Pack Up and Do It Again

 By Jan S. Gephardt

It’s time to pack up and do it again. When we have two sf conventions in one month, it’s something of an endurance run. My son Tyrell Gephardt and I just start getting sorted out and rested up (in my case this month also healed up), and it’s time to do it again.

As I noted last week, Demicon 33 was a good convention for me – but it also took a toll. Now it’s time to prepare for ConQuesT 53, my home “con.” I would hate to miss it, even though they expect it to be a low-turnout year.

Attending ConQuesT means I need to pack up and do it again, after it feels as if I just got home. But there’s a new wrinkle this time around. I’m doing the usual things – art show and some programming. But I’m also launching into (for me) an uncharted new adventure: a dealer’s table.

(Header Image courtesy of ConQuesT).

 

A Dealers Table? ME?

Yes, I recognize that many Indie authors make much or most of their income from dealers’ tables at conventions. It’s a marketing choice that can, and sometimes does, keep the con-going trip in profit-making territory. I respect that. But personally, I’ve always had several problems with this approach.

Most dealers rooms open by 9 or 10 a.m. But my circadian cycle is firmly skewed to the “Graveyard Shift.” Wrenching myself out of bed to be on time to open would mess up my sleep cycle and leave me a “sleep zombie” for at least a week afterward. I know this because I’ve tried it. It's not pretty.

If you’re running a table, it’s important to always be there (as much as possible!) while the dealers room is open. This means if you’re going to connect with colleagues, network, be on panels, or visit other people’s panels or readings, you either do it at your table, arrange for someone to cover for you, do it after the dealers room closes, or you don’t do it. Your table is both your base, and your anchor.

And there is a lot of stuff to haul. I’m an older lady who walks with a cane for stability. There was a day when I could bend, lift, and haul stuff pretty well – but that was several decades ago. Nowadays, I have to be strategic about how I haul boxes of books. Hand trucks and my athletic son are my friends, but I can’t always assume they’ll be available.

The Dealers Room at DemiCon 33. (Photo by Tyrell E. Gephardt).

A Little Help From Friends

When I first started bringing my book (singular) to sf cons back in 2019, I often could find a general bookseller in the dealers room who’d work out a consignment deal with me. But since the pandemic’s ebb (let’s hope it’s actually waning!), it’s hard to find general booksellers running dealers’ tables at sf cons.

Ty observed at DemiCon 33 that most of the folks in the Dealers Room were Indie authors selling their own books, artists, jewelers, artisans, or other craftsfolk with a specific line of products, or stores selling gaming gear. That was my observation at Archon 44 last fall, too.

But this is my “home convention,” and I know a lot of other writers in the area who really don’t have enough books (and other resources) to justify having a whole dealer’s table of their own. Three of us have banded together and decided to see if teamwork and our collected works can make a table worth the effort. So, we’ll give it a try, and see how it works. One of us has already said she can cover mornings (blessings upon her!), so at least that worry is alleviated.

But when I pack up and do it again this time, I’ll have considerably more to pack than usual.

I'm packing up my dealer's table supplies. (See credits below).

 

Meet my Table-Mates

For this dealer’s table adventure, I’ve paired up with a couple of wonderful writers I met in local fandom and critique groups. From working with them in writers’ groups, I know they write good stuff. I’m proud to be associated with them, even if I am the “odd science fiction writer” in the mix.

M. C. Chambers

I first met Mary through KaCSFFS, the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, about which I’ve blogged in the past. She just looked like an interesting person from the get-go. We talked and discovered we have many things in common (including our birthday). I invited her to join my then-current writers’ group, and we’ve been friends ever since. Her work includes a bunch of wonderful short stories, several of which have won awards, and the fantasy novel Shapers’ Veil. She’s also the mother of five boys (“Mother of Heroes”), a flutist, and a variable print programmer.

Karin Rita Gastreich

I met Karin in a different writers’ group, and I’ve recently had the privilege of beta-reading her latest (really wonderful) novel, which I don’t believe is available yet. She’s also written multiple short stories and won several awards. But she’s best known as a writer for her woman-centered fantasy Silver Web Trilogy. All this, and writing is not even her “day job.” In the rest of her life, Dr. Karin Gastreich, ecologist and author, serves as Chair of the School of Natural and Applied Sciences at Avila University in south Kansas City.

My table-mates have written some cool stuff! (See credits below).

