So Robert J. Sawyer has posted a blog entry where he asks the question "Are the days of the full-time novelist numbered?" For those who are interested, it can he found here. Go take a look, if not for the article then just for the picture where he has this kind of WTF look on his face.
So Mr. Sawyer raises some good points. The point he makes about there only being about 10 years left for professional authors to make a living at what they do he also stated at the writing workshop he gave at Ad Astra this year. Yes, he told a room full of aspiring writers that there was a 10 year deadline before the chances of becoming a full-time writer disappeared like a puff of smoke. Well, at least he can't be faulted for sugar-coating the medicine.
The article expands upon this theme, and a whole host of examples are given. Most of them are just amusing, mostly examples of people or organizations asking for something ludicrous, though one I did find, lets just say interesting enough to quote here. The offer to teach at a writing retreat for 10 days for $3000. Mr. Sawyer states that this essentially would be a pay cut for him. Hmmm... interesting. Also, it's interesting that very next words are "so this would be me subsidizing the cost of the event so that students could pay less". Hmmmm.... yup, very interesting.
So are we headed to a time where it's impossible to be a full-time writer who only writes to the exclusion of all else? Probably. Is this a bad thing? Probably not. I say this because it will encourage those of us who have an idea but feel we'll never make it as a writer to go ahead and try anyways. The stigma for being a "hobbyist" will be, if not removed, then at least lessened. This could mean that people who would have thought, "well, I'm not good enough to do this for a living, so why should I bother," may actually put something out there now. Yes this may lead to a glut of slush hitting us all in the face, as mentioned in this article, but we'll survive and new ways of picking out the gems will emerge. Do I know what those ways will be? Nope, but then even the methods we use now are subject to the reader's whim and taste.
Oh, and don't for second think that there isn't a stigma attached to being a "hobbyist". It's subtle, but it's there. The same sort of stigma has attached itself to fan-fiction, which thankfully I can honestly say I've only produced one piece of, and then only for a contest that could lead to being published. (Yes, I don't like fan-fiction and think a lot if it is garbage. Sorry if that's your thing, go ahead a write it but don't expect me to read it, especially if it's set in something I've created.)
A defining moment for me was when I realized that I may never be able to make a living writing. I've struggled with this for years. All of these ideas have been rattling around in my brain, wanting to get out. I'd write something and a friend would read it and say they wished I would continue the story, but I never did because I was afraid and depressed that I'd never be a full-time paid writer. Once I got over that, and realized that, hey, it's not so bad to write on the side and work a day job, it doesn't make me any less of a writer than anyone else. Even if I never get published, I know that I worked at it and developed my skills and enriched my life. Yeah, that does sound kind of selfish, but that's kind of the point. I'm doing this for me, but I do hope that others will enjoy my brain droppings.
Oh, Mr. Sawyer does make one other point that bears upon this post. He states "Still, lengthy, ambitious, complex works — works that take years of full-time effort to produce such as, say, Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy, or, if I may be so bold, my own WWW trilogy of Wake, Watch, and Wonder — aren’t things that could have been produced in any kind of reasonable time by squeezing in an hour’s writing each day over one’s lunch break while working a nine-to-five job."
So what is a reasonable amount of time? Is it a year between books? Two years? George R.R. Martin hasn't published a new novel in the Song of Ice and Fire series since 2005. Should we hunt him down and chain him to a desk until he does? Will I enjoy the next book less because I had to wait? Nope.
Yes, these massive and epic projects will take longer to complete, or will be cut down in scope in order to be published in a more timely manner. This is not a bad thing. It certainly would have helped the Wheel of Time series, which has grown so bloated it metaphorically resembles a parade float about to burst. (I mean really, not only did Robert Jordan die before finishing it, they hired someone to take over and the last book of the series ends up getting split into three? It should have ended about two books ago. I love the early books of the series, but after reading an entire prologue filled with characters I cared nothing about and who added really nothing to the story I was done.)
Also, we may see the "new" novelist get even older, as burgeoning writers work a regular job and slowly develop their craft and stories until they can retire and then devote more time to it. Literary careers may be shorter, but, if as Mr. Sawyer has commented before we're all going to live a hell of a lot longer and become near immortals, there may be a lot more time devoted available to us all, especially once we all have smart homes in the bright new future of free energy and boundless material that futurists have been promoting for, what, the last 50-60 years?
