Blog Without A Name

Herewith the triangulated preliminary schedule. Subject to change, please check the convention’s on-site material to verify day, time, panelists, room &c, &c.

FRIDAY

2-3 pm — Fantasy before Fantasy, SF before SF – The Odyssey, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frankenstein, Gulliver’s Travels, and Journey to the West. A look at classic works of world literature that, while not written as science fiction and fantasy, have been co-opted in the 20th and 21st centuries by speculative fiction readers and used as inspiration by the writers. Benton B
James Hollaman, Susan Satterfield, Dennis Young, Steve Miller, Issac Bell

7 pm – Opening Ceremonies

8 pm – Meet the Authors & Artists Reception

SATURDAY

10-11 am — Anne McCaffrey Memorial Panel — Discuss the life and work of one of the most award winning and influential female Scifi writers of all time. Benton B
Steve Miller, Sharon Lee, James Hollaman, Zo Leavy, Kat Donovan, Bev Hale

11 am-noon — The Good, The Bad, and the Fixable Genre writing workshops have proliferated in the last decade or so and now range from con-based three hour mini-courses to six week long marathons. Are writing workshops worthwhile for everyone? What are the warning signs you should not be a workshopper? What joys and discoveries have the panelist had for themselves or for others they’ve workshopped with? Fremont
Steve Miller, Shauna Roberts, Chris McKitterick, Lynette Burrows, Steven Gould

12-1 pm — The road to publishing — A talk with Publishers, Editors, and Authors who discuss the road to publishing along with the dead ends and potholes you might come across. Benton B
Sherry Foley, Eric Reynolds, Robert Collins, Sharon Lee, Shannon Butcher

1-2 pm – Guests of Honor session

3-4 pm – The Great Book Signing Event

5-6 pm — The Campbell Conference — Some authors are ditching the print industry all together and making a nice living off of the self publishing and novella trade for ebook. We’ll talk about the different writing styles of the two markets and why one might be more for you than another. Atlanta Ballroom
Brent Bowen, Sharon Lee, Dennis Young, David Pedersen, Steven Gould, Ursula Vernon

SUNDAY

Noon-1 pm — How hard should science fiction be? Truth told, a lot of science ficiton isn’t scientific at all, but utilizes handwavium (or Timonioum and Nonobtainium) to get the story in gear and make it run. Is today’s science fiction letting the world down? Should the writer do the math so the reader doesn’t have to? Are books that are “too sciencey” chasing readers to fantasy or online games? Freemont
Ross Hathaway, Steve Miller, Rob Chilson, Lynette Burrows

3-4 pm — PR Kicking ass in high heels: These days women can kick ass, save the world, and still have time to fall in love. But why are they still doing it in hotpants and high heels? Can heroines be a size 18 and still be beautiful? Benton B
Deb Sturgess, Cleo Hathaway, Karin Gastreich, Bev Hale, Sharon Lee

5 pm – Closing Ceremonies

When last we saw our brilliant, crime-fighting duo, they were on their way to get clocked.

I can report that the clock has been repaired and is home.  Sadly, we hung a picture the place the clock occupied for the last 12 years, and are now having a hard time identifying an appropriate expanse of wall for it to grace with its presence.

Shoulda thought of that.

In other news, I’ve finished proofing the galleys for Ghost Ship.  Given everything else (specifically, given that I had it firmly in my head that we were leaving on Thursday for Kansas City, when in truth, we must leave on Wednesday), I’m probably not going to finish “Emancipated Child” before we get on the road.  Sigh.  Yo!  Universe!  Adhere to my schedule, please.

Yeah, that’s gonna work. . .

We have gotten our preliminary schedule for ConQuest, which is why we’re traveling to Kansas City on Wednesday, because if we leave on Thursday, we miss the first day of the con. Below, is more or less where we’ll be when, and doing what.  As always, preliminary information is subject to change.

. . .which it’s going to have to do, because I see that I’m scheduled to be on a panel at the same time Steve and I are supposed to do our Guests of Honor gig, on Saturday afternoon, so I’ll reveal our schedule. . . tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Steve’s Clock needs to visit the clockmaker for a cleaning and a refrib. We have a tutoring gig in the same direction, so we can — and shall — combine errands, expecting a late return to the Cat Farm.

In the meantime, I’m half-way through the Ghost Ship galleys, and expect to finish that up on the weekend.  I still hope to be able to do the final pass through “Emancipated Child” before we leave for ConQuesT (good ghod, that’s next week!), where we’re looking forward to seeing you, and you, and. . .you!

