Tag: events

A Small Autumn Update

A Small Autumn Update

Posted on by Jasmine

It’s not the most concrete of updates, but since it’s been quiet here lately, I thought I would pop in to do a brief explanation of things that have been going on and things that are coming up.

Matters with the pandemic have certainly slowed down a lot in my writing life, including my own creativity of late. While I’ve been staying safe and physically healthy, my typical summer lethargy was exacerbated by being in Year 2 of a global pandemic. I’ve been very disengaged from the book world (both on- and offline) and very unmotivated to work on my own books. Since July, I’ve mostly been working at my editing job and sleeping, it feels like. Now that autumn–the best, most powerful season–is rolling in, I’m starting to feel a little energized and imaginative again, but I’m still working on breaking the habits I built up during this year’s Summer Depression. All that said, I don’t have anything to say right now about projects I’m working on.

However, con season is coming up for me, though the pandemic is also slowing things down on that front, meaning that I don’t have any schedules set in stone yet. What I can say is that I there are a two SFF cons I plan on attending in some capacity or another and that I have so far been invited to panel on:

First is Orycon on November 12-14. Currently, I am planning on attending in-person (I am fully vaccinated and happy to mask up and social distance!), but considering the trajectory of COVID-19 cases and limited ICU beds in my area, this may change depending on how circumstances are looking or if there are any changes with Orycon/venue policy, local pandemic mandates, or CDC guidelines that may impact my ability to attend. As always, I will update here with more info if there are any changes to my plans.

I will also be attending DisCon III (this year’s WorldCon in Washington, D.C.) virtually. I don’t know exactly what this will look like for me yet, but thanks to the remote option, I don’t foresee any situation where I will have to alter my plan to attend.

(I am also planning on attending Kumoricon in-person this year, but I will not be on any panels. Just cosplaying!)

I will update my Coming Soon page with all the details once I have them. Until then, I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and hygienic as we deal with more of all of this.

Upcoming Event - Storycrafting Sessions: Exploring Story Structure

Upcoming Event – Storycrafting Sessions: Exploring Story Structure

Posted on by Jasmine

Hello everyone! I will be once again joining Weeknight Writers for one of their Storycrafting Sessions mini-conferences. On Saturday July 3rd, you can join myself and a number of other excellent authors for this virtual and free conference on the craft of plot structure.

The full schedule is available here, and remember to sign up before the conference in order to get access to the links you’ll need to view the panels. You can catch me specifically on the Beyond the Hero’s Journey panel at 11:00 am PDT.

I’m so excited to be participating in another Storycrafting Session! If you missed the last one, you can catch recordings of some of the panels on the Weeknight Writers YouTube channel, including the panel I was on last time about creating magic systems:

Upcoming Event: Infinite Horizons Storycrafting Sessions: Worldbuilding Deep Dive Virtual Conference

Upcoming Event: Infinite Horizons Storycrafting Sessions: Worldbuilding Deep Dive Virtual Conference

Posted on by Jasmine

Whew, that’s a mouthful. But it is also where you can find me on February 20th, talking about fantasy and sci-fi worldbuilding topics like magic systems and fictional economies.

Join myself and other writers as we discuss the various aspects of worldbuilding in speculative fiction. The conference is virtual and free but requires registration to attend panels. You can find the full schedule here with links to register for each panel, and you can check my upcoming events page for the details on the specific panels I will be participating in. Or you can continue reading here, because I’m going to post it all below, too:

Infinite Horizons Storycrafting Sessions: Worldbuilding Deep Dive Conference – Virtual

Panel: Hard vs Soft vs Hybrid: Creating Interesting and Effective Magic Systems
February 20th, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST/10:00 – 11:00 AM PST
Register here (registration is free)

Panel: We Don’t Take Imperial Credits: Developing Economics, Currency, and Trade in Speculative Fiction
February 20th, 4:00 – 5:00 PM EST/1:00 – 2:00 PM
Register here (registration is free)

UPDATE: Registration for the conference has switched from EventBrite to Zoom Webinar Registration. I’ve updated the links accordingly, but if you already registered through EventBrite, you will need to register again through Zoom Webinar Registration. Sorry for the hassle.

Hope to see folks there!

Upcoming Event: Weeknight Writers Virtual Conference (Updated 9/23)

Posted on by Jasmine
a cup of tea sitting on a book in the foreground of autumn leaves
Photo: Autumn background with a book, a Cup of tea and leaves on the background of blurred autumn trees (Flip 2019) by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0

UPDATE: the Exploring Romance through SFF panel has been canceled, but I’ll still be on the panels for Writing with Anxiety and Writing with Depression. Please be sure to register (for free!) on the Weeknight Writers Virtual Conference site ahead of time if you plan on attending.

 

Another virtual event is on the horizon! While I’m staying safe inside during this very smoky time in Oregon, I’m preparing to join the Weeknight Writers Virtual Conference as a panelist. The conference is free to participate in and will take place on Saturday September 26th and Sunday September 27th. If you are interested in joining, please be sure to register for the virtual calls on the Weeknight Writers Virtual Conference website.

I’ll be on the panels Writing with Anxiety, Exploring Romance through SFF, and Writing with Depression. Exact dates and times are listed on the conference website, as well as my Upcoming Events page. Be sure to keep an eye on timezone differences, as the conference site lists panels in Eastern Time.

