I attended the Life The Universe & Everything (LTUE) writer’s conference in Provo, Utah this year after a few years away. There were less people this year than in years past. Although I felt safe, it’s understandable less people would want to attend an in-person convention during a pandemic. The lower attendance resulted in de facto social distancing in all the conference rooms, so there was that. Also, you were required to have either a vaccination or a negative Covid test in order to attend and most of the attendees wore masks. I only attended the first two days of LTUE (Thursday and 17th and Friday the 18th) as I had other plans on Saturday. I still attended a lot of great panels and had a lot of fun.
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Colson Whitehead Reading
On March 15th, Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad, gave a reading at the Salt Lake City Library. What really struck me about him is how funny he is. Except for when he read somber sections from his book, it felt more like a stand-up comedy routine than a book reading. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 6
This is the sixth and final part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
The Female Body as Text: Symptoms and Subversions of Systematized Dystopic Oppression in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta
Mari Murdock presented an academic look at how women fight oppression in a dystopian society. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 5
This is the fifth part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Writing Steampunk
I didn’t take a lot of notes for this panel. John M. Olsen said steampunk is often focused on aesthetic rather than technology. For example, steampunk machines use brass because it looks cool even though aluminum is lighter. He recommended including all five senses when writing. Include the smell of burning coal, the sound of gears and whistles, etc. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 4
This is the forth part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Keynote Guest of Honor: Jo Walton
Jo Walton said the secret of writing is to just do it. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 3
This is the third part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
Kinship Systems from Around the World
Daniel Jeffery said threat of injury is a deterrent to predators. They don’t want to attack unless they’re sure of success. In poetry, you can only break the rules if you know you’re breaking the rules.
Megan Hutchins explained that in matrilineal systems, your sister’s son is your heir while your own sons are somewhere else, which can make for an interesting dynamic in fiction. Leonardo da Vinci was a bastard child and didn’t fit into a kinship system, which led to him becoming an apprentice. Often the most interesting stories are those of people who don’t neatly fit into their society. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 2
This is the second part of my wrap-up of the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah between February 15-17.
The Slush Pile Simulator presented by Angie Fenimore
This was the most depressing panel I attended. Angie Fenimore started out by telling us that 3,000 books get published every day. Most of them are self-published so it’s a good idea to have an agent or an editor to give you an extra edge. How do you get an agent or editor? Editors and agents are looking for the ideal client, someone who is professional and stands out. Continue reading
LTUE 2018 Conference Wrap-up Part 1
I recently attended the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2018 writer’s conference in nearby Provo, Utah between February 15-17. There were usually several panels going on at any given time, so I obviously didn’t see everything, but I did take notes on the panels I attended. I was disappointed that the SWAG bag didn’t have any free ebooks to download this year, but since I’m still catching up on the books I got last year, that’s probably for the best. Continue reading
Salt Lake City Comic Con FanX 2017
Salt Lake Comic Con Fan X 2017 was a lot of fun. Cool costumes, opportunities to meet celebrities, lots of geeky stuff to buy, game rooms, kids activities, and the list goes on. The panels for Weird Al Yankovic and Wallace Shawn were really good and James Roday and Dule Hill from Psych were still as funny as ever. Continue reading
LTUE Part 5
This is the final post in my series recapping the Life, The Universe, and Everything 2017 writer’s conference held in Provo, Utah earlier this year. Here’s Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Jana S. Brown Presentation: Traditional vs. Self Publishing: Epic Throwdown
Another great presentation. Jana S. Brown made the point that writers aren’t in competition with each other since readers can read lots of books each year. Another important thing to keep in mind is that 85 percent of book sales (for both traditional publishers and self publishers) go through Amazon, so you have to make sure you don’t get on their bad side no matter which publishing route you take. Continue reading
Mania Delight 