Let the full-time writer go the path of the dinosaurs (something Mr. Sawyer is infinitely fond of). While some may lament, some may whine, and some may take their ball and go home, I'll be over here working my day job and then writing for my hour when I get home. My only advice to those who don't like the fact that they were born too late to be full time writers is this:
Suck it up, buttercup.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold, So Wear A Sweater
Ok, so it's been awhile since I've updated. What can I say. My time is probably better spent actually writing than blogging, but I really should do both, and eventually I'll have to get a Twitter account (I'm putting that off as long as possible). Oh well, enough kvetching about what I should be doing and how about I say what I've actually done.
Lets see. Already covered the meeting with Karl, which went well. The send off the Merrill collection had for him at the end of May was nice, too bad it couldn't have gone later but the library had to close. Work on my time travel Santa/Jesus novella has gone well so far. The first draft is approaching 20,000 words and is likely to top that once I get back to it. Right now that project is on hold for something else.
And what might that something else be you ask? I'm glad you asked so nicely. The title of this update is a hint. Hmmmm.... not much of a hint is it? Alright, I'll tell, I'll tell! Check out the following link:
LINKY!!!
Ok, read it? Good. As of today my submission for the Wheaton/Scalzi great fan-fic contest has gone through three drafts and is now being perused by trusted readers. So far it's gotten the reaction I want. The first reader was reduced to mad laughter, and everyone else who's read it has found it amusing. What can I say. Based on the picture I had to go for over the top melodrama, and I think I nailed it just right. The story's funny and extreme and just the right amount of ridiculous that it can be enjoyed without being too much.
I really, really hope my story makes the cut. So far Scalzi has revealed that over 100 submissions have been put in, which is actually a lot less than I thought there would be. I was afraid there might be, well, thousands. I may actually have a chance.
Oh, and the title of this post is the title of my story. If it gets in, then I'll let people discover it once they purchase the collection. Heck, it's not like a ton of people are reading this blog, but if you are let me just say thank-you. If it doesn't get in I'll post it up here. We'll just have to wait and see.
Lets see. Already covered the meeting with Karl, which went well. The send off the Merrill collection had for him at the end of May was nice, too bad it couldn't have gone later but the library had to close. Work on my time travel Santa/Jesus novella has gone well so far. The first draft is approaching 20,000 words and is likely to top that once I get back to it. Right now that project is on hold for something else.
And what might that something else be you ask? I'm glad you asked so nicely. The title of this update is a hint. Hmmmm.... not much of a hint is it? Alright, I'll tell, I'll tell! Check out the following link:
LINKY!!!
Ok, read it? Good. As of today my submission for the Wheaton/Scalzi great fan-fic contest has gone through three drafts and is now being perused by trusted readers. So far it's gotten the reaction I want. The first reader was reduced to mad laughter, and everyone else who's read it has found it amusing. What can I say. Based on the picture I had to go for over the top melodrama, and I think I nailed it just right. The story's funny and extreme and just the right amount of ridiculous that it can be enjoyed without being too much.
I really, really hope my story makes the cut. So far Scalzi has revealed that over 100 submissions have been put in, which is actually a lot less than I thought there would be. I was afraid there might be, well, thousands. I may actually have a chance.
Oh, and the title of this post is the title of my story. If it gets in, then I'll let people discover it once they purchase the collection. Heck, it's not like a ton of people are reading this blog, but if you are let me just say thank-you. If it doesn't get in I'll post it up here. We'll just have to wait and see.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
I'm Published (Well Sorta)
Well, let me explain. No, is too much, let me sum up. (Gotta love Princess Bride quotes.. hehehe)
Ok, so the story I submitted to Tesseracts 14 didn't make the cut for Tesseracts, but the lovely people over at the Aphelion webzine found space in their hearts and on their webpage to publish it for me. So, in essence I've been publish. It's on the web and I didn't receive any money for it, but it's out there for complete strangers who've never met me to read. Keep in mind, up to this point I've met everyone who's actually read the story, even the editors for Tesseracts 14 (Lovely gentlemen I met at Ad Astra).