 

Pack Up and Do it Again: Art Show

It wouldn’t seem like I really was at a convention if I didn’t have anything at the Art Show. Moreover, ConQuesT historically has an outstanding art show, especially for a convention of its size. I don’t just say that because I was the Art Show Director for three years (a decade ago). People have long come to this show to buy art, and the artwork comes in from all over. It’s now run by the highly competent and awesome Mikah McCullough, who is a way better Art Show Director than I ever was!

I’m bringing essentially the same pieces to ConQuesT that I brought to DemiCon. That’s possible, because the work I sold in Iowa was part of a multiple-original edition. Not all of my paper sculpture artwork consists of multiple-originals, however. Some are one-of-a-kind. And Mikah has arranged for me to glom onto the end of a table for my Ranan mini-maps , so they’ll be displayed to their best advantage.

My artwork at DemiCon 33. The display won’t look much different at ConQuesT 53. (photos by the author/artist).

 

Fewer Panels than Usual

I missed a key communication with ConQuesT Programming somewhere along the line, so I’m only on two panels this time. Considering my dealers table commitment, this is probably just as well. But this programming schedule is unusually light for me.

On Friday night, I’ll pair up with my friend Kathy Hinkle for a feature we’ve repeated the last several times we’ve had an in-person ConQuesT: SF & F Name that Tune (or Show). Kathy and I both love the music of science fiction and fantasy media. We’ll draw from our respective deep libraries of music we’ve collected, play selected cuts, and see how quickly our audience can name them. In past years it’s been a lot of fun.

Then on Sunday afternoon (after Art Show check-out, but before Closing Ceremonies), I’ll moderate a panel called Curiouser and Curiouser (on which my table-mate Mary is a panelist), about how protagonists’ curiosities can get them into trouble – and bring readers along for an interesting quest. Much to my disappointment, there are no author readings at ConQuesT 53. This is because when they had them they weren’t well-attended, and they’re restricted in the number of programming rooms available. I understand, but I’m still disappointed.

Time to Pack Up

And now it’s time to end this post and get back to work preparing for ConQuesT. Especially with this one, when I’m getting ready to pack up and do it again, it turns out I have a lot to pack!

IMAGE CREDITS

Many thanks to ConQuesT 53 for their website’s header, and to my son Tyrell Gephardt for the photo of the DemiCon 33 Dealers Room. I took the photos of my dealer’s table preparations and my DemiCon33 Art Show display. I’m grateful to M.C. Chambers and Karin Rita Gastreich for their author photos, and to Amazon for the photos of Shapers’ Veil and the Silver Web Trilogy. Grateful appreciations to all!

Preparing for DemiCon

 By Jan S. Gephardt

This week I’m preparing for DemiCon 33, to be held in Des Moines, IA May 6-8, 2022. There is a lot to do. Would you like a glimpse of my process?

My son Tyrell and I had been in the habit of attending 6-8 science fiction conventions per year before the Pandemic locked everything down. In our attempts to evade the roller-coaster of Covid dips and peaks, we dared to attend Archon 44 in person last October. But the Omicron surge (and an extremely untimely snowstorm) shoved us back into attending Capricon 42 virtually, last February.

Preparing for a virtual convention differs dramatically from preparing to go in person. There are logistics involved with both, but it takes far greater organization and effort to attend an SF convention in person. Either way, we have to iron out membership details, but an in-person appearance means making hotel reservations and lots more planning ahead. Not to mention hauling all our stuff several hundred miles to go encamp somewhere for several days.

Jan and Ty are preparing for DemiCon 33 (header courtesy of DemiCon 33).

 

To Attend or Go Virtual, That is the (First) Question

Even as we’re preparing for DemiCon, we’re keeping a wary eye on the recent rise in Omicron BA.2 cases. I’m double-vaxxed and double-boosted (Ty’s too young and healthy to need the second booster). Both my Beloved and I are in a higher risk category because of our age. And my family also cares for my frail, 97-year-old father, whom we’d like to keep alive and well.

I know a lot of the country is young, healthy, and really, thoroughly beyond tired of being careful. For well or ill, however, my family still can’t afford to take undue risks with Covid. So it was with considerable caution that we decided to give DemiCon an in-person try. They’re following local health guidelines at the con, but we’ll definitely bring our hand sanitizer and masks!

This is kind of how a lot of people visualize the Covid “roller coaster.” (See credits below).

