The WK/FtS/HD West Coast Book Tour!

Dave Butler and I are once again heading out on a west coast book tour--and this time we're going international! The awesome sci-fi author Christopher Ruocchio will also be joining us for the duration of the tour, and we'll have a few special guests in various cities as well. It's shaping up to be an awesome tour, and it starts NEXT WEEK!

Here's the official schedule--see below for more info on the authors and their books!

Sunday 8 September 6:00 pm (PDT) - Space Cowboy Books

Joshua Tree, CA

Joshua Tree Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Monday 9 September 7:00 pm (PDT) - Mysterious Galaxy Books

(Featuring Luke Tarzian!)

San Diego, CA

Mysterious Galaxy Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Tuesday 10 September 5:30 pm (PDT) - Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeeshop

(Featuring Luke Tarzian!)

La Cañada/Flintridge, CA

Flintridge Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Wednesday 11 September 7:00 pm (PDT) - Concord Barnes & Noble

(Featuring Griffin Barber!)

Concord, CA

Facebook Event Page

Thursday 12 September 6:00 pm (PDT) - Borderlands Books

San Francisco, CA

Facebook Event Page

Friday 13 September 7:00 pm (PDT) - Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing

Portland, OR

Powell's Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Saturday 14 September 11:00 am (PDT) - Vancouver Indigo

Vancouver, BC (Canada)

Facebook Event Page

Sunday 15 September 3:30 pm (PDT) - University Bookstore

Seattle, WA

University Bookstore Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Monday 16 September 7:00 pm (MDT) - Rediscovered Bookshop

(Without, regrettably, Christopher Ruocchio)

Boise, ID

Rediscovered Event Page

Facebook Event Page

Dave is promoting the third book in his American alternate history fantasy series, Witchy Kingdom:

SEASON OF THE WITCH

An encounter with her father’s goddess has not turned out to be the end for Sarah Elytharias Penn. Now, with the Imperial fist tightened around her city of Cahokia and the beastkind of the Heron King ravaging across the river, she must find a way to access the power of the Serpent Throne itself—a feat, she has learned, that her father never accomplished. To complicate her efforts, Cahokia’s Metropolitan, a beloved and charismatic priest who despises the goddess as a demon, returns from a long pilgrimage and attempts to finalize the Wisdom-eradicating reform that dogged Sarah’s father when he was king.

Meanwhile, Sarah’s brother Nathaniel and her brilliant but erratic servant Jacob Hop find their steps dogged by the Emperor’s Machiavel, Temple Franklin, as they hunt in New Amsterdam for the third Elytharias sibling. As Simon Sword’s destroying storm threatens from the south and west, and New Orleans is thrown into deadly turmoil when a vodoun priest and mameluke assassins contend for ultimate power and control of the Mississippi, the chance for a unified New World teeters on the brink. Sarah Penn understands she may face a hard fate in the final reckoning. But she also knows that only she can access the power of the Throne—if she can find the Wisdom inside to unlock it.

Christopher is promoting the second book in his epic sci-fi space opera, Howling Dark:

Hadrian Marlowe is lost. 

For half a century, he has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries.

Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. There, he will face not only the aliens he has come to offer peace, but contend with creatures that once were human, with traitors in his midst, and with a meeting that will bring him face to face with no less than the oldest enemy of mankind.

If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails...the galaxy will burn.

And, of course, I'm promoting the fourth book in the Chaos Queen Quintet, Fear the Stars!

All parties converge on the capital city, Triah - Cinzia and the Odenites to establish their new religion and appeal against a charge of heresy; Knot and Astrid to find answers in the vampire girl's past; and Winter has come to conquer the city, at the head of a tiellan army. But Winter is still struggling with her addictions and anger; Knot's efforts to be reunited with her can only lead to disappointment. Cinzia cannot free herself from a terrible bargain. And as the battle lines are drawn, the true nature of the goddess Canta, and the Odenites' final purpose, will soon be revealed...

