Appearances

My Schedule for ConQuest Kansas City 2017

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Have I been horrible about posting lately or what? For that I apologize, but we are coming up on one of my favorite times of the year, ConQuest in Kansas City (and my birthday). ConQuest is a long-running science fiction and fantasy convention. As usual, I will be taking part in several panels, which I will list here. You can find the full schedule here.

This is my panel schedule:

Friday (May 26th, otherwise known as my birthday)

3:00 PM – So, You Want to Be in Pictures – Jim Yelton, Leanna Brunner, Bryn Donovan, and I will discuss screenwriting and the applicability of its skill set to writing prose.

5:00 PM – Horror Novels/Short Stories Everyone Should Read – Earline Beebe, Sherri Dean, Jonathan Mayberry, and I recommend the best in horror fiction.

Saturday (May 27th)

11:00 AM – I will be reading, along Donna Wagenblast Munro.

1:00 PM – Comic Book Television and Film: Boom or Bust – Marshall Edwards, Brendan Beebe, Matthew Munro, and I will be talking about comic adaptations. Which are good, which are bad, and when the bubble is going to burst.

3:00 PM – Why Write Short Stories? – Karen Bovenmyer, Sean Demory, Dora Furlong, and I will be talking about the short story genre and why it is still important, despite diminishing markets and diminishing pay.

5:00 PM – The Running Man: The First Hunger Games – Craig Smith, Brian Pigg, Michelle Stutzman, and I will be talking about Stephen King’s The Running Man  and its influence.

Sunday (May 28th)

10:00 AM – Can Writing Be Taught? – Lynette Burrows, Jesse Pringle, Rachael Mayo, Paula Helm Murray, and I will be discussing a writer’s education and debating whether or not writing can truly be taught.

12:00 PM – A Writer’s Library: Books Every Writer Should Read – Lynette Burrows, Brooke Johnson, Rachael Mayo, Paula Helm Murray, and I will be discussing a writer’s library and what books belong in every writer’s toolbox.

It is going to be a busy weekend, but it should be a lot of fun. Hopefully, I will also get some homework done between the paneling and socializing.

If you haven’t made plans to join us yet, check out the website: www.conquestkc.org. There will be cosplay, gaming, a dealer room, and an art show in addition to the panels.

I look forward to seeing everyone there.

Post-WorldCon Hangover

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Wow…five days is a long time in con years. By the end of the week, it seemed like I had been there for most of my life, and I had trouble imagining a world that didn’t involve name tags with decorative ribbons, beer at lunch, and conversing with elaborately costumed individuals.

This was my first WorldCon, and the first time that the convention had been in Kansas City in decades. There are a lot of things that I am going to remember for a really long time.