 

When I go to a convention, I no longer go just as myself, but also a representative of Weird Sisters Publishing. That somewhat alters the advance publicity planning. For one thing, I decided this year to try advertising in conventions’ program books. This might raise awareness of our little company, and it also might help financially-distressed cons – which means most of them, these days.

Preparing for DemiCon Way Beforehand

Advertising means I must design an ad. Ad deadlines usually come a month or more before the convention. But it’s a way to represent, when we’re still too small to support a dealers’ table. We don’t have many titles in print yet (also, the hours I’d have to keep, to run a dealer’s table, might seriously end this confirmed old night owl).

But, few or many, preparing for DemiCon means I had to have some books. In stock. At the con.I have more on order, and I’m lucky to have what I hope are enough for DemiCon already in hand. We currently have print editions of my three XK9 books. That’s it for now, but not for long.

My sister’s Deep Ellum Stories are too short for individual print copies bigger than maybe a booklet. Those might be more expensive to print than I could ask people to pay. We’re holding out for an omnibus edition before we print it, once she’s finished the other two stories she’s planning. Starting this fall, once my late brother-in-law’s Windhover Tetralogy is back in print, I may have to make a different calculation about that dealer’s table.

Here’s Jan, masked for Covid protection at Archon 44, October 2021 (photo by Tyrell E. Gephardt).

 

Long Live S.W.A.G.!

Lacking a dealer’s table, I am a mobile exhibit. I’ve made signs. I always carry a copy or two of each book. And I like to come loaded with S.W.A.G. for the freebie table or to give away at autograph sessions or my reading.

What is S.W.A.G.? I wrote an entire blog post about it, a while back. The acronym stands for “stuff we all get.” That is, free things handed out at a convention. For Weird Sisters, it consists of bookmarks for each book, a postcard that promotes What’s Bred in the Bone and my reading, and badge ribbons. I do have new bookmarks to hand out since the Pandemic: I had some made for The Other Side of Fear, A Bone to Pick, and my sister’s story Deep Ellum Blues.

Making bookmarks and badge ribbons are two other long-term projects, along with ordering books and making ads. I first have to figure out designs and badge ribbon one-liners. Then I compose and design them, and place my orders so I’ll have them when it’s time to go to more conventions. Preparing for DemiCon, plus preparing to have enough S.W.A.G. for the rest of the summer and fall, took a while.

A lot of work goes into the creation of “freebies” at conventions. (See credits below).

The Art Part

Anyone who’s seen me at a convention knows I nearly always have artwork in the Art Show. I’ve “always” been a visual artist. I was an art major (printmaking and graphic design) for my undergraduate degree (I minored in journalism). During my full-time teaching career, I worked as an art teacher who also taught some publications. But, although I steadily honed my writing craft in the background, in the early years the artwork always came first.

And after 40 years of bringing artwork to science fiction conventions, it just doesn’t feel right if I don’t have an Art Show display! Thus, preparing for DemiCon means gathering enough work for a display, getting registered, and preparing the paperwork needed.

If you’ve followed this blog, you have seen lots of “Here’s my art show panel at X” photos. I’ll probably post one of this year’s DemiCon display, too. Sorry to say, it will be smaller than in past years. Between writing fiction, working on my monthly newsletters, blogging, and working on covers for Warren’s Windhover Tetralogy, I’ve had less time than usual for paper sculpture.

Jan’s art show panel at Archon 43 in October 2019, when she won an award for "Best 3D" (photo by Jan S. Gephardt).

 

Panels, Readings, and Presenting Myself

Conventions, large or small, are entertainment venues that operate on thin profit margins. They often give panelists free memberships, but that’s not just because they love them. It’s because they’re relying on them to help provide a worthwhile experience for con-goers.

I spent too many years as a teacher preparing lesson plans to stomach just walking into a panel “cold,” and “winging it.” To me, that’s grossly unprofessional. But that means I must develop materials for panels ahead of time. My ideal? To go into a panel with enough material (even if I’m not the official moderator) to guide the panel into interesting discussions for the full time we have. If we don’t get to all (or any) of them, that’s okay, as long as the audience enjoyed the panel.

For readings, especially when I share a short time slot during a session with one or more other authors, I plan ahead. Readings are like auditions for my books, so I practice. I time myself to be sure I respect others’ time allotments. And, although it’s always a challenge at this end of the “con season,” coughing fits are not entertaining. I try to get my voice in shape, so I’m able to read all the way through smoothly.