Luke Tarzian, author of the awesome dark fantasy novel Vultures, will be joining us in San Diego and LA!

And Griffin Barber will join us for our event in the new Barnes & Noble in Concord, CA!

It's going to be an awesome tour!

Salt Lake FanX 2019

I'll be at Salt Lake FanX this weekend! Here's my schedule! In between these panels I'll actually be working hard on Dawnrise, but in general I'll be at or near the con on all three days. See you there!

THURSDAY

4:00 pm (151A) Fractal Narrative: Why You need Story Structure

Story structure is important for ALL writers—outliners, discovery writers, and everything in between. Come learn about a few specific methods of structuring and dissecting stories, and then apply them to your own process!

6:00 pm (150G) "Can't We Just Have Pizza?": The Warring Dualities in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is not for the feint of heart. The series embraces the darkness of black magic and worshipping the Dark Lord, but juxtaposes that darkness with everyday teenage life—and, at the best times, bright rays of hope. Come explore with us this fascinating dichotomy, and how it demonstrates incredible worldbuilding and character growth.

SATURDAY

5:00 pm (255A) A Beginner's Guide to Esports and Pro Gaming

Your mom used to yell at you for playing Call Of Duty for 6 hours straight, saying something on the lines of waiting your time and rotting your brain. Now more people than ever are calling gaming a profession. From the comfort of their homes or flying to international competitions, gaming in North America is starting to become a viable career. We will specifically be talking about North America’s growing visibility in the competitive scenes, the formation of the National Association of Collegiate Esports, advertising gaming for a female gaze to grow the fan base, and the inevitable rise of professional gaming in North America.

Worldcon 77!

I've spent the last few days roaming Northern Ireland waiting for Worldcon 77 to start. It's been cool. Evidence:

Tollymore Forest Park: an old-timey forest with loads of ruins and stuff. Very cool. Also apparently the filming location for many GoT scenes.

Ballygalley Castle Hotel. An old castle that has been converted into a hotel. Also, it's haunted, and I got to stay in one of the tower rooms RIGHT NEXT TO THE GHOST ROOM OMG. But, alas, I experienced no hauntings.

The North-east tower of Dunluce Castle. (Also, apparently, often the filming location for Winterfell in Got?)

Giant's Causeway. SO awesome. Finn McCool is cool, yo.

The Dark Hedges, aka the King's Road (apparently like all of GoT was filmed in Ireland...).

Had to pick me up one of these. If you don't know its significance, why do we even speak to one another?

Now, I'm headed south to Dublin for Worldcon! Friends, if you'll be there, let's hang out. My official schedule:

THURSDAY

12:00 (Wicklow Hall - 1) - "Writing Robot & Non-Human Intelligences"

19:00 (Liffey Room - 1) - "Building an Intelligent World"

FRIDAY

16:30 (Odeon 5) - "Riverdale and Sabrina: Small Town Gothic"

SUNDAY

13:00 (Wicklow Hall - 1) - "Wands at the Ready! Magical Worldbuilding in SFF"

Unofficially, I'll be hanging out at various parties in the evenings and hanging out with other folks, all when I'm not making progress on Dawnrise.

Yay!

Gen Con Next Week!

Next week I'll once again make the trek to Indianapolis, IN for Gen Con! Gen Con is one of the premier tabletop gaming conventions out there, but they also happen to have a superb writing track in the shape of their Writer's Symposium. Most of the Writer's Symposium events will take place at the Downtown Marriott, near the Indianapolis Convention Center, and that's where all of my panels will be. (My signings, on the other hand, will be in the massive dealer's room of the Convention Center.)

Check out my schedule, (mostly) complete with provided panel descriptions!

Thu 1 Aug

1:00 PM (Ballroom 3): What Are You Reading?

This one didn't have a description, but I assume it is The Panel in which we talk about what we're reading at the moment, and what we've read recently that is awesome!

