2026 BB Mini-con Panel Schedule

Here is the schedule for the Bony Blithe mini-con on Friday, May 15. We are building in a 15- to 20-minute break between panels to allow people to schmooze, check out the book room, get books autographed, grab something from the bar or a nibble, etc. etc. etc.

9:30 a.m. Registration starts

AI for Authors: Good or Bad?   10:15 a.m.

When you consider authors and AI, what do you think of? Some authors flat out refuse to use AI in any form. But is this reaction a wise one? Does AI have uses that can help authors? If so, do AI’s positives outweigh its negatives? Where do/should authors draw the line as creatives?
Panelists: Angela van Breemen (M), M.H. Callway, Jan Field, Peter Pontsa

Finding Inspiration   11:30 a.m.

Why do you write what you write? Does your inspiration come from something in your own life? Something you’ve seen or read about? Or do you look at what kind of books are currently available and try to fill in a gap?
Panelists: Lis Angus (M), Marilyn Kay, Mike Martin, Des Ryan, Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson

Lunch  12:30 — 2:00 p.m.

Crossing Genres   2:00 p.m.

It seems that more and more genres and subgenres are crossing over into crime-writing. If you’re a cross-genre writer and the genres in your mashup have different conventions, how do you reconcile these differences, especially when fantasy or paranormal elements can potentially make solving the crime too simple?
Panelists: Monica Bodirsky (M), Susan Daly, Lynne Murphy, Carolyne Topdjian

Down the Research Rabbit Hole   3:15 p.m.

Can you get so obsessed with research that you never get around to writing your book? What facts are important and what can you fudge or even ignore? Do you let facts guide or even control your story? Do you continue to research even after you’re well into writing and find that you have to make major changes in your book, based on what you’ve newly uncovered?
Panelists: Ken Ogilvie (M), Sharon Crawford, Rosemary McCracken, Jim McDonald, Carol Newhouse

Pivoting   4:30 p.m.

Have you changed direction in your writing journey? Moved from traditional publishing to self/indie-publishing or vice versa? Had a successful series and decided to work on a new one or standalones? Moved from long-form (novels, novellas) to short-form (short stories) or vice versa? Gone from fiction to nonfiction or vice versa? Expanded into new markets like audiobooks? Why did you make these changes and are they working for you?
Panelists: Liisa Kovala (M), Ryan Aldred, Alice Fitzpatrick, Gina X. Grant, Joyce Woollcott