Here’s a walk through the decades that Jan’s been going to sf cons. (See credits and panelist identifications below).

 

Preparing for DemiCon

As you can see, preparing for DemiCon – or any convention – takes a lot of work. I think it’s worth it, because I love science fiction conventions. If you also go to conventions and enjoy the special exhibits and/or panels, now you have a bit more behind-the-scenes understanding of what goes into them. And if you’re a newer creator, getting ready for an early-career foray to a convention, maybe this post has offered some ideas (the teacher in me hopes so).

And thank God the conventions are coming back! Many thanks to all the dedicated convention committees and their financial backers. And here's a hope for the DemiCon committe, my fellow panelists and exhibitors, and all my fellow attendees, that with all of us preparing for DemiCon, it’ll be the best one yet!

IMAGE CREDITS

First of all, many thanks to DemiCon 33! Thanks for inviting me, for providing me with a venue to show and read my work to others, and thanks also for your header graphic at the top of this post!

I assembled the “Covid Roller Coaster” montage with two images: Statista provided the graph of Covid cases in the US from the start of the Pandemic through April 9, 2022. The burning roller coaster photo came from Inspire More’s article full of Covid-related memes (the credit there said only “Instagram”). Tineye Reverse Image search found it on a website I can’t access, back in early September 2014. Other hints in its early record on Tineye indicate a possible location in the Los Angles area, but that’s all I could find in a quick search.

SF Convention Memory Lane

I owe Tyrell E, Gephardt repeated thanks for photos of me at conventions. He took the one of me, masked up behind my current collection of signs, books, and S.W.A.G. at Archon 44 last October (2021). He also took the one of me at Capricon in 2020 with my then-full display of S.W.A.G., at my autograph session. And he gets further credit for the photo of me at Archon 43 in 2019, preparing to do a reading.

I took other photos of our S.W.A.G., as well as the wide photo of my Art Show display at Archon 43 in 2019. Sorry: the one at DemiCon 33 won’t be that big, because I’ve sold a lot of that artwork since then.

I don’t think I was ever sure who took the “historical documents” that show me at ConQuesT in 1985 (ConQuesT 16) and 2012 (ConQuesT 46), but I can identify my fellow panelists. In the 1985 photo they are L-R: Dell Harris, Ken Keller, me, and the late Roland Schmidt, my former co-teacher and a fantasy watercolorist. BTW, that’s my calligraphy on the name cards, back before desktop printing made them easy to print. And in the 2012 photo that’s me on the left. Tracy S. Morris sits in the middle with her book Bride of Tranquility. At the right is fellow Kansas City writer, artist, and longtime sf fan Sherri Dean.

Looking forward to Capricon 40

My "sf convention year" kicks off in February. I'm looking forward to Capricon 40 on Valentine's weekend, Feb. 13-16, 2020, in Wheeling, IL. And I'm already preparing for panel discussions and the Art Show.

My first Capricon was Cap 30, when my friend Lucy A. Synk was their Artist Guest of Honor. She invited me to attend as her guest. I had a lot of fun, but wasn't able to go back for several years after that.

Montage by Jan S. Gephardt, to represent her Blogging a Panel post from the Capricon 37 she wasn't able to attend.

Blogging a panel

I tried to go back in 2017, but a combination of countervailing events forced me to cancel so late in the process that I'd already been scheduled for panels. Unfortunately, one panel for which I'd been scheduled, Writing about Forensics, only had two panelists. The other, Jen Haeger, also had to cancel late in the process, so Writing about Forensics suddenly also got scrubbed.

Jen and I had been communicating online, and we decided that even if we couldn't go to Capricon and present the panel in person, we still could present the panel virtually. This led to Blogging a Panel on this blog (I think it was paralleled on Jen's blog and also that of Capricon's parent group, Phandemonium).

Since then, I haven't had to resort to such drastic measures.

This blog has followed my adventures at Capricon 38 and my Artwork, travel follies, and reflections upon Capricon 39.

Image courtesy of Capricon

Looking forward to Capricon 40

I plan to have my artwork in the Art Show, and of course I'll be on panels. I even have my schedule already! So I'm really looking forward to Capricon 40.

There's one set for Thursday at 5:00 p.m., called Detectives in the Wild (I moderate). We'll talk about detectives in science fiction (as opposed to urban fantasy, where they more often turn up).