So why am I pointing this out? Well, it means I'm actually getting feedback from people I have no direct relationship with and have absolutely no reason to care about me one way or another. I'm going to assume, well, hope really, that they're decent human beings and will give me usable feedback and not comments like, " it was total garbage, the guy who wrote it should be taken out back and shot," and so far that's been the case. There have been two posts about it in the Aphelion forum, and both have been honest and helpful.
I did have the chance to change the story before Aphelion posted it, but aside from a couple of typos I didn't. There were a few reasons for this. First, the story's done and I should resist the temptation to continually tinker with it. Maybe in a few years I'll pull it out and rewrite it and see if I can get it publish for payment, or maybe I'll just leave it as is so it remains as an example of where I was in my development as a writer when I finished writing it. The second reason I left it as is, I wanted to see if the feedback I received matched my own thoughts and what I received from the pros, and that wasn't going to happen if I started making changes.
I'm happy to see some of the parts I was worried about go so well. From the feedback it seems the character of John went over alright, and no one has told me that Unwyn was unrealistic. Also, no complaints about my dialogue. So, while the story wasn't perfect at least it wasn't a complete flop.
All in all, I'm happy to see it published somewhere, and Aphelion looks to be a great starting point for authors looking for an knowledgeable audience. Hopefully, someday someone will pick up a novel I've written, read it, and say, "I remember when this guy published on Aphelion. He sure has come a long way."
We'll just have to wait and see. Well, you wait, I gotta get back to writing.
For those who are interested, the story can be read here.
Ok, so the story I submitted to Tesseracts 14 didn't make the cut for Tesseracts, but the lovely people over at the Aphelion webzine found space in their hearts and on their webpage to publish it for me. So, in essence I've been publish. It's on the web and I didn't receive any money for it, but it's out there for complete strangers who've never met me to read. Keep in mind, up to this point I've met everyone who's actually read the story, even the editors for Tesseracts 14 (Lovely gentlemen I met at Ad Astra).
So why am I pointing this out? Well, it means I'm actually getting feedback from people I have no direct relationship with and have absolutely no reason to care about me one way or another. I'm going to assume, well, hope really, that they're decent human beings and will give me usable feedback and not comments like, " it was total garbage, the guy who wrote it should be taken out back and shot," and so far that's been the case. There have been two posts about it in the Aphelion forum, and both have been honest and helpful.
I did have the chance to change the story before Aphelion posted it, but aside from a couple of typos I didn't. There were a few reasons for this. First, the story's done and I should resist the temptation to continually tinker with it. Maybe in a few years I'll pull it out and rewrite it and see if I can get it publish for payment, or maybe I'll just leave it as is so it remains as an example of where I was in my development as a writer when I finished writing it. The second reason I left it as is, I wanted to see if the feedback I received matched my own thoughts and what I received from the pros, and that wasn't going to happen if I started making changes.
I'm happy to see some of the parts I was worried about go so well. From the feedback it seems the character of John went over alright, and no one has told me that Unwyn was unrealistic. Also, no complaints about my dialogue. So, while the story wasn't perfect at least it wasn't a complete flop.
All in all, I'm happy to see it published somewhere, and Aphelion looks to be a great starting point for authors looking for an knowledgeable audience. Hopefully, someday someone will pick up a novel I've written, read it, and say, "I remember when this guy published on Aphelion. He sure has come a long way."
We'll just have to wait and see. Well, you wait, I gotta get back to writing.
For those who are interested, the story can be read here.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A Cold and Windy Update
Why is it I seem to get good news on really crappy days?
Anyways, on to the good news. So today was my meeting with Karl Schroeder, the current Writer in Residence for the Merrill Collection in Toronto. When I got onto the bus in St. Catharines the weather looked fine, but on our way to Toronto we hit a solid wall of water, which stopped before we hit Toronto and then picked up again as soon as I got off the bus.
Note to self: Check the friggin weather report next time I'm travelling more than a few kilometers.
So, wet, cold, and let's face it, nervous, I arrived at the Merrill Collection. Thankfully I had time to wring myself out and dry off before my meeting. Heck, I was over 2 hours early thanks to the bus schedule so I took my time getting there. Yeah it was cold and miserable out, but I saw something happening on a side street so I had to investigate. Turned out to be some kind of science festival, since a bunch of U of T students were setup outside in booths. One kiosk/tent invited you to submit names for a new pair of supercomputers. I submitted Bender and Fry. Wouldn't it be great to have a supercomputer named after a drunken violent robot?
