Oot an' aboot! · 6:31pm Sep 9th, 2012
Well, we're just one short week away from MIDWESTRIA, the Chicago-area brony convention.
For those who may be interested, they've gotten the schedule posted finally!
And, myself, I'm going to be hosting four panels, as threatened. I know that I've only got two published stories in this fandom, but I've been writing fanfic in other fandoms for over a decade now, and I'm sharing some of my insights into the process. In particular, I will be hosting....
Grimdark: How Grim, How Dark? Friday night, 6:00 to 7:00-ish, in the Turquoise room, right before M.A. Larson's panel. This panel will discuss Grimdark, why we write it, why others hate it, and some of the major "flavors" that you run across in this particular sub-genre. Plus, M.A. Larson, MLP scriptwriter, has the panel immediately after it! 
I know I'll be sticking around!
(I'll also be there *after* the Make Your Own Custom panel, so you can stick around after making your very own Pinkamina, or post-Rainbow Factory Scootaloo! 
)
Finding the Fun Stuff Saturday Night, in the Sapphire Room, 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Did Rainbow Dash kiss Fluttershy in the middle of the Changeling battle? Were Rainbow and Gilda fillyfriends when they were younger? Are the long-vanished Alicorns the progenitors of the entire Pony species? Is Photo Finish a predatory lesbian? 
This panel is basically about finding the three panels out of fifty-two episodes of ponies that will justify your novel-length fanfic! This is where I will do my best to teach you the techniques I've used for over a decade to turn fans of children's programming into gibbering lunatics who cannot unsee the obvious romantic tension between main characters. 
And it's followed immediately by...
Clippity Clop! 18+-only panel!!! 9:00 to 10:00 PM in the Sapphire Room, Saturday Night. Now that you've found the fun stuff, what do we do with it? Well, what else - we find ways to create Rule 34 with it! Is Rule 34 a horrible thing to do to the fandom? Is it a natural evolution of fandom? Are filly-fooler and colt-cuddler offensive, or harmless terminology? What about pony kinks? This is where you come to discuss all that sort of thing - have fu-unnnn! 
Beating Sturgeon's Law 2:30-3:30 PM in the Ruby room on Sunday. Don't run off before the con is over! Come to the Ruby Room, and learn the tips and tricks that will make your fanfic rise above the manure that can stink up the joint. Proper punctuation, paragraph breaks, when to write in dialect, developing your plot, and the importance of finding a good editor, chaining him or her up in your basement, and keeping him or her well fed whilst your work is being reviewed.
I'm also looking forward to meeting people, hanging out, and generally having a good time, so if you want to meet your friendly neighborhood pony psychiatrist, gimme a shout! 
