LTUE 2019 Schedule

I'll be at the annual Life, the Universe, and Everything symposium here in Provo in just a couple weeks! This is the one that's basically in my own back yard. Incidentally, LTUE is the conference I've been attending the longest and most consistently--10+ years--and it also happens to be one of my favorites. LTUE is great on a number of levels, but their programming is usually top-notch (I've posted mine below, which I'm quite excited about this year), they have great guests and panelists, and it's a great place to meet other writers and folks in the business, especially if you're local. Also, at $55 for the three-day experience, and a measly $5 for students, it's a steal.

So, there's my plug! If you're a sci-fi/fantasy writer in the area and aren't attending LTUE, that's something you need to remedy, like, now.

Plus, you'll see me there! So, win-win-win!

MY SCHEDULE:

Thu 14 Feb

11 AM (Zion) - A Punch in the Face: Writing Gripping Fight Scenes
"Action, well done, will draw in the audience and keep them on their seats. Not so well one, it leads to boredom and fatigue. How to keep your work in the first category and avoid the second." I've been on at least a half dozen versions of this panel, probably more, but we usually find an interesting way to approach and discuss the subject. More often than not, I learn something here, too.

12 PM (Elm) - Not Just Shock: Writing Good Grimdark
"Grimdark isn't just shocking deaths and violence. How to create compelling stories in a grimdark environment." Ah, ye olde grimdark. Views on this vary widely, so these panels are always interesting.

6 PM (Bryce) - Writing LDS Themes in Mainstream Fiction
"Even though none of the characters are LDS (or sometimes, human) doesn't mean that the Plan of Salvation or doctrines on redemption can't make an appearance. LDS authors publishing mainstream fiction will talk about how they use these themes and others." Because what is more fantastical (or, at least, promotes more of a fantastical worldview) than Mormonism??

Fri 15

6 PM (Arches) - Pantsing: Making the Most of Draft 0
"Discovery writing can be a great way to work out your ideas as you go. It is also a great way to throw yourself off track and cultivate lazy writing. Come listen to professional panthers (and pantsers-at-heart) talk about how they make the most of discovery writing." I've taken a different approach to this recently, mainly in that I use both methods depending on which fits the story best. So that'll be my perspective, here.

Sat 16

12 PM (Arches) - Writing with the Door Open: How to Revise
"You can put whatever you want in a first draft, but at some point, the day of reckoning comes. How to revise with purpose, and what you should be looking for to strengthen your story." Standard revision discussion, I suppose. Revision was (and, in some ways, continues to be) one of the most difficult parts of the process for me, so I've done a lot of learning in this area. Should be a good discussion.

3 PM (Bryce) - Three Types of Terror: Gore, the Unnatural, and Deep Terror
"According to Stephen King, every good horror tory includes three kinds of terror: the blood and guts gore, the unnatural (like a spider the size of a bear), and the deep psychological terror of the unknown. How to use all three to the greatest effect." Advice I've discussed many times before, but advice that is generally useful nevertheless. Plus I'm always up for discussing Stephen King, or something he wrote, or something he said, etc....

4 PM (Elm) - Writing Stories without Villains
"Antagonists do not have to be people. How to have conflict and a satisfactory resolution without a bad guy." Stories! Without villains! Okay!

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.

LTUE 2017 Schedule

I'm working on a post to update everyone about the goings-on of the last few months (and, specifically, the last few weeks), but I wanted to let everyone know about LTUE as soon as possible!

I'll be at the Life, the Universe, and Everything Symposium once again this year, and I have the privilege of participating in five panels! Check them out below, or the full LTUE 2017 schedule here.

Thursday 16 February at 9:00 AM - "Novel vs. Short Story" (Arches)
The novel vs. the short story. How can they benefit from each other? How are the skill-sets different? How do you know which to choose?

Thu 16 Feb at 11:00 AM - "Joining Plot and Character" (Zion)
Where do plot and character meet? Do you start with a character, or the plot?

Thu 16 Feb at 1:00 PM - "Writing Villains" (Canyon)
How do you make a believable villain? What are the clichés you should avoid? Why is the villain important to the story?

Fri 17 Feb at 1:00 PM - "So You Want to Write Fantasy..." (Canyon)
Get tips for writing fantasy. How do you know if fantasy is for you? Tips for beginners.

Sat 18 Feb at 9:00 AM - "Writing Part-time vs. Full-time" (Arches)
The pros share how they keep motivated and productive when writing full-time vs. part-time.

I think LTUE is going to be a blast this year--who am I kidding, I love it every year! If you'll be there, come to one of my panels and say hello!

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