Another booth asked the question "How Unique Are You?" According to the assessment of 9 of my traits, less than 1 in 1000 people are like me. This is a scientific fact. I have a certificate to prove it. :)
Anyways, so after that I did reach the Merrill Collection with over an hour to spare. I ended up perusing the Pulp display/sale that was on in the basement. Some interesting stuff down there, and I'm glad I didn't have any cash on me or I would've been tempted to pick something up. But that is immaterial to the reason I was there, so on to the good stuff.
My meeting was at 1:00 PM, and Karl and I headed to a back office to speak. To sum things up, I'm doing well. My mechanics, such as dialogue, are good, and from what emerged in our discussion the way I'm doing things will work in the long run and I should just keep plugging away. He even said I "sound like a writer" which has to be one of the best statements about me I have ever heard. I do need to work on characterization, and there were a few other quibbles about the story. Part of that is that Karl is a hard science fiction author, while I am, hmmm... let's say my scientific background is not as extensive as his. Still though, while the story wasn't perfect what needs to be fixed isn't Earth shattering, nor will it require the entire story be nuked and paved. Another nice comment I got was that I'm writing complete stories, and that my structure is good. All in all it was a very encouraging experience, and Karl gave me his email address and asked that I keep in touch and let him know when I finally do get published.
The main thing to take away for this, is that I may actually be able to pull this whole writing thing off. Huh, who woulda thunk it?
:)
Anyways, on to the good news. So today was my meeting with Karl Schroeder, the current Writer in Residence for the Merrill Collection in Toronto. When I got onto the bus in St. Catharines the weather looked fine, but on our way to Toronto we hit a solid wall of water, which stopped before we hit Toronto and then picked up again as soon as I got off the bus.
Note to self: Check the friggin weather report next time I'm travelling more than a few kilometers.
So, wet, cold, and let's face it, nervous, I arrived at the Merrill Collection. Thankfully I had time to wring myself out and dry off before my meeting. Heck, I was over 2 hours early thanks to the bus schedule so I took my time getting there. Yeah it was cold and miserable out, but I saw something happening on a side street so I had to investigate. Turned out to be some kind of science festival, since a bunch of U of T students were setup outside in booths. One kiosk/tent invited you to submit names for a new pair of supercomputers. I submitted Bender and Fry. Wouldn't it be great to have a supercomputer named after a drunken violent robot?
Another booth asked the question "How Unique Are You?" According to the assessment of 9 of my traits, less than 1 in 1000 people are like me. This is a scientific fact. I have a certificate to prove it. :)
Anyways, so after that I did reach the Merrill Collection with over an hour to spare. I ended up perusing the Pulp display/sale that was on in the basement. Some interesting stuff down there, and I'm glad I didn't have any cash on me or I would've been tempted to pick something up. But that is immaterial to the reason I was there, so on to the good stuff.
My meeting was at 1:00 PM, and Karl and I headed to a back office to speak. To sum things up, I'm doing well. My mechanics, such as dialogue, are good, and from what emerged in our discussion the way I'm doing things will work in the long run and I should just keep plugging away. He even said I "sound like a writer" which has to be one of the best statements about me I have ever heard. I do need to work on characterization, and there were a few other quibbles about the story. Part of that is that Karl is a hard science fiction author, while I am, hmmm... let's say my scientific background is not as extensive as his. Still though, while the story wasn't perfect what needs to be fixed isn't Earth shattering, nor will it require the entire story be nuked and paved. Another nice comment I got was that I'm writing complete stories, and that my structure is good. All in all it was a very encouraging experience, and Karl gave me his email address and asked that I keep in touch and let him know when I finally do get published.
The main thing to take away for this, is that I may actually be able to pull this whole writing thing off. Huh, who woulda thunk it?
