And there will be puppets. Oh yes.

Mark  the dates January 17-20, 2013 on your calendar.  I’ll see you in Troy, Michigan.

Here’s my schedule!

Friday 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM Town and Country/San Diego: Autograph Session

This is a WFC tradition for all authors, artists, and editors attending the convention. Everyone is invited to participate in this very informal event.  Tent cards will be available outside the room. Get your card, find a seat, and make yourself comfortable.  Refreshments and a no-host bar will be provided in the foyer.

Saturday 8pm Pacific 1: Out of the Broom Closet: Integrating Magicians and Fantastic Creatures into Society.

Most stories have vampires, werewolves, witches and other supernatural entities hiding within the greater society. But more and more look at them as just another facet of modern society. How does that change them as characters? How does it change human society? What does it add to the plot, in addition to the obvious possible social commentary?

S. G. Browne, Mette Harrison (M), Leanna Renee Hieber, Mary Robinette Kowal, Rebecca Rowe

Will I see you in San Diego?

I’ve finished a short story, had breakfast, strolled, and am enjoying a beautiful view out my window. I love the train SO much. Of course, in Seattle, I’ll have to switch to a bus for the last part of the trip, but it’s a fairly comfy bus.

In any event, if you are going to be at the SiWC, I’d love to say hello. If you aren’t attending the conference, but are in the area, the Saturday evening Bookfair is open to the public and there are lots of amazing authors signing.

Friday night, I’m the keynote speaker at the banquet and will be doing a short talk on “How a Life in Theater Prepared Me for Rejection.”

I hope to see some of you there.

I’m very much looking forward to attending this.

JordanCon Artist Guest of Honor Sam Weber was born in Alaska, and grew up in Deep River Ontario, Canada. After attending the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, he moved to New York to pursue illustration and attend graduate school at The School of Visual Arts. His studio is in Brooklyn. Sam is married to Jillian Tamaki. You can visit him at http://www.sampaints.com

JordanCon Toastmaster Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski founded http://www.tarvalon.net - a social organization dedicated to realizing the idea of “Aes Sedai” in real life through service and fundraising – and has served as its CEO for over a decade. This international fellowship holds several functions and fundraisers throughout the year for non-profit organizations (including Heifer International and Doctors Without Borders) and is the home of Robert Jordan Memorial Scholarship for College undergraduates. A dedicated “Wheel of Time” fan, she has served as a consultant on several related projects including cover art for the Starscape Young Adult edition of WOT and the graphic novel adaptation of “New Spring.”

Thursday July 14

Friday July 15

Saturday July 16

Sunday July 17

We started with the opening ceremonies which were short and simple. The various GoH’s introduced themselves and said, “hello” to the audience. Martin Young, the Toastmaster, gave me the straight line of asking if things ever went wrong in puppetry, so I told the Sleeping Beauty story.

Sandra Tayler is in town and rooming with me. She is a delight to hang out with.  By the way, I highly recommend having someone like Sandra with you when you GoH to act as a safety net.

From the Opening Ceremonies it was off to Getting Published Today with Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin, and Susan Krinard.  Oddly we were all Tor authors whose surnames began with the letter K.  It was a fun conversation although at one point I remarked that we were a self-heckling panel.  The key takeaway I think from that is that if you want to get published you have to have a good manuscript and do your research.

Between panels Sandra and I hung out in the bar area with John Picacio, Chris Garcia, Jeremy Llassen, and a roving cast of others. Funny conversations including a whole host of innocent sentences parents should not say about their children without risking jail time if they are heard out of context.

In the evening we went to the Meet the Guests reception which was good clean fun. I need to give a shout out to Tobi Schneider, guest liaison, who is doing a fantastic job of making us all feel welcome.

After the reception, I indulged in my guilty pleasure and went to the Regency Ball. I brought an extra dress and managed to talk Sandra into going. Man, some of those dances are really fast. At one point, I lost a shoe. I felt very much like Cinderella.

