The voices in my head don't think they're imaginary - My WisCon 2008 Schedule

Historical Research for Fiction Writers
Standard history books aren't always useful for fiction research. This panel identifies other sources to provide details about what people ate, how they spoke, how much things cost, and what kind of stuff cluttered up their houses. Panelists will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of memoirs, newspapers, telephone books, material culture, museums, etc. as sources for fiction.
Saturday, 1:00-2:15 P.M. | Caucus
Participants: Bradford Lyau, Ellen Klages, Wendy Walker, M.K. Hobson

Cliche or Trope?
Stranded orphans become great wizards. Evil sorcerers try to destroy the world. Wizards with pointy hats, androgynous elves with longbows ... a large portion of fantasy's bad reputation is tied to its worn-out cliches. At what point does 'done' become 'overdone'? Where can you expect your readers to draw the line? Can good storytelling reclaim a cliche, or are some story elements so exhausted that they cannot be revived?
Sunday, 8:30-9:45 A.M. | Senate A
Panelists: Sean M. Murphy, M.K. Hobson, Gregory Frost, Theodora Goss

Time To Put Down The Laptop?
Everyone and her sister/brother/dog seems to be blogging these days. Do you find blogging a waste of creative energy and a bane to more polished fiction? Does talking about your process keep you from engaging in it? Counting your words rather than crafting them? Or do you think this is a false economy of scarcity? Does blogging actually help you write more, better, faster, better-crafted? If so, how?
Sunday, 10:00-11:15 A.M. | Caucus
Panelists: Alan Bostick, M.K. Hobson, Naamen Tilahun, Cecilia Tan, Vylar Kaftan

Taboo (Reading)
Sunday, 1:00-2:15 P.M. | Conference 2
Readers: M.K. Hobson, Jennifer Pelland, Rachel Swirsky, Vylar Kaftan