Steven E. Wedel
Steven E. Wedel began craving fame and fortune in the literary world when he was in high school. After writing his way through careers as a machinist, journalist, corporate writer, public relations specialist, and now as a high school English teacher, he’s decided to keep writing despite the lack of wealth and notoriety.
Wedel has published over 30 books, mostly in the adult horror genre, but he’s also written for the young adult, children’s, Western, and thriller markets. He’s dabbled in other genres using pseudonyms. His non-fiction writing includes how-to articles for writers, literary criticism, and hundreds of articles for print newspapers and online sites.
In 2004 Wedel earned a master’s degree in liberal studies, creative writing emphasis, from the University of Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999, and graduated from Enid High School in 1984. He is a lifelong Oklahoman, father of four, with three grandsons. He currently lives in central Oklahoma with his dogs Bear and Sweet Pea, and a cat named Cleo.
He'd still take the fame and fortune if it comes his way ...
Noon | Location: Boomer A
Going Indie After a Lifetime of Trade
Got a passion project no publisher wants? A short-story collection languishing in your old file?. New stories, but no place to sell them? Thanks to changing tech, an indie writer can get the same level of distribution as any NY Times bestseller, and release their works far faster than the glacially slow trade market. This panel discusses the pros and cons of independent publishing.
Moderator: vickey malone kennedy
Panelists: J.H. Fleming, Phillip Drayer Duncan, Steven E. Wedel, Tommy B. Smith, vickey malone kennedy
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Business & Marketing
5:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: JQH Boardroom presented by Morningstar Storage
Author Readings
Authors read selections from their various works.
Moderator: Rook Riley
Panelists: Dennis Spielman, Rook Riley, Steven E. Wedel
Tracks: Writing & Publishing
10:00 AM | Location: Boomer B
When The Story Writes Itself
Sometimes it just happens. You're writing the story, maybe you even worked out an outline, then suddenly the pen writes something else. Authors tell tales of when a book or series decided to go rogue.
Moderator: Rhonda Eudaly
Panelists: Brian A. Hopkins, David J. Pedersen, Madilynn Dale, Rhonda Eudaly, Steven E. Wedel
Tracks: Writing & Publishing
5:00 PM | Location: Boomer A
Build a SyFy™ Saturday Night
Soonercon’s classic game-show panel. Panelists spin the wheel for wacky plotline components and actor combinations, and create an original Saturday Night SyFy™ feature!
Moderator: Craig Wolf
Panelists: Allison Stein, Craig Wolf, James Hollaman, Julia S. Mandala, Linda Donahue, Rook Riley, Steven E. Wedel
Tracks: Art, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Gaming, Film & TV, Writing & Publishing
11:00 AM | Location: Boomer A
Tropes & How to Use Them, A Writerly Discussion
A long time ago, in a land far away The Chosen One and the Last Girl must battle the Designated Villain. What is a Trope and how can writers use (and mutate) them to surprise and engage readers?
Moderator: Steven E. Wedel
Panelists: David J. Pedersen, John Scalzi, Mark Finn, Sally Hamilton, Steven E. Wedel, Tracy S. Morris
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Science Fiction, Fantasy