ArmadilloCon Wrap-Up

I got to do one of my favorite things this week!

Not snuggle a baby, although I did get to do that too, so maybe I should say I did two of my favorite things. The baby part was extra sweet since he's the "new model" of Dzierwa, as in my good friends James and Julia. I had a wonderful time seeing the three of them, and after chatting with Julia I think I worked through a personal roadblock that's been hounding me for years. It sure is good to have good friends.

But the favorite thing I mean in particular is ArmadilloCon. It's a writing conference, and folks... it's by far the best one I've been to. In large part that's thanks to the pre-con workshop, which not only lets unpublished writers get their work critiqued by professionals but also automatically sets up a built in group of people to hang out with for the rest of the weekend. I hadn't been to this particular con in about eight years since it's all the way in Texas, and it was so so good to go back.

The two mentors in my workshop group this year were Deji Bryce Olukotun and Patrice Sarath. I read Deji's book After the Flare ahead of the con, and found it original and compelling.

Of course, Patrice has been a friend since my first ArmadilloCon over a decade ago, and I've read all her novels. (Go check out her latest, The Sisters Mederos!) She is such a generous soul. I tend to find that at every con there's one person who gives their time and energy to make sure other people have a good experience, and at ArmadilloCon that's Patrice. She's great to talk to, and she always has excellent advice for me. I'm very fortunate to have her in my life.

On the night before the workshop Patrice invited me out to dinner at Fonda San Miguel, the most atmospheric restaurant I've ever been to. The decor was exquisite and the food most excellent. We walked in the door to be greeted by this fellow, and the whole rest of the establishment was no less captivating.

On the way to dinner I got to meet Holly Black, who rode with us to and from the hotel. She's incredible, and listening to her read from The Wicked King later at the con was such a treat. She's a phenomenal story-teller.

And look! Proof! (She's the one in the blue hair.) On the left in this picture is my new friend April, who was one of the other students in my group. We both write (and enjoy!) the same sorts of books, and I had a great time palling around with her all weekend. She'll be one to watch! I look forward to seeing where her writing career goes.

Other highlights: new friends, old friends, fantastic panels.

I met a really awesome artist named Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (one of the guests of honor), who was incredibly sweet and great to chat with. I wish I had gotten a picture with her! I picked up her graphic novel, and the art is lovely.

One of those old friends (Marshall Ryan Maresca) is someone I've gotten to watch transition from unpublished writer to published author to prolific author. I went to his reading (which was excellent--The Way of the Shield is coming up soon, and the first chapter is great!) and saw him on several panels.

My very favorite panel of the con was one that he moderated. It was on managing a writing career, with Holly Black, A Lee Martinez and Rebecca Schwarz. The whole panel was a strange but wonderful blend of hysterical, sobering and reassuring. At the very end Holly shared about how the fear of the next book tanking never goes away, even for someone as brilliant and successful as she is. As time was coming to a close, Marshall wrapped up the panel with "And so to sum up: fear is a motivator, play video games, your life will be terrible. Thank you and have a good night." The whole room lost it laughing.

I'm back home now--got in at 2am last night, in fact. I'm still feeling a bit foggy from traveling and sleep disruption. But I'm processing all the good things that happened this week and looking forward to going to ArmadilloCon again some day... hopefully before another eight years go by.

ArmadilloCon Plug

Six years ago I stumbled upon a mention of a fantasy/sci fi conference on the website of one of my favorite authors. Curiosity piqued, I checked out the con and discovered one of the best surprises of my writing career thus far: the ArmadilloCon Writers' Workshop. That summer (and the two following) I attended, and the three days I have spent workshopping with that con have taught me more about writing than any other three days of my life.

Six years ago I was six years less skilled at writing and had a much larger ego, the combination of which (as you might guess) is an ego deflation waiting to happen. I expected to go into that con with the first chapter of my beautiful book and be fawned over by fellow attendees and professional mentors alike. I was wrong. Instead I came away a bit more humbled than I hoped. But I also came away with a new critique partner, a lot more knowledge, and several connections to authors I still keep in touch with today.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to return the past three years (though I've had good reasons... such as giving birth!), and sadly I won't be able to go again this year. But ArmadilloCon will always have a very special place in my heart, and I will be back, if it takes me another three years to make that happen!

