It’s been listed on my events calendar for months, but in case you live near Toronto and weren’t aware, I will be there this weekend for Polaris 25. My schedule is below.

Address: Sheraton Parkway Toronto North
600 Highway 7 East
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
L4B 1B2

FRIDAY

06:00 p.m., York
Opening Ceremonies

07:00 p.m., Room 1080
Meet The Pros

08:30 p.m., Markham-A
Blastoff Party

SATURDAY

11:00 a.m., Newmarket
Ethics and the Wheel of Time
Brandon Sanderson (M), Rebecca Lovatt, Bill Cameron, Kirsten Bland
Robert Jordan is on record as having said that he began writing a work of high fantasy in order to seriously explore issues of good and evil. What is the moral status of someone whom we might find attractive and sound as a character, except that she approves of a reprehensible practice which is supported by her wider culture? What is duty, and is it always best to follow one’s agreed-upon duty? Is it justifiable to do one’s duty even when it does more harm than good?

12:00 p.m., Richmond
Signing: Brandon

01:00 p.m., Unionville
Finding Alpha Readers: Writing Groups
Brandon Sanderson (M), Erik Buchanan
Writing groups are a terrific way to hone your craft—you can receive unbiased feedback and find out what works and what doesn’t. But what should you look for in a writing group? What do you need in order to join one?

03:00 p.m., York
Mainstage: Brandon
(Main address and Q&A)

05:00 p.m., Room 1080
Cartography in Scence Fiction and Fantasy: Worldbuilding – Literally
Brandon Sanderson (M), Jane C. Petrovich, Bill Cameron
Lord of the Rings was one of the first big fantasy epics where the land was as much a character as the characters. Whether it’s following the map of a single planet, like Pern, or a whole region of space, following along on a map is sometimes as much fun as following the plot.

06:00 p.m., Room 1080
Magic: The Gathering

SUNDAY

11:00 a.m., Newmarket
So She Likes Coffee… Big Deal!
Derwin Mak, Kelley Armstrong, Brandon Sanderson, Rob St. Martin (M)
Writing interesting characters involves more than just giving them a laundry list of likes and dislikes, a hair colour, or a catchphrase. It involves backstory and philosophy, and can be altered by the events of the plot. Not everything about a character is necessarily visible on the page. What goes into creating memorable characters who seem as real as any flesh-and-blood person?

12:00 p.m., Aurora
Details, Filler, and Plot
Brandon Sanderson, Erik Buchanan
It’s all very well and good to build an interesting alien world, or to craft characters who are unique, realistic and relatable, but they also have to have a story worth telling. And then there are the subplots: the story within the story. How can you craft a plot that will keep your readers eagerly turning pages to find out what happens next? And perhaps more important—how do you keep track of the plot of your own story when it gets complex?

02:00 p.m., Richmond
Signing: Brandon Sanderson

03:00 p.m., Aurora
Reading: Brandon Sanderson

05:00 p.m., Oakridges
Brainstorming the Ending
Brandon Sanderson (M), Sarah McCully, Erik Buchanan
Sometimes, in writing, the beginning is the worst place to start. A story is sometimes constructed by coming up with the climax first, and working backwards. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? How do you know whether or not it will work for the story you want to tell?

06:00 p.m., York
Closing Ceremonies