Photo by Ty Gephardt, taken May 24, 2019.
Books, badge ribbons and bookmarks at the
Mad Authors' Salon co-hosted by Jan S. Gephardt,
Lynette M. Burrows, and Dora Furlong, at
ConQuesT 50 in Kansas City, MO.

On Friday my panels are Pronouns and SF/F at 2:30 p.m., and Weird Hobbies for Immortals at 4 p.m. (I moderate that one, too). I'm also scheduled to participate in the Indie Author Speed-Dating event on Friday at 5:30 p.m., which should be interesting (I have badge ribbons and bookmarks to hand out!)

Saturday starts early (for me). I'm scheduled to autograph at 10 a.m. and read from What's Bred in the Bone at 1 p.m., sharing the time slot with Dorothy Winsor. That evening at 7 p.m. I'll facilitate the Creating a Tropical World workshop.

Finally, on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. I'll participate in Religion and Ethics in an Age of Artificial Intelligence, which also ought to be an interesting discussion. I promise I'll come with coffee in hand, so I'm coherent.

Of course I'll also have paperback copies available from Weird Sisters Publishing. Certainly I'll bring copies of What's Bred in the Bone. If all goes well, I'll also have paperback copies of my sister's Deep Ellum Pawn novelette (as I write this, it's still only available via Kindle)!

With all of this, I hope that you, like me, will be looking forward to Capricon 40--either at the convention in Wheeling, or perhaps here in follow-up blog posts.

Photo by Jan S. Gephardt. This is my Art Show display at Archon in Collinsville, IL as it looked October 6, 2019.

Please note: My next XK9 story, a prequel novella titled The Other Side of Fear, will be available in March 2020. The second novel in the XK9 "Bones" Trilogy, A Bone to Pick, is set for release this fall.

IMAGE CREDITS: 
The "Blogging a Panel" header is by Jan S. Gephardt, with images courtesy of Reference,  Belleville News-Democrat,  National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Criminal Justice Degreelink. 
The half-header for Capricon 40 is courtesy of the Capricon Website. 
The photo of my book display at the May 24, 2019 "Mad Authors' Salon" at ConQuesT 50 is by Ty Gephardt, and used with his permission. 
I took the photo of my art display at Archon, October 6, 2019 myself. you may re-post or re-blog any of them with correct attribution to the creators and a link back to this post.

Why I go to science fiction conventions

I still owe you a DemiCon 30 report, but this week it's time to get ready for ConQuesT 50. In a couple more weeks, it'll be time for SoonerCon 28. Maybe I'll eventually catch up with myself, but one never knows.

There are a great many Indie authors who don't understand why anyone would go to that many science fiction conventions, much less three additional ones (SpikeCon, FenCon, and Archon), over the course of the next few months. "I always lose money," they say, or words to that effect.

I have a working hypothesis about that . . . and you can read about it on my website.

"Moving the needle" and author readings

I just wrapped up a delightful weekend at ConQuesT 49 in Kansas City, MO. Yes, it's my "home convention," but it was a particularly good one, this year--and I'm not the only one I heard say that.

The presentations by the amazing Elizabeth Leggett were worth the price of admission, all by themselves--Especially the big reveal of my friend Lynette M. Burrows's cover for her soon-to-be-available new book, My Soul to Keep. It was part of Leggett's presentation on the making of book covers.

This is only a tiny glimpse of the "Book Cover" presentation by Elizabeth Leggett, featuring development of the cover for My Soul to Keep by Lynette M. Burrows, a spine-tingling alternate-history thriller soon to be released by Rocket Dog Publications.

Unfortunately, I was so busy I barely got to see half of the wonderful Dealers' Room, and never made it all the way around the entire Art Show, though I helped hang the mail-in art. Did manage to get a photo of my own display.

Here is my before-sales display at the ConQuesT 49 Art Show. I sold several of my larger pieces!

I spent a lot of time at author readings, during the convention. I had my own reading on Saturday--and was overjoyed when I got a good audience! Thanks, everyone! 

I make a point of going to other authors' readings, too--for several reasons. I like to know what their current projects are, and because it's fun to find new things to read. I also like to support my fellow writers--and it's a lot more fun to read your work aloud when there's someone eager to listen!

Just a few of the books from which their authors selected scenes to read at ConQuesT 49: L-R, Blood Songs, by Julia S. Mandala, Singer's Call, by J. R. Boles, and The Alchemist's Stone, by Kevin Wohler. I either own, or will soon buy, copies of all of them.

