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Tag: kansas city
ConQuest 48 Schedule – Bryan Thomas Schmidt & Amelie
This weekend is my annual trek to Kansas City for our local science fiction convention, ConQuest at the Downtown K.C. Sheraton. Guest of Honor is Robert J. Sawyer and Toastmaster Jonathan Maberry, and I will be spending time when not on panels at a dealer room table selling their books. So here’s where to find me outside the dealer room which is open as follows:
Fri 12-6
Sat 10-6
Sun 10-4
Special Guest: Amelie will be accompanying me much of the time.
MAY 26 • FRIDAY |
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| 5:00pm – 5:50pm | L | Tales of the Weird West
Fremont (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
A discussion of speculative stories set in the Old West. |
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| 6:00pm – 6:50pm | M | Opening Ceremonies
Chicago (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
Moderators: Margene S. Bahm |
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| 9:00pm – 1:00am | E | Little Green Men–Attack! Kansas City
N/A (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
A launch party with editors Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey and authors like Selina Rosen and more. |
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MAY 27 • SATURDAY |
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| 12:00pm – 12:50pm | L | Editors Are Not The Enemy
Empire B (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
Authors and editors discuss the invaluable relationship of working together. |
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| 2:00pm – 2:50pm | L | Humor In Science Fiction and Fantasy
Fremont (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
A discussion of humorous tropes and stories down through SF history. Who are the key writers? What should you be reading? and more. |
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| 4:00pm – 4:50pm | U | Little Green Men: Then And Now
Empire B (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
A discussion of the alien encounter trope through SF history in various media from literature to film and beyond. |
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| 6:00pm – 6:50pm | L | Editing 101 For Writers
Benton (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
Popular annual workshop for writers on self-editing tips run by two successful editors. |
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MAY 28 • SUNDAY |
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| 11:00am – 11:50am | O | One On One With Jonathan Maberry
Empire B (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
Come chat with Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Jonathan Maberry about Maberry’s life and work. |
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| 1:00pm – 1:50pm | L | The Science Of Science Fiction
Empire B (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108)
A discussion of science in science fiction: what are the key elements? Important writers and works? Etc. |
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Schedule: 2015 Longview Literary Festival, Metropolitan Community College
This year, Claire Ashgrove, my Finish The Story editing partner and I are guest speakers at the Longview Literary Festival in Lee’s Summit. Here’s our schedule for the day, which is Friday, October 23, 2015.
| TIME | CAC 114 – READINGS | CAC 116 | CAC 118 | BLACK BOX THEATER |
| 10:00 a.m. | Editing 101: A Workshop by Claire Ashgrove and Bryan Thomas Schmidt | |||
| 11:00 a.m. | Panel Discussion: Working with Small Press: D.L. Rogers, Sean Demory, Marshall Edwards, Bryan Thomas Schmidt | |||
| 12:00 p.m. | Closed for Keynote Speaker | Closed for Keynote Speaker | Closed for Keynote Speaker | Keynote Speaker – Claire Ashgrove –Writing Contest Winners Announced |
| 1:00 p.m. | Closed for Featured Speaker | Closed for Featured Speaker | Featured Speaker – Bryan Thomas Schmidt | |
| 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Bryan and Claire at Vendor Table | |||
| 4:00 p.m. | Panel Discussion: Editors are NOT the Enemy: Claire Ashgrove, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Sara Lundberg | |||
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5:00 p.m. |
Bryan and Claire at Vendor Table | |||
| 6:00 p.m. | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closing Remarks – Announcement of Winners of Contests Occurring at The Festival |
My Schedule: ConQUEST 46 May 22-24, 2015
As usual, I am attending our local Convention, ConQuest Memorial Day weekend. I am moderating and participating on some great panels. Here’s a list.
