MiniCON schedule (Tate/Lyda)

If any of you ever wonder why I capitalize the end of MiniCON, it's because if I just type "Minicon" my autocorrect instantly changes it to Minion. Which is, as it happens, a very different thing.

It is also possible that some of you don't know that I will be one of the literary guests of honor at MiniCON this year. I will be sharing that honor with Rachel Swirsky.


My schedule for this weekend is, as follows:

Friday 5:30 PM

Is this the cyberpunk future we were promised?

We never got that future full of flying cars and jetpacks, but we do seem to have quietly arrived at a cyberpunk dystopia: ruled by oligarchs, everyone using their cyberdecks to be online all the time, massive surveillance, bodymods commonplace, AIs seem to be lurking on the fringes...  How different are futures in William Gibson's Sprawl or Lyda Morehouse's Archangel Protocol series from what we have now?

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Greg L. Johnson (m), Eric Heideman, Aaron Coker, Lyda Morehouse

Friday 7:00 PM

Opening Ceremonies

Welcome to the convention! Meet the Guests of Honor, get the crucial information you'll need to survive the next 3 days.

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Toni Brust (m), Kevin Austin, Lyda Morehouse, Emily Stewart, Rachel Swirsky

Friday 8:30 PM

I am not Chuck Tingle

'Doctor Chuck Tingle, a taekwondo grandmaster from Billings, Montana, who acquired a PhD in holistic massage at DeVry University (which does not offer such a degree), was the clear savior of the 2015 Hugo award, and continues to be a delight. Dr. Tingle has yet to make a public appearance, and speculations about identity are easy to come by. Several people we know have brilliant theories about who Chuck Tingle is. Some of them may even BE Chuck Tingle.

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Rick Snyder (m), Terry Hughes, Lyda Morehouse, Rachel Swirsky, Steven Brust

Saturday 10:00 AM

Kaffeeklatsch with Lyda Morehouse

A small group meets with the GoH in an informal setting to share a beverage and friendly conversation. Attendance is limited - signup sheets at registration.

Bar

Lyda Morehouse

Saturday 1:00 PM

GoH Interview - Lyda Morehouse and Tate Hallaway

Tate Hallaway (in puppet format) and Lyda Morehouse (in human format) interview each other. Tate has the best sellers, Lyda has the awards.  Sometimes they don't like each other a lot, so Naomi Kritzer will referee.

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Naomi Kritzer (m), Laura Krentz (puppeteer), Lyda Morehouse

Saturday 4:00 PM

Combining the Mystery/Detective Genre with SF

Although humanity changes very slowly, in the future the methods used to commit crime and enforce laws will certainly change. What elements of detective fiction make for satisfying science fiction? What elements of science fiction make for satisfying mysteries? In the cold world of cyberpunk, does justice usually prevail?

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Scott Jamison (m), CJ Mills, Ellen Kuhfeld, Lyda Morehouse, Dan Rosen

Saturday 5:30 PM

We Suck - Winning Through Losing

Guest of Honors share tales of mistakes and challenges that they have had, how valuable they are as lessons, and the hilarity that ensued.

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Rick Snyder (m), Lyda Morehouse, Rachel Swirsky

Saturday 7:00 PM

The Meaning of Captain America

Captain America has always stood for things that are actually good about the US: caring about the oppressed, working to make society fairer, doing the right thing. How has that vision changed over the course of Cap's history? How is recent politics affecting what Captain America means now?

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Eric Heideman (m), Lyda Morehouse, Scott Jamison

Sunday 10:00 AM

This Will End Well

Sometimes a long-running series ends with just the right notes, wrapping up enough loose ends but not too many, in a way that satisfies all the fans. But there are many examples of endings that have been muddled, controversial, or downright bad: the BSG series reboot; Mass Effect 3; the 2001 Planet of the Apes movie; maybe Evangelion... How can writers avoid messing up endings? What can fans do when endings go wrong anyway?

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Beth Kinderman (m), Joy Johnson, Lyda Morehouse, Scott Jamison, Tanya Brody

Sunday 1:00 PM

Angels in Literature

In Greek mythology, Daedalus constructs wings for his son Icarus, to mimic angels in flight. In cyberpunk, man has constructed electronic angels, free from those pesky laws of physics. What defines an angel? How do angels in SF differ from the classical treatment of angels? How are they similar? What attracts writers and readers to this trope? And what would Milton think?

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Rick Snyder (m), Ruth Berman, Kate Brady, Lyda Morehouse, Steven Brust

Sunday 2:30 PM

Bladerunners [contains Spoilers]

Many people think that Bladerunner is the best sf film ever made. At long last we have a sincere sequel. Did they get it right?

Park 2

Greg Larsen (m), Eric Heideman, Lyda Morehouse, Nico Johnson

Sunday 4:00 PM

Closing Ceremonies

Minicon is the only convention that closes with a traditional assassination.  Don't be late or you might miss it.

Park 1 (Mainstage)

Toni Brust (m), Kevin Austin, Lyda Morehouse, Emily Stewart, Rachel Swirsky

Please note that my interview with Tate Hallaway includes a PUPPETEER. Why, you wonder? Oh, because I joking said, "Ha ha, wouldn't be great if I answered as Tate with a sock puppet??" and fandom being what it is was like "ha ha, we'll do you one better!" AND LEGITIMATELY MADE A MUPPET OF ME. YOU GUYS! A MUPPET.

I hope to heck someone films this.

MarsCON 2018 Schedule

Roundtable Discussion: What are You Reading?
3 Eagle's Nest - Re(a)d Mars — Friday 09:00 pm

Readers talk about written words—especially, though not exclusively, speculative fiction—that they're enjoying and that they think you might enjoy, too. Print and electronic works are both welcome.
With: Lyda Morehouse, Bryan Thao Worra, and You, Gentle Reader!


Marvel Cinematic Universe
Room 1117 - Krushenko's — Saturday 11:00 am

Catch up on all Marvel films and TV shows.
With: Tony Artym, mod.; Rob Callahan, Aaron Grono, Lyda Morehouse, Kiana Williams

The Manhwa / Manhua Explosion
4 Hawk's Ridge - Anime/YA — Saturday 03:00 pm

Manga is so yesterday. All the cool kids are now reading manhwa and manhua, manga's Korean and Chinese cousins (respectively.) This panel will introduce people to some of the fun new titles out there and where to get them.
With: Lyda Morehouse, mod.


Writing Humorous Science Fiction/Fantasy

Room 1117 - Krushenko's — Saturday 07:00 pm

On the pitfalls and pleasures of combining these two distinctive writing forms.

With: MaryJanice Davidson, Roy C. Booth, mod.; Melissa Buren, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse, S.N. Arly

Androids, AI, And Gender Theory
3 Eagle's Nest - Re(a)d Mars — Sunday 01:00 pm

Androids & AI in sci-fi disrupt the idea of a gender binary and play with gender fluidity in a way that implies gender is not essential or passive but a construct in which one must actively participate. How do these narratives translate to other contexts.
With: Michelle Chmura, mod.; Justin Grays, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse


Artificial People in Science Fiction
3 Eagle's Nest - Re(a)d Mars — Sunday 02:00 pm

This is about biological people, enhanced or otherwise, who are not conceived and gestated in the normal way. From "Frankenstein" through "Rossman's Universal Robots," "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and "Friday" this has been the topic of many classic, and not so classic, science fiction stories. Why are authors drawn to this idea? Is there any real word reason for artificial people?
With: G. David Nordley, mod.; Justin Grays, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse, Kathryn Sullivan


---
THIS WEEKEND: March 2 -4, 2018

MaryJanice Davidson will be a guest! The hotel will be: Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America3800 American Blvd E., Bloomington, Minnesota

For more information: https://marscon.org/2018/index.php

Cyberpunk Podcast (Featuring me!)

Over the weekend, I went to see "Blade Runner 2049" by myself at 10:15 pm on Saturday night. I hate seeing movies by myself. I actually ended up at the wrong theater--I'd pre-purchased tickets for Inver Grove Heights, but apparently, despite living here for decades, I don't actually know the suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and I ended up in Oakdale. I guess I just thought "Oh, yeah, that nice theatre with the comfy recliners" and I drove to the wrong one on automatic pilot. "Blade Runner 2049" wasn't even showing there, so I had to decide whether to race across town to try to get to the place I'd paid for, or, to head off to somewhere closer in order to not miss any of it. I opted for not missing anything, because some months ago, I agreed to talk to the folks over at Just Enough Trope about the movie. So I ended up at a super late show, in IMAX. I'm not a big fan of the IMAX experience. I'm old, so I often find it too loud and the screen is so big that sometimes I feel like it's impossible to take everything in properly.

