Virtual FantasyCon 2014: The Line-Up


Fantastic panels on world-building with your world's economy and politics (which may sound dry but is astonishingly rich), advice on writing sword-fights, a look at how digital fiction affects story creation, the baffling absence of female friendships, and an absolute must-read discussion of editor and author relationships.


When Fiction Goes Digital
What happens in the age of the digital story? Does stories look the same? How does form intersect with function, beyond a trip to the e-reader?
Glen Mehn (m), Jenny Barber, Farah Mendlesohn, Marc Aplin, Laurel Sills, Del Lakin-Smith

But Does It Make Sense? Your fantasy's economy - a rich seam to tap
Economics of fantasy systems. If Smaug holds all the gold and it gets liberated, what does that do to the economy?
Leila Abu el Hawa (m), Kari Sperring, Kate Elliott, Tom Pollock, Anne Lyle


The Pen vs the Sword - How to write sword fights, and authors that keep attacking each other
Writers who also happen to be swordfighters discuss the myths and realities of the sword in fiction – and demonstrate their skills with the blade!
Marc Aplin (m), Fran Terminiello, Juliet E McKenna, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Clifford Beale 


She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Sister - Where are the female friendships?
Kirk and Spock, Luke and Han, Frodo and Sam – epic friendships between men are common in fantasy, but friendships between women, or platonic relationships between men and women that stay that way – are much thinner on the ground. The panellists discuss why it matters and examine some of the rare exceptions.
Roz Kaveney (m), Mhairi Simpson, Glenda Larke, Charlaine Harris, Den Patrick 


SFF and Politics
There is nothing more glorious than to defeat your enemy by transparent democratic process, and hear the lamentation of the other sides’ whips. Can SFF make political process dramatic and heroic, or will it always come down scheming viziers and noble warriors?
Lizzie Barrett (m), Jaine Fenn, Foz Meadows, Catherine Hill, Adrian Tchaikovsky 


Editing Dreams and Editor Nightmares - which gets the Megan Prize for Best Panel of the Conference
Editors are people, and get to see *everything* – how to work with them and make their lives easier, which will make your life easier.
Simon Spanton (m), Nicola Budd, Abigail Nathan, Gillian Redfearn, David Moore 


Let the golden notebook open!




Now and Next

Coming Next:

Make a wish for a Summer of Writing
SATURDAYS IN AUGUST
One-day workshops in Oxford

WISH-LIST NOW OPEN

What workshop would you love to go on, if it existed? Add it to the wish-list!

MAKE A WISH BY 1 April 2024

Story Elements Creative Writing course
APRIL–JULY 2024
Online OR In person

NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS

Explore the 12 key elements of story architecture in lively workshop-style classes.

READ MORE AND BOOK

Get new blogposts and updates by email

Tick which emails you'd like to get (you can tick both):

I won't share your email with anyone else. You'll get emails from me only, when a new blogpost is published, and about once a month with updates about the courses and a batch of writing prompts. All emails are sent via MailChimp and you can unsubscribe at any time. Add megan@thewritersgreenhouse.co.uk to your address book if you want to keep the emails from vanishing into spam.