  1. I finally met John Hemry, who writes The Lost Fleet series under the name Jack Campbell. He told me, jokingly, “I’m proud of you, son.” This is the first convention that we’ve both attended. There was also a mix-up in the pocket program. They left the “Jr.” off of my name. This meant that I had a room full of people at my reading, but several of them showed up for military science fiction. Fortunately for me, about half of them stayed for atmospheric horror. All weekend, his fans were very nice to me, and it became a running joke to find out if I was somehow related to Hemry or to influential science fiction editor John W. Campbell Jr. (I am not, as far as I know.)
  2. I was in THAT panel. The one that you may have read about on one blog or another. THE STATE OF SHORT FICTION! Or…whatever. You’ve read the story. Maybe, you’ve heard the recording. I won’t go in to all of that here. David Truesdale’s expulsion from the con has been addressed fully by all sides and by much more famous writers than me. You can find it all over the internet. I don’t feel the need to add to it, and I don’t think anyone particularly cares what I think anyway. However, I was a bit perturbed that I am a short story writer who showed up to a panel to learn about the state of my craft (expanding markets, shrinking readership, low payments) and got…that. Unfortunately, it was evident five minutes in that I was never going to get the panel that I had expected.
  3. I was actually on the panel that got Mary Robinette Kowal suspended for the day. It was an innocent mistake. She goes in to it on her blog. She also owned up to it like a total champ. Beyond that, she did an amazing job moderating the panel, even when she realized that she was probably in trouble. I have a ton of respect for her. I love to see people who are so passionate about literature. The panel was fantastic, and I really need to read Northanger Abbey.
  4. I have better reflexes than I thought. I had a girl pass out on me. Pretty much literally. Being a good person, she’d given blood as part of the Heinlein emergency blood drive and got light-headed. Fortunately, I was able to catch her with one arm and toss the beer in the trash with the other while my friend Laura Croston contacted her mother. She was fine after a few minutes, and her family was awesome.
  5. Orrin Grey and I had a conversation at the bar about how famous writers aren’t any different than the rest of us. We’re essentially the same crowd, but some of us just get paid more. Everything I experienced this weekend proved that to be the case. Whether a fledgling writer, a New York Times bestseller, or an editor that had rejected me many, MANY times, everyone that I met was great. This a tough industry, but its generally a supportive one. Most of my favorite memories this weekend involved talking to people before or after panels, in the Con Suite, in the hallways, or at the bar. Some of them I see quite often. Some I see once a year. Others, I previously knew only as names on dust covers.  All of them made the experience worth repeating. I could go in to the stories and the conversations, but those are just for me.
  6. The Zen Scavenger Hunt was so much fun.

Cons always recharge my batteries, a bit, but this one also left me wanting more–more cons, more writing, more publications, and everything else that comes along with them. I’m a realistic guy. I know that I can’t afford these things every year. I’m probably not going to make it to Helsinki (2017). I may not make it to San Jose (2018). But I will be back. My first WorldCon was a landmark in my writing career. I can’t wait to see where I am by my second one.

Now, I am going to go lay down. I am so tired…

ConQuest Kansas City Schedule

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Memorial Day weekend is approaching, and that means two things: my birthday and ConQuest. I always have a lot of fun at the convention. I’ve met some good people there over the years, first as a fan and then as a writer. Last year, I took part in a bunch of panels. It was so much fun that I am doing it again.

Friday (May 27)

Writing Groups 3:00 PM: I’ve been a member of the LFK Writers Group for a few years. I’ve been a member of several others in the past. We will be talking about different types of writing groups and what sort of things you may want to look for in a good group. I’ll be on the panel with other members of the LFK Writers Group.

Writing Prompts 5:00 PM: Myself and the other writers who contribute to The Confabulator Cafe come up with writing prompts every month. I personally use several different techniques in order to generate story ideas. We will give suggestions, take suggestions, and maybe even come up with some prompts on the spot. This will also be with the LFK Writers Group.

Horror from the Headlines: Current Events as Inspiration 8:00 PM: Is there anything scarier than the evening news? Current events can be good fuel for horror stories, but they can be a double-edged sword. We’ll talk about using headlines for inspiration and some of the pitfalls that you need to avoid. I will be joined on the panel by Orrin Grey, Sean Demory, Kristin Helling, and Jim Yelton.

Saturday (May 28)

Publish Like the Pros 10:00 AM: Independent Publishing is booming due to e-books and technological advances, but there is still a lot to learn if you are tempted to take the plunge. Bottle Cap Publishing will talk give tricks and tips for creating a professional product and promoting it as such. I will be joined by Kevin Wohler, Sara E. Lundberg, and R. L. Naquin.

Reading 2:00 PM: I will be reading from my next novella Mama’s Little Boy, as well as “Assholes with Guns,” my short story that appeared in The Literary Hatchet and will be in my next collection Whispers and Proclamations.