4:00 PM (Ballroom 2): Who Said What? Clarifying Dialog

"He said, she said...does dialog always need tags? How can you keep readers from getting confused?"

Fri 2 Aug (Which is turning out to be an incredibly busy day for me)

10:00 AM (Ballroom 4): Scrivener Demystified

"So you've decided to ditch the notebook or Word to give this whole Scrivener program a whirl. Can this program make your process better? Come learn from LaShawn Wanak, A.E. Greenwood, Christopher Husberg, and more."

11:00 AM (Ballroom 1): Capturing the Creepy: Getting the Details Right

"Horror and suspense writers want to captivate their readers without grossing them out, or worse, boring them. Lucy Snyder, Richard Byers, Christopher Husberg, and others discuss how much detail is necessary."

12:00 PM (Ballroom 1): Business Plans for Writers

"Writing is a creative endeavor, but it's also a business. Which means...you need a business plan. Shanna Germain, Matt Forbeck, Christopher Husberg, and Keith Law discuss making one."

1:00 PM (Austin/Boston): Fractal Narrative: Understanding Story Structure

"Are you an outliner? then you need to understand story structure. A discovery writer? You need it, too. Archetypal structure is for everyone, and Christopher Husberg will tell you the basics." (This one's all me! It's also incidentally an adaptation of the presentation I gave in Brandon Sanderson's creative writing class earlier this year :-D.)

2:00 PM (Ballroom 4): Character Relationships in Stories

"Relationships are the backbone of your story. Our panelists Kristin McFarland and Christopher Husberg discuss writing realistic friendships, romantic partners, frenemies, and more."

3:00 PM (Atlanta): Midpoint: How to Get This Pivotal Moment Right

"Midpoint is considered one of the most important moments for character development in a story. Christopher Husberg, Kristen Britain, Bill Fawcett, and Elizabeth Vaughan tell you how to get it right."

5:00 PM (Vendor Hall): Signing

Sat 3 Aug

2:00 PM (Vendor Hall): Signing

Salt Lake FanX April 2019

I'll be at Salt Lake FanX this Friday and Saturday. I've got one panel about Marvel's The Defenders series on Netflix (i.e. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, with a smattering of The Punisher thrown in there). That particular selection of programs is interesting to talk about, if only because there are such extreme highs and lows throughout.  If you're interested, check out the panel in Exhibit Hall 1831 at 6pm on Friday!

Otherwise I'll just be selling books at Bard's Tower, as usual. Come say hello and buy my amazing books if you haven't already.

Salt Lake FanX 2018

Hey folks!

I'll once again be at Salt Lake Comic Con this year, now named Salt Lake FanX, after San Diego Comic Con sued the convention for use of the term "Comic Con"....no comment there...

That, of course, isn't the only drama surrounding FanX this year. Check out this timeline of events for a more extensive summary, but long story short, FanX really bungled some accusations of harassment, and then bungled their responses to being called out on how they handled those accusations, and then bungled their responses to being called out on how they responded. Something of a mess, but basically, FanX (and a few key individuals specifically within FanX) really screwed up.

I signed the petition mentioned in the timeline along with hundreds of other authors. And, I'm happy to say, FanX has begun to handle each of those issues in respectable ways. For the record, I really like and appreciate FanX as an institution, and I really like, respect, and appreciate some people within the FanX infrastructure. There are a few people who really seem, at best, to create drama wherever they go, and at worst, actively harm others. I'm not interested in supporting an organization that does that sort of thing. So, while I am hopeful for the future of FanX, and hope that it can be an inclusive, welcoming, tolerant, open-eared and open-minded place, I am still pretty wary of everything involved in the situation, and I'll be keeping a close eye on things as they develop. If FanX bungles anything further, it's likely I'll withdraw my support and participation (which would be unfortunate, as I enjoy interacting with fans at FanX and selling my books, but it's something I'm definitely willing to do.)

