2017 Panel Idea Scratchpad

*Click "Edit" to add your panel suggestions to this list. Please do not delete or alter anyone else's entries. Use the following format:*

**1. Wonder Woman**

Will the movie do the character justice?  And what do people expect from it?  What would you like to see, and what would you like it to avoid?

**2. Carrie Fisher, in Memoriam**

Legendary actress who played one of the most iconic characters ever.  How did her loss affect you?

**3. Firebringer Press Presents**

Firebringer Press authors chat up their current books as well as upcoming releases. Debut author Diane Lee Baron will launch her novel, GAL WONDER, at Shore Leave. Time permitting, there may be readings.

**4. What's Your Favorite *Star Trek*?**

We fans still love *Star Trek*—some version more than others. What's your favorite, and why? Come join this good-natured argument over your best (or least) loved *Star Trek* incarnation.

**5. Indy's Back (in 2019)!**

Is the return of Indiana Jones, to be played one more time by aging but sturdy Harrison Ford, a good idea — or bad?

**6.** **Why We Write**

Writing is hard, lonely work. It often doesn't pay well. So why do we do it? What makes the job worth it? Or are we all just masochists?

**7.** **Chasing Our Tales**

Our panel of writers share stories they've long tinkered with but haven't found a way to make work. Can you help them find the missing pieces of their puzzles?

**8.** **Revision or Do-Over?**

Sometimes when we revise our work, we toss out the good with the bad and replace it with more first-draft content. How does one make revision into refinement rather than replacement?

**9.** **Wow, I Wrote That?**

Writers often discover stories they penned years earlier but don't remember writing. It's as close as one comes to reading one's own work the way others do. What have our panelists learned from this experience?

**10.** **The Art of Secondary Characters**

Supporting characters can fade into the background or steal a story. Our authors discuss how to know which is appropriate, and the craft to making such players come alive when the story needs them.

**11.** **Where No Tale Has Gone Before**

After over 50 years, how can there still be fresh stories to tell in *Star Trek*'s shared universe? Our panel of Trekspert storytellers discuss what they think makes for solid new *Star Trek* tales.

**12.** **Your Writing or Your Life**

Writers often experience conflicts between their writing and their family and job obligations. Can one use such conflicts productively? If not, how does one build a firewall between work and the rest of life?

**13.** **Falling Out of Love With a Story**

What do writers do if, halfway through writing a novel, they lose faith in it? How do writers recover enthusiasm for what they think is a flawed work? Trash it or fix it?

**14.** **Does Fiction Go Too Easy on Evil?**

In reality, evil is often boring, ugly, and stupid. But compelling villains in fiction are often stylish, intelligent, and competent. Is fiction doing society a disservice by giving evil a good name?

**15.** **Ye Gods!**

From Neil Gaiman's *American Gods* to N.K. Jemisin's *The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms*, many acclaimed works feature deities who behave like humans. Why does this appeal to writers and readers? Is this trope getting tired?

**16.** **Friendship Is Magic**

In F/SF heroes have friends and companions; villains have only minions. Our authors examine how cultural narratives about heroism, sex, gender, class, and community influence how we depict being alone and being connected.

**17. Defending The Light Side**

In fiction, as well as in real life, upbeat and happy are often equated with silly fluff lacking substantial themes and intelligence. Or called childish. Those claims, however, are often inaccurate.

**18. The Role of Science Fiction**

Does science fiction have a responsibility to be a commentary of our times?

**19.  Planet of the Apes**

With a new movie opening, the franchise approaching its 50th anniversary, and new books and comics coming out, what is it about those damn, dirty apes that keeps us coming back? And what lies ahead?

**20. Mixing and Matching Genres**

Zombie cowboys. Superheros vs. vampires. Hard-boiled wizards.  What are the rewards and perils of blurring genre lines? Does chocolate go better with peanut butter?

**21.** **Why We Love SciFi**

Aliens, time travel, and space opera. Action, adventure, and comedy. Noir. Thrillers. Technothrillers. Parallel universes. Alternate realities. Political and social commentary. Come talk about what we love in scifi, and what we want to see next.

**22. Star Trek Lit as Science Fiction**

Star Trek authors discuss how their work—and Star Trek literature—fits (or breaks) the mold of the science fiction genre. Do Star Trek stories draw on classic sci-fi? Do they advance the genre?

**23. Women Don't Write Genre Fiction! Wait. WHAT??**

The numbers need to improve and the acknowledgement to increase, but why is the erroneous assertion so easily and commonly accepted? And is it worse in genre, or typical of all of publishing except romance?

**24. If I Had a Publishing Empire**

Everyone has complaints about how publishing works these days. So how would you fix it? Hear our panelists’ ideas—and offer a few of your own!

**25. Heroes: The Best . . . and the Worst**

We’ve all read books where we absolutely loved the main characters—and others where we couldn’t stand them. Our panelists will reveal some of their favorites, and some of their least favorites, and why.

**26. Crazy 8 Press**

Six years ago at Shore Leave, a group of writers decided to write what they wanted and publish it themselves. What have they learned since? What's coming next? And why must Glenn Hauman die?

**27. Public Face on Social Media**

In this age of explosive politics and oversaturation, where do writers fit in to social media and social responsibility?

**28. Back in My Day**

Authors discuss how they got into fandom, and the transition from convention attendee to convention guest - with anecdotes about who've they've met and the experiences they've had along the way.

**29. Representation Is Key**

The importance of fair and accurate representation of marginalized communities (including POC, LGBTQ+, diverse religion, people with disabilities, etc.) in fiction.

**30. The** **Devil's in the Details**

Writers build convincing worlds by including small details that pack a big punch. ("The door irised open.") How does that work, who does it well, and what details are you hoarding for the perfect story?

**31.** **History for Fun and Profit**

Lots of SF/F explicitly use historical models, whether it's the Victorian Age for steampunk or Age of Sail for original Star Trek. What pieces of the past are best for borrowing? How important is accuracy? What are your favorites?

**32. Upcoming *Star Trek* Books**

A preview of forthcoming *Star Trek* novels from Simon & Schuster with some of their authors, as well as other *Trek*-related titles due out this fall and into 2018.

**33. *Star Trek*: SNW's Past and Present**

Authors from the *Star Trek: Strange New Worlds* anthologies discuss the contest, its impact on their careers inside and outside of *Star Trek*, the culture of the *Trek* writing community, and writing episode-length *Trek* adventures.

**34. The Batman**

What is it about this 78-year-old character that continues to be embraced by fans of all ages?
Join us as we delve into the mythos and the man behind the cowl.

**35. A Day in the Life of a Writer**

Panelists discuss how writing shapes their daily lives, relationships, and health.  We examine the triumphs and the struggles of the creative process, how does one find balance? What makes it all worth it?