But, I saw it and we recorded my part of the podcast on Sunday afternoon.

I'm listening to the podcast right now, for the first time, and I don't sound too stupid. http://justenoughtrope.com/2017/10/09/237-sexbot-boobie-business/ They edited me a little, but not a lot, so you get me in my most rambling, interrupting myself glory. The podcast itself is surprisingly long. I talked to them for about an hour, and almost all of that is there. But, the conversation is interesting (at least I thought so both at the time and listening now.) We get into some interesting things about cyberpunk and the questions of humanity that it often plays with. If you get a chance, check it out and see what you think of it. On the Just Enough Trope page, they list the time stamp for when my interview/conversation starts, so you can just jump to that. Though I listened to the front matter, just to hear the context.

I'm in the New QSF Anthology!

QSF has a new book out, the latest in our series of flash fiction anthologies:

Re.new.al (noun)

1) Resuming an activity after an interruption, or
2) Extending a contract, subscription or license, or
3) Replacing or repairing something that is worn out, run-down, or broken, or
4) Rebirth after death.

Four definitions to spark inspiration, a limitless number of stories to be conceived. Only 110 made the cut.

Thrilling to hopeful, Renewal features 300-word speculative fiction ficlets about sexual and gender minorities to entice readers.

Welcome to Renewal.

Mischief Corner Books (info only) | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

---

Excerpt

Because these stories are only 300 words each, we’re not supplying long excerpts, but here are the first lines of several of the stories. Enjoy!

“Griselda pulled the weeds from between the rows of Valerianella locusta plants in the garden, careful not to disturb the buds that would grow into the babies that were her only real income-producing crop.” —The Witches’ Garden, by Rie Sheridan Rose

“I didn’t know how truly the world was in trouble until I went journeying to look for Anisette’s bluebonnets.” —Bluebonnets, by Emily Horner

“The ship’s drive malfunctioned at the worst possible time.” —The Return, by Andrea Speed

“Before we continue, there’s a rather macabre fact about me I should share.” —Rejuvenation, by Christine Wright

“When I died they buried me at the bottom of the garden and returned to the fields.” —Below the Hill, by Matthew Bright

“The world is ending and I can’t look away from your eyes.” —Sunrise, by Brigitte Winter

““Losing one’s superpowers to your arch nemesis sucks donkey nuts, I tell ya. And trust me when I say I suck a lot of them.” —Rainbow Powers, by Dustin Karpovich

“The day I was born again was damp, rainy—a good day for rebirth, all things considered.” —The Birthing Pod, by Michelle Browne

“Intwir's twelve eyes roved over the container, taking in the cracked outer lock and the elasticated fabric stretched tightly over its exterior.” —In a Bind, by S R Jones

“‘You’ve reached Androgyne HelpLine. Press one to start service. Press two to interrupt or cancel service. Press three—’” —Auto-Renew, by Ginger Streusel

“The doctor tells me that my wife is dying, but I already know.” —I Will Be Your Shelter, by Carey Ford Compton

“‘San Francisco was the first to go dark, followed by Los Angeles.’” —When Light Left, by Lex Chase

“My fingers lingered on the synthetic skin, trailing soft patterns across my work.” —Miss You, by Stephanie Shaffer

---

Included Authors

'Nathan Burgoine
A.M. Leibowitz
A.M. Soto
Abby Bartle
Aidee Ladnier
Alexis Woods
Andi Deacon
Andrea Felber Seligman
Andrea Speed
Andrea Stanet
Anne McPherson
Bey Deckard
Brigitte Winter
Carey Ford Compton
Carol Holland March
Carrie Pack
Catherine Lundoff
CB Lee
Christine Wright
Colton Aalto
Daniel Mitton
Dustin Blottenberger
Dustin Karpovich
E R Zhang
E.J. Russell
E.W. Murks
Ell Schulman
Ellery Jude
Eloreen Moon
Elsa M León
Emily Horner
Eric Alan Westfall
F.T. Lukens
Fenrir Cerebellion
Foster Bridget Cassidy
Ginger Streusel
Hannah Henry
Irene Preston
J. Alan Veerkamp
J. P. Egry
J. Summerset
J.S. Fields
Jaap Boekestein
Jackie Keswick
Jana Denardo
Jeff Baker
Jenn Burke
Joe Baumann
John Moralee
Jon Keys
Jude Dunn
K.C. Faelan
Kelly Haworth
Kiterie Aine
Kristen Lee
L M Somerton
L. Brian Carroll
L.M. Brown
L.V. Lloyd
Laurie Treacy
Leigh M. Lorien
Lex Chase
Lia Harding
Lin Kelly
Lloyd A. Meeker
Lyda Morehouse
M.D. Grimm
Martha J. Allard
Mary E. Lowd
Matt Doyle
Matthew Bright
Mia Koutras
Michelle Browne
Milo Owen
Mindy Leana Shuman
Naomi Tajedler
Natsuya Uesugi
Nephy Hart
Nicole Dennis
Ofelia Gränd
Patricia Scott
Paul Stevens
PW Covington
R R Angell
R.L. Merrill
Rebecca Cohen
Redfern Jon Barrett
Reni Kieffer
Richard Amos
RL Mosswood
Robyn Walker
Rory Ni Coileain
Rose Blackthorn
Ross Common
S R Jones
Sacchi Green
Sarah Einstein
Shilo Quetchenbach
Siri Paulson
Soren Summers
Stephanie Shaffer
Steve Fuson
Tam Ames
Terry Poole
Tray Ellis
Vivien Dean
Wendy Rathbone
Xenia Melzer
Zen DiPietro
Zev de Valera

Blinded by Science!

I think I blasted this out on all my social media, but I failed to mention it here.... Mason's "Wind Energy Team" participated in the Minnesota Renewable Energy Challenge a few weeks ago, and their team qualified to go to the NATIONAL competition in Anaheim, California. This is a pretty cool deal. Not only did these kids have to design and build a working windmill, but they also had to do an on-the-fly design and build challenge at the competition. Mason reported to me that their on-the-fly windmill actually successfully picked up ALL the washers.

Go, SCIENCE!

These are our future engineers, my friends!

The only problem is that Washington Tech is not a rich school. The kids are required to fundraise 100% of the travel expenses. Added pressure is that the principal won't start the paperwork (which has a deadline of May 1) until they've raised a "significant" amount. Thanks to a lot of big donations (that biggest one is from us, because Shawn and I decided that we would have otherwise funded Mason's travel, so we should just go ahead an donate what we would have paid), they're getting REAAAAAAALLLLLY close to halfway. I'm fairly certain that the principal would accept half as "significant," but we don't know.

Thing is, there's no need to break the bank. Every little bit helps. So, if you've got a spare dollar or five dollars for science these kids would really, really appreciate it.

Even if you DON'T have a spare buck, you should check out their GoFundMe page, anyway, and watch the video to check out the cool stuff they're up to. The narrator is Mason's friend Rosemary, and you can see Mason in several of the shots (hint: the white dude.)

https://www.gofundme.com/help-send-us-to-kidwind-nationals

Another Day Where it Looks Like Rain...

...but it probably won't.

The last few days have been very dreary. There's been cloud cover and cold, moist winds that smell like rain. Yesterday, it actually sprinkled for all of ten minutes (it even thundered), but when all was said and done, it was a very lackluster show of moisture. I think my plants would really like some wet. If it's going to be dark and stormy-looking, I wish it would just commit to the idea.

Weather people are saying it might actually snow. Of course, it'll do THAT, now that every Minneapolitan/Saint Paulie spent the weekend uncovering their various gardens. My luck, the snow will kill the few things that have managed to sprout in my otherwise dead yard.

I think this is the year I give up on grass. I've been trying to re-grass the top of our hill, under our maple tree for the last couple of years. I usually have pretty decent luck getting grass to sprout, but it never manages to really take hold and survive the winter. I think it's time to look at a shade garden for the top of the hill. Ferns and hostas and stuff like that.