So! All of that aside, I am going to be at FanX next week, and I'll be on four panels. See my schedule and descriptions of each event below. I'll also be hanging out at Bard's Tower when I'm not on panels, so if you're at the con and don't make it to one of my panels, by all means stop by Bard's Tower and say hello (and buy some of my books, signed)!

I'm definitely looking forward to interacting with the other authors and fans at the convention. I hope to see you there!

Friday 7 September

3PM (251A) - Old Magic vs. New Magic: The Evolution of Magic Systems in Fantasy

Join authors L.E. Modesitt of The Imager Series, Christopher Husberg of The Chaos Queen Quintent, Brian McClellan of The Powder Mage Series, Brian Durfee author of The Forgetting Moon, and Peter Orullian of The Vault of Heaven Series as they discuss the evolution of magic systems throughout fantasy.

4:30PM (Booth 401) - Christopher Husberg Signing at Bard's Tower

As I mentioned, I'll be in and out of Bard's Tower selling and signing books all weekend, but this will be the first of my "official" signing times.

7PM (150G) - The Super-Awesome Authors AMA

This awesome panel of pro writers are ready and willing to answer (almost) any questions you have about what it takes to make it as an author in the 21st century. Maybe you’re dreaming about publishing that first novel, but you’re not sure which way to go. Is it better to take the indie route? Aim for the traditional New York path? Will you need an agent? What about book marketing? How do you build an author brand? What’s the reality of selling books at comic cons? Will brick and mortar bookstores go the way of the dinosaurs? Is Amazon really the future? These questions and (almost) any other will be answered at this super-awesome author AMA! 

Saturday 8 September

2:30PM (Booth 401) - Christopher Husberg Signing at Bard's Tower

Once again, while I'll be in and out of this booth all weekend, this is another one of my "official" signing times.

6PM (255A) - Nobelbright vs. Grimdark, Nobledark vs. Grimbright

Noblebright: the polar opposite of grimdark. The traditional fantasy story in which good saves the world. But not every story fits neatly into one of those two categories. And what about the other two quadrants on the spectrum, nobledark and grimbright? You'll learn what each of those mean, and perhaps learn a new term to classify your favorite kind of stories and games.

7PM (250A) - FanX Debate: Was Thanos Right or Wrong?

Avengers: Infinity War is the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, breaking numerous box office records and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2018, as well as the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time and in the United States and Canada, but the question remains: Was Thanos right or wrong with his actions in the film? FanX proudly presents a formal debate where this question will be presented, analyzed and defended on both sides of the issue. Come and join the fun by weighing in as our panel struggles to stay alive, keep from turning into wispy mulch, and look forward to the sequel coming out in May of 2019.

Pensacon 2018

Hey ya'll! I'll be at Pensacon this weekend in Pensacola, Florida! It'll be my first time attending this con, and I'm particularly excited. I'll be there chiefly as part of the Bard's Tower traveling bookstore with some other fantastic authors:

But I'll also be on a couple panels! Check them out:

Friday 23 February 2:45 - 3:30 PM - Professional Geek (Pensacola Grand Ballroom C)
Join authors Jim Butcher, Dan Wells, Christopher Husberg, and Andrew Gaska as they discuss what it takes to make the passions pay the bills, overcoming challenges and reveling in what makes it all worthwhile.

Sunday 25 February 2:45 - 3:30 PM - The Future is Now (Saenger Theater 2nd Floor Room A)
Join Claudia Grey, Dan Wells, Joshua Vogt, and Christopher Husberg as they discuss the influence of future and space on literature, movies, and games. From immersive gaming experiences like "The Void" to why we keep coming back to franchises like Star Wars.

So, if you're in the Pensacola area, come on by!

Salt Lake Comic Con 2017!