:)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
One Week and Counting
Well, I heard back from the Writer in Residence program at the Merrill Collection in Toronto. Mr Karl Schroeder has read my manuscript and my appointment is next Saturday in the afternoon. I'm scared, excited, nervous, thrilled, and slightly overwhelmed, all at the same time in some kind of whirling vortex of doom. It will be nice to get some feedback on that specific manuscript, and to get a general sense of what I need to work on as a writer. I just need to remember to keep positive. I know I'm not where I want to be on my writing, but I can get there as long as I keep at it. Even a little bit of forward movement is progress.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Dork Review #3: Small Magics
Call this the post where I pimp one of the books of an author I met at Ad Astra. Of course, it helps that Small Magics by Erik Buchanan is a well crafted story with engaging characters, which makes pimping it so much easier. Please note, that while I've met the author and do like the guy, everything I write below is my opinion and I have accepted no compensation for this review. Not even a free book. I mean, I bought the book and now I'm giving out free advertising. I really should start charging for this. (Just kidding!)
Anyways, on to the review. Standard spoiler warnings apply.
Where to start. How about with the title, Small Magics. It is appropriate, as the main motivator of the story is the theft of small magics from others by an evil bishop and how it impacts upon the life of Thomas, a young man come home from the Academy to see his family. The bishop has stolen the power to influence others with his voice from Thomas' father, and boy does he use it effectively. The only one that can actually stop the bishop is Thomas, as the young man has the ability to hear and see magic, apparently a rare gift because even the other magically gifted in the book can't see or don't realize what they are doing. The gifts appear to be random, as the gift that Thomas has is completely different from his father's. So while the ability to perform magic is hereditary, how it manifests is different. Kind of an interesting take upon hereditary ability.
This brings up an interesting point, and something I'd like to comment about. I like the way the author deals with how magic is "seen". I've put seen in quotes as there is more than one definition I'd like to cover. The obvious "seen" is how Thomas actually perceives magic. The author does a marvelous job of describing how intense it is to actually see the magic in the world, how it all ties together, and how it is different in everyone. Even those who do not actively use or have a gift seem to be touched by the magic of the world. It is a beautiful testament to how everyone is connected by life.
The other "seen" is the prevailing attitude towards magic in the world the author has crafted. Magic is a dirty little secret, and those who understand that they have a gift and aren't using it without knowing are afraid of being branded as witches. One of the arguments Thomas has to make is the difference between magic, which comes from one of this worlds main four gods, and witchcraft which comes from the Banished, this worlds demon/devil equivalent.
And what organization has made it so that no one can tell the difference between the two, and at the same time made it so only one god is ascendant over all the others, why it would be the Church of the High Father, an analogue of the Roman Catholic church at its worst. The bishop as its representative is a vile, putrescent, slimy, arrogant, bubbling piece of filth that should be burned at the stake, and then the ashes collected and launched into space so that no part of him will continue to pollute the planet. So, in other words, a really well done villain. You want to hate this guy, viscerally. Thankfully the book is not all potshots at the church, as there is a noble character that is on his way to becoming a priest who is intelligent and sympathetic.
As for the hero, Thomas, there is very little not to like about him. He's intelligent and determined with a conscience. Even when he has the opportunity to run he refuses, as he not only wants to save his family but also wants to see the bishop defeated. The artful part about all this is that you believe in this when it happens. The character is consistent throughout the book, and his dedication doesn't seem forced or artificial. Also, he isn't a wanton killer, nor are any of the heroes. They stand up against those who would kill or abuse power, which has always been a very powerful image in fiction, for me at least.
Let me finish by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much that I'd recommend it to my friends, family, and random strangers on the street or internet. Pick it up!
Small Magics on Amazon
Small Magics on the Edge website
Anyways, on to the review. Standard spoiler warnings apply.
Where to start. How about with the title, Small Magics. It is appropriate, as the main motivator of the story is the theft of small magics from others by an evil bishop and how it impacts upon the life of Thomas, a young man come home from the Academy to see his family. The bishop has stolen the power to influence others with his voice from Thomas' father, and boy does he use it effectively. The only one that can actually stop the bishop is Thomas, as the young man has the ability to hear and see magic, apparently a rare gift because even the other magically gifted in the book can't see or don't realize what they are doing. The gifts appear to be random, as the gift that Thomas has is completely different from his father's. So while the ability to perform magic is hereditary, how it manifests is different. Kind of an interesting take upon hereditary ability.