But if I can't go, I hope maybe one of you can. The workshop is one of the best values you'll find. And it's a quality experience! In the past authors like Scott Lynch, Paolo Bacigalupi and Martha Wells have been among the workshop mentors. I'm telling you, if you're an unagented writer hoping to publish one day, this experience is not one to miss!

So head over to the website and sign up now. The deadline for manuscript submissions is June 15th. And if you do go, tell me all about it when you get back!

ArmadilloCon 33

And now for the daunting task of condensing a truly epic weekend into a few simple paragraphs.

This was my third year at ArmadilloCon. I really debated about whether to go this year. With the plane tickets and not sharing the hotel room this time, the cost was a bit high. But I really didn't want to pass up the opportunity. And I'm so glad I chose to go, because this may have been the best year yet.

The awesomeness of ArmadilloCon comes down to two things: the workshop and the people.

ArmadilloCon consistently attracts some very high quality authors to the workshop. This year the guest of honor was Paolo Bacigalupi, and he participated in the workshop as well. Turns out he's that brilliant sort of person we all wish we could be who is not only a compelling writer but who is also incredibly well-spoken.

Now I personally didn't have him in my workshop group, but that was alright since I had some other pretty high-powered instructors. Scott Lynch was one of them, and not only was he truly funny, but he gave me some really cool ideas to think about for my book. Martin Wagner, who writes reviews over at sfreviews.net, and Stina Leight, whose first novel just came out this past year, were my other instructors, and I learned quite a lot from them as well. And the other students in my group made me feel really good about my work.

So my workshop experience this year was as positive as it's been the past two years. But what made this ArmadilloCon better than the last two was that my relationships with the people have evolved over time.

And honestly, as much as I feel dragged down by the weight of social media sometimes, I think I can attribute a lot of that evolution to the ability to stay connected even from a distance. It means the difference between interacting with people as once-a-year acquaintances and feeling like I both know people and am known.

In particular I want to thank Rosemary Clement-Moore, Patrice Sarath and Marshall Maresca for all their encouragement. I admire all of them, and I really appreciate the individual attention they've given me.

And finally, one of the best parts of ArmadilloCon was, as always, seeing some of the people in my critique group. You guys are so much fun. I'm really excited about the potential new members we picked up this year as well. Long live the Pirates of Moo!

Texas, Here I Come

My head is already in Texas at ArmadilloCon, so I don't have much to blog about this week. I'm really excited about my workshop group and about seeing some of my critique partners and people I've met the past two years. I'll be back next week with recaps and maybe some pictures!

Getting Ready for ArmadilloCon 33!

My ArmadilloCon workshop placement came last week!!!

I'm so very excited about my group. I'm with three instructors this year: Stina Leicht, Scott Lynch and Thomas (Martin) Wagner. All three are excellent. Couldn't ask for better. This year is going to be really great.

There are three other students in my group as well. Normally by this time I would already have read and critiqued their submissions, but I was out of town most of last week and didn't get a chance. I'm really looking forward to digging into the submissions, though, and hopefully I'll be able to get started on that tomorrow.

The panels also look like they'll be fun. Plus I'm pretty stoked to see all the people I've met the past two years. I can hardly wait!

News Update

Last Week on the Blog

Thank you to everyone who made Critique Week such a success! In case you missed it, the winner of last week's contest is up, along with some love for everyone else who participated. Because of you I may consider making this an annual thing!

This Week on the Blog

The Critique Sisters Corner just gave me a “One Lovely Blog Award”!  Thank you, Linda, for thinking of me.  I'm enchanted to know that you find my blog useful. You've made today a wonderful start to the new week.

And to pass along the “loveliness” I'd like to recognize a few of the blogs I follow:

Three blogs I wouldn't want to do without

Elena Solodow – You're Write. Except when you're Rong. She has a fantastic sense of humor and is always able to put a lighthearted spin on the ups and downs of writing.

Amie Kaufman. She's a wealth of great advice, useful links, and interesting discussion starters.

Lydia Sharp – The Sharp Angle. Always up-to-date on the latest in the publishing world. (Follow her on twitter too!)

Three bloggers who are very friendly people

Jamie Grey. A fabulous writer, plus she has become a personal blessing to me in my own writing journey.

Deborah Burns. She always has wonderfully thought-provoking posts.

PK Hrezo. A lovely blogger and a lovely person.