Salt Lake Comic Con is this week! And of course I'll be there. Here's the schedj:

Friday 22 Sept 6-7pm - Family Feud, Salt Lake Comic Con Edition! (251A) - If you want to see the coolest, nerdiest, awesomest gameshow panel of all time run by the fantastic Aaron Yeager (thanks Aaron!), you won’t want to miss this one. It’s going to be a blast!

Saturday 23 Sept 12-1pm - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 20 Years and Counting (255E) - Of course I’m on the BtVS panel, and I can’t wait! We’re going to talk about how BtVS changed the television landscape as we know it today. It’ll be a lot of fun.

Saturday 23 Sept 1-2pm - Christopher Husberg Signing (Shadow Mountain Booth 1807) - I get my very own signing! Stop by to get your books signed, pick up some swag, and chat with me about books, Buffy, writing, or anything else!

I’ll also be hanging out at Bard’s Tower—an awesome traveling bookstore where you not only buy books but also get to meet the authors, get books signed, chat about writing, and so forth. I’ll be one of MANY fantastic, talented writers at the booth, so you’re sure to find something you like.

If you’re already planning on attending SLCC, I hope to see you there! (And if you aren’t, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!)

Gen Con 2017

I'll be attending Gen Con for the first time next week! For those of you unaware, Gen Con is actually a very cool board game convention, but has lately garnered a reputation for having a very strong writing track as well. I'm quite excited. They've been gracious in letting me participate in quite a few panels and other events, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun (and a lot of work for me, but it's work I'm excited and happy to do)!

Check out my schedule (no descriptions for the panels, yet, but the titles should give you a general idea of the content), and if you're attending, hit up one of these panels, come to my signing and/or reading, and come find me in general!

Thursday 17 August at 11:00 AM: "Real Monsters & Vicious Animals" (Capital I)

Thurs 17 Aug at 3:00 PM: Reading (Congress I)

Thurs 17 Aug at 5:00 PM: "Is it Tension? Or Just Torture?" (Chamber)

Friday 18 Aug at 11:00 AM: "How to Know When You Need an Agent" (Causus)

Fri 18 Aug at 12:00 PM: "Writing a First Draft" (Chamber)

Fri 18 Aug at 3:00 PM: Signing (Exhibit Hall)

Saturday 19 Aug at 10:00 AM: "Dark Fantasy" (Chamber)

Sat 19 Aug at 1:00 PM: "Turning Tropes Upside Down" (Cabinet)

Sat 19 Aug at 2:00 PM: "Making Magic New Again" (Capital I)

Sat 19 Aug at 5:00 PM: "Writing a Series" (Chamber)

Sunday 20 Aug at 10:00 AM: Read & Critique - Session C (Cabinet)

Fyrecon Schedule

Fyrecon is a science fiction/fantasy conference in Utah making it's debut this year, and I'm excited to be attending and participating! Fyrecon places a bit more emphasis on classes over panels and refining one's craft (as you can see in their banner above), which I think is a great idea. It'll take place at the Davis Campus of Weber State University next weekend, 8-10 June. Check out my schedule below.

Fri 9 June at 4:30 PM - "Comic Books as Literature" (Building D3 Room 203)
This will be a class I'll be teaching solo, and I'm very excited about it. I love comics, and I think it's clear they have every bit as much "literary" potential as conventional prose. Here's the description:

Comics, even today, too often carry with them connotations of immaturity, laziness, and low-brow writing. That could not be further from the truth! In this class we'll discuss why comics are important and powerful. We'll look at a few specific examples of fantastic comics and see what we can learn from them.

Points the Class Will Cover:
a) Comics as Literature 
b) Maus and Watchmen 
c) What can we learn?

Sat 10 June at 11:30AM - "Understanding Story Archetypes" (Building D3 Room 307)
As many of you know, story structure is something I've taken great interest in. A few years ago I wrote a number of blog posts detailing my adventures through story structure, and I've slowly been developing that (and doing more research) and developing a presentation of sorts. So this will be a two-hour presentation where we talk about numerous versions of story structure, why it's important in general, and what we can do with it.