Usually, my biggest hold up for projects like this is money. Hostas are surprisingly expensive. Plants, in general. So, if you're local to me and you hear about plant sales/giveaways please let me know. I think this week I might go to Menards some dirt and start prepping the area. Somewhere in this house we still have a gift certificate someone gave us to Gerten's. I might have to make a trip out there soon to see what they have that might work under the tree.

In other, possibly more exciting news, I'm doing a reading tonight at Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis from 7 pm to 8 pm. I'm going to be part of a group that's reading from the anthology we were all published in: BOUNDARIES WITHOUT: The Calument Editions 2017 Anthology of Speculative Fiction (link is to the Kindle edition, but it's also available in paperback). It's sometimes tough to find parking in Uptown, but I usually park in the ramp there behind the square or whatever it's called. Should be a good night. I hope to see some of you there.

For some reason Magers & Quinn could not get copies of PRECINCT 13 to sell, so if you go, you might want to ask them to order a few copies and/or bring your own for me to sign. This has been happening to me a lot--where I agree to be at various venues, and the book purchasers say that they can't get my most recent publication. The first time this happened, I discovered it was because SONG OF SECRETS was showing up as my latest release. That book has been completely pulled by the publisher for various and sundry reasons. But, even when I underscore to bookstore people that, no, please get my most recent Penguin release, they can't seem to manage it. I don't really understand why not. From what I can tell, all my romance books are still available. It's concerning. I suppose I should see if I can order some from Penguin for myself to sell (because that's what Magers & Quinn wanted me to do--bring my own for them to sell on commission, but I don't normally keep my own books around, since they SHOULD be easy to order.)

On the other hand, maybe my lack of other books will inspire more listeners to buy a copy of the anthology. I'll look at it that way. Besides, I suspect that a lot of people who know me have already bought their copies of Precinct 13 some time ago. :-)

Hold my Beer, People are Wrong on the Internet (again)

I jumped into the fray on FB because I just couldn't take it any more.

A friend of mine posted a link to this article: Bashing Romance Novels is Just Another Form of Slut-Shaming. I skimmed it, because anyone who has professionally published romance, like I have, has been there, done that... and had to do it again in the comment field.

I don't know why romance garners such hatred.

Actually, I do, but I don't like to think about the fact that readers, even other women, will happily poo-poo romance as 'not real writing' because it's predominately women writing for a largely female audience--and, yeah, it's just like this author says, it's worse than that because women's sexuality is involved. I gave up going to WisCON partly because I got really sick of having to defend my writing as worthy. I think certain women really hate on romance because they fear it's everything strong, smart women are supposed to eschew. It apes the patriarchy and only lonely, white women of a certain age, sitting at home in their aprons, read romances.

Not true.

Plus, everyone knows romance novels are just bad writing, right? They're just full of lines like "her velvety womanhood" and his "thrusting manhood."

Yeah, I won't deny these phrases EXISTED (in 1973), but they're _just_ not that popular in 2017 (BECAUSE THEY WERE MERCILESSLY MOCKED IN 1974). The truth is simple. Most romance readers want what all readers want: a good book devoid of overly purple prose. Yes, I have to write about body parts, but most romances fall into the "hot" category, which is sexual but NOT EXPLICIT. It's not erotica, people. You actually have to go into another section of your bookstore to find that stuff, okay?

Speaking of bad writing, someone ALWAYS has to bring up "the formula."

This insistence that all romances are written to a formula provided by the publisher is a big part of disrespect. I'm sure this formula exists (or, more likely EXISTED) somewhere. HOWEVER, even now, Harlequin has to post on its web site, that, NO, THERE IS NO FORMULA, outside of genre expectations (i.e. a romance should, you know, have person a meeting person b and falling in love). Sorry, folks, but you're expected to write a good book--an original, creative book, with plot and characters--JUST LIKE A REAL WRITER.

Because, guess what? Romance writing is real writing.

Look, I get it. I used to be the same way. When writing science fiction novels, I would occasionally mutter, "OMG, this is so HARD, I should give it all up and just write romances!" Because I believed it, too. I believed that, somehow, romance was easier to write because it was just silly hack work. Smut. Fun sexy times with no plot beyond slot b and tab a.

Yeah, no.

Writing romances is just as hard writing any other book. There is no formula to follow. No editor anywhere (outside of maybe a satirical publisher) wants a character, made of cardboard and Fabio hair, named "Lance Thrustsalot." If you "read that somewhere" it was likely on a porn site or possibly in an article published in 1973. (I blame everything on 1973; it was a bad year.)

I had to come up with all of it when I proposed and wrote my nine romance novels. All of them, too, I put just as much blood, sweat, and tears into as I did any other writing. I don't know if I can express how much I hate this stereotype, because it completely and utterly devalues the work I did and the books I'm proud to have written.

OMG, just stop already. Don't make me come in there.

EVENT: Panel Discussion at AZ Gallery tonight (Jan 17)

Tonight I'm going to be at a panel discussion about "Women in SF and Writing Female Characters" with fellow writers Victorya Crane and Abra Staffin-Wiebe at the AZ Gallery in Lowertown at 7-9 PM TONIGHT (January 17, 2017).

The AZ Gallery is located at: 308 Prince St, Suite 130, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101

For more information check out the event's Facebook Page.

A good book and a good cause

 I contributed to Jim Hines' on-going fundraiser for Transgender Michigan, one of the only transgender helplines in the country that's 24/7. If you've been wanting to try Resurrection Code but never got around to buying a copy, now you can do it AND support a good cause!

http://www.jimchines.com/2016/12/tgm-fundraiser-morehouse/

As an FYI, there are very few physical copies of this book left. The publisher shipped me the remaining stock after the book went out of print. It also features a trans character. I know a lot of my readers bought this book when it came out, but like I say, this is a chance to help out a worthy charity as well!

I Finally Slept... You?

Last night I had plans to go to a board-gaming gathering of friends. Somewhere after an early dinner, I felt my body start to crash. It's been several days since I slept well, and while I really, really wanted to go to do something fun and get hugs and support from likeminded people I decided it was sincerely SAFER for me to stay home.

I took a long, hot bath. I found a book on my Kindle to read.

I slept for almost 12 hours.

One of the things that has been killing me is this profound sense of helplessness. Me and many of my friends don't know what we can even do. I don't have a lot of money to give to organizations, but I did have a little in my PayPal account and so I made a donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center yesterday. I've determined that I need to find a local progressive organization and volunteer my time and energy this year. I've had several people offer to help me get back into my martial arts, and I'm going to take them up on it because I need to take care of my body, too.

But, the other thing that really, surprisingly helped was reading. Being able to find something that took my mind away from my fears and my anger and my hopelessness was profoundly helpful, soothing. So I feel like, even as I take to the streets, I can't forget art. Art needs to be consumed/enjoyed, but it also needs to continue to be produced. Now, I feel, more than ever.

This next week I'm going to find a place to volunteer and I'm going to write.

How are you doing?

Random Acts of Violence

Last night I had a reading at Magers & Quinn in Uptown. I kind of wanted to bail on the whole thing, of course. Like a lot of people I know, I spent much of yesterday breaking out into uncontrolled sobbing. But, we were talking about Women in Science Fiction and I'd made a promise. Moreover, the bookstore had made a concerted effort to have my books available and so I didn't want to let anyone down.

I didn't think anyone would come. Most of us are so shattered and the topic seemed so... I mean, as I was telling friends of mine earlier, I was feeling so beaten down that I was afraid that all I would manage was to burst into tears an say, "Why bother!? Misogyny won!" But, again, I thought, no, this is important. I need to do this. Besides, it's just a reading. If no one comes we can go to the bar and cry.

But people came.

I was supposed to meet my fellow panelists early at a nearby restaurant, but with traffic, my mood, and everything else, I didn't manage it. So I ended up at Magers & Quinn early and watched people come in. One of the first was a friend of mine from fandom, Sybil, who was still leaking tears as she talked about friends of hers who were seriously considering suicide. I had no words. We all feel so hopeless. But, I offered a hug and my sympathy.

By the time we started, the house was actually packed. It was standing room only as we started to tentatively talk about what it's like being a woman writing in a predominantly male dominated field. I talked about my added issues as a queer writer. We were sharing "war stories."

