The very first panel I'm working on at Everfree Northwest on Friday is Writing Processes, Tips, and Tricks with MA Larson and Amy Keating Rogers (and Pen Stroke and Xepher ).

Writing is an art, and like any art, there are many techniques, tools, and tricks that can help you succeed. Join our panel of both show and fandom authors as we discuss the process and craft of writing in general, not just for My Little Pony. We'll discuss various ways to beat writer's block, tips for getting out of tough spots mid-story, new ways to approach plot development, and how to brainstorm new ideas in the first place.

If you guys have any neat ideas for questions to ask these folks, we're going to be working on compiling interview questions and topics for it tomorrow (Thursday), so if you have any, give me a poke here.

Also, if any of you guys are going to be at Everfree Northwest, I'm going to be on most of the writing panels on Friday (and the one I'm not on the panel for, I'll be attending as an audience member), and I'll be around all weekend. Feel free to shoot me a PM and I can give you contact information. I'd love to meet you guys. I know at least a few people will be there.

Note that there's also a panel "How To Girl: Writing Female Characters", with GM Berrow, MA Larson, and Amy Keating Rogers. Heartshine will be running that one, and I don't know them personally, but if you have any neat ideas for things to ask them for that, I could pass those along to Heartshine.

EDIT: Also, when the heck did we get 768 members?

5228287 Oh hey I know Heartshine.
I can't think of any questions though.

5228287
Question: it's important to have well developed characters that stay consistent, but at the same time, a story isn't just characters, it also needs a good plot. So how do you strike the right balance between character driven vs. plot driven, and what kinds of challenges and tradeoffs do you run into?

Looking forward to meeting you and being on the Critique and Criticism panel with you at Everfree Northwest, Titanium Dragon.

723 of us are Cold in Gardez.

Will some of the writing panels be filmed and uploaded to somewhere?

Can't really think of a good question right now, but I'd be grateful for some tips on brainstorming. It's far too often that I have an initial idea for a fic when the prompt drops, but I realize during planning that my conflict is too weak, or only works with genre-blind characters, etc. Instead of starting anew though I keep re-iterating around that idea, too often getting nowhere and throwing in the towel completely.

Hit me up at 714-496-3119 if you want

5228287 First: Much envy. Please record the panel; it would be awesome to watch!

I'd be curious to get peoples' thoughts about different approaches for writing short works (short stories, maybe episodes?) versus writing long works (novels, etc). What are the different kinds of challenges they face, and what kinds of different tricks and tools do they use to help them get through one versus another?

I still struggle with the planning process for long works... I find it really hard to plan things out to a sufficient level of detail to get started, without getting so bogged-down in planning that nothing actually gets written.