We'll explore a few different archetypes of story structure, and then apply our understanding of those structures to our own stories, hopefully coming to a deeper understanding of the stories we are trying to tell.

Points the Class Will Cover:
a) The Hero's Journey 
b) The Virgin's Promise 
c) Dan Harmon's 8- Structure 
d) Foolscap Method 
e) What can we learn? 

Sat 10 June at 1:30PM - "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Breaking the Tropes with Style" (Building D2 Room 110)
Well, it's a BtVS panel, so of course I'm on it, and of course I can't wait!

Sat 10 June at 5:20PM - "Is the Ultimate Evil Dead: What Are We Losing by Justifying Bad Actions? (Building D2 Room 110)
I'm looking forward to this one--it should be an interesting discussion. I have a lot to say about good, bad, shades of gray, and the differences between empathy and justification.

Emerald City Comic Con!

I'll be at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle this weekend! I'm on one panel:

Thursday 2 March at 4:00 PM: "Inconceivable! A Game of Nerdery and Nonsense" (WSCC 617)
Inconceivable! is a game that tests panelists’ knowledge of the nerdy, the useless, and the obscure. Two teams face off to answer diabolical questions about TV shows, comics, movies, books, games, and more. Watch our players bluff, pun, and rack their brains for the ultimate prize: bragging rights.

Other than that, I'll be spending most of my time at Bard's Tower selling DUSKFALL and other awesome books (as well as signing, doing photo ops, etc.). It'll be awesome. If you're in the area, come check it out!

Salt Lake Comic Con Schedule!

Hey folks!

I'm excited to once again attend Salt Lake Comic Con in a week and a half! I have the pleasure of being on two panels this time around:

Friday 2 September at 2:00 PM (Room 253A) - "Young Adult Heroes in Film and Television"

YA literature, film, and television have a pretty awesome pantheon of heroes, and I'm excited to talk about everyone from Harry and Hermione to Katniss and Bella; from Elena, Damon, and Stefan to Tris, and many more. Oh, and you KNOW I'm going to bring up Clarke from The 100, too, because she's one of the best YA heroes to come around in quite a while. So, yeah, I'm definitely excited for this panel.

Friday 2 September at 6:00 PM (Room 253A) - "Writer's Retreat Part Two: Writing Your Novel"

Come join us for part two of the SLCC Writer's Retreat panel where we discuss best practices, tips, and tricks when it comes to the actual work of writing a book. It's gonna be awesome! (And, if you're interested in seeing the other parts of the "Writer's Retreat" series, check out Part 1 on Outlining or Pantsing Your Novel, and Part 2 on Revising, Editing, and Query Letters, both at 6:00 PM in room 253A on Thursday and Saturday respectively.)

Also:

7:00 PM (Booth 1807) - Duskfall Signing!

If you live in the area and missed my book launch event but still want to get it signed, come to my signing at Salt Lake Comic Con! Friday night at 7 PM! I'll have swag (stickers, post cards, wristbands, business cards, maybe even some wristbands), so come one, come all!


Other than those two things, I'll just be hanging out at the WordFire Press booth selling books, so if you find yourself at Comic Con, come say hi!

Rain (Also: World Horror Convention 2016!)

The weather has been cloudy, wet, and dreary in Utah as of late, and I'm loving it. Writing while it's raining outside, and I'm nice and cozy inside, is one of my favorite things.

There's rain in them thar hills.

It's also perfect weather for the WORLD HORROR CONVENTION*! (Cue crash of lightning and Vincent Price-style dramatic musical intro)

It so happens that the 2016 World Horror Convention is right in my backyard this year in Provo, UT--which means, of course, I'll be attending! I'm fortunate enough to have made it onto a few panels as well. I'm pretty excited about the whole experience--I've never been to WHC before, despite the con taking place in Salt Lake City just a few years ago. I think this will be a slightly different experience from the normal Sci-Fi/Fantasy and media cons I usually attend, and I'm looking forward to that.