Out of the blue, in the back of the audience sharp words were exchanged. A chair went sliding. Someone got shoved into the stacks. I heard a sickening, wet-crunch of a punch being thrown. Everyone was so shocked it took a minute to even understand what was happening, but then people dialed 9-1-1, some guys rushed back to break up the violence. The aggressors stalked out with threats of "we'll see you outside." To which we responded, with, "No, we're calling the cops." No one knows what started it. Maybe a fight over a chair offered? Maybe thugs looking for PoC to beat up on? But the aggressors didn't seem particularly white (I would have said they were Hispanic, but they did not read as white, regardless), and they punched a white guy....? Were they looking for a white guy to hit (weird place given that everyone there were allies and the room was very much dominated by women and several other PoCs, including the victim's wife and children)? What hell happened? It was crazy. Beyond crazy to surreal.

I have never attended a reading/panel discussion that broke out into violence before in my life. I can only assume that this random violence was the angry version of my random tears. Something uncontrollable, volatile, hopeless. It might have been an attack on PoCs/queers/women, but what weird place to go looking for us! Why chose a bookstore when Uptown is full of taverns and clubs?

But what is even more astounding to me is that the reading went on.

After the aggressors stalked out, the cops called, the victim tended to... we went on. People stayed. No only did they stay, but we managed to talk about why what we're doing is important. People listened, people spoke, people asked questions... I cried randomly once, but we also managed--AFTER ALL THAT--to laugh, all of us, together.

I can't even begin to really process or understand what happened, but, despite how awful it was, we went on, you know? One step at time. One moment at a time. And we found a way to survive. More than that, we survived and thrived, together.

Event: November 9 at 7 pm at Magers & Quinn

If you're looking for something to do the day after the elections, maybe something to compel you to pull yourself from your blanket fort, you can come and see me at Magers & Quinn.

At 7 pm on Wednesday, Nov 9, I will be part of a panel discussion on women in SF/F. 

Come and see me! There will be other authors there such as Kelly Barnhill, Victorya Chase, and Abra Staffin-Wiebe!

New Anthology

My short story "Everything in Its Place" is collected in a new anthology by Calumet Press: Boundaries Without...

Gaylaxicon Schedule

FRIDAY, OCT 7

9: 30 PM -- Writing Romance and Erotica, Courtyard 1


SATURDAY, OCT 8

10:30 PM -- Yaoi/Yuri: Manga for Queers, Terrace 4

12:00 AM -- Midnight Slash, 1-3 Main stage


SUNDAY, OCT 9

11:00 AM -- Queering Canon, Courtyard 1

3:30 PM -- LGBTQ marriage and families, Courtyard 1

Info on Gaylaxicon can be found here: http://www.gaylaxicon2016.org

Fallen Host Audio Book

I'm continuing to have ACX voice actor, Jack Evans, read and record my science fiction AngeLINK series.  They've just finished the second book, Fallen Host, which is now available for purchase at Audible, or wherever fine audiobooks are sold: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Fallen-Host-Audiobook/B01JQCXSW4

WorldCON Schedule

Since all the cool kids are posting theirs, here's my MidAmericaCon II / WorldCON schedule:

Wednesday Aug 17, 2016
7:00 PM
The Interstices of Historical and Fanfiction 1 hour | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2204
Lyda Morehouse | Dr. Heather Urbanski (Fitchburg State University) | Ms Sumana Harihareswara | Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Historical fiction is a work of literature, comic, film, or television program set in the past. Fanfiction is a work of fiction produced by fans for fans, using famous people or source texts as their inspiration. Frequently the worlds overlap. Let's discuss the overlaps, benefits, and pitfalls of working in these genres. The overlaps include writing fanfiction about historical fiction, setting fanfiction in an alternative universe by placing the narrative in a different historical era, fanworks about real-life historical figures (Historical RPF), or historical fanworks -- any fanwork set in the past.

Thursday Aug 18, 2016
12:00 PM
What is a Fan Writer? 1 hour | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2206
Lyda Morehouse | Rich Lynch | Mr. Guy Lillian | Foz Meadows | Goldeen Ogawa | Teresa Nielsen Hayden
What we mean when we say: Fan Writer. Is it a professional writer doing some work for free? Is it a way of life? Some say that the internet made us all fan writers. What does (and doesn't) this term encompass, is it a tradition, and how has the interpretation changed over the years?

Thursday Aug 18, 2016
10:00 PM
Anime Stories to Watch in the Dark 1 hour | 10:00 PM -11:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2504B
Lyda Morehouse | Mr. John Wiswell
When one hears "anime", horror may not be the first thing to come to mind. This panel might change that. Don't be scared, and join us as we explore horror in anime.

Friday Aug 19, 2016
11:00 AM
Living in a Cyberpunk Society 1 hour | 11:00 AM -12:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2208
Catherine Lundoff | Takayuki Tatsumi | Lyda Morehouse | Allan Dyen-Shapiro | Ms Pat Cadigan
We may not be able to jack in directly, but we are part of the Cyberfuture. When technology thrives but society decays, seemingly dystopic worlds arise. To what extent is our world a cyberpunk universe and what more can we expect to happen to take us there?

Friday Aug 19, 2016
1:00 PM
Autographing: Jeanette Epps, Alex Jablokow, Lyda Morehouse, Lawrence M. Schoen, Mary A. Turzillo 1 hour | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, Autographing Space
Jeanette Epps | Alex Jablokow | Lyda Morehouse | Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen | Dr. Mary A. Turzillo Ph.D.

Saturday Aug 20, 2016
10:00 AM
Complexity of Character: Coming Out in Teen Spec Fic 1 hour | 10:00 AM -11:00 AM, Kansas City Convention Center, 3501B
Catherine Lundoff | Mark Oshiro (Mark Does Stuff) | Lyda Morehouse | Jaylee James
Young adult speculative fiction is doing a fairly good job of featuring a diverse and varied cast of characters, but books that feature LGBT, asexual, and nonbinary characters are still not always easy to find. Let’s talk about what books and characters are out there, and what themes and identities are still underrepresented in YA SF? What challenges do spec fic authors face when writing and publishing books about teen sexuality and love? Beyond the main characters, what roles do the secondary and tertiary characters play in helping to advance the conversation about teen sexuality?

Saturday Aug 20, 2016
12:00 PM
Comics on the Small Screen 1 hour | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2503B
Terrence Miltner | Melissa F. Olson | Pete Balestrieri (University of Iowa) | Mr Lee Harris | Lyda Morehouse
From Batman in the 60s to The Incredible Hulk in the 70s to The Flash, Jessica Jones and Supergirl, we do love our superheroes on the box. But why do some comic heroes make a successful transition to the small screen and others tank on arrival, or even before?

Saturday Aug 20, 2016
1:00 PM
Representation in Comic Books: From Absences to Affirmatives 1 hour | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 3501B
Anna Raftery (TAFF) | Ms Sumana Harihareswara | Lyda Morehouse | Bill Campbell (Rosarium Publishing)
Bitch Planet gives us a larger woman who is proud of her body, the Lumberjanes show queer teenage romance, Hawkeye is deaf, and yet Oracle was ejected from her wheelchair and became Batgirl again, echoed in the TV series Arrow, where Felicity Smoak was 'fixed' by science. Our panel discusses representation within comics, where we are succeeding, how representation is moving forward, and where it still needs to avoid harmful stereotyping, assumptions or tokenism.

Saturday Aug 20, 2016
5:00 PM
Yaoi and Yuri: Japanese Graphic Romance 1 hour | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Kansas City Convention Center, 2205
Lyda Morehouse | Lauren Schiller | Jaylee James
*The nature of this session may result in adult themes being discussed.*
Fans of manga, graphic novels, romances, and LGBT characters – come learn about yaoi and yuri; terms for manga about m/m and f/f romance, respectively. This introductory session discusses where you should start. We also discuss some of the debates around the representation of gay characters in these comics, and the wider impact of these manga.

CONvergence Schedule

totally forgot to post this anywhere. But if you're at CONvergence this weekend, here's where you can find me:

SATURDAY, JULY 2

11 am - DoubleTree Atrium 2 - "Remembering the Phantom Tollbooth": Norton Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth" is full of word play you may not have caught when you read it as a child. Let's discuss the book through an adult's eyes. Panelists: Lis Morton, David Schwartz, Joel Arnold, Paul Weimer, Lyda Morehouse (mod).

2 pm - DoubleTree Atrium 2 - "Non-Network Original Content" : Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon are all releasing original content, some of it taking us in interesting directions in sci-fi and fantasy. Will online original content soon make networks obsolete? Panelists: Alex Musial, Matt Gamble, Lyda Morehouse, Grace Ulak.