ConQuesT 2015
BRYAN THOMAS SCHMIDT‘S SCHEDULE
MAY 22 • FRIDAY
| 5:00pm – 6:00pm | W | World Building – Religion and Magic
*Count Basie Ballroom A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Kathleen Collins |
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MAY 23 • SATURDAY |
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| 11:00am – 12:00pm | W | Editing 101 For Writers
Julia Lee A/B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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| 1:00pm – 2:00pm | L | Brandon Sanderson Interview
*Count Basie Ballroom A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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| 2:00pm – 3:00pm | L | Space Opera: Then and Now
Jay McShann B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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| 4:00pm – 5:00pm | L | Anthologies: The Art Of Collaboration
Bennie Moten A/B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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MAY 24 • SUNDAY |
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| 10:00am – 11:00am | L | Sports and Science Fiction
Lester Young A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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| 12:00pm – 1:00pm | W | Editors Are Not The Enemy
Jay McShann A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105)
Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt |
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Look forward to seeing some of you there. I am also throwing a party Friday night at 8 p.m. with Robin Wayne Bailey. We will be signing copies of SHATTERED SHIELDS, the Baen fantasy anthology for which co-editor Jennifer Brozek and I are nominated for Hugos this year and in which Robin has a story. And Jenn has signed them, too. You can get the for $14, no shipping and $1 off. My other anthologies will be available as well.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt is a critically praised author and Hugo nominated editor whose works include THE SAGA OF DAVI RHII space opera trilogy (Wordfire Press, 2015), GALACTIC GAMES (Baen, 2016), MISSION: TOMORROW (Baen, 2015), SHATTERED SHIELDS (Baen, 2014), BEYOND THE SUN (Fairwood Press, 2013), RAYGUN CHRONICLES (Every Day, 2013) and many more. His debut novel, THE WORKER PRINCE, received Honorable Mention on Barnes and Noble’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases of 2011. He regularly hosts Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat on Twitter under hashtag #sffwrtcht and can be found on Twitter as @BryanThomasS or via his website at www.bryanthomasschmidt.net.
ConQuest 45 A Success
Well, ConQuest 45 – Noir has come and gone, and I am calling it a great success. This is the one Con I try to make annually, because it’s local and put on by my local fan group, which is a great group of people. Glen Cook has been attending as a dealer for years, but this year we also honored him as Guest Of Honor, and that was a blast. I panelled with Glen several times including a Spec Noir panel with Mark W. Tiedemann (shown), a live GOH interview which neither of us wanted to end but did, and a military fantasy panel also featuring Kij Johnson and Robin Wayne Bailey.
On Friday night, Robin Wayne Bailey, Todd Hunter and I threw an impromptu launch party for Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For A New Age, which released last December after funding on Kickstarter the previous March, and which features stories by Todd and Robin as well as many others, including Seanan McGuire, David Farland, Brenda Cooper, Sarah A. Hoyt, Allen M. Steele, and A.C. Crispin. The party was hopping for several hours and a Who’s Who of the Con stopped by, later voting us Best Party at the Closing Ceremonies. I also sold out of copies, for the first time ever, selling 19 and giving away 2. So I had to order more for the next Con. I call that a success./
Once again, the Basic Editing 101 For Writers panel that my editing partner Claire Ashgrove and I initiated last year was a hit with really strong attendance, including Artist GOH David Lee Pancake, who told me it was the best, clearest panel he’d seen on basic issues like passives, telling vs. showing, etc. I hadn’t encountered David yet, due to my busy schedule, so afterwards I headed down to the art show and wound up buying one of his beautiful works.
I also did a panel on Heroes and Heroines with Kij Johnson and others, a Writing For Young Audiences panel with Chris McKitterick and K.D. McEntire, and several others. Only my Abraham Lincoln Dinosaur Hunter reading drew interest as my first reading was Friday night during check in time, so I got an extra hour of rest pre-Con.
An Editor’s Are Not The Enemy panel with Selina Rosen, Deanna Sjojander and Rich Horton was lively, and brought up interesting issues about publishing traditional vs. self-publishing vs. small press which I hope were helpful.
The Con Suite, which I made extensive use of this year, unlike last year, was also well stocked and managed and I relied on it for most of my meals outside a Friday dinner with Dennis and Diane Barr and Saturday dinner with Rich and MaryAnne Horton.
Altogether, a delightful time and well worth attending, even though I arrived tired and not sure I was not sure I was ready. I quickly slipped into a different frame of mind and really enjoyed myself. Thanks to the Con Comm, and the party group especially for helping make this such a delightful experience.