Here's my official schedule for WHC 2016 (descriptions in quotations marks "" are WHC's descriptions of each panel):

Thursday 28 April at 2:00 PM - "Horrific Fantasy: A Touch of the Macabre"
"Dark fantasy as a sub-genre that often dances across the line between fantasy and horror. Is there a line, and how can you effectively cross it?" I'm very much looking forward to this panel. I usually tell people I write "epic dark fantasy." A large part of why I classify my work as "dark fantasy" is the fact that I like to integrate elements of horror into my writing.

Friday 29 April at 9:00 AM - "Using Social Media Effectively"
"Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Goodreads, etc. are all good places to promote  yourself as a writer, but how do you do so effectively?" This will be an interesting panel, as I'll get to represent the group of writers who maybe have a book deal in the works or a book coming out soon, but have not had much of a social media presence before breaking in to the industry. I've done quite a bit of research on this, and have a solid plan for moving forward on social media before, during, and after the release of my first book.

Sunday 1 May at 9:00 AM - "Graduate School Possibilities for Writers"
"For those who are interested, there are a lot of places you can get an M.A. or M.F.A. that will help you as a writer. Come find out some of the possibilities." Considering I have an MFA in Creative Writing, and that I learned about the process of preparing, choosing, and applying to MFA and MA programs (both through research and trial and error), I think I'm an ideal candidate for this panel, and I'm looking forward to sharing what I've learned.

I'll also be attending other panels and presentations, and generally just stalking the halls of the hotel looking for fun things to do and interesting people to talk to. It'll be a good time.

So if horror, dark fantasy, and awesome authors and artists strike your fancy, you should definitely come check out WHC 2016.



* Notate bene: correct pronunciation is key, here. Don't make the same mistake I did and accidentally tell someone that you're attending the "World Whore Convention."

FanX in Review

The Salt Lake and Utah Valley areas are pretty awesome when it comes to nerdery. There are a lot of great conventions, conferences, symposiums, retreats, and pretty much anything else a budding writer/nerd enthusiast could want.

This past weekend was one of them: Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience!

FanX is sort of the younger sibling of the giant Comic Con in Salt Lake every fall--I think Comic Con caps out at around 150k memberships, while FanX is somewhere between 50-100K. But it is still quite the Con, and was a lot of fun.

I was on two panels (one on Joss Whedon and his protagonists, the other about Vampires), both of which were great! We had great moderators, great panelists, and of course great audiences. Between the panels and just wandering around the Con, I was able to meet a lot of great authors. That's one of my favorite aspects of these things--meeting awesome people. And did I ever.

So, FanX was definitely a success. It makes me look forward to World Horror (in Provo) and SL Comic Con that much more!

Now, enjoy this picture of me, looking somewhat professional and like I sort of know what I'm talking about:

Ta-da!

Updated CONduit Schedule

Hey everyone! Conduit XXV starts tomorrow and I'm totes going to be there! I posted my schedule a couple days ago, but it looks like it's been updated. So, without further ado, here's what I'll be doing over the next three days...

Fri 22 May 2:00 PM (Snow): Shot Through the Heart: Writing Romance

Yeah. I'm on a romance panel. If there was ever a thing more lulzy, I haven't heard about it. But it is what it is, and I'm going to crush it ya'll! Here's Conduit's blurb for the panel:

A good romance makes our spirits soar and our hearts sing. A bad romance on the other hand... eh.…Creating a good love story is an art form. Join us and learn how to create a couple, how to make the audience love them, how to make them right for each other, how to make us believe they would fall in love, and how to make us desperately want them to fall in love.