Film Adaptations: The Best and Worst 6:00 PM: My first writing love was not fiction, but screenwriting. These days, film adaptations are Hollywood powerhouses. Some are good and some are really, REALLY bad. We’ll discuss adaptations that succeeded as well as those that failed.  I will be joined by Orrin Grey, Robin Wayne Bailey, and Dora Furlong.

Sunday (May 29)

Navigating the World of Short Story Submission 11:00 AM: Short story submission is a scary thing. You send your work to strangers, and you often get rejected by them. We’ll talk about how to find markets, submit to them, and how to deal with both acceptance and rejection. I’ll be joined by Lou Antonelli, Jude-Marie Green, and Tom Trumpinski.

The Big Three of Weird Tales 3:00 PM: In 279 issues, from 1923 to 1954, Weird Tales Magazine helped spur a resurgence of dark fiction. Powered by mainstays such as Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and H.P. Lovecraft, the magazine became a major influence for the future of weird fiction and featured a large number of legendary writers. We will discuss the “big three,” their legacy, and what readers can learn from them today. I will be joined by Orrin Grey and Donna Munro.

It should be a fun weekend. I’ll even have a few copies of All Manner of Dark Things for sale if folks are interested. Check out the full line-up on the official Conquest website. Or you can skip straight to the programming schedule. I look forward to seeing you all there.

 

Now Playing in Theater B and Enpower Comic Con

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51VuNhXDRRLMy latest short story publication “Blood and Dust” is available in Now Playing in Theater B from A Murder of Storytellers. The anthology is full of gritty horror from a bunch of great authors. It’s my second anthology with A Murder of Storytellers (Faed was the other). I am happy to be a part of the project.

The story itself is about a rural town during a drought-stricken summer. The children face the horror of a dwindling summer vacation and a beaten-up black limo that rolls in to town with a strange driver. It’s a complete short story, but I have an idea for expansion of that summer in to a full-length novel. We’ll see where the dust-covered muse takes me.

I also want to let everyone know that I will be at Empower Comic Con in Topeka, KS this Saturday. I’ll be speaking on two panels. We’ll be starting at 10 am with Writing 101, a panel focused on the craft of writing, followed by the Writing Business at 11 am.

I’ll be joined on the panels by a variety of local writers, including science fiction writer Jason Arnett, science fiction/fantasy writer Kevin Wohler, urban fantasy writer R. L. Naquin, alternate history/science fiction writer James Young, fantasy/horror writer Dane Kroll, and science fiction writer Suzanne Dome. It should be a lot of fun, and I hope to see everyone there. It’s a first year con, but they’ve got some cool guests, lots of cosplay, and me. What more could you want?

ConQuest, Shared Passions, and Upcoming Events

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ConQuest was a great success. I saw a lot of people that I don’t see much, hung out with a bunch of people that I see a lot, and met new people who were awesome and friendly. They are starting to add up. It’s easy for me to forget that just a few years ago, I wrote in a constant vacuum. I didn’t see a single person who shared my passion for writing and books. Some back home in Iowa, but none in my day-to-day life. My friends and co-workers were great, but I felt as if I were on an island, tying desperately to keep the whole thing from falling in to the ocean.

It isn’t that way anymore. Writers are a part of my day-to-day social circle. I am surrounded by readers. I used to go to all of the panels at ConQuest that had people I knew on them. That’s not possible, anymore. I know too many. Even if I hadn’t been on so many myself, there would have been too many scheduling conflicts. The novelty is a little less, anyway. Since I spend a majority of my social life within the business, being surrounded by writers isn’t the thrill that it used to be. My panels went well. People seemed to like what I had to say. I met other writers who loved the same things. I even sold some books over the weekend.

Being surrounded by the fans was spectacular. Sitting at the bar and watching the lines for Brandon Sanderson and George R. R. Martin, I was comforted by the fact that readers still care about books. We are still writing for them, and not just for each other.

