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The Serpent's Head, Origins Game Fair, and SDCC

It's time again for an update.

First off, for those expecting The Serpent's Head this month, as it was scheduled, after getting back with meetings with the editor, it needs another rewrite. It's just not ready for publication and I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to get it right. It will be out before the end of the year, though, so you can still look forward to it. Doubly so, knowing that it's going to be even better than I could have imagined in the first place.

I have a rough mock-up of the cover as well, it's not final art, but I wanted to share it with you. It's from Erin Kubinek, a hell of an artist.

We'll see how much it changes, but I really like the idea of the piece. And for a sci-fi/western, I think it works really well. Be sure to let me know what you think.

The next order of business:

Origins Game Fair. It's one of my favorite conventions and every writer should want to go. There are two tracks of panels on the craft of writing taught by invited authors, myself included. This is my third year there and I have two short stories coming out in two different anthologies there. The first is called "Changing the Game" and the other is called "The Commodore." Both of them are superhero fiction, both of which I'm very proud of.

I'll have more information on how to get your hands on those stories after the convention, but it will most likely come down to ordering them online, or buying them from me at conventions. Both anthologies include stories from me, Janine Spendlove, Mike Stackpole, Aaron Allston, Maxwell Alexander Drake, and R.T. Kaelin, among many others.

For those of you who will be in attendance, here is my reading and panel schedule, and I hope to see many of you there.

Thursday 6/13/13

6:00 pm - Group Reading, Steve Saus, Janine Spendlove, Bryan Young, R.T. Kaelin

Friday 6/14/13

10:00 am - How to Kill a Character - You've put a lot of thought into your characters--now you have to kill one-- or maybe more! Our panelists discuss proper killing methodology. They’ll cover how to time a death scene right, how to give the death meaning, what details to leave in and out, and how to decide which ones should “bite the dust.” - Aaron Allston, Janine Spendlove, Dylan Birtolo, Bryan Young

11:00am - The myth of Writer's Block - Have you faced a malevolent force that prevents you from finishing your manuscript? How can you defeat the dark power that keeps your fingers motionless on the keyboard and your brain in neutral? Our panelists have battled this dreaded demon, and they’ll teach you how to best it. - Pat Tomlinson, R.T. Kaelin, Don Bingle, Addie J. King, Bryan Young

3:00pm - Screenwriting - A crash course in formatting, technique, and the theory of what makes screenplays different than other forms of storytelling. - Bryan Young

Saturday 6/15/13

10:00 am - Blending Genres - Elven vampires, six-shooters in space, undead detectives in Victorian England. How many genres can you blend before your reader gets too confused and gives up? Our panelists discuss how blending genres can help--or hurt--your fiction. - Bryan Young, Sarah Hans, Janine Spendlove, Tracy Chowdhury, Aaron Allston

2:00 pm - Publicity 101 - Writing a novel is only half the battle--now you have to get the word out. You're not only selling your work, you're selling yourself. Learn how one builds a career through self-promotion. - Jaym Gates, Bryan Young

3:00 pm - Self-publishing - A checklist of the hundred odd tasks you’ll have to do yourself if you don’t have a publisher doing it for you. And how much it could all cost. - Bryan Young, RT Kaelin

I might find myself on some other panels, but that's what I'm scheduled for at the moment. The rest of the time will be spent gaming and selling and signing books. I hope to see many of you there.

And for the last order of business...

San Diego Comic-Con.

I know I keep saying I'm not coming back, but I guess I am. I'm going to be appearing on two panels. The first is Andrea Letamendi's Star Wars vs. Star Trek panel. The other is Rik Offenburger's how to get press for your project panel. I'll have a schedule for those as the date gets closer, but until then, this is all I know.

If you're going to be there, for the love of God, stop and have a drink with me. I'm going to need it.

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