Schedule

Ahead of the con:
Opening Pages Critiques

Submit the first 500 words of your queer SFF novel for the opportunity of a 15-minute consult with a professional editor the week before the Rainbow Space Magic conference.

Due by September 12 2025

Submit here

Saturday, October 4

Chill & Chat with OTHERSIDE

8:00-8:50am Pacific / 11:00-11:50am Eastern

OTHERSIDE is a quarterly queer-led literary magazine of speculative fiction, poetry, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and artists. Their Kickstarter, to fund their first year, will launch on September 29th and they will open for submissions in January 2026.

Come ask questions to the co-founders about the magazine… or just enthuse with them about queer fiction!

When Queerness Is Not a Plot Point
Queerness impacts the way we move through the world, and so many of our stories are about that. But what about those that aren’t?

9:00-9:50am Pacific / 12:00-12:50pm Eastern

Writing Queer Stories for MG and YA
How to approach writing queer stories for MG and YA readers.

10:30-11:20am Pacific / 1:30-2:20pm Eastern

Keynote with Sam Maggs

12:00-12:50pm Pacific / 3:00-3:50pm Eastern

Readings

1:30-2:20pm Pacific / 4:30-5:20pm Eastern

Defining Genres: Do We Need To?
An exploration of genre definitions and the role they play.

3:00-3:50pm Pacific / 6:00-6:50pm Eastern

Hangout on Zoom

4:00-5:00pm Pacific / 7:00-8:00pm Eastern

Come and chat with attendees and panelists on Zoom.

Sunday, October 5

Writing About the Past as a Way of Talking About the Present
The world is a lot right now, but setting our stories in other times and other worlds can make discussing all this a little bit easier.

9:00-9:50am Pacific / 12:00-12:50pm Eastern

How Do You Write When the World Is Falling Apart
A discussion about staying motivated in the face of writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and overall dread.

10:30-11:20am Pacific / 1:30-2:20pm Eastern

Readings

12:00-1:00pm Pacific / 3:00-4:00pm Eastern

Queer Desire: Writing Intimacy, Consent, and Power Dynamics
A panel for people who get excited about supporting queer, nonmonogamous, and other non-cishet centered relationships in fantasy settings—whether tender, steamy, or dark.

1:30-2:20pm Pacific / 4:30-5:20pm Eastern

Writing Trans Joy
A discussion about writing stories and scenes full of trans joy, what it means, and the impact it has.

3:00-3:50pm Pacific / 6:00-6:50pm Eastern