After the Con, I came home and announced an upcoming Kickstarter anthology I’ve really been looking forward to. And I know it’s going to be a real special and fun project to complete. A fitting way to close the Con, with inspiration.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His debut novel, The Worker Prince received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. His first children’s books, 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Books For Kids and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter- Land Of Legends appeared from Delabarre Publishing in 2012. His short stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and online. He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press,Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, and Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek for Baen Books (forthcoming). He is currently working on Gaslamp Terrors and Mission Tomorrow: A New Century Of Exploration. He hosts #sffwrtcht (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat) Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Twitter,
Conquest 45 Noir Schedule and Details Updated
Well, for the third year in a row I am a panelist and moderator at CONQUEST 45, the local Kansas City Con on Friday May 23rd through Sunday May 25th. Well attended, with, as usual, a great lineup of guests and panelists, CONQUEST is the largest local Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror convention. And it’s always a blast, but also always hectic for locals like me, especially those of us who are members of the local fan club KacSFFS.
This year’s Guests of Honor are Glen Cook (Author GOH), David Lee Pancake (Artist GOH), Bridget Landry (Science GOH), Ray and Barbara Van Tillburg (Fan GOH), and also Caroline Spector (Toastmistress). Also attending (besides myself) are local professionals like Robin Wayne Bailey, Kij Johnson, Rich Horton , K.D. McEntire, Mark W. Tiedemann, Rob Chilson, Selina Rosen, Claire Ashgrove, Bradley Denton, H.G. Stratmann and Chris McKitterick. A full list can be found here.
Returning to downtown this year, CONQUEST 45 takes place at the Downtown Marriott, just off the famed Power and Light District, pretty much the center of Kansas City’s nightlife.
Room assignments are not final, but here’s the panels, panel descriptions and list of panelists in which I’ll be participating. As you’ll see, it’ll be a really hectic weekend for me. I also hope to have books on sale at Glen Cook’s dealer table, and we are working on a possible Raygun Chronicles party. When details on room assignments and the party are final, I’ll do another post, closer to the Con.
Here’s the schedule as it stands now:
Friday – May 23, 2014
Reading (Big Joe Turner A)
Friday 1400
Author/Editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt reads from his forthcoming epic fantasy series The Dawning Age.
SpecNoir (Count Basie Ballroom A)
Friday 1700
Speculative fiction and noir mix particularly well in many subgenres and forms. What is noir and what are some examples of who’s writing what and good reads out there?
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelists: Glen Cook, Mark W. Tiedemann
Raygun Chronicles Launch Party
Friday 2130 (Room 619)
Authors Todd Hunter and Robin Wayne Bailey join me to celebrate our pulp-style space opera anthology, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For A New Age. Party with snacks, drinks and giveaways.
Saturday – May 24th, 2014
Military Fantasy (Lester Young A)
Saturday 1000
What is it? Who’s writing it? How does it differ from high fantasy? What are some examples?
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelists: Glen Cook, Kij Johnson, Robin Wayne Bailey
What makes a hero/heroine? (Jay McShann A)
Saturday 1200
A discussion of what defines heroism today and what qualities we want to see in our heroes and heroines that make them heroic. And how are definitions evolving in the modern age.
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelists: Dennis Young, Gera Dean, Kij Johnson
Writing for younger audiences (Jay McShann B)
Saturday 1300
Writing for adults and writing for YA, MG and Children differ. Authors and Editors discuss the differences, the approaches, and fine examples.
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelists: Chris McKitterick, Deanna Sjolander, K. D. McEntire
KID’S READING: Bryan Thomas Schmidt (Big Joe Turner A)
Saturday 1500
Children’s author Bryan Thomas Schmidt reads from his chapter book series ABRAHAM LINCOLN DINOSAUR HUNTER, a humorous, action adventure, alternate history for all ages.
Self-Editing 101 For Writers With Finish The Story (Mary Lou Williams A/B)
Saturday 1600
Editorial team Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Claire Ashgrove discuss tips for basic editing of manuscripts, how to get perspective, common issues, and more.
Moderators/Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Claire Ashgrove
Sunday – May 25th, 2014
GOH Interview: Glen Cook (Count Basie Ballroom A)
Sunday 1000
Come here me do a live SFFWRTCHT-style interview with the amazing Glen Cook. And you can ask questions, too!
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelist: Glen Cook
Editors are not the Enemy (Mary Lou Williams A/B)
Sunday 1100
What editors do, why it matters to writers, and why writers should consider them an asset not an enemy. An exploration of author-editor relationships.