Here’s where you can find me today (Saturday)

11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in room: San Tomas
Growing Artisticially Through Crisis

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in room: Bayshore East and West
Puppetry Workshop
(Note: I will have the pencil-necked little weasel, and John Scalzi’s Papa Fuzzy puppet with me)

4:00 PM to 5:30 PM in room: Winchester
$5, a Dead Fish, and a Time Machine

5:30 to 7:00 PM in room: Central
Autographing

By the way, if I’m not in a panel, the bar is a good bet on where to find me.

I also met Bobbie DuFault, the Fan GoH.  She’s from Seattle so we were both wondering about the bright light in the sky. Thank heavens today is overcast.  That other thing was just unnatural.

Today I’ll be at:

2:00 PM to  2:30 PM in room: Winchester
Opening Ceremonies

4:00 PM to 5:30 PM in room: Lawrence
Getting Published Today

8:00 PM to 9:00 PM in room: Grand Ballroom E & F
Meet-the-Guests Reception

I’m also planning to head to the Regency dance after the Meet-the-Guests reception, although that might involve going back to my room to change.  Meanwhile, my plan is to hang in the bar area and chat with anyone who wanders by.

Wander by?

Thursday

6pm, Cascade 7
Tips for Writers on Giving a Good Reading

Mary Robinette Kowal offers a workshop filled with tips for writers, readers, and public speakers on how to give a good reading. She’ll discuss how to select the scene, the number of characters, language, and give other pointers that make writers better readers.

Friday

10am, Cascade 4
When Writing Doesn’t Pay

Declining markets, escalating costs, and rampant piracy of content are rapidly reducing writer’s incomes.  If one can’t make a living writing books, will people stop writing them?   Can intellectual content not supported by sales and contracts survive?   Who will do it and why?

Nancy Kress, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jack Skillingstead, pir8fancier, Rose O’Keefe

1pm, Cascade 13
Science-Fiction Shakespeare

Not only The Tempest (Forbidden Planet) but Mid Summer Night’s Dream, Winter’s Tale, Lear as contemporary explorations of magic, psychology and fantasy.

G.Robin Smith, Spencer Ellsworth, Mark Bourne, Mary Robinette Kowal, Steven Barnes

4pm,  Cascade 4
New Shared World Anthologies

Where are they headed?  What makes them good?  What are the pitfalls?  Are they headed in a new direction? Is this an old idea being addressed in a new way?  What are examples? Do they have staying power?  Is it difficult for writers to maintain an internally consistent continuity and to avoid contradicting details in earlier works?

Mary Robinette Kowal, Jennifer Brozek, Nathan Crowder, Jay Lake, Jordan Lapp

5pm, Cascade 7
The Art of The Mash-Up

Mash-ups are very popular right now but require a delicate touch.  You have to be a scholar of what you’re writing; if you’re writing a Jane Austin mash-up, you’d better know your Jane Austin very well.   You have to be an irreverent artist to write about one!  Can it be funny? How do you do it well without being too reverential?  How do you take someone else’s style and expand it?  You have to be a good technician to do it well; if you don’t have the basic technical craft you won’t get your art across.

Mary Robinette Kowal, Mark Teppo, Jeff Burk

Saturday

1-3pm, Cascade 13
Figure Drawing Workshop – Models in Costume

Models in costume will do a variety of short and medium length poses (3 to 10 minutes). Everyone is welcome to come and sketch or paint. Please bring your own drawing and painting supplies. This is an excellent follow-up panel to the Figure Drawing Workshop.