I had panels opposite some of the authors I wanted to hear, but I did get a chance to listen to Kevin Wohler, J.R. Boles, Jim Yelton, Julia S. Mandala, and Van Allen Plexico. I also really wanted to hear Sean Demory, Lynette M. Burrows, R. L. Naquin, and Rob Howell, but unfortunately I had duties elsewhere when they were reading.

One thing I did notice was that all readers are not equally audible, or intelligible. I was half-planning to create a post about "Reading Best Practices," but Lynette beat me to it--and I don't think I can improve on her excellent post! If you are an author who does readings--or if you know an author who does readings--give her post a close look! If you look at readings as a marketing vehicle, or if you plan to record your own audio-version, pay close attention to her advice!

It also pays to advertise, so come prepared with pre-printed information about where to find your work, and what it's about. I'm always amazed how many authors forget to tell what the book is about, in their promotional material. Authors (especially Indie authors) sometimes think that making appearances at sf conventions isn't worth the effort because it doesn't normally result in an immediate jump in sales.

J. R. Boles and Sean Demory, who teamed up this winter as part of the Palookaville team, both did readings at ConQuesT 49. They came to meet fans, talk about their work, and share thoughts. That's sold brand-building.

It also pays to advertise, so come prepared with pre-printed information about where to find your work, and what it's about. I'm always amazed how many authors forget to tell what the book is about, in their promotional material. Authors (especially Indie authors) sometimes think that making appearances at sf conventions isn't worth the effort because it doesn't normally result in an immediate jump in sales.

But I am convinced that appearances at conventions are not so much about lead generation as they are about brand-building. Why do you think so many traditionally-published writers with established reputations still bother with going to conventions? It's a chance to interface directly with a larger number of one's fans, and to impress more, through your knowledge on panels, your attention, which is flattering, and your demonstrated grace. Of course--if you don't demonstrate much grace (skip panels or readings, hide out in your room, or shy away from fans), you won't develop a whole lot of brand loyalty!

IMAGES: Many thanks to Elizabeth Leggett's public Facebook page, for the image of developmental stages for the cover of My Soul to Keep by Lynette M. Burrows! I took the photo of my Art Show panels; you may re-post the photo with my blessings if you don't alter it, give an attribution to me, and link back to this post. The cover image for Blood Songs is from Amazon; the cover image for Singer's Call is from J. R. Boles; and the cover for The Alchemist's Stone is from Kevin Wohler. The photo of J. R. Boles and Sean Demory is from Sean Demory's Facebook page. 

Preparing for ConQuesT 49!

Will you be in Kansas City this weekend? 
Memorial Day Weekend is the perennial date for my "home" science fiction convention, ConQuesT--put on each year by the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, of which I am the Communications Officer.

The Art Show
I'll be showing new work at the ConQuesT 49 Art Show: on Friday, look for the first two of my new Gerberas & Gold series, which will pair up as this week's Image(s) of Interest. I'm not showing them in this post because (1) They're debuting at ConQuesT 49, so convention Art Show-goers get to see them first, and (2) my mats aren't in yet.

In all, I've reserved three panels this year, for a total of 12 pieces of fantasy paper sculpture.

Here's a glimpse of maybe a quarter of the 2014 ConQuesT Art Show.

Here's a section of the 2015 ConQuesT Art Show.

As a member of the KaCSFFS Executive Board I'm technically on the Concom (Convention Committee), but I was much more "hands-on" as a Concom member when I was the Art Show Director, 2011-2013. In more recent years, that joy has fallen to the much more efficient Mikah McCullough, who has expanded the show and dramatically streamlined the money-handling. I'm happy to say our Art Show is one of the largest and most diverse in the region.

My Panelist Schedule 
I also will be busy participating on (and sometimes moderating) a number of panels, as well as a reading from my to-be-published-later-this-year novel, What's Bred in the Bone. 

If you'd like to see any of these panel topics turned into a blog post (or a series of several), I'd love to know. Please Leave a comment about it in the form below the post!

With fellow panelists Jonathan Brazee, Paula Smith, and Mike Substelny on a panel at NorthAmericon '17, in pre-hurricane Puerto Rico.

Friday May 25

• 5-5:50 p.m. (Benton meeting room) For Your Listening Pleasure - An Exploration of SF and Fantasy movie scores.

