Get your questions answered about participating in the Masquerade by the Masquerade director and staff. Participants: Donald Kaiser (mod), Patrick Cool, Ben Livingston
Historybounding, historically-inspired fantasy settings, "[character design] but make it [time period]", sheer flights of fancy--let's talk about the joys of purposefully playing around with historical authenticity in the service of art and storytelling. Participants: skazka 9000, Alex V Bender (mod), Elizabeth Merritt, Dana Baird, Kendrick Edmund Cronin
Practice makes perfect, but why is perfection the goal? Art is about self-expression and you don't need perfection to be able to speak your truth. Learn how to appreciate where you are in your artistic journey with those who've already walked that road. Participants: Sonni de Soto, Erin Wilaby, Sarah Pierce, Viga (mod), Kerry Peterson
Why do books get banned? Why should you read the stuff people are trying to ban? Participants: Renee Petersen, Elizabeth Ess, Danith McPherson, nick A jaworski, Crystal Lynn Kelleher (mod)
Music and theater for the spec fiction geeks! How does one write and collaborate on such a thing? Find out from writers and musicians who have done just that. Participants: C.S.E. Cooney, Mary Crowell, Tina Connolly, Jeremy Cooney, Carlos Hernandez
Dream of weaving tales and guiding adventurers through perilous quests? Join our panel of seasoned game masters as they share invaluable tips and tricks for running engaging and memorable campaigns. This panel is your gateway to the art of game mastering. Participants: Bob Alberti (mod), Alex V Bender, Kenneth Joel Justiniano, Eric Zawadzki, Margaret Eastman
A lot of costumers have had the experience of something not working out as planned. Costumers discuss the things that just did not go as planned and what they learned from it. Participants: Molly Elizabeth Cornelius, Sonni de Soto, Elizabeth Merritt, Dana Baird (mod), Kendrick Edmund Cronin
Discussing the ins and outs of writing fanfiction. **mature content** Participants: Erica Fair, Allison Dean (mod), Jaymie Delia Wagner, Dirk Thomas Ykema, Tanya DePass
The documentary "Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched" hit streaming and ignited renewed interest in folk horror. These stories focus on how outsiders collide with folk religion, paganism, and the dark side of nature. Let's talk about some of our favorites. Participants: skazka 9000, Ann Laabs, Bryon D Stump, Andrea Stephanie Herman, Lathan Murrell (mod)
Some movies and TV series are not cult classics or so bad they're good. Instead, they're a little cheesy and a lot of fun. Streaming services are responsible for creating or resurrecting properties that qualify. Let's talk about our favorites. Participants: Ren Nonnweiler, Nathan Michael Anderson, Katherine Jo Pysick, Kay Ericson (mod)
Friday July 4, 2025 11:30pm - Saturday July 5, 2025 12:30am CDT Hyatt 1 Lakeshore A