Anita Taylor, Mary Robinette Kowal, Cymbric Early-Smith, G.Robin Smith, Victoria Shaffer, Michaela Eaves, Christine Winters, Douglas Herring

3pm, Grand 2
Autograph Session 2

Patricia McKillip, Kinuko Y.  Craft, Marie D. Jones, Jim Butcher, Shannon Butcher, Lou Anders, Alma Alexander, Anina Bennett, S. A. Bolich, SatyrPhil Brucato, Rob Carlos, Brenda Cooper, Nathan Crowder, James C. Glass, Roberta Gregory, Paul Guinan, Eileen Gunn, Jay Lake, Stina Leicht, R.L. McSterlingthong, Darragh Metzger, Joshua Palmatier, Kevin Radthorne, Cat Rambo, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ken Scholes, Jack Skillingstead, G.Robin Smith, Renee Stern, Rodney Thompson, K Wiley, Christine Winters, Stan!

4pm,  Cascade 5&6
The Best Writing Advice I Ever Received

…and Am Now Passing On To You.

Nancy Kress, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jack Skillingstead, Brenda Cooper, Eileen Gunn,Jay Lake

Sunday

10:30am, Cascade 3
Mary Robinette Kowal reads Shades of Milk and Honey

An excerpt from my debut novel, with puppet show.

11am,  Cascade 8
Which Point of View Serves Your Story Best?

Any story can be told from any point of view: How do you find the best one for yours? What gains and losses come with first person, with limited third person, with multiple third, with multiple first?

Jay Lake, Susan R. Matthew, Mary Robinette Kowal

I got up, had breakfast with some folks, and then headed to the train station. I managed to get about 3000 words written on the trip back and wrap a chapter. That’s a nice feeling.

Tomorrow… Tomorrow, Rob and I are going on vacation.

Here’s my schedule.

• 9:00 The Healthy Hero — Emerald
• 10:00 SFWA Regional Meeting — Sage
• 13:00 The Muddle in the Middle — Ruby
• 17:00 What Writers Mean — Ruby

In travel news, because I know you are curious, I took the train. We left on time and had a delay waiting for a freight train to pass just outside of Pasco. I think we got in about forty-five minutes late.  I don’t mind train delays because I can get up and walk around. I also got a lot of writing done. Yay.

The bonus was that Amtrak stays at the Red Lion so I was able to catch a ride with the shuttle from the train station instead of needing to find my own way.  that makes life easier, eh?  I think that balances out the late arrival so travel karma wise, this worked out even.

Friday

4:00:pm – The physics of magic
Ross/Morr
Writers often talk about magic systems and magic having a cost. It’s fantasy–can’t you do anything you want? Should magic hold to a law of conservation of energy? The nuts and bolts of magic in fantasy, and what readers want or don’t want to see.
Joan Gaustad, (*)Mary Robinette Kowal, Devon Monk, Deborah J. Ross

7:00:pm — Reading
Lincoln

I’ll be reading from Shades of Milk and Honey and performing the shadow play, “The Broken Bridge” from Chapter 10.

Saturday

10:00 am — SFWA Regional Business meeting

12:00:pm – Writing the Other: Races and Cultures
Roosevelt

Speculative fiction often takes steps toward being more egalitarian, but there are still huge challenges ahead. Issues of appropriation, respect, stereotypes, and taking chances. How to get educated and still write naturally and from the heart.
(*)Nisi Shawl, Donna McMahon, Rory Miller, Mary Robinette Kowal, Craig Laurance Gidney

2:00:pm – Women role models in science fiction
Hawthorne

Are there any good female role models in science fiction? Or are they still relegated to being damsels in distress? A discussion of both weak and strong female science fiction characters across all media.
Stoney Compton, Deborah J. Ross, Steve Perry, (*)Mary Robinette Kowal

5:00:pm– 3 Aliens and a Human by Friday: Artist/Editor Relationship
Art Show

How and when editors edit words on a page is pretty clear, but how do things work with editors and artists? Enquiring minds want to know!
Scott Allie, Chad Savage, (*)Mary Robinette Kowal