Sat 23 May 11:00 AM (Snow): The Heroine's Journey
I'm particularly excited about this one--it's a panel I proposed, based largely on what I've been studying about the Hero's Journey and the Virgin's Promise recently. While Campbell's monomyth (another name for the Hero's Journey) has certainly revolutionized how we view and analyze story, it's been good for me to broaden that view a bit and include more perspectives in that analysis. This panel (I think, I don't know who's moderating it so you never know) will address whether the Hero's Journey is outdated or not, what value we can find in tweaking it (if any), and what alternatives exist. Conduit's blurb:

Campbell’s Monomyth has proved a very effective way of viewing and analyzing story. But does it lack a more feminine approach? Are there alternatives to the Hero’s Journey that provide a more holistic view, or is THJ all-inclusive as-is?

Sat 23 May 3:00 PM (Arches): Magnificent Bastards, Glorious Scoundrels, and Resplendent Rascals: A superb case of villainy!
This is also a new one to which I was added only recently--but I'm pumped. Villains make the world go 'round. Here's what Conduit says about it:

What makes a great villain? What are those qualities that makes the best villains? Is it better to have a sympathetic villain, or do people prefer the irredeemable monster? How do you make a character people love to hate? 

Sat 23 May 4:00 PM (Arches): The Lovecraft Panel
As far as I know this will be a pretty typical Lovecraftian panel, talking about elder gods, Cthulhu, and Necronomicons galore! I've been a Lovecraft fan for a number of years, now, so I'm excited to chat about his work. Conduit's blurb:

Every convention needs a good panel exploring the world of H.P. Lovecraft, our gang of Cthulhu chasers leads the way.

Sun 24 May 1:00 PM (Arches): A Touch of the Macabre
I'm not entirely sure what this panel will be about, but I think it has something to do with horror, dark fantasy, and the line between the two (if one exists at all). This will be a fun one, I think, as my stuff is usually in the dark fantasy realm, but I've also dabbled in horror. And, based on a few things I've seen and studied lately, I'm more invested in good horror than ever before. I'm excited to share some of the insights I've had. Conduit's blurb:

What makes a horror story? Where does the line from “Just a Fantasy” become “A Nightmare.” Neil Gaiman and others regularly straddle this line, how do they do it, and why do we like it?

So that's my schedj. If you're in the area, you should check out Conduit! And if you're already going, you should check out one of my panels! And, as always, look for me throughout the con! Introduce yourself, we can be pals, etc. :-D

CONduit Schedule!

Hey alls!

So I'll be attending CONduit in Salt Lake City next week, and I'm going to be on a few of the panels. This is particularly cool because I've never really participated in panels before...so, while I'm a bit nervous, I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Sat 23 May (Snow): The Heroine's Journey
I'm particularly excited about this one--it's a panel I proposed, based largely on what I've been studying about the Hero's Journey and the Virgin's Promise recently. While Campbell's monomyth (another name for the Hero's Journey) has certainly revolutionized how we view and analyze story, it's been good for me to broaden that view a bit and include more perspectives in that analysis. This panel (I think, I don't know who's moderating it so you never know) will address whether the Hero's Journey is outdated or not, what value we can find in tweaking it (if any), and what alternatives exist.

Sat 23 May (Arches): The Lovecraft Panel
As far as I know this will be a pretty typical Lovecraftian panel, talking about elder gods, Cthulhu, and Necronomicons galore! I've been a Lovecraft fan for a number of years, now, so I'm excited to chat about his work.

Sun 24 May (Arches): A Touch of the Macabre
I'm not entirely sure what this panel will be about, but I think it has something to do with horror, dark fantasy, and the line between the two (if one exists at all). This will be a fun one, I think, as my stuff is usually in the dark fantasy realm, but I've also dabbled in horror. And, based on a few things I've seen and studied lately, I'm more invested in good horror than ever before. I'm excited to share some of the insights I've had.

So, there you have it, folks! I'm definitely looking forward to participating in my first panels; I'm looking forward to talking about all three topics. If you're going to CONduit, you should definitely consider coming to one of these, because I'm pretty sure they'll be awesome. But even if you don't, you should find me anyway :-D!