RainbowCon Guest Post: Panels by Gryvon

RainbowCon (http://www.rainbowconference.org/) is a brand new upcoming convention for fans of LGBTQ literature. Held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tampa, FL the weekend of April 17th-20th, it offers a ton of content for authors, readers, and fans alike in a small convention atmosphere.

I'm really excited to attend RainbowCon. Not only does it offer an escape to a warmer climate from my hometown of chilly Buffalo, NY, but it offers a chance for large scale networking with readers, reviewers, and authors of LGBTQ literature.

RainbowCon features a number of exciting panels and workshops, including Writing Diversity (Thur 3pm), Contract Do's and Don'ts (Fri 11am), Polyamorous Fiction (Sat 11am), and Publishing the DIY Way (Sun 11am). There's also a number of fun events going on including a trip to the clubs in Ybor Saturday night, Relay Naughty Jeopardy (Thur 10pm), Euphemism Bingo (Fri 10pm), a dance party, and lots of other opportunities for socializing with other attendees.

I'll be speaking on three panels:

Beginner's Guide to Con Going - Thur, 2pm, Salon C. This your first conference? Have no idea what to do with all the panels, workshops, and activities? Come on in and our experts will give you a how-to on balancing your con experience.

RainbowCon is by far not the first convention I've attended, nor the first I've volunteered at. I got my start staffing conventions at my local college's gaming and anime convention for several years before moving on to staff Anime North (a Toronto anime convention that gets over 20,000 attendees yearly) for the last ten years. At Anime North, I run the LGBTQ subsection, Yaoi/Yuri North, so I'm no stranger to organizing events geared towards queer content, though RainbowCon will be my first time experiencing it on a larger scale as a whole con. I've also attended numerous other conventions as a regular attendee, a panelist, and as a vendor, so I've got a wealth of information I can share.

Trends in Young Adult Fiction - Friday, 10am, Salon C. Young adult fiction has changed a lot over the years, from plot construction to the relationship elements and characterization (or lack thereof). Take a look at positive and negative trends in this dynamic QUILTBAG genre.

I read a lot of Young Adult fiction lately. It's a genre I hope to be published in eventually, so I've been doing a lot of research on what's out there and what better way to research than to read all the delicious LGBTQ lit that's available on the market. My recent favorite series is by LGBTQ author Scott Tracey whose first book Witch Eyes is an amazing twist on Romeo and Juliet with a male/male pair, mixed with a thrilling bunch of magic and mayhem. For the L side of the equation, I highly recommend Ash by Malinda Lo and for the T side, Luna by Julie Anne Peters.

Fifty Shades of WTF? - Friday, 11am, Salon C. There's good BDSM, there's bad BDSM, and then there are fifty shades of WTF?! This panel takes a look at BDSM in fiction. There will be pointers, examples, and plenty of laughs for all!

I have a special fondness for WTF moments in porn and for writing BDSM, like in my story "What It's Worth" for SMP's Like It or Not anthology. Bits of BDSM also play a role in my stories from the Weight of a Gun anthologies - "The Machinist" and "The Inquisitor". (The final story in that trilogy will also feature heavy BDSM.) For me BDSM isn't about whips and chains but about the power dynamics between the Dom and the sub and the intricacies that are often left out when dealing with a true D/s relationship. I'm hoping our panel will help give inspiration to many writers so that we can see more excellent BDSM stories out in the world.

If you happen to make it out to RainbowCon, please stop by and say hi.

Gryvon is writer of things strange, fantastical, and queer. Her works span a wide range of tone, from dark paranormal thrillers to cozy romances. Her story "A Home Among the Stars" releases on April 11th as part of the Tall, Dark, and Wriggly anthology. A listing of other works, including a plethora of fanfiction, can be found at gryvon.com or you can follow her @gryvon on Twitter.