Conventions are great for shared passions. Getting together with so many like-minded people can really recharge your creative batteries. You walk out believing that anything is possible. All of your goals are attainable, because you are surrounded by people who have attained them, or are doing their damnedest to do so. I’m already looking forward to next year. The horror genre is starting to be better represented, and our panels are starting to draw more people. I want to keep building that.

Conventions are also great for “con crud,” and I have spent the last two days at home, sleeping a lot and trying to fight off whatever 1500 people in close quarters gave me.

In other news, I will be doing a book signing at Hastings, 1900 W. 23rd St., in Lawrence, KS from 1 pm to 3 pm. I will have copies of All Manner of Dark Things: Collected Bits and Pieces available for purchase . Hastings has been very supportive of the book and has been selling it in their store since the release. If you are in the Lawrence area and don’t have a copy, or just want to chat, feel free to stop by.

Friday night, I will be attending an event with Chuck Palahniuk in Kansas City. Palahniuk has been incredibly influential for me. His essays at LitReactor have had a major impact on my writing mechanics. I don’t get starstruck. As far as I am concerned, any famous author is just me with more readers. I’ve met kings and presidents. It doesn’t matter to me. But if anyone can manage to shake me, it’s probably Palahniuk.

I’m looking forward to picking up my copies of his new collection Make Something Up and the first issue of Fight Club 2, as well as listening to him speak. I’ve heard that he’s great on stage. There may still be tickets available.

I have a lot of things going on next month, but I will save those for another blog at another time.

ConQuest 46 in Kansas City!

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We are less than one week away from ConQuest 46 in Kansas City, MO. You can find the complete schedule here. I will be making a bunch of appearances, this year.

Here is where you can find me.

Friday 5:00 PM Is It REALLY Gothic? – Tim W. Burke, Orrin Grey, and I will be discussing how the definition of Gothic has changed over the centuries.

Friday 10:00 PM Body Horror: The Last Ewwww – Tim W. Burke, Orrin Grey, Sherri Dean, Holly Messinger and I will discuss the sub-genre known as “body horror” This will be a 18 and up panel, due to the potential for adult conversation.

Saturday 10:00 AM Tips and Traps: Navigating the World of Short Story Submission – Lou Antonelli, Steven x Davis, Lezli Robyn, and I will give tips on how to go about submitting your short stories to markets.

Saturday 12:00 PM The Horror, The Horror: Dark Fiction and Society – Penny Cockrell, Sean Demory, KD McEntire, Adam Mills, and I will discuss the relationship between the horror genre and society, and the way that relationship has developed over the years.

Saturday 1:00 PM NaNoWriMo- 30 days – 1 novel: JR Boles, Sarah Bredeman, Penny Cockrell, Sara Lundberg, and I will discuss National Novel Writing Month and talk about how you can get involved. Sara will also be bringing some swag from the Office of Letters and Light, the organization that hosts National Novel Writing Month.

Saturday 3:00 PM Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies: Are they still relevant? – Rob Chilson, Penny Cockrell, KD McEntire, Christina Alexis Lord, and I will discuss the old horror tropes and how well they translate (or don’t translate) in to modern horror.

Saturday 9:00 PM Taboo plots, sub-plots, and subjects – Brett Williams, Kij Johnson, and I will discuss taboo plots and how to utilize them within fiction. This is an 18 and up panel, for obvious reasons.

Saturday 10:00 PM Late Night Scary Stories – Sean Demory, Jude-Marie Green, Orrin Grey, and I will be reading our favorite scary stories.

Sunday 11:00 AM Reading – I will be reading from All Manner of Dark Things: Collected Bits and Pieces. I will also read a scene from one of my current works in progress.

It should be a great time. I always have fun at ConQuest, although I am a bit sad that I won’t get to defend my Story in a Bag championship this year. I have panels that conflict with the short story contest. I will have books for sale and am always happy to talk about genre fiction. You might even find me in some of the floor parties after convention hours.

I’ll see you all there. If you don’t have tickets, they are still available at the door.