Tag: Con

ARCHON 41- TOASTMASTER Schedule

Published on by Bryan

I have the honor of serving as Toastmaster for ARCHON in Collinsville, IL this year. It is a con I have attended on and off for years and enjoy. I really look forward to it. Here’s my schedule for the weekend. In between, find me at Bookseller’s Row, Table 16, outside the Dealer’s Room.

YOUR SCHEDULE:

Star Wars – Is It What We Hoped It Would Be?

Friday 12:00 – 12:50, Salon 6 (Gateway Center)

With Episode VIII only months away, how do we feel about what we’ve gotten so far?  Have Episode VII and Rogue One lived up to our dreams – and did they make up for Episodes I-III?

David VonAllmen (M), Jimmy D. Gillentine, Mr Paul Hahn, Bryan Thomas Schmidt

The Future Isn’t What It Used to Be

Friday 16:00 – 16:50, St. Clair A & B (DoubleTree – Collinsville)

How has our vision of the future changed as our culture has modernized and shed stereotypes and archaic norms?

Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Ms Joy Ward, Michael Benjamin (M)

Opening Ceremonies

Friday 18:00 – 19:00, Center Hall B (Gateway Center)

Book Launch Party: The Exodus–Saga Of Davi Rhii by Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Friday 19:00 – 19:50, St. Clair A & B (DoubleTree – Collinsville)

Come discover the trilogy Barnes and Noble named a Year’s Best and Jonathan Maberry, Mike Resnick and others said captures the feel of classic space opera like Star Wars! Buy signed books or 3 and enjoy pizza, soda, and snacks. Giveaways too!

Bryan Thomas Schmidt (M)

In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream: Horror Beyond the Stars

Friday 21:00 – 21:50, Salon 6 (Gateway Center)

Some of the scariest stories take place is space.  Some of our favorites are Alien, Event Horizon, Pandorum, and Riddick.  Come discuss the best and worst of horror in space (Jason X, anyone?).

Suzanne Cappelletti (M), Jim Yelton , Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Wyatt Weed

Editing: A Diamond in the Rough

Saturday 11:00 – 11:50, Marquette A (Gateway Center)

What does it take to turn a project from trash to treasure?  An open discussion on the editing process.

Claire Ashgrove, Lettie Prell (M), Mr Michales Joy, Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Author Reading with Archon 41 Toastmaster Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Saturday 14:00 – 14:50, Salon 4 (Gateway Center) Reading: from The X-Files SECRET AGENDAS– “Border Time”

Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Tips For Writing About Things You Know Nothing About

Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Marquette A (Gateway Center)

Okay, we can’t know everything about everything. Listen to our experts reveal what they have done to become knowledgeable on a subject or at least what they did to make it seem like they were.

Marella Sands (M), Ms Joy Ward, Rachel Neumeier, Mr Mark Tiedemann , Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Problems and Questions from Young Writers

Saturday 18:00 – 18:50, Cahokian (Gateway Center)

Our pros share their wisdom with those who will eventually replace them.  Que sera sera.

Deborah Millitello, Christine Amsden (M) , Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Lloyd Kropp, Glen Cook, Claire Ashgrove

Editing: Behind the Scenes

Sunday 13:00 – 13:50, Marquette A (Gateway Center)

A chance for new authors to understand what happens to stories after they’re submitted.

Benjamin C. Kinney (M), Mr. Brian Katcher, Mr. Adrian Matthews, Rich Horton, Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Volunteer Pizza Party with the Pros!

Sunday 13:00 – 15:00, Madison C & D (DoubleTree – Collinsville)

Please join us as we thank our Archon 41 Volunteers!

Publishing Short Stories: Where and How

Sunday 14:00 – 14:50, Marquette A (Gateway Center)

Our experts share different avenues and platforms on which to publish your short fiction.

Deborah Millitello, Bryan Thomas Schmidt (M) ([email protected]) , Ethan Nahté , Shawntelle Madison, Guy Anthony De Marco

Closing Ceremonies

Sunday 15:00 – 16:00, Lasalle (Gateway Center)

Kaffeeklatsch Sign Up-MidAmeriCon II (WorldCon), Sat, Aug. 20, 2016

Published on by Bryan10 Comments

So, I was not given an official kaffeeklatsch. Not many were. So I am scheduling my own.

Saturday, August 20th, at 2 p.m. in the Downtown Marriott Lobby, 2nd level where the tables are, I will do a kaffeeklatsch. I will be giving away some signed cover flats, signed books, even a couple signed story manuscripts. Sign up here in comments to attend. I will take the first 20.