This brings up an interesting point, and something I'd like to comment about. I like the way the author deals with how magic is "seen". I've put seen in quotes as there is more than one definition I'd like to cover. The obvious "seen" is how Thomas actually perceives magic. The author does a marvelous job of describing how intense it is to actually see the magic in the world, how it all ties together, and how it is different in everyone. Even those who do not actively use or have a gift seem to be touched by the magic of the world. It is a beautiful testament to how everyone is connected by life.
The other "seen" is the prevailing attitude towards magic in the world the author has crafted. Magic is a dirty little secret, and those who understand that they have a gift and aren't using it without knowing are afraid of being branded as witches. One of the arguments Thomas has to make is the difference between magic, which comes from one of this worlds main four gods, and witchcraft which comes from the Banished, this worlds demon/devil equivalent.
And what organization has made it so that no one can tell the difference between the two, and at the same time made it so only one god is ascendant over all the others, why it would be the Church of the High Father, an analogue of the Roman Catholic church at its worst. The bishop as its representative is a vile, putrescent, slimy, arrogant, bubbling piece of filth that should be burned at the stake, and then the ashes collected and launched into space so that no part of him will continue to pollute the planet. So, in other words, a really well done villain. You want to hate this guy, viscerally. Thankfully the book is not all potshots at the church, as there is a noble character that is on his way to becoming a priest who is intelligent and sympathetic.
As for the hero, Thomas, there is very little not to like about him. He's intelligent and determined with a conscience. Even when he has the opportunity to run he refuses, as he not only wants to save his family but also wants to see the bishop defeated. The artful part about all this is that you believe in this when it happens. The character is consistent throughout the book, and his dedication doesn't seem forced or artificial. Also, he isn't a wanton killer, nor are any of the heroes. They stand up against those who would kill or abuse power, which has always been a very powerful image in fiction, for me at least.
Let me finish by saying that I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much that I'd recommend it to my friends, family, and random strangers on the street or internet. Pick it up!
Small Magics on Amazon
Small Magics on the Edge website
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Ad Astra 2010 Con Report
Ad Astra was awesome!
This was the first time I've spent the whole weekend at a science fiction/fantasy convention. The only other experience I've had was a Star Trek convention in Niagara Falls years ago, and then I only spent a day at that con. This experience was completely different.
Alright, so here's how the weekend started. Friday I finished work, got home, and finished those last few bits of packing that can only happen when you're just about to leave. Then I was out the door and driving to Toronto, hoping to get there before the start of the con. I made it, with enough time to spare to check in and drop off all my stuff before heading to the opening ceremonies.
The con was packed with panels. I hit three on the first night, even with time to squeeze in some much needed dinner. I nearly had a geek out moment when I saw the two lovely ladies running the con and the Guests of Honor sitting at a table not too far away. Thankfully I didn't completely spaz out, and was able to finish my meal in relative dignity. My favorite panel of the night probably was the Working with Small Presses panel, because it gave me a greater insight into that part of the business and now I think I'll start submitting work to them before attempting to hit the big boys. I like the sense of freedom that was there. I'd have a lot more control over my book, and the panelists came across as very friendly and welcoming. This is important to note, as there was one glaring example of the opposite on a later panel.
After the small press panel there was one on World Building. It was a hoot as well. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the Forgotten Realms, but I do have to say that I enjoyed listening to Ed Greenwood. I ended up going to a few other panels he was on and it was always a fun experience. The one on System vs. Setting for role-playing games with Ed on Saturday was a real treat.
Another nice thing about the World Building panel was hearing Erik Buchanan, author of Small Magics and Cold Magics (which launched at the con, go Erik), talk about how he ended up putting a lot of fencing terms in one of his books and the comparison between western and Eastern sword-fighting styles. I found this interesting because I love sword-fights, and I trained in Ona Ha Itto Ryu, a style of kenjutsu or Japanese sword-fighting. I had a chance to talk to Erik after the panel and mention it to him, even gave him the name of the dojo I went to in case he was interested. I always love meeting people with similar interests.
Speaking of meeting people, I originally intended to head to the Meet and Greet but somehow ended up going to the Con Suite with Liz, another convention goer, and chatting with her and a few others for the next few hours. It was amazing how quickly 1AM snuck up on us.