I hope you can join to chat with me and other authors about romance in sci-fi/fantasy and navigating mental health while writing. Until then, if you’re physically on the Pacific coast like me, stay safe among all the fires and smoke.

2020 Nebula Conference Online Reading Series

Posted on by Jasmine

Jasmine Gower speaking at the University Bookstore in Seattle

My SFWA reading that was originally scheduled for April is back on! Sort of!

For those who have 2020 Nebula Conference membership, on Wednesday, August 26th at 5:00 PM PDT, Corry L. Lee and I will be digitally joining the Reading Series for the 2020 Nebula Conference Online, where we will be reading from our works and doing a Q&A afterward. I’m planning on reading a few scenes from Moonshine, as well as a scene from my new (not yet sold) dark fantasy project.

Details about the reading can be found on the Nebula Conference site.

[UPDATED] Upcoming Event: SFWA NW Reader Series

[UPDATED] Upcoming Event: SFWA NW Reader Series

Posted on by Jasmine

UPDATE – MARCH 12, 2020

Both of these readings have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. While disappointing, I’m glad that SFWA is considering public health and safety in this decision, and there is a possibility that it will be rescheduled for later in the year when things are less pandemic-y.

As always, I will update here on my site if and when I have any new information about upcoming events. In the meantime, please be sure to wash your hands with soap regularly and channel your inner vampire when coughing and sneezing.

Exciting news for those in the Pacific Northwest: I’ll be joining the SFWA Northwest Reader Series in April, along with Corey L. Lee and Carolyn O’Doherty! The three of us will be reading in Seattle and Portland on April 28th and April 30th, respectively. These events are free to the public and in addition to the readings from each of us will also include a Q&A, signings, and a chance to purchase our books.

If you’re interested in attending, it would be a big help to SFWA (for headcount reasons) if you register for the events on Eventbrite. Here is the Seattle page, and here is the Portland one.

A big thanks to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America for inviting me to be a part of this event! I can’t wait to see everyone there!

SLIGHT UPDATE: I completely forgot to add the details to my Upcoming Events page when I posted this originally, but all that information is now collected there for quick and easy reference.

Upcoming Reading at Daedalus Books

Posted on by Jasmine

On Saturday November 23rd at 7:00 PM, I’ll be joining a group of authors at Daedalus Books in Portland for readings and signings. Please stop by to visit myself, Daniel H. Wilson, Jason Gurley, Curtis C. Chen, Benjamin Parzybok, and Arthur Smid and hear us read some selections from our works.

Daedalus Books can be found at 2074 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97209. All of the details for the event can, of course, be found on my event page, as well as Daedalus’s Facebook event posting.

Flyer for book reading at Daedalus Books on November 23rd at 7:00 PM

OryCon 2019

Posted on by Jasmine

2019 Endeavour Award Finalist badge

OryCon is coming up this weekend in Portland, OR at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion Hotel. I will be there as a panelist as well as an Endeavour Award finalist for Moonshine.

If you want to catch the panel I’m on, it will be Exploring Publishing Options on November 10th at 11:15 AM. The Endeavour Award Ceremony will be on Friday, November 8th at 6:45 PM.

I’m very excited to have Moonshine selected as a finalist for the Endeavour Award. I’ve been attending OryCon for the past two years now, and as one of the smaller conventions I’ve been to, I really enjoy it’s laid-back atmosphere and homey feel. I’m generally a very low-energy person and highly prone to sensory overload, so even though I like conventions, most of them take a lot out of me, but OryCon has proven to be the sort of the convention that’s a comfortable speed for me. Having my work recognized there is a great feeling that really makes me feel a part of the Pacific Northwest SFF community.

Check my events page for all the panel and award ceremony details, or visit the OryCon site for the full convention schedule.

WorldCon 2019 Schedule

WorldCon 2019 Schedule

Posted on by Jasmine

Dublin WorldCon just sent along my finalized panel schedule, so if you have a chance to attend WorldCon this year, you can find me at the following panels:

Making the asexual textual

Format: Panel15 Aug 2019, Thursday 21:00 – 21:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)

In the past, many asexual and/or aromantic characters in science fiction and fantasy stories have not been overtly identified this way. Should writers be more explicit in stating asexual and aromantic characters’ identity? How do asexuality and aromanticness shape and change the way characters and their relationships with others are perceived or written?

Wendy Metcalfe, Darcie Little Badger (M), Dr Edmund Schluessel (International School of Helsinki), Jasmine Gower

Gender and the writer

Format: Panel17 Aug 2019, Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Wicklow Room-1 (CCD)

Gender defines and redefines how we think about ourselves, each other, and our characters. Our panel delves into the topic of gender, looking past the basics of diversity to examine the issues important to trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming creators and readers.

Dr. J.S. Fields Ph.D., Vanessa Rose Phin (Strange Horizons), Dr Nick Hubble (Brunel University London) (M), Jasmine Gower, BE Allatt

 

You’ll also be able to find me at the Angry Robot table signing books at the following dates/times:

  • Friday, August 16 at 1:00-1:30 PM
  • Sunday, August 18 at 1:00-1:30 PM

I did get bookplates, so if you’ be at WorldCon and already have a copy of Moonshine that you want a signature for but don’t want to bring it to the convention, I’ve got you covered. I’ll also have some bookmarks up for grabs 🙂