Fixed Programming Functions

Writers' Workshop

What is the BayCon Writers' Workshop?
It is an opportunity for writers to have professional writers critique their work based on story structure, plot, style and character development. It is conducted quietly in a small room with a limited group – the writers who have submitted work, the three professionals who have critiqued the work, and the moderator who makes sure the group stays on task and on time. This is not a competition or a bragging contest. Participants must be at least 18 years old, and able to accept criticism in a mature manner.

The submission deadline for the 2008 Writers' Workshop has passed. At this time, no further manuscripts are being accepted. Participants with questions should contact the Writers' Workshop staff by emailing writers(at)baycon.org.

Anime Room

Alameda Room

Anime

Arr, BayCon is pleased to be offerin' an anime program again this year. A wide variety of titles will be shown, with a good number of them pirate-themed.

Early evening offerings are appropriate for family viewing. As the night progresses we will be offering more varied anime titles that are appropriate for mature audiences.

We do have a few basic rules that should be followed when you're in and around the Anime Room, but they're enough easy to remember:

1. Please, only one seat per person. Chairs are for your seat, not your feet. Putting your day pack or jacket on the chair next to you may be acceptable, depending on how many people are in the room at the time, but stretching out across four of them is not.
2. Please don't block the walkways or the projector, for that matter. Anime fans can get kind of surly when that happens, and body-surfing over a crowd isn't much fun when you're dropped over the balcony at the end of it.
3. The companies that made the anime put a lot of effort towards their dialogue and sound effects, so please don't add to them. Brief outbursts (e.g., laughter) are okay, but in-depth discussions and snoring are right out!
4. Please don't "drop off" your kids while you do something else. This is an anime room, not a baby sitting service. The last we heard, kids in tow were supposed to be just that—in tow.
5. Due to prior experiences with ports that have curfews, we do check audience members for proof of age between midnight and 5:00 am. (And if you're under 18, you should be sleeping in your bunk anyway.)

BayCon 2008 Anime Room Schedule

The anime schedule is designed such that if no one comes to the room for a while, and the person running the room so chooses, the room may be closed early. We intend to stay open at least until 4am each evening.

Each pirate-themed anime is denoted with: (Arrr).

Friday, May 23

8:00pm (Arrr) Mars Daybreak 1-5
10:10pm Crest of the Stars 1-4
11:50pm Planetes 1-5
2:00am His and Her Circumstances 1-??

Saturday, May 24

8:00pm (Arrr) Lost Universe 1-6
10:30pm (Arrr) Cowboy Bebop 1-14
till 5:20am or whenever we close

Sunday, May 25

8:00pm (Arrr) Jubei-chan 1-4
9:45pm Mai Hime 1-4
11:30pm Grave of the Fireflies

Monday, May 26

1:00am (Arrr) Riding Bean
1:45am Otaku no Video
3:15am Witch Hunter Robin 1-5
5:20am Wolf's Rain 1-5
7:30am Urusei Yatsura Movie 1
9:10am Digi Charat NYO 1-8
10:50am The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi 00-7
2:10pm Urusei Yatsura TV 1-??

Gaming

Magnolia Room

Once again, the scurvy freebooters of the BayCon gaming staff will keep the official gaming venue open all day, every day from early Friday until late Monday. All ages and convention members are welcome. Games of all types will be available for your enjoyment, including board games, card games, RPGs, miniatures, and other tabletop games.

As always, we will be offering both Open Gaming and Scheduled Events. Questions and suggestions should be sent to gaming(at)baycon.org.

Open Gaming: For pickup games between friends and for use in conjunction with our "loaner games program." Stop by, sit down, and start playing.

The "loaner games" are various board games and card games available in the gaming room for convention members to borrow. The gaming staff asks that you play with the loaner games in the gaming room.

Scheduled Events: Our scheduled gaming events will include various card and miniatures tournaments, demos by game companies, and organized RPGs.

In keeping with the convention theme, we will be running several Man O' War events over the course of the weekend. In addition, we are thrilled to announce that BayCon 2008 will feature TWO Live Action Role Playing Games. Double your LARPing pleasure with a Firefly LARP AND a Little Fears LARP. 2008 will also feature the triumphant return of the infamous Warhammer 40K Mega Battles!

Other planned events include:

Talisman
Settlers of Catan
Legend of the Five Rings (RPG)
Star Wars (RPG)
Privateer
Heroscape
Ninja Burger
Hermagor
Ruse & Bruise
Blood Bowl
Cribbage Tournament

For more information, please contact us by emailing gaming(at)baycon.org.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the scholars and gentlemen at Rio Grande Games for their generous contribution to the Gaming events of BayCon 2008.

