I Wish...I Could Support Them All

Today was the first day of this year's Salt Lake FanX Comic Convention. After attending an event like this my mind is racing with images of the things I saw, recalling fond memories re-connecting with good friends, and taking in the atmosphere of thousands of people gathered under one enormous roof.

I walked the floor with two of my sons, sons that are themselves well versed in geek culture. They wanted to see the things they could buy--Lego figures, Funko Pop characters, they even looked at jewelry and watches.

But each of them took an interest in the artists and their artwork.

Which presents me with an issue--if I could, I would buy something from every artist there.

And the reason I want to buy something from each artist is because almost all of it is really, really good.

My boys stopped at the art that "spoke" to them--such is the way of things with art. But I've been on the other side of that table. I've looked into people's eyes and wondered if they have enough money for one more book, one more thing to haul out with them when they leave.

I stopped by one booth in the artist's section. Her stuff was beautiful. I took a picture to see if it was art that "spoke" to my daughter. Turns out, it didn't, which was fine. Not all art is for all people. I left wondering how the artist was going to do for the weekend. When all was said and done, would she, when packing up her booth and boxing unsold items, be in the black, the red, or break even? Would it be worth her time to be there?

I know many vendors will leave with less money than when they arrived, after paying all the costs of the event. And the fact that they keep coming back is a testament to just how strong the drive to create is. I don't know how many books I'll end up selling or will be sold at our booth, but I do know that being on the floor and being able to talk to people having a good time is a lot of fun. Maybe, even though I didn't buy anything from any artists today, I hope they enjoyed their day, too.

The "How To Turn Your Non-Reading Child Into A Book-Loving Machine" Panel At FanX...Likely The Most Important Panel I've Ever Attended

I've been on several panels since Salt Lake Comic Con (and now FanX...) rolled into town. I've met amazing artists and authors, entertainers and performers. I've made good friends and even forged relationships that have led to professional advancements in my writing career.

But I think the panel I'm on this Saturday might be the most important one I've ever been on.

It's entitled:

How to Turn your Non-Reading Child into a Book-Loving Machine

It's more important now than ever.

When I pitched the panel idea, I hoped it would be chosen. I remember when I attended public school, especially jr. high when books and reading became a joy and not a drudgery. Back then, there were many distractions that took kids away from books. And this was in the 1970s. Kids nowadays have distractions we couldn't even imagine back then.

Just how important is reading--or the lack thereof--to our society? The effect of a generation of no-readers scares the daylights out of me. Reading connects us as people. Our histories are written down, but if no one reads them, no one will know them. Our laws, policies, customs, traditions--everything--are found in books or online. Without readers, they disappear.

Except for one person, CK Johnson, I know all the other panelist. Holli Anderson, Dave Butler, Paul Genesse, John Olsen--I've interacted with them and have read stories they've written. I was excited when the panel schedule came out and found out who will be there.

If you're worried about how to get kids to read, or you have children of your own that would rather do other things than read (and if you're attending FanX this weekend...), please consider attending our panel. It's Saturday, 9/8/18, 1pm to 2pm in room 151A. We may not have all the answers, but we'll do our best to give the topic the respect it deserves. I'd love to see you there.

Meet Joey Wartnerchaney...Academy Award Winner This Week At FanX!

There are people out there--you know them--creative types. There's something about how their brain is wired that makes them, well...different. They can hear a story and envision a video game. They can look at a picture and see a feature film. They can visit a country and create a world.

I'd like to introduce you to one such individual. His name is Joey Wartnerchaney.

And he's coming to Salt Lake's FanX convention this week.

I first met Joey in 2014. Lagoon had just built their largest ride ever--the towering Cannibal rollercoaster. Because they expected record lines for this ride (and they were right...), Lagoon hired Joey to design an attraction for the throngs waiting for their ride. Joey came up with a show called The Rainmaker and they hired me and another employee to play the title character. 

Joey came up with an incredible show. He built a Model T out of a golf cart that included a stage, sound system, and water cannons. I entertained and cooled down audiences that summer. 

If you attended Lagoon's Frightmares last year and were lucky enough to get into their newest show Séance, you know you saw something rarely seen in Utah, or anywhere for that matter. Séance is something that must be experienced. It's a world-class haunt I was fortunate enough to be a part of. I saw adults leave the show in tears. I saw teenagers who showed such bravado as they entered rush from the show terrified. Hands down the best Halloween show around.

