That’s right folks. Life, The Universe, and Everything, the best writing convention there is for Sci-Fi and Fantasy is almost upon us! In two days the doors will be open, the con will start, and the knowledge and geekery will reach critical levels of awesome.

Of course I’ll be there. And I hope you will be as well, because LTUE is hands-down one of the best places a budding young writer can go to get insight, knowledge, tips—well pretty much every bit of knowledge on writing they’d want, from dozens of talented authors. Panels, workshops, discussions … it’s all there.

Oh, including myself! I’ll be wandering the halls of the convention as well. If you’re going to be there and want to strike up a conversation, from talking about writing advice to trying to mine for secrets from the upcoming Jungle, say hi! Believe me, I’ve missed panels before simply by being caught in a ball of authors and fans in the halls, all talking about writing tricks or cool books we’ve been reading, etc.

Oh, and if it helps, I’ve attached a shot of my rugged mug to the right there. I know I’ve got that picture on the about page, but it is, if we’re honest, an old picture. This one’s just a quick selfie, but it shows off the current look I’m sporting, for easy identification. Walk up and say hello! I don’t bite! And don’t worry about getting my name right either. If you yell “Viking,” my long-time nickname of over a decade and my online handle, you’ll get my attention.

Oh, and I’ll be wearing a shirt that says “Ask me about my book.” It was a gift that fits this kind of con perfectly.

So, now that you can pick me out of a crowd, how about that LTUE schedule? You can access the whole thing here, but I’ve gone through today and put together a small list of panels that look or sound interesting. Some I’ll attend, some I’ve just highlighted for usefulness that you all may be interested in, and some just plain sound fun.

Oh, there is one I’ll draw special attention to, and I will be there, so you should be too! At 3 PM there is a Launch Event for the LTUE Benefits Anthrology Trace the Stars, which is a collection of short stories by a lot of great (and famous) authors written to support the convention (all proceeds from books sales fun LTUE!).

Anyway, hit the jump for a day-by-day list of panels that have caught my attention. The “—” denotes that there are two interesting panels in that time that caught my eye.

THURSDAY – FEBRUARY 14th

9 AM – Worldbuilding a Language
10 AM – The History of the Spinning Wheel
11 AM – A Punch in the Face: Writing Gripping Fight Scenes
12 PM – Homesteading the Moon — Writing Grimdark
1 PM – Worldbuilding Prisons, Prisoners, and Guards — Romance without the Lust
2 PM – Creating a Diverse Cast without Stereotyping
3 PM – Trace the Stars Launch — Avoiding a Sagging Middle
4 PM – The Art of Foraging for Food — Hacking in Fiction
5 PM – Using Foreshadowing without Giving it Away
6 PM – Writing LDS Themes in Mainstream Fiction

FRIDAY – FEBRUARY 15th

9 AM – The Evolution of Fantasy
10 AM – 3D Printing and CNC Milling
12 PM – The Punic Wars — Sexy Monsters
1 PM – Magic without a Magic System — Oppressing a People — Rules of Engagement — Paradox and Other Grand Strategy Games
2 PM – Working with Reviewers
3 PM – The Baen Traveling Road Show (great fun!) — Characters with Believable Motivation
4 PM – The Comedy Writers Room — Firearms of the Wild West
5 PM – Adventure Stories: How to Write Fun
6 PM – Starting Self-Publishing

SATURDAY – FEBRUARY 16th

9 AM – Complex Villains — Romance Plots
10 AM – Not Your Ordinary Princesses — The Cuban Missile Crisis
12 PM – Settings with Consequences — The Art of War
1 PM – The Spark that Lit the Fire
3 PM – The Culture and Science of Steampunk
4 PM – Warfare in the Age of Drones and Robots
5 PM – Medieval Courts and Trial Law
6 PM – Suspense Essentials — Metallurgy and War

Phew! And there you have it! A list of cool panels that are likely worth checking out for one reason or another. Remember, there’s a whole host of other panels (again, see the full schedule here) you can check out as well, plus if you don’t see one you’re interested in for a block, there’s always tables to hang out at, authors to talk to, an art gallery, a game room.

Plus at some point you’ll probably want to eat.

Either way, it’s two days away! Hope to see you there!