8:30 pm - DoubleTree Bloomington - "Jessica Jones" : The Netflix original series presents arguably the most complex, nuanced Marvel character to date in the antihero Jessica Jones. Join us to discuss season 1 of Jessica Jones and what we expect and hope for from season 2. Panelists: Keane Amdahl (mod), David Schwartz, Olivia James, Grace Ulak, Lyda Morehouse.


11:30 pm - DoubleTree Atrium 6 - "Animation Blue" : The air might turn blue as you listen to these miscreants talk smut about some of our favorite animated characters. Panelists: Greg Weisman, Khary Payton, Christopher Jones, Lyda Morehouse, Jenna Powers.


SUNDAY, JULY 3

11 am - DoubleTree Atrium 2 - "Filled with Determination" : Want to squeal/sob about your favorite Undertale characters, plotlines, and secrets? Want to talk about how queerness and nonbinary gender is represented in the game? Have cool theories to share? Bring all your determination to this panel! Panelists: Allyson Cygan, Lyda Morehouse, Jason Thibeault (mod), Luxander Pond, Anna Besmann.

2 pm - Crowne Plaza U - "Starblazers" : Space Battleship Yamato/Argo is one of the iconic vehicles of science fiction anime. We will be looking at the classic series, the dub, the movies, and the remakes. We might even have a singalong of the American theme song!

Upcoming signing/event June 11th

I'm going to be signing books as part of of this multi-bookstore event at the Mall of America's Barnes & Noble on Saturday, June 11 from 1 - 2 PM.  If you're local you should stop in or check out some of the other amazing events happening that weekend: http://twincitiesgeek.com/2016/05/barnes-noble-is-celebrating-teen-books-with-a-new-three-day-festival/

New Audible Book Available

Archangel Protocol is now available as an audio book: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Archangel-Protocol-Audiobook/B01FEI3EIM/

This is actually a project I undertook myself with the help of a voice actor recommended to me by a friend, Jack Evans. Jack produced the book via ACX, which is audible's creative exchange program (and was a big subject of panels at this year's SFWA Nebula Conference, which I've just returned from.)

At any rate, if audible books are your thing, you should be able to find it at all your favorite places to buy audible books including iTunes, Amazon.com, and, of course, Audible (as linked above.)

Upcoming Reading (April 27)

So, if you're local to the Twin Cities, I'm going to be at Dreamhaven Books & Comics tomorrow night starting at 6:30 pm. I'll be there not just for shopping (though I'm sure I'll do some of that), but also to read to anyone who shows up from Sidhe Promised (my newest release from Tapas Media) as well as my current work-in-progress.

It'd be cool if you could come.

BRAND NEW BOOK OUT TODAY!

So... I have a brand-new book out!  It's called Sidhe Promised, and it's available through https://tapas.io

The way Tapas Media works is that you download their free app, and then, from there, you can sample all of the novels and other works they have available. Search for me, and you should be able to start reading right away!

"I'm a dyke, not a fairy!"

"When a lesbian college student is magically transported to a fairy-tale Ireland full of mythic creatures, mystery and intrigue, she discovers the boundary-crossing nature of love that respects not the limits of gender or sexuality."

MarsCON, Late Addition

Yeah, so... I nearly entirely forgot about MarsCON this year. But, I was saved, last minute, by the lovely and talented Eric Heideman and Krushenko's programming. So, here's my MarsCON schedule:


SATURDAY, MARCH 5

10:00-10:50 AM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: WHAT DO YOU LIKE (AND DISLIKE) ABOUT WRITING? Writers discuss what they like and dislike about the process of writing. Some writers love first drafts and hate revising. Others like the third draft much better. With: Eleanor Arnason, mod.; G. David Lordly (and now me)

NOON-12:50 PM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE Catch up on all of Marvel films and TV shows. With: Tony Artym, mod.; Aaron Grono, David J Schwartz, (and now me)

4:00-4:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: DYSTOPIA VS. UTOPIA VS. JUST DIFFERENT Sometimes dystopias hold up a distorting mirror to the place and time they were written, while utopias explore possibilities of what our world could be. And sometimes fiction writers explore other worlds and dimensions not for what they can teach us about our world but for the inherent interest of those worlds, because “what if” is such a fun game, and lets our minds roam. Let's explore all three forms. With: Rick Gellman, mod.; Haddayr Copley-Woods, Naomi Kritzer, David J. Schwartz, (and now me)


SUNDAY, MARCH 6

NOON-12:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: CYBERPUNK: WRITING AND READING What makes a cyberpunk story? What are the necessary elements? What can come and go freely? What books, stories, and writers have influenced and shaped the genre? Come to discuss the genre that some say we're living in right now. With: David Stegora, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Patrick W. Marsh (and now me)

2:00-2:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL OR DISCUSSION: THE RISE OF THE FEMALE SUPERHEROES Let's talk about some awesome female superheroes who have become bright sensations in recent years! Why do we love them so much, and how can we get more? With: Cynthia Booth, mod. (and now me).


Marscon is this weekend, March 4 - 5, at the Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America. For more information check out: http://marscon.org/2016/

Something I Learned About Myself Today...

As I've reported elsewhere, my agent, who used to have her own agency, has joined with a larger group, Sterling Lord Literistic Agency.  This has been a very good thing for both of us, because she's now really anxious to see something new from me.

I've been tossing around a few ideas, I have, honestly.  But I discovered something really funny about myself... when I should be working on a brand-new novel, I apparently decide what I REALLY WANT TO DO is update UnJust Cause:  https://www.wattpad.com/163335179-unjust-cause-part-37-bearing-coffee-and-glad

This has happened twice now.

*sighs*

A Late Breaking Review

It's interesting to me as an observer to this whole blog roll/blog tour thing as to when and how the blogs come out.  As the authors we have access to a list of who has agreed to review the books and what days the blogs are scheduled to appear.

So, here's one that popped up since the last time I checked the schedule:  "My Writer's Camp."  Here's some of what he had to say in his 'good' column:

 The characters in this book are fabulous. Their flaws and talents are doled out with a pace that does not overwhelm the reader, but makes the characters feel so very human and familiar despite their supernatural gifts. The tension between them, both sexual and emotional, is perfect and enhances the story without becoming a dramatic focus that takes away from the adventure. The villains are despicable and the supporting characters are unique without overwhelming the story....

If you're blinded right now, that's because I'm over here BEAMING with pride.  I'm so, so gratified every time people point out how fun an interesting the characters are in Song of Secrets.  As a reader myself, characters are the thing I latch on to more than anything else.  I can be impressed by a good world-build, but if the characters are only 'meh,' I'm far more likely to bail.

In fact, my friend (and fellow writer)  Naomi Kritzer have been talking about some of the books that are up for the Hugo this year, as we're both voting members this time around.  I admitted to her in email (and now to you all on this blog) that I had ended up giving up on Ann Leckie's Ancillary Sword and Three-Body Problem by Lui Cixin entirely because I never really cared all that much for the characters in either.  Both those books are really deep in when it comes to world-building and plot... but I just never latched on to anyone (because I will keep going if there is a side character I'm interested in.)

At any rate, this is a yay!

An Interview

Today, I have something slightly different for you!  One of our blog roll/tour folks did a joint interview with Rachel Calish and me: http://www.emlynchand.com/2015/07/writing-a-duet-joint-interview-with-the-authors-of-song-of-secrets/

Also, I'm not sure that I've ever mentioned it here at this blog, but I've been doing a book review gig myself over at Bitter Empire.  Today, I talked about The Martian: Duct Tape and Math for the Win

Roll, Roll, Rollin' Along

The reviewer today (another Rachel) didn't have a lot to say, but it's still a very nice review:  http://rachelrennie.weebly.com/rachels-blog/song-of-secrets-by-tate-hallaway-and-rachel-calish-a-book-review

A lot of the reviewers are anxiously waiting for Book 2.  I certainly hope that Rachel and Level Up Press will be able to give it to them.  For myself, I've had to take a step back. I won't be involved in subsequent books in the School for Wayward Demons series.

As I have said many places, I really enjoyed the writing process with Rachel, particularly when we were collaborating on the plot-light web version of this story.  I can not even tell you how much joy (and hope) that brought me.