Sunday

10:00:am – Costumers Tea
Hospitality

High tea for costumers hosted by the Greater Portland Area Costumers Guild
Mary Robinette Kowal, Lorien Fletcher, Elaine Teadtke, (*)Kate Fletcher, Sound system

1:00:pm — Focus on synopses
Jefferson/Adams

Your mission: to reduce the essence of your novel into a single page synopsis. Tricks, tips and techniques. What to include, what to exclude, and some strategies to keep it fresh and reveal your voice without sounding unprofessional.
Mary Robinette Kowal, (*)Deborah J. Ross, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Bill Johnson, Gordon Eklund

2:00:pm – Pitch it to Me
Hamilton

Why a cover letter? Why a synopsis? How does that compare to an outline? What’s a query? What if I’m confronted with an editor face to face who asks what I’m working on? Learn how to pitch that winning novel so it gets a fair chance.
Sharyn November, (*)Deborah J. Ross, Mary Robinette Kowal

The trip home was entirely uneventful aside from finishing the ABM of Howard Jones’s novel The Desert of Souls. It’s a fast read and a lot of fun. Think Sherlock Holmes set in the Arabian Nights.

Rob and I went out for dinner tonight. It’s not that we lack food but there’s a tendency for us to both get distracted by all the things that Need To Get Done and to not spend enough time reconnecting. Getting out of the apartment removes the distractions. Plus we were both tired.

The next trip is on September 24th up to Redmond, WA for Foolscap. That doesn’t seem nearly as daunting since I can just hop the train.

My flight to Atlanta had no problems, which is something of a record a this point. Arriving in Atlanta, I took MARTA into the city since it was supposed to stop less than a block from my hotel. As soon as I came out of the underground, I saw a Jedi and started grinning. There were other costumes scattered through the folks walking on the sidewalk.

I was at the Westin which only had the alternate history track in it. A cluster of folks in outstanding steampunk garb were standing in the entrance talking. I felt like I’d come home.

I decided that, since I had a reading that I would go ahead and wear one of the Regency outfits I’d brought. After considering and discarding the green silk spencer, due to the heat, I opted for the white sprigged lawn, with a blue moiré sash and matching blue pashmina shawl. Despite my short hair, I’ve figured out how to get it up into something resembling the correct do through the use of fifteen bobby pins.

I trotted off to registration toting a bag of sandalwood fans and my shadow puppet show, intending to go from there to my reading.

I am glad I scheduled extra time. Though I breezed through the guest line, I still had an insane time actually getting to the location of my reading.

Dragon*Con is huge. When people say “huge” they are being coy. It is freaking ginormous and has something like 60,000 people half of which, I’m guessing, are in costume. There are five different hotels. So to get from one to the next, you have to move through vast seas of Riddlers, Klingons, Fairy Princesses,

Transformers, Stormtroopers, and Steampunk Explorers. It is daunting. Daunting, I tell you.

I did find the location for reading, as did an audience. Very exciting.

My routine now is to read a cutting of the first chapter, answer some questions and talk about the writing process, then do the shadow puppet show The Broken Bridge – which I really will do a blog post about — and then sometimes read the part of Chapter 10 where Mr. Vincent performs the shadow play. I think there were twenty or so people in the room but I didn’t get a head count.

After the reading, I went out to dinner with Matthew and Tracy Rotundo, Dan Wells, Alethea Kontis, Joe Branson, Leanna Renee Hieber, and Andrew Williams.  It was fun to have a chance to talk to folks.

After that, I made the mistake of separating from the group not realizing that I would never find anyone ever again in Dragon*Con. The survival strategy is to either have a designated home base with a group or to glom on to people when you find them. Having made no plans, I spent the rest of the weekend glomming on to people when I found them. I felt a bit like the puppy that gets left outside the coffeeshop, endlessly scanning the crowd for his person.

So Day One of Dragon*Con? Fun. Overwhelming. Visual Eye Candy.

Besides my blood-pressure, of course.

