FRIDAY
Greatest Godzilla Movie
Helms Deep
Fri Aug 12 5:00:pm – 5:50:pm
32 will enter, 1 will win. Since 1954, Godzilla has adorned movie theaters and endured the longest living franchise in cinema history. So which one deserves the accolade of being the greatest Godzilla of all time? Is it impossible to top Gojira, the movie that began it all? Or do the more elaborate entries with classic monsters like King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan deserve the throne?
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Kathryn Renta, Thomas A. Fowler
SATURDAY
Future of Kaiju
Lawrence, KS
Sat Aug 13 10:00:am – 10:50:am
Godzilla, Gamera, King Kong are all returning and the consensus is: Let them fight. What has made us curious about Kaiju and giant monsters again? How has Godzilla endured over 60 years onscreen? Audience members are encouraged to provide their hopes for the future of movie monsters, and concerns for the upcoming installments.
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Thomas A. Fowler
Writing in the 21st Century: What can we do now that we couldn’t do before?
The Shire
Sat Aug 13 12:00:pm – 12:50:pm
Are there topics, characters, or situations that we can write about now that were taboo or forbidden in the past?
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Stace Johnson, Tonya L. De Marco
Religion in SF/F Outside the Western World
Lawrence, KS
Sat Aug 13 1:00:pm – 1:50:pm
What if the galaxy was explored by Islamic researchers? What if the next epic fantasy you read is set in Aztec Mexico? Speculative fiction is our chance to explore the cosmos through very different eyes than our own — and not just extraterrestrial or elven ones!
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Stant Litore, Veronica Calisto
Going with the Flow
Kings Landing
Sat Aug 13 2:00:pm – 2:50:pm
Finding inspiration and balancing your job as a writer with your mundane job. Finding time to write when you have a family.
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Amity Green
Whedonverse
Serenity
Sat Aug 13 3:00:pm – 3:50:pm
Come join your fellow Whedonites to talk, share, argue and discuss your love for all of Whedon’s creations! Buffy, Firefly, Avengers, Dr Horrible and more. More thrilling than staying at a cabin in the woods, more insane than living in a dollhouse.
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Kathryn Renta, Keith DeCandido, Lou J Berger
Trope if You Want To
Serenity
Sat Aug 13 4:00:pm – 4:50:pm
You know that story you want to write about pirates? How about that one about aliens? Superheroes? Wizards? Secret agents? Just because a genre has already been beaten to death doesn’t mean you can’t bring something unique to it.
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Kimberly Kennedy, Mike Cervantes, Veronica Calisto
SUNDAY
When They Tell You They’re Too Old or Too Young
The Shire
Sun Aug 14 10:00:am – 10:50:am
There is YA literature that many consider to have topics beyond a YA audience (Hunger Games, Twilight), but does this mean they aren’t for adult readers? What’s the judgment and do we care?
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Amity Green, Courtney Farrell
Marketing for Writers
Serenity
Sun Aug 14 12:00:pm – 12:50:pm
Don’t publishers handle all that marketing mumbo jumbo? In this booming era of indie authors, hybrids, and small presses, what does it take to get your name out there? How does a writer market him or herself?
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Kimberly Kennedy, Stace Johnson
Humor in the Modern Action Story
The Shire
Sun Aug 14 1:00:pm – 1:50:pm
From Jackie Chan and Axel Foley to the hard-hitting and explosive antics of anime, why do so many writers (and directors) mash up wise-acres and violence?
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Kal Spriggs, Mike Cervantes
Pitching to the Editor
The Shire
Sun Aug 14 3:00:pm – 3:50:pm
Want to pitch your next great novel in a flash? Learn how from pros who have been there.
Aaron Michael Ritchey, Keith DeCandido