I was up early on Saturday, from a mixture of, I think, excitement and the fact that my body is used to getting up early for work. I was out of bed before 6:30AM and ready and willing to hit panels all day long, which I did. The first one was on the Life of An Anthology, and one of the panelists was John Robert Colombo. Now, you may be wondering why this name is important. It's because Mr. Colombo was one of the editors for Tesseracts 14, for which I sadly did not get accepted for. However, when he I got to chatting, and I introduced myself as someone who had submitted and didn't get in he asked me what I'd submitted, and he remembered it! Well, OK, he didn't remember all the details but he mentioned that he and the other editor, Brett Alexander Savory did have a discussion about it, and that Mr. Colombo graded my work as an 85. The main reason I didn't get in was that there were so many works graded at a 90 level. Still, getting an 85 out of a professional editor and creator of anthologies, not too shabby. Mr. Colombo did suggest I ask Mr. Savory about it as he might remember more, which I ended up doing on the last day of the con, and that led me to getting Mr. Savory's card and picking up a couple of books from Chizine Publications, the press he co-runs. Yeah, I'm a sucker for new books, what can I say.
I think I floated through the rest of the day. Really, I was just really blown away by how well my first submission had done. Yeah, I didn't get published, but I was a heck of a lot closer than I'd ever been, and I know my work has improved since I wrote that story. Maybe I'm not as hopeless as that small part of my brain keeps insisting I am. If I take nothing else away from the con, I'll take a renewed sense of hope that I can get my writing out there published one day.
Anyways, enough about hope and all that crap, now on to the rest of the day, or as I call it, the endless sea of panels. I don't think there was a single free moment throughout the day. In fact, there were panels I would have loved to go to booked at the same time, so I had to make choices all day long. So for Saturday and Sunday I targeted the panels that would be the most use to me as a writer, and even then I missed good ones. Oh well, just means I'll have to go next year.
Saturday night there was a launch party for Cold Magics. I ended up running into Liz from Friday night again, and found out we both went to the same university but a few years apart. Small world indeed! The party was a blast. Erik had been selling it all day long at the panels, saying there would be really good chocolate. He wasn't kidding! The chocolate was dark and had some hot pepper in it, so it had a nice bittersweet taste with a little bite at the end.
I also ended up meeting a different Liz at this party, one who is involved in running a convention out in Montreal this October. A few years ago I kept on meeting interesting women named Carrie, with a few variations on the spelling, this year it seems the name is Liz. It's been years since I've been in Montreal, and it would be nice to go to a con outside of Ontario, so I'll have to check the money situation and decide. The con sounds like it would be as much fun as Ad Astra.
Sunday was a blast as well, and I wasn't nearly as tired as I expected considering I'd only gotten 5 hours of sleep each night for the last two days. The only real negative experiences I had during the convention were on Sunday, both involving the same individual who I have now lost a lot of respect for, and that's all I intend to say on that subject. I debated mentioning it at all, but in all fairness to myself I had to put something about it out there so at least I feel better and don't have it bottled in.
Wow, this post went a lot longer than I thought it would. Final word on Ad Astra is I had fun, I'd do it again, and I have some great memories from it. The good outweighs the bad by an astounding amount.
This was the first time I've spent the whole weekend at a science fiction/fantasy convention. The only other experience I've had was a Star Trek convention in Niagara Falls years ago, and then I only spent a day at that con. This experience was completely different.
Alright, so here's how the weekend started. Friday I finished work, got home, and finished those last few bits of packing that can only happen when you're just about to leave. Then I was out the door and driving to Toronto, hoping to get there before the start of the con. I made it, with enough time to spare to check in and drop off all my stuff before heading to the opening ceremonies.
The con was packed with panels. I hit three on the first night, even with time to squeeze in some much needed dinner. I nearly had a geek out moment when I saw the two lovely ladies running the con and the Guests of Honor sitting at a table not too far away. Thankfully I didn't completely spaz out, and was able to finish my meal in relative dignity. My favorite panel of the night probably was the Working with Small Presses panel, because it gave me a greater insight into that part of the business and now I think I'll start submitting work to them before attempting to hit the big boys. I like the sense of freedom that was there. I'd have a lot more control over my book, and the panelists came across as very friendly and welcoming. This is important to note, as there was one glaring example of the opposite on a later panel.
