• Crafting a good sex scene and/or a good battle scene--Saturday


• Artificial intellegence and robotics in SF and reality--Sunday


• Beginnings, middles and ends: the challenges of longer forms--Sunday


• Canadian SF--what distinguishes it?--Sunday

I'm also doing several readings on Saturday in addition to an autograph session and talking about my "Alien Guide" series with Pixl Press, including The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! to be released this December.

If you live in Vancouver or just visiting, I'd love to see you at the con.

For more information on the convention, check out the Vcon website.

Nina Munteanu is an ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.

Vcon Fallout

Vcon (Vancouver's SF and F Convention) was a resounding success...for me as well. I wasn't on any panels. Nor did I do a reading of my upcoming novel, Darwin's Paradox...voice artist, Heather Dugan does a much better job, anyway! But that freed me up for...you guessed it! MORE BAR TIME! Yee! Ha! Beside me, is yours truly and Boba Fett as we are about to sidle over to the bar for a couple of Canadian brewskys. Being around Boba has its advantages. As you know, this guy gets around in the galaxy.


Within moments of getting our drinks, Boba introduced me to none other than Flash Gordon (Eric Johnson), who is even more gorgeous in person. And to Boba's left (your right) is the graceful Dale Arden (Gina Holden) who no doubt keeps Flash's heart nicely beating...


The con, of course, had its requisite activities such as filking, live theatre, masquerade, aliens and crazy people running down the halls (oh, that was Boba and I...never mind). Oh, yeah...and panels (like the one on medieval swordfighting) and readings and the hot tub on the 15th floor...The con's program, which showcased a lovely ad of my book on the back cover, posted these wise words of advice (by Ross Pavlac), which most aptly sum up what a con is all about:

The Four Rules of Con Behaviour:

1. do good
2. avoid evil
3. throw a room party
4. please don't damage the hotel


The Four Rules of Con Survival:

1. get at least five hours of sleep each night
2. eat at least two meals a day
3. do not confuse rules 1 and 2
4. shower, brush teeth and change into clean clothes at least once a day.

I met a lot of new people at the con and was delighted to see many old friends. Friends like:

• Rhea Rose, award-winning poet and short story writer


• Robert J. Sawyer, Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of Rollback


• Bruce Taylor, author of Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity


• Karl Johanson, editor and this year's Aurora award-winner for Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine


• Stephanie Johanson, assistant editor of Neo-Opsis and extra-ordinary artist of many media


• Paula Johanson, writer and editor


• Nathalie Mallet, author of The Princes of the Golden Cage


• Lynda Williams, creator of the incredible Okal Rel Universe and series and recent nominee for an Aurora award for her book, Righteous Anger


• Linda Demeulemeester, author of the YA novel, The Secret of Grim Hill


• Mary Choo, poet and writer


• Rebecca Bradley, author (Lady in Gil) and anthropologist


• Dave Duncan, fantasy author and recipient of this year's Aurora Award for best long-form


• Eileen Kernaghan, poet and Fantasy writer, including The Alchemist's Daughter


• Donna McMahon, author of Dance of Knives


• Virginia O'Dine, author and editor of Bundoran Press


• Jean-Louis Trudel, author and recent recipient of an Aurora Award


• Alison Sinclair, author and historian, co-author of Throne Price


• Craig Bowlsby, actor, writer and creator of the hilarious TV series, "The Commander's Log"


• Brian Hades and his team at Hades Publications (Edge Publications, Dragon Moon Press, Tesseracts)


• Matt Hughes, accomplished short story and novel writer and Guest of Honor at Canvention (part of Vcon to present the Aurora Award, Canada's award for excellence in the SF and F)

Here's the announcement list of this year's Aurora Awards winners:
Best Long-Form Work in English:* Children of Chaos, Dave Duncan (Tor Books)
Best Long-Form Work in French:* Reine de Memoire 4. La Princesse de Vengeance,Elisabeth Vonarburg (Alire)
Best Short-Form Work in English:* "Biding Time," Robert J. Sawyer (Slipstreams edited by Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers, DAW [and also in The Penguin Book of Crime Stories, edited by Peter Robinson])
Best Short-Form Work in French:* "Le regard du trilobite," Mario Tessier (Solaris 159)
Best Work in English (Other):* Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Karl Johanson, editor
Best Work in French (Other):* Aux origines des petits hommes verts, Jean-Louis Trudel (Solaris 160)
Artistic Achievement :* Martin Springett (MartinSpringett.com)
Fan Achievement (Publication):* Brins d'Iterniti, rid. Guillaume Voisine(alegracia.com/brins/faq/faq.php)
Fan Achievement (Organizational):* Cathy Palmer-Lister (Con*Cept)
Fan Achievement (Other):* Fractale-Framboise, Eric Gauthier, Christian Sauve, Laurine Spehner (blogue/blog)

Next Year's CanVention will be: KeyCon 25 in Winnipeg, a four-day con over the 2008 Victoria Day weekend.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Conventions

Today's Friday Feature is the website for Con-Version 23, Calgary's premiere science fiction and fantasy convention, run by Calgary's science fiction and fantasy society. It takes place at the Calgary Radisson Hotel on August 17-19, 2007, and yours truly will be participitating in the con by sitting on writing, publishing and science panels and possibly giving a reading of my new book, "Darwin's Paradox".

If you've never been to a science fiction & fantasy convention before, well...what can I say...First of all, you might like to check out this link to a rather amusing but candid look at a previous convention (also at Calgary) entitled: "Conversion: where geeks go to get laid." Conventions have, I suppose, a reputation to keep up...The article starts out this way:

"I went to ConVersion XIX looking for something I could understand, like what I saw in Trekkers. Somehow, I thought being able to recite most of Babylon 5 and the good Treks from memory would be sufficient to carry me through three days. It didn't. By the end of the weekend, I had only begun to understand what true science fiction and fantasy fandom was about."

Aside from the wonderful costuming, earnest role-playing and music-making in the halls and larger venues, panels often provide erudite and entertaining seminars and workshops for would-be and established writers and readers of the genre. Panels also explore current issues in science and technology. Media tie-ins with guest appearances of cast and crew of shows may also occur. Panels usually comprise of four to seven "experts" who have assembled to discuss topics ranging from "the advantages of e-book publishing" to "issues of global warming". Workshops on writing, swordplay, or costuming are also common. In short, each convention is a unique and evolving creature, as determined by its participants. Each convention provides opportunity for all who attend, with each attendee making his or her personal mark on the kind of convention it will prove to be. So, I don't really know what to expect when I attend Con Version 23 in two weeks. But I know I'll be enjoying myself. And I'll let you know how it goes.