Planning my 221Bcon schedule.

Well, the fine folks at 221Bcon have released a tentative schedule at their site, just to give us all some time to plan our weekend in Atlanta a few short weeks from now. It's all subject to change, of course, but it's a handy thing to be able to get some idea of what's coming.

The schedule runs from 10 AM to midnight on Saturday, and 10 AM until 4 PM on Sunday, and I can see right away that feeding one's self is going to require missing some programming . . . and since I know there will be Sherlockians there well worth a long dinner with, I fear I might miss more than a bit of it. But let's look to the details. Here's where I see myself heading.

Saturday begins with sessions competing on the next BBC Sherlock run, Brett and Rathbone, original Canon, and a scavenger hunt meeting. Now, having done Brett, Rathbone, and Canon a whoooole lot at Sherlockian functions past, I'm going to lean heavily toward Sherlock at the con, and I have a feeling I won't be the only one. No question where I'll be when the con panels start, as well as into the second hour as a Moffat panel comes up.

The next two hours have authors featured, one Tracy Revels panel and one with Lyndsay Faye, and I always love hearing writers talk writing, so I'll definitely hit those, even though I'll be getting hungry during Lyndsay's hour. She's as safe a bet for stimulating the mind over the stomach as any, though, so I'm not too worried about that one. Come two o'clock, however, I will have to offer my apologies to all the panelists and find sustenance.

If I'm back from lunch by three, I'll probably be leaving Sherlock behind for an hour to catch what I can of the Doctor Who panel before the costume contest. Most likely won't be entering it, as my costumes never seem to be of anyone or anything in particular on some occasions, and I have a feeling this is going to be one of those times. "General steampunk?" We shall see.

After that, I may just go by whims, or look to see who the panelists are . . . though "Wear Sherlock" at six is rather interesting. The Atlanta Radio Theater company has two hours from seven to eight blocked off across the board, so that choice is made, unless I get lured away by nefarious sorts, as been known to happen when Sherlock Holmes fans congregate. Cosplay and fanfiction roundtables will definitely be worth winding up the night, unless . . . as before . . . I get distracted by some convivial room party.

The real problem spot in all of 221Bcon comes on Sunday morning at 10 AM. The con organizers cleared panels across the board for the Atlanta Radio Theater Company, but they didn't do the same for the Baker Street Babes podcast, which is very unfortunate. In my book, the live Babes podcast is the biggest drawing card of the whole con, and is liable to have everyone playing hooky from the three panels scheduled at that time. (Except maybe the "Elementary Revisited" panel. Those fans are just stubborn, as their comments on this blog tend to show. How else could one explain their refusal to be swayed by my attempts to deprogram them, week after week?)

The Sunday panels tend to be full of choices I'm not looking forward to making, though that BSI, ASH and societies panel is one nobody will want to miss. Rumor is that they may have at least one panel member with contrary opinions to certain party lines. The con's "Last Bow" at four is a pleasantly solo choice, so the diehards will all wind up in one place. Will I be one of them? I certainly hope so . . . if I haven't gotten caught up in the programming and forgotten to eat all weekend.

Naw, there would probably be an impromptu "Sherlock and the Donner Party" panel before that happened. (Kidding! Just kidding! Haven't met any cannibal Sherlockians . . . yet.)

As the 221Bcon folks say, this is all subject to change. But it's sure fun to start thinking about it all.