But revising was a particular nightmare, in part because we were constrained by having to follow the structure of what we'd already published on the web.  And, as happens with two strong personalities with very different writing styles, there were also creative differences... and I left that process feeling that Rachel and I had very different values when it came to storytelling.  We're both award-winning authors. so it's impossible to say that one of us is right and the other wrong. In fact, I think the fact that we're both so passionate for our art is the reason we had so many difficulties.

This was not an easy decision for me to make, especially given that my current publishing prospects are fairly bleak and, as I said, the initial process of writing with Rachel was so tremendously fun and valuable for me.

On the other hand, I know there are plenty of you out there who might be just as happy at the idea that I plan to use this opportunity to focus more on my own writing.  I have UnJust Cause to finish, and there are other novels and characters in my head who are dying to get out and onto the page.

So, while I am saying goodbye, I wish Rachel and Level Up Press the very best of luck in the future.

Reviews Keep Rollin' In....

As the blog roll/blog tour continues, we now have two more to check out:  Reading with Pixie, which of course is my favorite because the character they most related to was Gabe, and For the Love of Fictional Worlds.

Rachel contacted the people involved with setting up the blog tour and the issue of crediting everything to Rachel alone seems to be resolved, at least somewhat.  So that's a big yay!

Some Theo Love!

Our blog roll/blog tour is really getting underway.  The reviewer Melissa Storm reviewed Song of Secrets today and said some amazing things about it: "Claiming Your Inner Power: What if Witches and Demons Really Do Exist?"

I think everyone has a favorite character or two in an ensemble cast like the one we created for Songs.  It's both one of the gifts and dangers of writing a larger cast. The danger, of course, being that if you ONLY like one of the characters, you might find yourself skimming through the rest.  The other risk is the one I always remind my students about: whomever you start with is the person that the reader is always going to feel is the main character, no matter what.  Readers are a bit like ducks: we imprint of the first images we're given.

This reviewer really loved Theo, our shape shifter/thief who starts off the book with a bang.  Theo is an awesome character and the bulk of who she is, is completely down to my collaborator, Rachel Calish.  So yay, Rachel!

The way collaboration worked for Rachel and me was that when we started (on the web project: The Unseen World), Rachel and I divided up the characters evenly. She wrote Theo and Kitty and I wrote Gabe and Erin.

But, when it came time to make the book, we both massaged, revised, and edited the whole thing.  We wanted each character to retain their distinct, unique voice, but we wanted to be absolutely sure that the whole book worked as a singular entity, with a strong sense of unity.

And, as I said, Theo starts off your reading experience so I think if you went and compared the difference between the unchanged web version and the book's first chapter, you'd get a really fascinating glimpse into the process of making something loose and fun into a publishable book.  Our process isn't perfect, of course, but first chapters are SO VITAL I think that's probably the one that stands out the most in terms of changes.  If you're interested in the writing process it might be worth it for you to buy a copy, just to compare and contrast with the web version.  ;-)

So, it may be a little selfish of me, but I hope that I can take a little credit for adding a certain something to this wonderful character.

Quirky Characters

If you're a fan of mine, you won't be surprised that the latest reviewer on the blog tour/blog roll called out the fun characters we created for Song of Secrets.

A lot of the review also focuses on the more serious issues we touched on in the book, particularly homeless youth.  Check it out, if you're so inclined.  Remember: each one of these blogs come with an opportunity to win a free copy of the book!

https://naimeless.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/song-of-secrets-how-fiction-helps-us-cope/


Please note, that because the blog tour is called Calish Couple, the reviewers are giving all of the kudos and praise to Rachel.  This was, however, a book we wrote TOGETHER.  If you feel so-inclined, I would deeply appreciate you going to one or two of these sites and letting them know how much you love my work and ask them to please edit their reviews to reflect that fact that the book they seem to enjoy so much was actually also written by me.

Hey, hey... Our Blog Tour is Underway

Rachel Calish and I are on blog tour, promoting the first book in our Wayward Demons series, SONG OF SECRETS.  The tour is called the "Calish Couple" tour, but that's only because Rachel is also offering up copies of her newest, THE DEMON GABRIELLA (Bella Books), as well.

So far, the reviews have focused on Song of Secrets. Check out The Author's Storm review: "Rocking out to Song of Secrets" and today's review and contest at Natural Bri. When I went to Bri's page I noticed that they put up a fun "What's your paranormal name?" And I would be "Matrix Imp," which is actually pretty cool. (My given name would be Skull Clown, which, frankly, TERRIFIES me.)  My son and I scoured the list for the "Moon-Moon" bad luck option, and decided you'd need to have the initials S.U. to get the worst possible combination.  (Go check out the blog and see if you agree with me.)

I have to apologize again that I've been terribly behind on my Wattpad-ery.  

Starting Afresh

I've been terribly neglectful of Unjust Cause, my WIP on Wattpad. I updated today, finally, after a several month hiatus.

There a lot of reasons I let the work languish. The first and foremost is that I felt like the story had gone off the rails some time ago. It's super easy for that to happen when you're writing like this, out loud, as it were, in front of an audience. Normally, I tend to write everything away from the public eye, so, when I make mistakes or go down a rabbit hole, I can pull myself up and revise before anyone is the wiser (besides my writers' group, of course.) Not being able to do that this time stymied me. I knew it could, and, while I normally don't worry overly much about looking like an idiot in front of a crowd, this tangle fed into my general sense of failure.

Yeah, I know I'm not a failure, but as I said to someone who poked me for an update on Wattpad, Precinct 13 and its universe is a particular trigger for my... well, for lack of a better term, depression around writing. I've been on the verge of being clinically depressed, so I don't mean to use this term lightly. There should be a word for the behavior that mimics depression but isn't quite it... because that's how I sometimes get around my Tate projects. I _want_ to do them, but when I think about finishing Unjust Cause/writing an e-book or e-novella, and even when I work myself up into a bit of excitement around various ideas, when I finally sit down to write... my first impulse is to crawl under the covers and not come out.

It's very unlike me.

Normally, I'm very self-motivated. I would not have gotten as far as I have in writing if I weren't. So, I don't know why I have this block and, as I've said in numerous other posts, I've determined that this is the year I push past all that.

I wish I knew what worked. I started to type that it helps me when people ask after projects, but what's funny is that that kind of thing only works when it's STRANGERS (fans/readers/FB friends/casual acquaintances/con friends) asking. If you're my relative (or gods forbid, my wife) asking, I double-down into a weird, bitter resistance-- a very 'don't tell me what's good for me' kind of attitude.

Well, regardless, the plan is to get over THAT. So, if you're so inclined go read the newest.

"Following" the Path to Success

Last night, in the Loft class, we talked about the mechanics of short story submission. Science fiction/fantasy/spec fic is one of the genres where, I think, a person has a fair chance to get their short work published if they're willing to keep going down the list of publications. You CAN run out, especially if your piece is of a very specific genre and a word count that's too long (or too short, etc.) But, I still think we have a lot more short story venues than a lot of other genres. In fact, while I'm sure they exist, I can't think of a single romance short fiction market--erotica, maybe, but romance? Nothing that jumps to mind the way Asimov's, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Realms of Fantasy, Apex, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Uncanny Magazine, etc, etc., do for spec fic.

Just looking through the list at ralan.com can be dizzying, because on top of the regularly published magazines, there's also anthologies, etc.

So, I pointed my students to sfwa.org and their page on manuscript formatting.

Our critique session went really very fast because it was a bad week for a lot of people for some reason and we had more than our typical "passes." (When teaching adults who have full-time jobs, families, school, etc., I always allow a pass if life eats your brain.) So, we had an unscheduled Q&A about the business of writing. I bring this up because one of my students asked a question that astounded me. She wanted to know if it was true that you should have at least 2,000 followers on social media before you try to court/land an agent. I had never heard such malarky in my LIFE, but nearly all the other students in my class had HEARD THE EXACT SAME ADVICE.

I had to admit, it could be true. I sold my first book in 1999, before e-books were really a thing and before social media was even really a concept. I said that the advice I heard back then still seemed pretty damned solid to me and that was: concentrate on writing the best book possible, full stop. I told my class that I don't know how a person gets 2,000 followers without spending every waking moment trying far too hard to be clever in 175 characters or less. How would you have time to write if you were spending that much time on-line? 2,000 followers sounded, to me, like a full time job in and of itself.