Saturday May 26

• Noon to 12:25 p.m. (Northrup meeting room) I'll read from What's Bred in the Bone - One or more scenes from my soon-to-be-released space opera/solarpunk/mystery, whose protagonist is a large, genetically- and cybernetically-enhanced police dog named Rex.
• 3-3:50 p.m.* (Fremont meeting room) Where You Least Expect It - SF and Fantasy can be found in unexpected places, including classic literature (Milton, Shakespeare, and many others). Since I'm the moderator, I may take us into Art History as well.
• 4-4:50 p.m.* (Empire C Ballroom) Author Speed Dating - I'll be one of nine authors on hand to tell attendees about my book, and to answer questions.
• 5-5:50 p.m.* (Benton meeting room) What Science Fiction Got Wrong - science fiction writers are often rightly celebrated for having predicted future trends and breakthroughs long before they happened. But what about the things they got wrong--sometimes glaringly wrong, now that we're viewing them in retrospect?
• 9-9:50 p.m. (Fremont meeting room) Bad Touch: Sex and Violence - We'll explore how these topics are presented in the media, what messages they send, and how changing attitudes shift the way we look at some of the classics--as well as more recent work.

*Yes, they ARE back-to-back-to-back: I like a challenge (but don't stand between me and the Ladies' Room at 5:50!).

Sunday May 27 

• 11-11:50 a.m. (Empire B Ballroom) Philosophy Fun - Must one be virtuous to be courageous? What's more important, knowledge or imagination? We'll ponder these and other questions as they pertain to our favorite stories, games, characters, and our lives in the "real world," too. I'm the moderator for this one, and I promise to come loaded with provocative questions.

At a 2015 ConQuesT panel with Kristina Hiner, NeNe Thomas, Bradley Denton, and Barabara E. Hill.

IMAGES: Many thanks to ConQuesT 49 and The KaCSFFS Blog, for the ConQuesT 49 header; to The ConQuesT Art Show, for the photos from the 2014 and 2015 displays; and to Tyrell E. Gephardt, for the photos of a couple of the panels of which I've been a part. 

Tales of ConQuesT (48)--The Writing Part

I love  participating in panel discussions at science fiction conventions--and I was part of several at ConQuesT 48,  held this and every year in Kansas City on Memorial Day by my home science fiction group, the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society. 

I participated in several panel discussions at ConQuesT. In addition to sharing an hour of reading with Sean Demory of Pine Float Press, my other scheduled panels all could be potential subjects for future blog posts. Please comment below, if you'd like to see more on any of these topics!

What Gives Characters Depth?
This panel focused on writing techniques, plus a review of "3-D characters we love" and why we chose them. It was ably moderated by Rob Howell. I was joined on the panel by P. R. Adams, Lynette M. Burrows, and Marguerite Reed.

L-R: P. R. Adams, Lynette M. Burrows, Marguerite Reed, and moderator Rob Howell

Our discussion ranged through such questions as what makes a character come to life, our assorted techniques for "getting to know" our characters, and what happens when the scene you thought you were going to write takes a right-angle turn because "the character had something else in mind"/you realized it wouldn't be in character for the person to do/say/think what you'd originally intended. It was a fun and lively discussion.

Intellectual Property and Literary Estates
I got to moderate this panel (former teacher: I like to make sure the discussions are fueled by lots of good, well-researched, leading questions, that everyone gets a chance to talk, and that the audience is actively engaged in shaping the conversation). I'd signed up to be on the panel because of my connection with the administration of my late brother-in-law's literary estate.

My fellow panelists were Dora Furlong, who'd been involved in establishing a foundation to administer the literary estate of a writer and game-creator; Susan R. Matthews, who'd gone through the process of writing a will and discovered that there were all sorts of decisions to be made about who would administer her literary estate; and Craig R. Smith, whose focus was more on contracts and protecting intellectual property.

L-R: Susan R. Matthews' icon; Dora Furlong; Craig R. Smith's book cover.

We discussed the nature of intellectual property, the relative importance of registering ISBNs and copyrights, what is included in a literary estate, the kinds of decisions the executor or trustees of such an estate may have to make, leaving specific instructions (for instance, about what to do with emails and unfinished manuscripts), and many other issues that most writers, artists, or other creative people rarely consider--but which have everything to do with their legacy.