After the small press panel there was one on World Building. It was a hoot as well. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the Forgotten Realms, but I do have to say that I enjoyed listening to Ed Greenwood. I ended up going to a few other panels he was on and it was always a fun experience. The one on System vs. Setting for role-playing games with Ed on Saturday was a real treat.
Another nice thing about the World Building panel was hearing Erik Buchanan, author of Small Magics and Cold Magics (which launched at the con, go Erik), talk about how he ended up putting a lot of fencing terms in one of his books and the comparison between western and Eastern sword-fighting styles. I found this interesting because I love sword-fights, and I trained in Ona Ha Itto Ryu, a style of kenjutsu or Japanese sword-fighting. I had a chance to talk to Erik after the panel and mention it to him, even gave him the name of the dojo I went to in case he was interested. I always love meeting people with similar interests.
Speaking of meeting people, I originally intended to head to the Meet and Greet but somehow ended up going to the Con Suite with Liz, another convention goer, and chatting with her and a few others for the next few hours. It was amazing how quickly 1AM snuck up on us.
I was up early on Saturday, from a mixture of, I think, excitement and the fact that my body is used to getting up early for work. I was out of bed before 6:30AM and ready and willing to hit panels all day long, which I did. The first one was on the Life of An Anthology, and one of the panelists was John Robert Colombo. Now, you may be wondering why this name is important. It's because Mr. Colombo was one of the editors for Tesseracts 14, for which I sadly did not get accepted for. However, when he I got to chatting, and I introduced myself as someone who had submitted and didn't get in he asked me what I'd submitted, and he remembered it! Well, OK, he didn't remember all the details but he mentioned that he and the other editor, Brett Alexander Savory did have a discussion about it, and that Mr. Colombo graded my work as an 85. The main reason I didn't get in was that there were so many works graded at a 90 level. Still, getting an 85 out of a professional editor and creator of anthologies, not too shabby. Mr. Colombo did suggest I ask Mr. Savory about it as he might remember more, which I ended up doing on the last day of the con, and that led me to getting Mr. Savory's card and picking up a couple of books from Chizine Publications, the press he co-runs. Yeah, I'm a sucker for new books, what can I say.
I think I floated through the rest of the day. Really, I was just really blown away by how well my first submission had done. Yeah, I didn't get published, but I was a heck of a lot closer than I'd ever been, and I know my work has improved since I wrote that story. Maybe I'm not as hopeless as that small part of my brain keeps insisting I am. If I take nothing else away from the con, I'll take a renewed sense of hope that I can get my writing out there published one day.
Anyways, enough about hope and all that crap, now on to the rest of the day, or as I call it, the endless sea of panels. I don't think there was a single free moment throughout the day. In fact, there were panels I would have loved to go to booked at the same time, so I had to make choices all day long. So for Saturday and Sunday I targeted the panels that would be the most use to me as a writer, and even then I missed good ones. Oh well, just means I'll have to go next year.
Saturday night there was a launch party for Cold Magics. I ended up running into Liz from Friday night again, and found out we both went to the same university but a few years apart. Small world indeed! The party was a blast. Erik had been selling it all day long at the panels, saying there would be really good chocolate. He wasn't kidding! The chocolate was dark and had some hot pepper in it, so it had a nice bittersweet taste with a little bite at the end.
I also ended up meeting a different Liz at this party, one who is involved in running a convention out in Montreal this October. A few years ago I kept on meeting interesting women named Carrie, with a few variations on the spelling, this year it seems the name is Liz. It's been years since I've been in Montreal, and it would be nice to go to a con outside of Ontario, so I'll have to check the money situation and decide. The con sounds like it would be as much fun as Ad Astra.
Sunday was a blast as well, and I wasn't nearly as tired as I expected considering I'd only gotten 5 hours of sleep each night for the last two days. The only real negative experiences I had during the convention were on Sunday, both involving the same individual who I have now lost a lot of respect for, and that's all I intend to say on that subject. I debated mentioning it at all, but in all fairness to myself I had to put something about it out there so at least I feel better and don't have it bottled in.
Wow, this post went a lot longer than I thought it would. Final word on Ad Astra is I had fun, I'd do it again, and I have some great memories from it. The good outweighs the bad by an astounding amount.
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