I also told them to look at the list on "ralan," and ask themselves if their time would be better spent collecting followers on Twitter or writing short stories for one of the three dozen (+!) magazines that will pay good money for good words?

I also suggested that they didn't have to give up on the idea of collecting 2,000 followers, but maybe the way to start doing that in spec fic was by attending conventions, volunteering to be on panels, and writing stories. Do both, I suggested. That way, maybe you'll have a little fun on the way to collecting some mystical number of Twits.

When I ask on FB whether or not other pro writers/agents/editors had heard about this idea, I got one response from an agent who said that, it was a lie to some extent, but of course its easier to sell books to an editor if you can point to a waiting audience. Sure, that makes a kind of sense, but I really have never believed in a 1:1 correlation between follower: buyer. A lot of people follow me on various social media (not anywhere near 2,000 if you're wondering, often not even HALF that, though on FB I have just over a 1,000--I checked), and I have directed them, often, to things of mine they can buy.

They don't. Some do, of course, but probably not even 1% do.

And presumably, I'm a known quality (maybe that's why they DON'T, but I did fairly well for Penguin for a fair number of years.) BUT, my point is, how on EARTH would this translate to someone you've never heard of? Whose cat pictures you've liked on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr? Seriously.

TBF, I have no sense of how popularity works. Some people have clearly figured out how to leverage this social media thing far, far better than I ever have. So, maybe this is the new path to publication/scoring an agent. I really don't know. It seems crazy to me. I still think the key to success ought to be: write a good book.

Stomach Flu and Character Development

Some time yesterday afternoon, the rumbling in my guts finally stopped... just in time for me to get ready to teach my Loft SF/F writing class.

I can't say my lecture was terribly coherent or useful, but we had our first critique and my students are all 100% amazing, no kidding. Not only was everyone intelligent and civil, but they also all hit the same notes as I had. So, I feel very in sync with these folks. And, honestly, I suspect, for them, the class just paid for itself, because there is no bigger boost to your writing skills, IMHO, than getting real, helpful critique from peers and a mentor (and learning how to look at work with a critical eye.)

But, as promised, I'm going to try to reconstruct a more cogent version of my lecture for them here, on my blog. We were discussing characters and how you create them. I've talked about this a bit before: "What's My Motivation? Creating Character Through Narrative Voice.", "Narrative Voice (An Epiphany about Adjectives)" and then I apparently once had a grammar aneurysm over Omniscient Point of View: Grammar GeekFest and More About Bob

As I flailed around in class, I hit a lot of things that I talked about in these blog posts, so go ahead and read through them if you like, since apparently much of what I think is true about writing hasn't much changed over the intervening years.

I did manage to pass on that other tidbit that I probably wrote about at some point, too, which is the idea that EVERYTHING, absolutely EVERYTHING you write should be in service to plot. In terms of character, I specifically mentioned the idea that an author should cultivate a narrative voice that creates atmosphere and mood, something that hooks the readers into the FEEL of the plot (sometimes without their conscious knowledge). Literary writers, what with all their focus on word choice, are trained to do this better than genre writers are, but I think we're certainly capable of it to one degree or another.

...

Oh dear. It seems my brain isn't very coherent this morning, either. Well, I'll keep pondering this until next class and if I have other thoughts on character, I'll post them.

While Many of You were at a Serious Literary Con...

...I was at home, doing this: "Story Time: Live-Blogging 'Taken By the Gay Unicorn Biker.'"

Bitter Empire has promised me business cards that say: "Reading weird erotica, so you don't have to."

Seriously, a very important conference is happening in town right now, the AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) is happening. I will tell you that I looked at their off-site events schedule (here's today's) and I know none of the people doing readings. I don't think they invited the spec fic community, though I might be wrong about that.

So, yeah, I stayed home and read unicorn porn, out loud (rather: on-line) instead.

Also, after yesterday (wherein I got a surprising amount of attention for what I thought was a very 101 Hugo's post), I feel the need to post this:



For the most part, I have to say, I remain lucky. If people are saying vile things about me because I compared the puppies to Nazis (possibly an unwise hyperbole, though the fascist stuff is very much connected to the rabid pups and I linked to my source in the article), I'm not really hearing it to my face. I had one troll come on my FB feed to say "How many lies can you print in one article?" to which I have to confess my first response was going to be "ALL OF THEM" (but I feared I might be taken seriously or out of context), so instead I asked for clarification, got it, and refuted it.

I also pointed out that the blog was not an article, but an opinion piece, which had been clearly labeled as such.

Kittens and unicorn sex. The only antidote, IMHO.

Of Science Fiction and Puppies

Possibly there were more qualified (and snappier) writers to sum up the Hugo shenanigans for the mundanes, but my editor asked and I answered with "Why Are All my Science Fiction Friends Screaming About Sad Puppies?"

If you're a long time fan and have been following along even tangentially, I say nothing new here. Mostly it's a link salad to some of the more awful things known about Vox Day and his Rabid Puppies (the more stridently vocal right wing of the already right-of-center Sad Puppies). My only new insight is that I, too, have never really felt the Hugos were "all that" in terms of pointing out what was the best in my field, but I have long used the nominee list to get a good sense of "what is trending" in science fiction/fantasy.

I will say here (as I do there) that I do think they're worth fighting.

If it were true that the Sad Puppies actually promoted the idea of fun-loving, non-navel-gazing science fiction, I might be one of them. Ironically (perhaps), yesterday I posted my review of The Girl in the Road in which I make some very snarky comments about what I call "NPR science fiction."

I like my science fiction to have a lot of vim and vigor. I'm very much uninterested in novels that are ONLY explorations of inner spaces. My favorite stuff (and the very best, IMHO,) is when you have high action AND deep thinking. Human beings are political creatures. To imagine a book that was apolitical sounds dreadful to me. Also it sounds impossible. I just read a book The Way Inn by Will Wiles which is basically about how plastic and empty hotels are and how literally soul-sucking they can be. Even that book had a thematic/political point: banality is evil. When you find comfort in emptiness, you probably should consider the value in spending a bit more time naval gazing. That's what this book was ultimately kind of about.

But that's not REALLY what this conversation is about. If it were, the puppies wouldn't complain about the Hugo's NEVER going to their sort. Lois McMaster Bujold has a few of these coveted rockets, and I don't see how she's not exactly what they should be excited about: action-oriented, fun, and... oh, right, she talks a lot about GLBT issues and gender and ability. Never mind she's published by Baen (their supposed favorite publisher). Lois doesn't count because her epic space battles have girl/queer cooties on them.

Ah, I could go on, but, ultimately, all this has been said already. Over and over. By smarter people than me.

It's really interesting the culture of backlash, though, of which the Hugo malarky is clearly part of. I mean, we're living in very weird times. On one hand there's so much moving forward. On the other, there's Indiana.

Guest Blogging About Failure

My own personal failure, not the fail culture of SF, that is.  You can read it over at Kurtis Scaletta's blog:  "My Biggest Failure: Letting the B-st-rds Get me Down."

Emotion as Story

Interestingly, this popped up on i09 today by Charlie Jane Anders:  "2 Secrets to Writing a Story that People Can't Tear Themselves Away From."

In which the second secret is:  "Emotions create their own suspense."

Pretty much exactly what I was trying to get at in my lecture on Wednesday night.  Charlie Jane (unsurprisingly) gets to the point far more succinctly than I ever could.  She writes:

What's the worst that can happen if you think of your story as "a succession of great moments strung together"? Well, it could be kind of incoherent. At worst, the story might actually not make sense, or contradict itself. Those are things that might need to be fixed in the rewrites — but they're easier problems to fix than a story that's lifeless except for a few turning points. 

And this is where the second statement, "emotions create their own suspense," comes in. If the characters and their emotions are consistent, then each "great moment" will absolutely feel connected to the next. Because the characters will keep caring about the things they care about. 

Yes.  Thank you.  This.

(Also Charlie Jane also wrote "How to Turn a High Concept into a Story" in case you want to check to see if she continues to be more articulate and accessible than I could ever hope to be.  ;-)

From Idea to Story

Last night in class, I started off by reading out loud Neil Gaiman's essay about where ideas come from:  Where Do You Get Your Ideas? 

I do this regularly, because I love the simple complexity of his thoughts here and also because: so accurate.  Yes, ideas do just come out of your head.  It's also so much more than that, but half of the battle is being willing to ask all the child-like questions.