In other news, I’ve been using Thunderbird for many years with no trouble and minimum irritation, but this new upgrade (12.0.1) can’t seem to learn what’s spam.  I spend what at least feels like a lot of time daily cleaning sugar daddy solicitations, offers of loans, and certified cures for bedbugs (are your bedbugs feeling low? ) out of my inbox, and getting more and more annoyed.  Is the level of spam up that much, or is Thunderbird not as smart as it used to be?

Speaking of mail, the snailmail just came in.  With all the exciting things that are due in to the Confusion Factory by mail, you’d think the mailperson could do a little better than a catalog and an advertiser.  Please try harder, mailperson!

Fans of Silversocks will be pleased to know that he did receive his rabies shot yesterday, and that he has gained back the weight he lost while his teeth were bothering him so much.  The vet would like to see him pack on another two or three pounds, and to that end we’ll continue to feed him up on wet food in addition to the Crunchies Ordinaire.  He’s still sniffly, and has a new round of antibiotics to take, but in general is very much improved.

…I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print.  It’s a positively gorgeous day, tree assassins notwithstanding, and we anticipate a pleasant drive to our appointments.

Hope everyone is having as stress-free a day as possible.

 

The trees of Maine have initiated their annual assassination proceedings.  The good news is, if I manage to outlast them, as I have for the last twenty-three seasons, I’m safe from their nefarious attentions for another year.

Catching up yesterday, for those who don’t do Facebook:  Steve and I arose at an Unreasonably Early Hour, went to the lab and saw the echocardiogram done.  The promise from the tech was that the doctor would read the results that day, and if there was any problem, would call us immediately.  Otherwise, we should get the results in two to three days.  (Jumping ahead — there was no immediate call from the doctor, so — yay.)

That chore out of the way, we retired to Eric’s for breakfast, thence to the post office, where a royalty check for slightly less than the cost of breakfast awaited (my last such check from Fictionwise), and finally to the grocery store.  Arriving home, I found the galleys for the Ghost Ship mass market paperback my inbox, with a turnaround time of before we leave for Kansas City next week, so that’s what I’ve been putzing along at , with frequent breaks for naps.

In my spare time, I’ve been reading The Prestige by Christopher Priest.  I can’t recall the last time the structure of a novel has annoyed me so much.  Happily, Mr. Priest writes a clean hand, so I don’t doubt I’ll finish reading, but I suspect that this may be one of those very rare cases where I prefer the movie to the novel.

Tomorrow, we again arise before dawn, this time to take Socks to the vet for his post-dental-work check-up and, hopefully, his rabies shot. We’ll return to the Metropolis later in the day to get haircuts, which,  in my case at least, is about three weeks overdue.  Got a definite hedgehog look going…

In between those two necessary events, I’ll be right here, reading galleys.

 

It’s really rocky and there are several leaps, but that’s all fixable, now that the story’s out on paper where I can see it.

Progress on “Emancipated Child”
5,296/6000 DRAFT!

So, one doctor visit, numerous phone calls, and two reviews later! The insurance will graciously allow Steve to have a diagnostic echocardiogram. Damned big of the insurance company, says I, and we’re having that done tomorrow morning early, before the mail can deliver yet another form letter, this one saying that they’ve changed their mind.

In other news, it’s damp and chilly; the zombies in charge of the Maine state government are set to pass a budget that will defund Headstart, slash MediCare funding, and gut prescription drug assistance for the elderly. The zombies will of course be making massive donations from their own bank accounts to those private sector organizations that already serve these communities, so that those in need of education and health care will not unduly suffer.

*cue laugh track*

In the broader apocalypse, Yet Another Idiot Republican is sponsoring Yet Another Idiot Idea — this one an amendment to the United State’s Census Bureau’s budget, forbidding the agency from conducting the American Community Survey, calling it “an unconstitutional breach of privacy.” A link to the data generated by this same survey can be found on YAIR’s website, because the data generated by the American Community Survey is an important tool for businesses that are trying to determine if a particular community is a good match for their business.

The stupid — the meanness — it is too much, and I am weary.

*Deep breath*

*Another deep breath*

Pursuant to our conversation of a couple days ago, it turns out that what people read really does influence them in real life. Who knew, right? Here’s the article.

Also, Teh Intertubes, which has fostered in us all a fevered need for instant gratification, is forcing some writers to write more in order to maintain their standard of living. Here’s the article. I’m not sure exactly where the one novel a year measure comes from, myself. It was said to me when I first started publishing, ‘way back in the Paleolithic, that “one novel a year was a career, but three novels a year was a living.”

And, ending on a high note, here, the Maine Marriage Equality movement got a nice boost in funding.

That’s all I have, so I’m going to go brood, now.

No, wait — I’m not.

I’m going to go finish writing a short story.