—Mike Beyer
Head of Gaming

Live Action Role-Playing in the World of Joss Whedon's Firefly

Harlequins and Hellfire! is a special episode of the live action role-playing game (LARP), Ji Dian Station, based on Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity. This game takes place on Paquin, as described in the Serenity role-playing game. Ji Dian Station uses a homegrown system designed to get through the challenges as quickly as possible so we can get to the fun of role-playing. Guests will be playing pre-generated characters with histories, goals, and even secrets. While there is no charge to play, all participants must be attending members of BayCon 2008.

How do I register for the game?
Pre-registration has now closed. There may be a few spots available for at-con walk-ons. If you're interested, please come to the Magnolia Room between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Sunday.

We look forward to role-playing with you!

—Jim "Sylvan" Sullivan and Rory Clark
Game Marshals of Ji Dian Station

Boffers Wars

Every Night in the Winchester Room

8:00 PM - Dawn

Avast! Grab your padded cutlass and prepare to repel boarders! You've been shanghaied into the 2008 BayCon Boffer Wars, the only place that you can pummel both friends and strangers with padded weapons.

We encourage contestants to follow the theme of the convention and get piratical on your opponent. Fight with dual cutlasses! Don an eye-patch and wield a boffer hook! And if that's not your style, dress in black and help us settle the ninja vs. pirate discussion once and for all!

Remember, this activity involves getting hit with padded weapons. All players will be required to read and sign a waiver BEFORE entering the field of combat. Combatants under 18 must bring a parent or legal guardian to sign their waiver.

Any questions should be written down, inserted into an empty rum bottle (remember to cork it), and handed off to a passing sea turtle. Please allow four to six decades for reply. Alternatively, you can email your queries to boffers(at)baycon.org.

BoFs
(Birds of a Feather Gatherings)

Birds of a Feather Gatherings are informal discussion groups to provide a venue for people with a common interest to meet and discuss their passion. BoFs are unstructured discussions without assigned panelists or moderators. Past BoFs have included Battlestar Galactica fans, Live Journal members, and Mythbusters viewers.

If you have a particular interest and would like for us to schedule a BoF for your particular group, please email either programming(at)baycon.org or bofs(at)baycon.org. Due to those pesky time and space limitations, we can't promise to accommodate everyone, but we'll give it our best shot.

Fanzine Lounge

Open Daily in Room 349

BayCon 2008 is proud to present the Fanzine Lounge! The lounge will be a place to drop by and chat with fans, maybe read yourself a fanzine or two from the last few decades, or perhaps you'd like to find out who still does fanzines these days!

You can also swing by and find out all about the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF), pick up our special fanzine issue put out specifically for the convention or help out with the 'zine we'll be producing for the weekend!

The Lounge will be open from 10:00 AM until at least 7:00 PM every day of the convention.

—Chris Garcia
Fanzine Lounge

Readings + Autographs

Since we're already luring a selection of authors into our lair with under the guise of "being panelists," it would seem irresponsible to let them escape without reading a selection of their work. Most reading sessions are "themed readings." Multiple authors will read in a given session where all of the pieces read share a common theme, allowing listeners to contrast each author's approach to the theme. Don't miss this exciting way to experience authors sharing their works in an intimate setting.

Most authors will sign autographs after their reading session. There is a three-item limit for autographs. If you wish to have more than three items autographed by an author you will need to get in line again. Violators will be keel-hauled like the scurvy queue-jumpers they be!

Scheduled Readings

Saturday 11:30 PM in Cypress:

Scott Sigler

Saturday 4:00 PM in Saratoga:

Laurel Ann Hill, Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin

Saturday 5:30 PM in Saratoga:

Kage Baker & Howard Hendrix

Saturday 7:00 PM in Bayshore West:

Broad Universe (rapid-fire readings)

Sunday 4:00 PM in Saratoga:

David Friedman & Walter H. Hunt

Family Friendly Programming

Open Daily in the Stevens Creek Room

Friday 2:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday/Sunday 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Once again, BayCon will dedicate an entire room to the popular Family Friendly programming track. The Family Friendly room is a special area where parents can spend time playing games and doing science fiction and fantasy themed activities with their children.

Our staff members are currently assembling a wide range of craft projects, activities, games, demonstrations, music, story telling and other challenges. Check back with us as we get closer to the convention for a complete schedule of our activities and offerings. If you have suggestions, please send them to family-programming(at)baycon.org.

Remember, this is not a day care or babysitting service. This space is for *family* interaction and fun. A parent must accompany their children at all times in the Family Friendly programming room. Most Family Friendly programming is geared toward children under the age of 12.

BCTV

Channel 40

We're back! Just when you thought you could safely turn on your TV set, BCTV reappears!

Seriously folks, we are back for our annual broadcast of fanvids, bad B movies and trivia. We are, as always, soliciting new entries in the fan video area. (PG-13 or cleaner, please). We can use nearly any digital video format, on either CD or DVD.

Contact us at bctv(at)baycon.org with suggestions and donations.

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