Writing Fight and Combat Scenes
I moderated this panel, too--but I did little talking about my own work on this one. Both of my fellow panelists, Rob Howell and Selina Rosen, are well-spoken, engaging, and knowledgeable, with a depth of background I could admire, but not match (SCA battle-experience, military history studies, martial arts training, and many more varied writing projects than I've racked up so far).

L-R: Rob Howell, a photo of an SCA battle by Ron Lutz; and Selina Rosen. Yes, it was a lively panel discussion.

It was a privilege to manage time and audience input, while offering them questions about varieties of research, frequent plot objectives of most fight or combat scenes, tips for keeping the action vivid and interesting, and pet peeves about other authors' bad practices. Rob, Selina, and the knowledgeable audience kept the panel fast-paced, interesting, and wide-ranging.

Horror Fiction and Xenophobia
Yes, I did moderate this panel also--but as with the "Fight and Combat" panel, I ended up mainly facilitating the experts, namely Sean Demory, Karen Bovenmeyer, and Donna Wagenblast Munro.

Not much of a horror writer or reader myself, I approached this panel from the viewpoint of a multiculturalist who generally looks upon xenophobia (fear of foreigners or, more basically, fear of "the other") as a negative thing.

L-R: Sean Demory, Karen Bovenmyer, and the Facebook Profile Picture of Donna Wagenblast Munro.

Not to worry. While earlier traditions of horror have embraced the "fear of otherness" via unfamiliar cultural practices, deformity, and/or disease to create the objects of fear, my three fellow panelists are contemporary horror writers who have embraced the "feared other" as their protagonists.

This brought new poignancy to their responses to my questions about "who are the monsters of today?" and which is the most potent bogeyman of today, the terrorist (domestic or foreign), the corporate overlord, the hacker, or the community dedicated to conformity? Reactions were mixed, but ultimately conformity won as the most stifling on the individual level.

I See No Way That Could Possibly Go Wrong
This panel focused on new technologies just beginning to emerge today, and our thoughts about their ramifications in the future. The panelists were, L-R in the photo below, Christine Taylor-Butler, Bryn Donovan, me, and Robin Wayne Bailey. The photographer (and knowledgeable contributor from the audience) is the writer J.R. Boles.

I was not originally scheduled to be on this one, but the designated moderator (who shall go nameless) did not show up for the panel. Bryn and Robin invited me to join them and moderate. Since I actually knew a bit about the topic (thanks largely to researching and writing this blog), I was delighted to leap in.

We had a great discussion, with a lot of intelligent input from the panelists and our knowledgeable audience. We spent most of our time on the question, "What technology that's now in its infancy would you most like to see developed, and how do you think it would change things as we know them?"

Answers touched on flying cars, 3-D printed kidneys, earpieces or brain implants to transmit data, lunar colonies, asteroid mining, and much more.

IMAGES: I'm the one who put together the ConQuesT 48 banner. It features a logo design by Keri O'Brien and a photo of the lobby of our convention hotel, the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, which provided the photo. 
The photos of assorted authors with whom I did panels come from the following, gratefully acknowledged sources:
The photo of Rob Howell is from his Amazon Author Page. That of P. R. Adams is from his Amazon author page. That of Lynette M. Burrows is from her Twitter Profile @LynetteMBurrows, and that of Marguerite Reed is from her Twitter Profile, @MargueriteReed9. 
Dora Furlong's photo is from her Amazon Author Page. Susan R. Matthews' image-icon is from her website; I was unable to find a photo of Craig R. Smith, so I finally settled for a cover image of his book, Into the Dark Realm. 
I'd like to offer special thanks to the Society for Creative Anachronism, and photographer Ron Lutz, for use of the photo Clash of Battle.
The photo of Selina Rosen is a detail from a photo by the indispensable Keith Stokes, taken at Room Con 10 in 2014 (a party hosted by James Holloman at ConQuesT each year) and posted in the MidAmericon Fan Photo Archive. 
Many thanks to the Johnson County (KS) Library for the photo of Sean Demory (there's also a great interview with him on that page). The photo of Karen Bovenmyer is from her Twitter profile @karenbovenmyer; unfortunately, I couldn't find a photo of Donna Wagenblast Munro or a book cover for her anywhere, so finally I substituted an image from her Facebook page.
Last but far from least, many, many thanks to J. R. Boles for the photo of the "I See No Way" panel, from her Twitter account, @writingjen.