Want to get into MythCon for free, both the event and afterparty? The theme this year is multiple-sides, honest dialogue. So here’s what gets you in: produce a blog, vlog, or podcast that (a) examines any secular disagreement in politics, culture, or society, and (b) treats each side honestly and fairly—in other words, steel-man the fuck out of both sides. The best entrant in my judgment, wins. If the winner tells me they don’t need two tickets, then the best two entrants will win, one ticket each.

You can also win by persuading any blogger, podcaster, or vlogger to do an entry for this contest on your behalf (since the tickets are transferable). So spread the word, ask your friends and colleagues and favored artists who might be willing to help you get the tickets. They just have to meet the terms above and below—and if they win, they can tell me whom to award their tickets to! I will also announce all entrants on my Twitter and Facebook feeds, so even if you don’t win you’ll get a little publicity for it.

Definitely do a good job steel-manning both sides. Here’s a good outline of what that means (there described as level DH7; the other levels won’t win). It probably will require presenting and discussing the best evidence for each side (and not concealing some or leaving it out), and presenting and discussing the best version of each side, and the best arguments for it (and not the worst or most flawed or badly worded, for example). You don’t have to come to a conclusion. Just show the best case for each. You may argue for a conclusion, i.e. assess which side, even after being fully steel-manned, you think holds up the most. That won’t be judged. Just the fairness with which you treat both sides (especially the side you oppose). Basically, even an advocate of the other side should be able to agree, “Yep, that’s at least a fair representation of what I believe and why.”

If you want to tackle more than two sides of the same issue, that’s welcome too. But I understand it’s a bit much to do in a single article or episode, so it’s not required for the contest. You can always give nods to variant sides while focusing on the two main sides of disagreement, if you think any variant positions matter enough to mention.

The contest entry has to be something new. Not work that was already published before today.

And it has to be an issue not involving quackery or the supernatural, but a socio-political-cultural issue, something even secularists who aren’t cranks disagree on. And the secular disagreement is the only one you should cover.

So go for it! Research and publish your article, podcast or vlog, then to enter, post a link to it in comments below, with an email address I can reach you by if you win.