Next week I’ll be at Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention, in Reno. My schedule is below, with a few comments from me interspersed. Worldcon is a great place to meet industry pros, so I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there. Highlights for me this year include the live Writing Excuses recording and the Girl Genius Ball on Thursday and the Hugo Awards ceremony on Saturday.

WEDNESDAY

Wed 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m., A01+6 (RSCC)
Panel: Tourists: Creating Characters and Stories in an Existing World
Paul Cornell (m), A. C. Crispin, Brandon Sanderson, Dean Wesley Smith, Melinda M. Snodgrass
Writers discuss working within the confines of an already existing world. They’ll discuss how they create something unique and original within the space of something already established and loved. What are the issues at work in that situation? What freedoms exist there that don’t exist when creating a completely original work?

THURSDAY

11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, A03 (RSCC)
Reading: Brandon Sanderson

3:00 p.m-4:00 p.m., A09 (RSCC)
Panel: Creating Gods
Brenda W. Clough, Brandon Sanderson (m), Carrie Vaughn
How does an author introduce superbeings into a work without pushing the human characters into insignificance? Gods are often gigantic projections of human characteristics. Can they serve other functions as well? Why are polytheistic settings so common in fantasy? What sources are authors using, and why? Why do readers find them so compelling?

5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., D05 (RSCC)
Writing Excuses Podcast
Mary Robinette Kowal, Jordan Sanderson, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells
The Hugo-nominated crew from Writing Excuses will record one of their podcasts–a series of interviews with well-known writers.

Recorded in front of a live audience, with guests such as Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant and Patrick Rothfuss.

8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m., C03 (RSCC)
Girl Genius Ball
Kaja Foglio, Phil Foglio, James Myers (m), Cathleen Myers (m)
A Grand Ball Hosted by Phil & Kaja Foglio, featuring Victorian Steampunk & Gaslamp Fantasy Dancing in the European Style. Music by one of the top Celtic fusion bands, Avalon Rising. Victorian, Victorian Steampunk, or modern evening dress is admired, but not required. Mad Scientists, Minions, Clanks, Constructs and Innocent Villagers are all welcome, as are visitors from other Dimensions and Realities. Neither dance experience nor partners are required. All set dances will be taught and called, and frequent partner changing is encouraged in the spirit of true scientific inquiry.

Pemberly and I plan to attend in costume; I’ll be an Elendel Allomancer. My assistant Peter and his wife will also be there, and Peter will be dressed as Allomancer Jak from the Elendel Daily broadsheet. (By the way, Peter will also be on two panels himself; you can see any program participant’s schedule here.)

FRIDAY

11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, A16 (RSCC)
Panel: Lighting the Fire for Reading
David-Glenn Anderson, James Bacon, John DeChancie, Ellen Klages, Brandon Sanderson (m)
How do you get your kid/young relative/neighbor to read? Why not an SF/F book? What about comics and graphic novels? Where do you start? Start with your own kids–read to them! Authors, editors, and educators discuss genre books to give to the next generation.

2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Hall 2 Autographs (RSCC)
Autographing: Brandon Sanderson

5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., D03 (RSCC)
Panel: Post-Modern Fantasy, Epic and Otherwise
N. K. Jemisin, William Lexner, Nick Mamatas, Peadar Ó Guilín (m), Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks
There’s been considerable discussion of Fantasy, Fantastika, and Post-Modernism. What is this about, and why is it interesting for those who read, review, or critique present day fantasy?

SATURDAY

12:00 noon-1:00 p.m., KK1 (RSCC)
Kaffeeklatsch with Brandon Sanderson.

This will be a small group of 9 people sitting around talking with me; signing up ahead of time is required. You can sign up at the Information desk on Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., but you may want to line up a little earlier than that. If you’ve had an opportunity like this before or see me regularly, please give someone else a chance! Drinks will not be provided this year (but you can bring your own).

Also, if you’re a writer looking to break in, kaffeeklatsches or literary beers with editors are extremely valuable, so consider signing up for those. Don’t ever try to pitch anything at a kaffeeklatsch unless the editor asks you to, but just let them talk about what they love. Later on you can mention it in a cover letter: “When you mentioned _____ at the kaffeeklatsch in Reno, that made me think my novel would be right up your alley.”

8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Tuscany Ballroom (Peppermill)
Hugo Awards Ceremony
The Hugo Awards, nominated and voted for by your fellow Worldcon members, are presented for excellence in SF and fantasy for 2010. Masters of Ceremonies Jay Lake and Ken Scholes will introduce the presenters: our Guests of Honor and previous Hugo Award winners (Robert Silverberg, George R.R. Martin, Nancy Kress, Stu Shiffman, and others). The ceremony will also include the Big Heart Award, and a video highlighting Japanese Fandom including the Seiun Awards for the best SF published in Japan.

SUNDAY

1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m., A01+6 (RSCC)
Panel: Twenty Years of the Wheel of Time
William Lexner, Jennifer Liang (m), Brandon Sanderson, Linda Taglieri
The Wheel of Time series is perhaps the most influential epic fantasy after Tolkien. The panel looks back at the series and its importance to the genre.