It was my stated intention today to complete “Emancipated Child,” an Archers Beach short story, in first draft. I would have had to write at least 6,000 words to have accomplished that; I only wrote slightly in excess of 2,000, and there you have it.

Contributing to the Unconscionable Delay of Progress was that I had to do research. Yes, I’m writing fiction, but I’m writing fiction set in an only slightly alternative iteration of several places that exist in real-time geography. It strikes me that I need to spend a good long day or two at the History House at Old Orchard — something to put on the list of must-dos for September. First, there was — and remains — the wretched business of the Vanished Avenue; now there’s this other thing — when did Old Orchard Beach, a created town in its own right*, gobble up Surfside?

And! For eight hundred dollars and the car! Why can’t I find any real history of Surfside on Teh Intertubes?

So, anyhow, establishing boundaries for half-imaginary towns, not to mention deciding important things like the size of its population “now” kinda chewed into the writing time.

Other than that, the project’s going well. The story flipped about three sentences in, taking a sharp left turn from the outline, gaining speed the further away it got. Typical, really.

Left turn or not, the story remains about Jason Thibodeau (pronounced TEEbow. Yes, I know. But it is. Really.), the emancipated child of the title. We meet Jason as he’s running away from his cousin Matt, who is bent on beating the crap out of him. For having gone and gotten himself emancipated, but that’s sort of beside the point.

The point. . .is that my protagonist — short, smart, ambitious, and attitudinal — is running away from a bully.

And that got me thinking about how very many science fiction and fantasy stories start with the protagonist running away from a bully, or a mob of bullies, or having come fresh from an encounter with a bully.

Bullying is a hot topic nowadays — y’all know that. I’m not saying that’s wrong; in fact, I think it’s wonderful that we’re talking about this and trying to make change.

But the thing is — science fiction and fantasy writers have been saying this for years, and years, and years — that Funny Looking Kids are bullied for no reason other than that they look funny**; that not fitting in can be a death sentence for some kids, absent a magical intervention. They’ve said it so often, and at such a pitch that it’s become a cliche.

Was no one listening?

No one?

That’s. . .rather depressing. I like to think that people can — and do — learn from stories. But, I guess if you don’t read — or if you don’t read “that trash” — or. . .

I mean, honestly — did you think we were making this stuff up?

Well.

Tomorrow’s goal is to finish “Emancipated Child” in first draft. Could be I’ll actually manage it.

——————
*Old Orchard Beach separated from Saco, Maine in 1883.

**Trust me — a girl who was six foot tall before she was twelve years old, having, in addition, a really weird and screamingly funny speech impediment? Knows something up close and personal about the treatment dished out to Funny Looking Kids.

Intruder, C.J. Cherryh (read aloud w/Steve)
Blameless, Gail Carriger (e)
Changeless, Gail Carriger (e)
The Quiet Gentleman, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Unbroken, Rachel Caine
The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Sylvester / OR, The Wicked Uncle, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Death and Resurrection, R. A. MacAvoy
The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses, Diane Duane (e)
The Reluctant Widow, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Friday’s Child, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Dragon Ship manuscript, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
Kim, Rudyard Kipling (e)
Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer (read aloud w/Steve)
Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter (e)
Chimera, Rob Thurman (e)

Today to-do
1. Laundry (towels)
2. Bake bread
3. Promo copy
4. Outline short story

The Eternal To-Do List
(numbered for ease of viewing, not necessarily in order of urgency)

1. Sort through email and Deal with various bidness and webmistressly issues addressed therein — ongoing
2. Finish transferring music onto various devices
3. Read, read, read
4. Schedule follow-up vet visit and rabies shot for Socks
5. Buy tire(s) for Binjali; re-inspect
6. Carousel Tides t-shirt
7. Turn in novel proposals (3) to Madame the Editor
8. ConQuesT — May 25-27
9. Record word lists first two books (at this point, we’re guessing the “first two books” are Agent of Change and Fledgling) — June 10 (approx)
10. Interview at WERU Writers Forum with Joan Clemens & Ellie O’Leary, June 14, 10 a.m.
11. June 15 — quarterly taxes due
12. July — Excise tax due — both vehicles
13. Turn in short story to Baen — July 1
14. Turn in Trade Secret — July 15
15. Prep and write Carousel Sun, and Carousel Seas, due early and mid 2013
16. Get Liaden Weird Word lists onto web
17. Stage Two feasibility study: bathroom remodel
18. September 4 – October 4 Lee on-site at Archers Beach
19. Ongoing — locate new site for Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.
20. Finalize 2013 travel, if any

Things to be done in-between the things to be done:
1. Autograph 1,000 pages
2. Proofread galleys: Ghost Ship mmp, Dragon Ship hardcover
3. Write new stories for Splinter Universe