POD023 - Babbling Writers

[dcolanduno]

Suggestions for this time slot. :)

[JustinMacumber]

This would be perfect for writers who do podcasts about the craft of writing, such as myself, Mur, Michael Stackpole, Paula B, and Matthew Wayne Selznick.

[dcolanduno]

We have two panels about writing now, can you maybe come up with a solid name/description for the panel that you are suggesting? I like the idea, I just need to make it obvious that it is different from what we have now. :)

[JustinMacumber]

Let's see...

Babbling Writers - Come along and listen in as some notable and perhaps not so notable writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them - fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it.

Does that work?

[dcolanduno]

Cool,

Check out the spreadsheet now. All we need is some more people to be on the panel! :)

[JustinMacumber]

Derek, I spoke with Tee, and he said he would be on it. He also said that he spoke with Philippa Ballantine, and she said she would be on it too. I've emailed Mur and Selznick to see if they will grace us with their presence.

[JustinMacumber]

Oh, one question. Are these panels recorded? If so, would it be possible to use the recording as an episode for my show? If not, would I just need to record it myself?

[dcolanduno]

We are going to record everything once again as we did last year, so you can use the audio. :)

[JustinMacumber]

That is awesome. Thanks!

[JustinMacumber]

On this panel you have Tee Morris, Michael Stackpole, Scott Sigler, Philippa Ballantine, and Mur Lafferty listed. The panelists that have SAID they will be there are Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine, and I'm trying to get Mur and Mathew Wayne Selznick. Stackpole and Sigler won't be on this one.

[dcolanduno]

Why do you think Sigler won't be on this one? He will be at the convention and usually likes to be on panels like this one.

[JustinMacumber]

Well, Sigler doesn't do a podcast about writing. He has plenty of podiobooks OF his writing, but none about the craft of writing, and that was what I wanted to focus on. Mur has "I Should Be Writing," Tee has "The Survival Guide To Writing Fantasy," Phillipa has "Whispers At The Edge," Selznick as "Writers Talking," and I have "The Dead Robots' Society." I wanted to talk to them about their experiences, what advice they might have, and what they think podcasting has done for them and for their craft. Sigler is a great guy, but I didn't think he fit the theme of what I was going for.

[dcolanduno]

Oh!

I wasn't 'thinking' when I put him on there then. <sigh> Good catch. :)

[JustinMacumber]

Hey, I didn't say you weren't thinking! :D

I was just explaining my thoughts on it. You guys are the experts, though, so I certainly bow to your expertise.

[dcolanduno]

Experts... <looks around the room>

Ok... I'll go with it for now... :D

[JustinMacumber]

Okay, after doing some emailing, my panel will consist of Mur Lafferty, Tee Morris, J.C. Hutchins, and Phillipa Ballantine.

Sound good?

[JustinMacumber]

Oh, and I just got P.J. Holyfield to commit as well. That makes five, and I think my limit. Should be a good panel!

[dcolanduno]

Cool,

Done!

[JustinMacumber]

I've never moderated a panel before. Any advice? Should I end with an audience Q&A?

Also, I saw that you still had Stackpole on the panel. I think with the five people I've spoken to, that should be more than enough to create a lively and entertaining conversation. I don't think Stackpole is necessary for it.

[dcolanduno]

Ya,

Usually your role as Moderator is to keep the conversation flowing, make sure that people who want to ask questions are called on and get to ask them. And then, you can also ask questions to the panelists to keep the flow going and such.

Basically... you are in charge of keeping the talk on topic and flowing. So there are no set rules or such. :)

[tvindy]

Yes, many moderators last year went on a bit too long before opening things up for Q&A. The audience questions are often the best part of the panel discussions. I like it when moderators either leave a good 15 minutes at the end for Q&A or intersperse audience questions throughout the alotted time. That's just my personal preference, of course.

[JustinMacumber]

I think I will intersperse the audience questions with my own.

[KimiDreams]

I will be around and would be thrilled to be part of the panel if you need another body. :)

[JustinMacumber]

Kimi, if one of the five panelists I have scheduled bales on me, I am depending on YOU to step in and fill their spot.

[JustinMacumber]

Can we get Mr. Holyfield's name changed on the schedule? I was a moron and typed it as "P.J." and it's supposed to be "P.G."

[dcolanduno]

I should have known that myself! Fixed... :D

[JustinMacumber]

I just noticed that for the panel description I wrote "Come along and listen in as some notable and perhaps not so notable writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them - fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it."

That "not so notable" bit doesn't sound good, now that I look at it again. Can you change that to read: "Come along and listen in as a panel of writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them - fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it."

[kbachelder]

I just noticed that for the panel description I wrote "Come along and listen in as some notable and perhaps not so notable writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them - fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it."

That "not so notable" bit doesn't sound good, now that I look at it again. Can you change that to read: "Come along and listen in as a panel of writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them - fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it."

I just updated the schedule with this new description. Please check it out and make sure it's what you wanted...

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pnLu7rzD5O8M3TSFQVG5KTA&output=html


Take care,

Kevin

[JustinMacumber]

That's perfect, thanks.

Oh, is there anywhere I can find out what is required when you're a moderator? I've never done that before, so I have no idea if I'm supposed to bring visual aids or anything. Also, how long should I and the panel talk, and how long should I let the audience ask questions?

[kbachelder]

That's perfect, thanks.

Glad to hear it.

Oh, is there anywhere I can find out what is required when you're a moderator? I've never done that before, so I have no idea if I'm supposed to bring visual aids or anything. Also, how long should I and the panel talk, and how long should I let the audience ask questions?


I'm sure Derek can comment on this once he gets back into town in a few days but I don't think you need to bring any visual aids. If there is something you or one of your panelists needs then you should mention it in advance so Derek/Swoopy can try to have it available for you.

Your question about how to allocate time during your session depends on what you're hoping to accomplish. If you have a session promoted as a "come ask questions" session then you probably need to work with your panelists to make sure that they only speak for a certain amount of time so you can leave enough time at the end for a lot of questions. You might want to encourage questions during the entire session but if you do that you need to be aware of how long you let things run so you don't go off on 7 tangents and then only have time for 1 or 2 of your panelists to speak. There are many ways for this to work but the best thing I can recommend is to talk with your panelists ahead of time and decide on the approach so everyone is on the same page and if you need to be the guy to cut off questions or ask the panelists to speed up their comments they'll understand. Things work well when the moderator tell the panelists and the audience at the beginning what the structure of the session will be.


Kevin

[Tee Morris]

I'm curious...where do I start in finding out where slots are available?

[kbachelder]

I'm curious...where do I start in finding out where slots are available?


Here's a link to the current schedule...

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pnLu7rzD5O8M3TSFQVG5KTA&output=html

I'm sure once Derek sees your recent postings he can let you know what's possible as far as the schedule.


Take care,

Kevin

[dcolanduno]

The schedule on the Google Doc is the best place to start.

We try to keep the panels to no bigger than 6 MAYBE 7. More than that it gets nuts. 4/5 is the best. :)

[tvindy]

We try to keep the panels to no bigger than 6 MAYBE 7. More than that it gets nuts. 4/5 is the best. :)
Buffy Between the Lines is going to be INSANE! :D