After reading this, we all agreed that the ideas were "the easy bit," so we next attempted to discuss the harder bit--which is how to turn an idea into a story.  There were pictures:

Let me take a stab at pulling order out of chaos.  This is what I promised my students I would try to do the day after, so I'm going to give it the old college try.

It starts like this.  So, you've got an idea for a story.  You've been thinking about Humpback whales, how their song gets longer every year.  This makes you think about human history and about how stories used to get told by poets like Homer, out loud and changing by audience and as they got told over time and again and again.  Then, you hear about a whale in California (is it a Humpback?) that's been pushing further and further inland up a fresh water river.  You think about whales in general.  What is their life like when the world they live in is hostile to them.  Can you imagine living where you can't breathe?  What if you also grew up hearing songs about a time when whales lived on land?  

This is a story idea, you think.  There's SOMETHING here.  Something you want to say.

Maybe.

But you can't figure out how to turn this bunch of jumbled, kind of connected ideas into a story, so you have to ask yourself.  What are the essential elements of a story?

First of all, you have to have a character--someone who tells the tale; someone who the story is ABOUT. (A whale?  A scientist studying whale language?)  

For the story to work as a story, however, something has to happen.  This is will be the plot, but, it is important to remember, that plot moves via conflict.

Thus, there has to be something at stake.  The fate of the world can hang in the balance, of course, but, as I told the class, you don't have to think in hyperbole to tell a rip, roaring story.  The thing that is at stake can be personal and small, so long as it matters.  How do you make the reader care, make things matter?  (Well, sometimes you just can't, but) one way is if it matters to you.  If you have something you want to say, it can carry you a long way.  Writing is an investment of time and energy, so if you have a story where you have something you want to say about the human condition, the nature of the world, life, or your favorite pair of socks, that will help invest the story with a sense of movement, of 'what's at stake.'

Also, if what's at stake is something that has the potential to change your main character in some way, that will also breathe life into a story idea.  Is there something to be learned?  Something that can challenge the character to reach for their better selves (even if they don't get to it)?  

Ideally, whatever is at stake is also, in some way, in conflict with main character.  They have to push themselves to get the job done.  This makes for an internal conflict.  A really energetic story will have both external and internal conflicts.  The bad guys with ray guns are your external forces; the heroine's crushing agoraphobia can be the internal one.  

You don't have to buy into any of this for a story to work, of course.  But, the point of the lecture is to consider ways in which you can get the ball rolling.  So, the questions you can ask your story idea is: who is the main character of this story?  Who will be most changed by the events?  How are they affected by the events of the story?  What do they have to lose?  What's at stake (for them and for the larger world)?  What flaws/internal conflicts might the main character have to overcome in order to get to the end/win the day?  

Then the big question becomes: where do you start the story?

My answer has always been: two seconds before everything changes.  

This is true of almost every story you tell, anywhere, to anyone.  "OMG, Barb, I was just walking along and BAM! There was Julius! My ex!"  

Two seconds before everything changes.

Because any good opening (hook) has the listener/reader asking, "What happened next??"

The two seconds is hyperbole again (you have to watch that with me), because with a novel and a short story you have a bit more time to set up and explain the status quo before you turn it on its head.  For commercial fiction, I wouldn't say you have a LOT of extra time, but you do have more than a precise measure of seconds.  You could have ten lines, you could have most of a first chapter, or you can even just do it in one....

"The comet passed through Earth's atmosphere, ripping the world apart." 

I mean, there are lots of ways to do this, but ultimately stories are about change.  Something has changed, and someone has to change in order to fix/solve/survive/(or not) it.

When we talk about openings in more detail, I will discuss the various ways you can hook people without an action that changes everything.  But I maintain that all stories, ultimately, are about an event that changed everything (probably for the worse, before things get better.)  A hero/ine is that person who will do something about the change (make it better? Make it worse?  Doesn't matter, so long as the change is acted upon).  

Protagonists need to protag.  

They need to act and they need to change.

And for me, and I think most modern readers, the hero/ines need to have some reason to do it, some way in which all of this affects their lives and emotions and thus reaches across the chasm of the page and relates to the reader.  There has to be something in their plight or situation or personality that makes the reader say, "Ah, this is just who I'd be, if I were this person."  (Or, best, perhaps, this is just who I WANT to be, if I were this person.)

Book and Con Review/Report

First, a book review. I posted my review of Jennifer Marie Brissett's Elysium, or the World After up onBitter Empire. This is a book that 100% fits Tempest's Challenge, by the way, because Brissett is a woman, and, according to the bio in the back, identifies as a British-Jamacian American.

Here it is, Tuesday morning, and I'm mostly recovered from the one, 12-hour day I spent at Anime Detour. The thing that should be known about Detour is that the median age is 14. That means I'm approximately three times older than the average con goer, and SIGNIFICANTLY older than many, many others. This con is also very, very well attended, so much so that getting from point A to point B often involves a myriad of "excuse me!"s and "summimassen!"s as costume bits get jostled against you and there is a general press of bodies akin to walking against the flow on the streets of New York City during rush hour.

I am an extrovert, but I am not a fan of jostling.

Also, this year I wasn't in costume. We really only have the one. Mason says, we're like those three old women in the myths who share the eye. It's not even mine, I've been borrowing it from a fellow Bleach fan, Anna Waltz, for about three or four years now. (Luckily, she's pleased to see it so often used and is happy to continue to extend the loan.) Mason decided to go as pre-evil, pre-"hair lock" Aizen, so the only thing I needed to add to the costume was a captain's coat (a haori). So my friend Naomi and I did a little thrift shop hunting and found a silky bathrobe that only took a bit of removing of bits in order to passably pass as such. I painted on the appropriate number in Japanese (5) and Mason was good to go.

Mason as Aizen:



Aizen as Aizen:



Not a bad likeness, neh?

The five on the back, which you can't see here, pretty much cinches it for most Bleach fans. But, the nice thing is that Mason already has the hair and the glasses, as a kind of gimme, so he was very easily recognizable. In fact, in the first few minutes at con, Mason got the reaction I was expecting. I was taking his picture with an Ichigo (there is always more than one) and a stranger came up (like they do at cons) and exclaims, "Oh, I get it! It's all been part of Aizen's plan since he was, what, ten?" I corrected, "Eleven, but basically yes." Aizen, since most of you probably don't know, is that villain who is always saying, "Ah, so you see, every moment of your life up to this point has been planned by me!"

So, that was kind of the highlight for Mason's cosplay, I think.

We went with Mason's friend Molly who went as Kyubey from Madoka Magica. I saw a number of other Kyubey's but Molly was the only one who had the actual magical girl contract and soul gems for people to have. Most of the people Molly asked knew enough about the anime NOT TO SIGN THE CONTRACT. But she found a few to play along and those that did were really, really charmed by the soul gems she handed out (which I think were Lego gems or possibly beads).

Molly as Kyubey:



Kyubey as Kyubey:



Since I wasn't in costume and was mostly playing "mom," I ended up going to more paneling than I normally would at Detour. I went to two panels which were different versions of "What You Should Be Watching." The first one was run by a guy I instantly mentally labeled as "Anime Hipster" because, while these two things should be mutually exclusive, this was a guy who experienced anime the way hipsters experience everything: ironically. So, you know, his recommendations were all super-obscure and kind of arty in a way that didn't appeal to me because I am a rube who does not appreciate the finer things in life and how awesome irony is when its very IRONIC. For the most part I watched his recommendations with a lot of head shaking.

However, I did write down a live-action show called Aoi Honoo/Blue Blaze which is about a manga artist student in the 1980s.

The other panel like this I attended I actually ended up writing down a couple of recommendations. This person still had things on her list that I wasn't fond of, but Mason noticed right away that one of my favorite anime of this last year, "Barakamon," was on her list.

Of hers, the one I thought I'd be most likely to watch is called Hamatora. Mason pretty much loved all of her recs, but I only wrote down this one and one other, Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn.

Though I think Mason and I have agreed to try Hamatora first, just because the action in the clip she showed us looked super cool.

Otherwise, as mom, I spent a lot of time hanging out at the manga library station because that was our designated "meet up" spot, and that way the kids could come and go from there as they pleased. I brought along GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith, which I'd been reading, and mostly just sat on a bean bag chair on the floor and alternated between people watching and reading. Even so, the press of people really wore me out.

A good time was had however.