Life, The Universe and Everything 2011

I totally should have done this post last week, but I got very ill on Sunday night when I write most of my posts, so it didn't get done. So, here you have it. Also, don't forget that today is the last day to comment on posts this month to win a copy of Delirium!

Life, The Universe and Everything is a science fiction and fantasy symposium that is held at Brigham Young University every year. If you read or write science fiction or fantasy, it's well worth your while to attend. With very few exceptions, the panels and speakers are very good.

I didn't take any pictures, because I just didn't, but I did take a few notes:

For writers, the panel on agents was great. In this day and age, they are absolutely necessary. Why? Because an agent takes gets you into places that you couldn't not get yourself. Also, by taking out some of the business aspects of writing, you have more time to be creative.

The panel on sequels was great. Mette Ivie Harrison, Jessica Day George, and Bree Despain were wonderful. It was interesting to hear the types of struggles that they had while writing their series.  I especially loved Jessica Day George's comments on younger readers and how perceptive they are when it comes to books. While older readers will most likely not notice a few inconsistencies, younger readers will pick up on them quickly and not let go.

The other panel I loved was on fractured fairy tales. These are my favorite stories to read, and it is also the novel that I am currently writing.  I think that there are a lot of different ways to pull off writing a fairy tale retelling. You can either be very obvious, like Beauty by Robin McKinley, or much more subtle. However, the story has to be at least a little bit recognizable.

James Dashner's keynote speech was very classic Dashner. I really enjoyed listening to the steps that he took to publication and how different it is now for him than it was back then.  I hope that his story inspires other authors who have worked so hard to get published to not give up.

Anyway, besides the panels, I got a chance to catch up with some old friends, and meet some new ones. It's such a blast to be in a setting like that with like-minded people and really just delve into the craft of writing. I really think that even those who don't consider themselves writing would learn a lot.