Bryan

My Convergence Panel Schedule

Published on by Bryan

Well, at least for me, one of the biggest Conventions of my year has arrived: Convergence, which is being held in Bloomington, Minnesota, Independence Day weekend, Thursday through Sunday July 5-8.  This Con has been around for many years and now occupies multiple hotels. There are tons of invited guests, including Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear, Bonnie Burton, Lyda Morehouse, Tamora Pierce, Paul Cornell, Lynne M. Thomas, Ruth Berman, Steven Brust, and little old me. And yes, there are a few current Hugo nominees included there. The full schedule can be found here. But here’s my schedule. I’ll also be at the Infinite Diversity Dealer Table selling my book along with collectibles and other items. I had great hopes that this would also be the first Con at which my latest novel, The Returning,  will be available, so I’m excited to launch it personally out into the world after its trying journey. But books are printing and ship Monday so it’s looking doubtful to my frustration. Don’t even have a copy to show anyone yet. Fingers crossed that I get a pleasant surprise before I leave.

Friday, July 6th, 2012

10:00-10:55 Dealer’s Room

11:00-12:00 Autograph Table-Signing

Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Dana Baird, Michael Merriam will be available to sign their work.

12:00-1:00 Dealer’s Room

1:00-2:00 Lunch

2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Bloomington Panel: Social Networking For Luddites
Why would anyone have a Facebook account AND a Twitter account? What is Google Plus anyway and why should you care? How to use social networking as way to *actually* stay connected online. Panelists: Joan Marie Verba, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Sharon Stiteler, Sigrid Ellis, Ted Meissner

3:300-6:00 Dealer’s Room

7:00pm – 8:00pm @ Atrium 7

Panel: Keeping The Next Book Fresh
How do you keep your writing fresh when it is time to sit down and write the next book or story? Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Kelly McCullough, Holly Day, Shannon Ryan, Tamora Pierce

10:00pm – 11:00pm @ Atrium 7 Panel: So You’ve Sold a Novel: Now What Happens?
Congratulations — you sold your novel. Now comes the hard part: rewrites, editorial comments, cover art, marketing, promotions, and making sense of the royalty statement. Come ask established novelists questions about what happens after the sale. Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Michael Merriam, Doug Hulick, Kelly McCullough, Dana Baird

Saturday, July 7, 2012

10:00 a.m. -12 noon Dealer Room

2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Atrium 7 Panel: The Importance Of Strong Heroines
Damsels in distress used to be the mainstay trope of SFF but now stronger heroines are not only in demand but even common. Why is it important to avoid stereotypes in writing women characters? Are there any limitations? What are the pitfalls? Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Catherine Lundoff, Tamora Pierce, Dana Baird, Kathy Sullivan

3:30-3:55 Dealer’s Room

3:30pm – 4:30pm @ Cabana 201 Reading: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Bryan Thomas Schmidt, author of The Worker Prince reads from his own work, including his new novel The Returning.

4:30-6:00 Dealer’s Room

6:00-7:00 Dinner

8:30pm – 9:30pm @ Atrium 3 Panel: The Importance of Faith In Fiction
Lust, greed, anger, revenge are all common motivators seen in fiction, but in the real world, faith is often just as strong or stronger. Why is the power of belief so powerful? How do you incorporate it in worldbuilding? Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Caroline Symcox, Emma Bull, Veronica Cummer, Steven Jones

10:00pm – 11:00pm @ Atrium 8 Panel: The Evolution of Heroes
Heroes have evolved from larger than life good guys who are perfect to dark, imperfect anti-heroes and somewhere in between. What brought about the changes? What kind of heroes do you like? Where do you see heroes evolving in the future? Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Michael Scott Shappe, Kelly McCullough, Mark Stegbauer, Daren Johnson

Sunday, July 8, 2012

9:30am – 10:30am @ Atrium 8 Panel: The Christian Roots Of Modern Fantasy
Carroll and MacDonald were clergymen. Chesterton and Lewis were Christian apologeticists. Tolkien was a fervent Catholic and Rowling and Meyer have both discussed the role of faith in their work. What about fantasy has attracted the Christian imagination? Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Phillip Andrew Bennett Low, Kristina Halseth, Steven Jones, Caroline Symcox

10:30-10:55 Dealer’s Room

11:00am – 12:00pm @ Bloomington Panel: Marketing 101-From Your Room Party To Your Own Business
Selling yourself isn’t easy. How do you get potential customers to want our product? It is easy but it isn’t always simple. Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Romeo Azar, Anjila Olsen

12:00-1:00 Dealer’s Room

I have to hit the road mid-day, but I’ll stick around until early afternoon for sales, signing, etc.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is the author of the space opera novels The Worker Prince, a Barnes & Noble Book Clubs Year’s Best SF Releases of 2011 Honorable Mention, and The Returning, the collection The North Star Serial, Part 1, and several short stories featured  in anthologies and magazines.  He edited the anthology Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, headlined by Mike Resnick. As a freelance editor, he’s edited a novels and nonfiction.  He’s also the host of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat every Wednesday at 9 pm EST on Twitter under the hashtag #sffwrtcht. A frequent contributor to Adventures In SF Publishing, Grasping For The Wind and SFSignal, he can be found online as @BryanThomasS on Twitter or via his website. Bryan is an affiliate member of the SFWA and is currently working on his first epic fantasy trilogy, the middle grade chapter book series Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter, and the third Davi Rhii book.