I’m impressed that my travel karma is inserting pre-emptive scheduling chaos although this does give me the opportunity to plan ahead for it.  Makes me wonder what time I will actually arrive…

Friday

Dragon*Autographs
01:00 pm Location: M301 – M304 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Edited to add: An airline itinerary change has me arriving AFTER my session. Sorry. Feel free to find me after any of the other panels/events.

Dragon*Reading
05:30 pm Location: Roswell – Hyatt (Length: 1)
I’ll be reading from Shades of Milk and Honey and performing The Broken Bridge, which is the shadow puppet play that occurs in Chapter 10.

Saturday

Broad Universe Reading!
11:30 am Location: Greenbriar – Hyatt (Length: 2.5)
Description: Discover new writers, rediscover ones you know! Up and coming women writers read from their own works and others. (I’ll be reading a new short story.)

Sunday

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
11:30 am Location: Hanover C – E – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: A roundtable discussion about science fiction and fantasy book covers by industry pros, discussing what’s good, bad and could be better.

Monday

Joining a Writer’s Group
11:30 am Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Whether it’s a national organization like SFWA, RWA,or HWA or a local group…What’s in it for you?

Besides the usual programming with writers, gamers, editors, artists and scientists, they also hold a seminar for educators and librarians, a writers’ conference with workshops by award winning authors and editors, and annual student art and writing contests. They are doing a lot of wonderful outreach which can only strengthen the field.

The other Guests of Honor are: Artist Guest of Honor, Nene Thomas; Gaming Guest of Honor, Monte Cook; Comics Guest of Honor, Kurt Busiek; Costuming Guest of Honor, Kelldar; Editor Guest of Honor, Jackie Gamber; and Toastmaster, The great Luke Ski.

I’m very much looking forward to attending and hope to see some of you there.

Thursday

3:00 PM – RCC 305B
Schmoozing: How to Network at a Con
Davey Beauchamp [m], Dan Kimmel, Mary Robinette Kowal

4:00 PM —  RCC 305A
Reading
I’ll be reading from Shades of Milk and Honey. Not surprisingly…

Friday

10:00 AM — RCC 306B
Longevity Panel
Mary Robinette Kowal, Henry Stratmann

2:00 PM – RCC 306B
Editing: The Necessary Evil of Publishing
John Hertz [m], Dan Hoyt, Chris A Jackson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Stanley Schmidt, Lawrence M Schoen

3:00 PM — RCC 203
Revive Fandom’s Relevance to the 21st Century
Mary Robinette Kowal, Mur Lafferty, Amy H Sturgis

8:00PM –Raleigh Hospitality Suite
Shades of Milk and Honey Launch
This will be a gentle reception with Regency music, games and a shadow puppet play.

Saturday

10:00 AM — RCC 306A
Creative Insults
Dan Hoyt, Mary Robinette Kowal, James Daniel Ross, Alex Wilson

1:00 PM – MAR Alumn
Writers Workshop — Section 3
Mary Robinette Kowal, Lawrence M Schoen

5:00 PM — RCC Boardroom
Kaffee Klatch
Come chat!

9:00 PM — RCC 306C
Great First Lines
Mary Robinette Kowal, Lee Martindale, John Pierce, Matthew Rotundo

Sunday

RCC Exhibit Hall — 10:00 AM
Autographs
Carl Frederick, Chuck Gannon, Mary Robinette Kowal

Highlights include: learning that Scalzi is creeped out by my cat puppet; looking across the table and realizing that I’m having breakfast with Mary Turzillo and Geoffrey Landis; talking shop with Tobias Buckell and Patrick Rothfuss; staying up waaaaaaaaaaaaay too late talking to Merrie Haskell; and hanging at the airport with Cherie Priest. There was other fun stuff, too but that gives you a brief overview.

