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Scrappy's SpecFic Symposium

Posted: 04/13/2025

April 26, 2025, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Registration is required

Willis Library 250H

  • 1:00pm - Start
  • 1:00-1:10pm - Introduction
  • 1:10-1:30pm – Rhonda Eudaly – You Got Science in My Fiction
    • Speculative fiction has been around for a long time in many forms, sometimes where you least expect it. Many works of traditional fiction contain specfic elements and tropes. Author Rhonda Eudaly introduces relevant examples and discusses how specfic might have been lurking in your favorite stories all along.
  • 1:30-1:50pm – R.J. Hanson – You and No One Else (Building Your Brand)
    • Self-publishing has become a valid pathway to writing success, giving authors both complete control and complete responsibility. Even traditionally published authors are expected to do more of their own marketing, branding, and readership building than 10 years ago. Successful self-published fantasy author R.J. Hanson offers his insights, recommendations, and tips.
  • 1:50-2:00pm - Break
  • 2:00-2:20pm – Jess Tucker
    • UNT’s archives has a remarkable and rapidly growing speculative fiction collection in the southwest, featuring authors like Robert E. Howard, Warren Norwood, and Patricia Anthony. University archivist and collection developer Jess Tucker shares some of the collection’s oddities and treasures.
  • 2:20-2:40pm – Jon Black – Researching What Never Happened
    • Research forms part of the foundation of good speculative fiction, even if it’s just knowing what didn’t happen. Is there such a thing as too much research? Too little? Historical fiction author Jon Black helps you find the research approach that’s right for you.
  • 2:40-2:50pm - Break
  • 2:50-3:10pm – Michelle Muenzler – Brain Gremlins (Or What to Do When Your Brain Won’t Cooperate)
    • A brain is a professional writer’s best friend … and worst enemy. Weird fiction author and poet Michelle Muenzler shares her experiences and advice for when your story’s real antagonist has become … your brain.
  • 3:10-3:30pm Keith Lansdale – Being a Professional Liar for Money
    • When the glamour and pretense come off, that’s when the hard work and the fun begin. Keith Landsdale, author of comics, film scripts, novels, and short stories, delves into the good, the bad, and the ugly of what being a professional liar for money, err, a professional speculative fiction author really means.
  • 3:30-3:40pm - Break
  • 3:40-4:40pm – Moderated panel Q&A with authors
  • 4:40-5:00pm – Wrap up and optional book signing and selling
  • 5:00pm - end

Biographies:

Rhonda Eudaly - Rhonda Eudaly lives in Arlington, Texas, where her wide variety of experience and skills is well-suited to her current job in local government. She’s married with dogs and an increasing horde of writing instruments, which she blogs about. Rhonda has a well-rounded publication history in all kinds of writing including novels like The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse, collaborations, and short stories. Check out her website—www.RhondaEudaly.com—for her latest publications and downloads.

R. J. Hanson – R.J. Hanson has two books on Amazon ranked #1 in epic fantasy and dark fantasy, Roland’s Path and Fires that Forge. RJ began developing the epic sword and sorcery saga, Bloodlines Reforged, in 1996. The Bloodlines Reforged Saga tells the tales of a warrior’s courage, a scorned sorcerer’s revenge, a corrupt church’s perversion of faith, a grieving vampire dealing with loss, and a knight’s struggle to break his oath in order to fulfill it. R.J. has accumulated many real-world experiences that have given him a unique understanding of the human condition ranging from training in interview and interrogation techniques to hand to hand combat to SWAT tactics. RJ is a certified Firearms Instructor and Linguistic Statement Analyst as well as a former UNT TAMSter and working cowboy.

Jon Black - Multi-award winning author Jon Black writes historical fiction with pulp, supernatural, or Mythos twists. His Bel Nemeton series combines 6th century Arthurian historical fantasy with brainy 21st century pulp. Its first installments, Bel Nemeton and Caledfwlch, were named Best Thriller Novels of 2018 and 2020 in the Critters’ Readers’ Poll. Reviewers have called the series “An Intellectual ‘Tomb Raider’” and “Books that should make Dan Brown weep with jealousy.” His Jazz Age, music-driven supernatural mystery Gabriel’s Trumpet was Critters’ Best Horror Novel of 2019. Raised in Denton, Texas, his previous jobs include archaeological excavator, Benjamin Franklin impersonator, embassy worker, graduate assistant, newspaper reporter, pizza jockey, political speechwriter, small business owner, substitute teacher, and summer camp counselor…not always in the order one might expect.

Michelle Muenzler - Known at local science fiction and fantasy conventions as “The Cookie Lady”, Michelle writes fiction both dark and strange to counterbalance the sweetness of her baking. Her short fiction and poetry can be read in numerous science fiction and fantasy magazines, and she takes immense joy in crinkling words like little foil puppets. Michelle is a SFWA member and represented by Howard Morhaim of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

Keith Lansdale - Keith Lansdale writes comics, film scripts, novels, and short stories. Keith has made films such as The Pale Door and Christmas With The Dead. Among his writing credits are, the novel Big Lizard with Joe R Lansdale, as well as the short stories “Hoppity White Rabbit Done Broke Down” and “It Goes With Everything.” Keith also co-wrote the children’s story “The Companion” when he was twelve with his younger sister which was picked up by the television show Creepshow and co-authored the children’s book In Waders From Mars.