Moderator: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Panelists: Claire Ashgrove, Deanna Sjolander, Rich Horton, Selina Rosen
Self-Publishing — Taking the Leap! (Mary Lou Williams A/B)
Sunday 1300
Considering self-publishing your novel? It isn’t as easy as publishing a book and reaping the royalties, nor is it for every author. Discover pros and cons of the Indie market, tips to launching a successful book, and whether you’re prepared for the business demands.
Moderator: Claire Ashgrove
Panelists: Karin Gastreich, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Brett Williams
Hope to see some of you there. Be sure to come by and say hello!
Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His debut science fiction novel, The Worker Prince, received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases of 2011, and was followed by two sequels The Returning and The Exodus (forthcoming). His children’s books include 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Jokes For Kids and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter–Land Of Legends. Schmidt has edited edited anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6, Beyond The Sun, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age and, with Jennifer Brozek, coedited military high fantasy original anthology, Shattered Shields. Several more anthologies are under contract and forthcoming. Schmidt hosts #sffwrtcht (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Chat) Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Twitter.
My Schedule For ConQuest 44
Well, ConQuest 44, our local con, and the first SFF con I ever attended in 2010, is back this coming weekend and here is my tentative schedule:
Friday 1600-1700: Building a Fantasy World [MOD] (Monarch) Bryan Thomas Schmidt [MOD], Patrick Rothfuss, Patricia C. Wrede, M.C. (Mary) Chambers, K.D. McEntire
Saturday 1300-1325: Reading/Q&A/Autographs [MOD] (Regency) Bryan Thomas Schmidt/ Mark L Groves
Saturday 1400-1500: How to Introduce SciFi to Kids (Embassy) Tyrell Gephardt, Patrick Stutzman, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Saturday 1600-1700: Relationship between Writers and Editors (Embassy) Jean Stuntz [MOD],Teresa Neilsen Hayden, Selina Rosen, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Sunday 1100-1200: Collaborating with Cover Artists [MOD] (Monarch) Bryan Thomas Schmidt [MOD], John Picacio, Mitch Bentley, Claire Ashgrove
Sunday 1500-1600: Editing 101 for Writers [MOD] (Embassy) Bryan Thomas Schmidt [MOD], Claire Ashgrove
Glen Cook in the dealer room will have copies of all of my books, including my children’s books which will finally be out in paperbacks.
Sadly, due to my current financial crisis, I may not make all of this programming. I will certainly try to be there as much as I can but, at this point, Saturday is iffy because I have a long drive due to no money for hotel and I am going to have to just really be careful about going a long way when I have no credit cards or anything else to bail me out if my car broke down, etc. Let alone to buy meals. In any case, some great guests this year and a great Con. Patrick Rothfuss, John Picacio, Teresa Neilsen Hayden, Patricia C. Wrede and more will be there, see the link above. We’ll just have to see what happens.
My Schedule: MCC-Longview Literary Festival
Next weekend I will be apeparing at the two day MCC-Longview Community College Literary Festival with other authors of diverse genres and backgrounds. Here’s my schedule. I will be around much of Saturday and in and out Friday because of my panel being late afternoon.
Location: MCC-LONGVIEW
500 SW Longview Road,
Lee’s Summit, Missouri 64081-2105
Telephone: 816.604.2000
Friday, October 14, 2011
2:00 p.m. – Setup [Education Center]
4:00 p.m. – Connecting With Readers Through Social Media (Panel)[BU103A]
Panelists: Toriano Porter, Linda Rodriguez, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
5:00 p.m. – Killing Off Characters (Panel) [Education Center]
Panelists: Marti Verlander, Steven F. Murphy, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Saturday, October 15, 2011
10:00 a.m. – Meet-N-Greet Authors [Education Center]
12:00 p.m. – Self-Promotion 101 (Panel) [Education Center]
Panelists: Karin Gastriech, Lewis Diuguid, Toriano Porter, Spencer Wendleton, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
1:00-2:15 p.m. – Autographing at Table [BCU103A]
2:30 p.m. – Creating Characters That Come Alive (Panel) [Education Center]
Panelists: Lindsay Martin-Bowen, Marti Verlander, M.C. Chambers, Bryan Thomas Schmidt