Three friends who have become bloggers

Kendra Mareva. One of my fabulous critique partners with a grounded perspective on life.

Marshall Maresca. A con buddy and sci fi/fantasy writer.

Leticia – Ramblings of an Aspiring Novelist. A new writer, so go show her some encouragement!

What I'm Writing

For those following the progress of Olympus Gate, I am currently looking for an agent. I've had some positive things happen lately in that process, but it is a process, so there's no news yet to share.

In the meantime I've started a new book! The working title is Unmade, which comes from a tag line that hit me one morning a few weeks ago: A wish, once made, cannot be unmade. The book is about wishes and gargoyles, jujutsu black belts and punk rockers, a wheelchair, a girl who makes things real, and a boy who tears things apart.

I've written the first chapter (and trembled as I sent it to a couple advance readers, who I must say both did quite well in their cheerleader roles). I still have a lot of research to do for the middle section of the book, but I should be able to get through at least chapter two this week.

Other News

ArmadilloCon registration is open! I've gone the past two years and LOVED it. The writers' workshop is particularly good. If you're looking for a con to try, this one is well worth checking out.

ArmadilloCon Recap: Panels

I went to quite a few panels at ArmadilloCon, but a few in particular stand out in memory.

TECHNOLOGY

The opening question on the technology panel was this: since science is hard to get right consistently in our books, can we tell an interesting story while still following the dictates of science? Will readers stick with a story that isn't completely accurate?

Nancy Kress, who was moderating the panel (and is very well-spoken), had an insightful comment: there is a spectrum of stories, all the way from hard sci fi on one side to whimsical fantasy on the other. Readers and writers both have comfort zones along that spectrum. What's important is to recognize where your story belongs on the spectrum and write it accordingly.

Another panelist (Adrian Simmons I believe), said that more important than accuracy in the details is understanding the rules and implications of the technologies that appear in the story. When coming up with a new technology, always ask “What other uses could this technology be put to?” Then think about what can go wrong. Stories are all about messes that need to be fixed.

Great advice!

CITY AS A CHARACTER

I went to a similar panel last year, but I still got a lot out of this one. Cities are a large part of world-building, whether they are real cities or not. All cities have their own unique atmosphere, and the characters in a story should feel that atmosphere.

One of the major points on the panel was the fact that cities aren't built in a day—they grow and develop; structures come down or are buried under other structures; styles change. When describing a city we must give the impression that the city has existed for years and will continue to exist into the future.

The comment that really stood out to me was that the writer should know the city well enough that the reader feels like the city is truly built of stone and mortar, not cardboard props. The reader should believe that if the character happened to take a wrong turn down an alley, the alley wouldn't contain wooden set pieces but a whole new living, breathing scene.

MYTHOLOGY

I was excited about this panel since it deals directly with an important aspect of my current project. Unfortunately I was so caught up in the discussion that I didn't take very good notes, but I here's some of what I remember:

The panelists brought up several important aspects of mythology: the usefulness of mythology to explain natural, cultural and psychological phenomena; the importance of mythology for passing along the morals of a society; the archetypes that show up in mythology and that resonate with us still today.

Several of the panelists felt strongly that writers should at least be very familiar with the myths that their stories are based in. Some stories based on mythology ignore the culture of the myths and leave out important details. Sometimes writers will use mythological characters as props instead of fleshing out real people.

After attending the panel I feel very motivated to get back into working on my own mythology-inspired novel.

ArmadilloCon Recap: the People

One of the best aspects of ArmadilloCon was the friendliness of all the people. Writing is a pretty solitary endeavor, so getting out to talk writing with other people is a bit of a high for me. Everyone I spoke to was super enthusiastic—I felt right at home among them.

The people I was most looking forward to seeing were the other three people in my critique group who came to the con, and in that respect the weekend most certainly did not disappoint. We had a wonderful time going out to dinner on Friday night and spending time catching up at other moments as well. Ico, Kendra and Steve—you guys are great!

I was also excited about catching up with Patrice Sarath, who was one of my instructors last year. I've read her two books (Gordath Wood and Red Gold Bridge) over the past year, and I'm really hoping to see more of her writing soon, particularly after going to her reading on Sunday.

I met some fascinating new people this year. Katharine Beutner was on the Mythology panel on Sunday morning, and she was kind enough to spend the hour after the panel chatting with me about her book, Alcestis, and about some of the mythology I'm using in my writing.