It came from Joey's mind.

Creating amazing amusement park attractions is just some of his accomplishments. Here's his bio:

JOSEPH WARTNERCHANEY  |  DIRECTOR

Joseph is a nationally-recognized film and live entertainment director, creator, and producer whose projects include the critically acclaimed Decay, Broadway’s Squirm Burpee a Vaudevillian Melodrama, Rock Band Live! (MTV), Séance; a Multi-Sensory Experience, Carnaval de Fuego, Survivor Live! (CBS Television), Conjure, and Cirque Innosta. His motion picture work includes all three films in the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy; Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Terminal; Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator; Constantine; and The Italian Job. Joseph's collaborators in the television world include Quiznos Subs, McDonaldʼs, TLC and Turner Classic Movies. In 1999, Joseph co-founded the production company Homewrecker Films with partners Benjamin Smith and Rich Volp.  Since its onset, Homewrecker Films has won an Academy Award (Scientific and Engineering) for Technical Achievement, an Emmy Nomination, and received multiple film festival awards including “Best Picture” for Tuscaloosa at the New York International Independent Film Festival and the coveted “True Grit” award for his film Decay.

If you're going to attend this year's FanX convention in Salt Lake, please include Joey's panel, Friday, September 7, from 1pm to 2pm in Room 255A. It's a big room--bring your lunch and your friends and meet one of those truly creative people.

Being Asked To Attend This Year's FanX Convention...It's An Honor And A Lot Of Fun!

Twelve days ago, a little tweet hit the world wide web. It listed four authors who have been asked to attend a gathering. I was one of those authors.

It was years ago, but I remember the first time I saw my name and picture posted for this event. That was very cool. Being an author can be a tough at times, but there are some things that make participating in this endeavor extremely awesome, like seeing your name, picture, and examples of things you've created alongside world-famous authors and other guests.

It's a definite rush.

If you go to Salt Lake FanX's author page (you can access it by clicking: HERE), you'll see almost fifty people invited to participate as featured authors with even more to come. I'm honored to be included in such an amazing group. But what I find most fascinating when I access the page, is how many of these incredibly talented writers I've gotten to know. Five years ago, I knew personally only one person on the list--Michael Jensen--and that's because he and I were in a production of Evita a decade earlier. Now, after having spent time with these people, doing panels with many of them, and even signing publishing contracts with them, I count several as good good friends.

In a matter of weeks we'll gather to do it all again. Hopefully, I'll meet new people and strengthen the relationships with those I already know. 

Yes, there are many cool things about being an author. The first time you hear someone's going to publish your story, seeing that box at your door knowing those are your books inside, holding the finished product in your hands, smelling the pages, almost not believing it's actually your name on the cover, getting that first five-star review--all are awesome. So is being asked to attend an event where thousands and thousands of people will attend. If you plan on going, please come find me--I'd love to either meet you for the first time or catch up. It's going to be a blast!!

Immortal Works Flash Fiction Friday...Your Story Could Be Chosen!

 Immortal Works announced a contest today. They're accepting submissions for their Flash Fiction Friday. And the top three contestants will not only get their story featured at the next Salt Lake FanX Comic Convention, but they'll also get a free e-book (if given the chance, I'd ask for a free e-book version of Chaser, coming soon...).

This is the kind of contest that can literally start a career. My writing career began by submitting a short story for a steampunk anthology. That story came out in 2013. I submitted another story to the same publisher--Xchyler--and they printed that one as well. The publisher printed one more of my short stories. From there I published a collection of short stories, Speckled, and my first novel, Chaser, came out earlier this year. It gave me confidence and I was able to meet some amazingly talented authors, many who have become good friends.

Now, I'm not saying by just submitting a story to this contest will make you a famous author overnight, nor am I saying that my career has skyrocketed since 2013. I am saying that something like this can get your foot in the door. You'll also be introduced to a publisher and hopefully several authors as well. 

I'm not 100% sure what "to be featured at FanX 2018" means. The contest was just announced. But seriously, what have you got to lose? If you'd like to submit a story, click: HERE for more information. Come on! Give it a shot!