Schedule

Social media can be an excellent place to find online community, especially during a pandemic, but it can also be a fraught world of vicious gossip, lip service activism, and whatever the Algorithm is. The panel will explore ways of using different forms of social media to connect with like-minded people, while providing tips to avoid falling prey to such platform’s worst aspects. 

Instagram, conventions, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, art galleries, local craft shows, Instagram, Etsy, Patreon, personal websites, and Instagram… What are the best ways to get your artwork noticed? Where do you focus your energy to get the most bang for your buck? Do you need an art agent, and if so, how do you get one? Why do you hate Instagram, and why do you have to use it anyway?

It can be hard to find people with common interests if you are isolated geographically, or when you move to a new place. What goes into finding fellow fans, conventions, gaming or social groups? How do you get to know a new community culture? What pitfalls should you avoid?

The perils of being on the internet have a tendency to create an infinite number of awful rabbit holes to fall into. Our panelists will discuss ways to avoid becoming Twitter’s main character, tools to steer clear from bad takes, and general ideas on good literary citizenship. All in the face of problematic favs and infinite bad actors in addition to the rest of the world’s ills.

Creepypasta: the internet evolution of the urban legend. It has risen from nothing to become a mature horror genre over the last decade. What is it, why does it work, and how will it evolve into the future?

Fanfiction and other fanworks are well known for creating space for the stories that aren’t-quite-told in canon. Communities have developed their own ethical standards about how and when elements can be used from other peoples’ work, but we have also seen significant ship wars and the rise of purity culture. How are these community norms created, and how are they enforced? How does one stay afloat amidst the shifting tides of morality, taste, and social custom?