I also got a chance to meet Anne Sowards, senior editor at Ace/Roc, who, in addition to being a very interesting person to talk to and working with awesome people like Jim Butcher and Steven Boyett, also wins the award for best accessory at the con—her purse made of seat belts was seriously fun. (Unfortunately my picture of it doesn't quite do it justice.)

Runner up for cool accessories would have to be Julie Kenner with her cute purple glasses and soda tab bracelet. I met Julie last year and was flattered to find that she remembered me. I read her YA Good Ghouls books after meeting her at the last con and really enjoyed them.

And finally (for this post, though there were quite a lot of other people I met and really enjoyed spending time with), I chatted a bit with Stina Leicht. I'm a little in awe of Stina and all the hard work she puts into making the workshop happen. I've said it before, but I can't say it too many times: thank you so much for what you do, Stina! And congratulations on selling your book!

ArmadilloCon Recap: Workshop

I'm back from ArmadilloCon!

Wow, was it ever an exciting whirlwind of an experience: three full days of critiques, panels and meeting lots of interesting people.

I'm still in processing mode, so over the next few days I'll summarize some of the highlights of the con. Today's highlight: the writing workshop.

For the workshop I submitted the first chapter of my current WIP. A few weeks ago four other first chapters/short stories showed up in my inbox, and I critiqued those before the con. Last Friday our group of five got together with two professional authors, who had also looked at our work. Then we spent a few hours chatting about how to make our stories better.

I was super excited about the two pros assigned to my group: Rosemary Clement-Moore and Phoebe Kitanidis. Both are successful YA authors and fabulous people. They had great comments for all of us.

And the other people in my group had smart things to say too. All of the submissions I critiqued were strong—great group of writers.

There were mixed reactions to my first chapter. One fellow student wanted me to make next to no changes; another had pages of notes. A third said the chapter had made her cry—I think this is the first time in my life I've been genuinely gratified to know I've made another person shed tears.

The pros had some great advice, which I have been mulling over. Rosemary had the same comment for all of us: show the characters internalizing the things that happen to them. She even has a great video to go along with the advice.

Overall I was very encouraged by the workshop and eager to get back to writing. At the moment I'm two thirds of the way through the first draft of the novel. Just about to start into the home stretch!

In the meantime, here's a big THANK YOU to Rosemary and Phoebe and the other students in my group.

Can We Panic Now?

Hey look: a blog post!

So here's an overview of the past week: a fun and informative book signing; more packing; ArmadilloCon preparation; music writing; and trying not to panic.

On Saturday I went to a book signing for Melissa Marr.  This is actually the second of her signings I've attended (so nice to live relatively near a fabulous author!), so I was looking forward to going.  She is a really wonderful, genuine person.  She's so personable, and gives the immediate impression that she truly cares about other people.  So not only is she a great writer, but she's a great human being as well.

Unfortunately the state of the highway on Saturday meant that it took an hour and a half to go 30 miles.  I had left a little early, but not early enough apparently, so I missed a little of the first bit of Q&A.  But the signing afterward more than made up for it!  I was at the end of the line and got to chat with Melissa for about 10-15 minutes.  She had some really excellent advice on querying, along with a list of agents and websites to check out.  Thank you, Melissa!

Also on the writing side, I've revised the first chapter of the WIP based on some recent critiques, and I last night I sent the revised version to the ArmadilloCon writers workshop.  I'm SO excited about the con.  Several of the other people in my critique group will be attending as well, and I can hardly wait to get together with them.

The WIP is going well overall.  The critiques on the first section have been really encouraging in addition to having some good advice.  I'm continuing to plug away toward the finish before doing any further revision, though.

As for the rest, I've completed a new piece of music for the two-stick shooter in production at GeeQ.  I'm pleased with it.  Hopefully I'll have some time to do a little more music in the coming weeks.

But of course, a lot of that will depend on how the packing goes.  The move is only a few weeks away!  The bookshelves and china cabinet are all packed up, and I can't believe how many boxes are filled just from doing that much.  Still a lot to do, and we won't even have time this weekend since we'll be out of town, so that'll leave most of the packing for the July 4th weekend.

What was that about not panicking?

Well, as you can see, life hurtles forward.  I've managed not to drop any balls yet, so hopefully that trend will continue.  All the best to all of you!