My flight doesn’t go until 7:45 but it’s a direct flight, so that’s nice.  I got here really early because there was an easy ride to the airport and I happily took advantage of it.

Friday

Author Reading – 6pm

Three authors for the price of one! Cherie Priest, Mary Robinette Kowal, and The Ferrett

Saturday

Puppetry 101 – 10am

The history of puppetry, the different types, and the basic elements of manipulation

Aliens: Form and Function – 12pm

How do aliens in written and media SF influence the kinds of story that one tells about them? How do the demands of the story influence the aliens’ natures?

The Timeshredder, Mary Robinette Kowal, Michael Z. Williamson (m)

The Intersection of Puppetry and Science Fiction – 2pm

Much like science fiction and fantasy, puppetry is often seen as a childhood interest. Mary Robinette Kowal, professional puppeteer and Campbell award-winning author, talks about the what the speculative fiction community can learn from the world of puppetry.

Don’t Be Evil: The Google Books Settlement – 5pm

It’s well-known that Google’s slogan once was “Don’t be evil.” Did Google crossed the line with the Google Book Settlement? How does it impact authors and readers?

Jim C. Hines, Tobias S. Buckell (m), Steve Piziks, Mary Robinette Kowal

Mass Autograph session – 6pm

All our authors at the Con are pen-ready to sign your books!

Mary Turzillo, Cherie Priest, Karl Schroeder, Tobias S. Buckell, Doselle Young, Patrick Rothfuss, Michael Z. Williamson, Sarah Monette, Mary Robinette Kowal

Sunday

Adapting a Novel to a Podcast – 9am

With our constantly-on-the-go culture, why not make your work even more available (and safe!) for our commuter-based society! Two veterans of aural performance help you get started.

Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel J. Hogan

Short Story Markets – 10am

Finding markets for your short stories in a rapidly-changing world.

Mary Robinette Kowal, Mary A. Turzillo, Michael Z. Williamson (m)

Thursday

Twitter, Facebook, My Space: Social Media and Writing
14:00, P-513B
What’s all the buzz about the new social media? Writing short-short-short stories on Twitter??? Good grief! Is this networking or a new way to write? Can tweets and Facebook updates be about more than what you ate?
James Strauss, Jenny Rae Rappaport, Mary Robinette Kowal, Walter Jon Williams, John Picacio

Friday

The Campbell Awards (Not a Hugo, Honest!)
17:00, P-511A
Jay Lake and other previous winners explain why you should read and vote.
Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Mary Robinette Kowal, Wen Spencer

Saturday

SF and the Arts
10:00, P-524A
There is a wide variety of art in the genre that has nothing to do with paper or a computer….
Elaine Isaak, Frank Roger, Leigh Adams, Mary Robinette Kowal, Stephen H. Segal, Jill Eastlake

13:00, D-Vitre
Writing Workshop S
Critique session for previously submitted manuscripts
Jay Lake, Mary Robinette Kowal

15:30, P-513C
Puppetry Demonstration
Beginning with an overview of puppetry, we’ll talk about how it relates to SF. I’m planning on bringing some rehearsal puppets to let people try.

19:00, P-513B
Radio Theater – “The Cold Equations”
Two-time Aurora nominee Joe Mahoney directs a reading of his sf audio adaptation originally broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations.”
Joe Mahoney, Mary Robinette Kowal

Sunday

9:00, Outdoors
Stroll With The Stars
A gentle, friendly 1 mile stroll with some of your favorite Authors, Artists & Editors. Leaving daily 9AM, from the Riopelle Fountain outside the Palais (corner of Ave Viger & Rue de Bleury), returning before 10AM.
Farah Mendlesohn, Lou Anders, Mary Robinette Kowal, Paul Cornell, Stu Segal, John Picacio, Felix Gilman

11:00, P-522A
Author Reading
Readings by me, Tony Pi, Daniel Duguay and Frank Roger. I’m planning to read “Evil Robot Monkey” and either something from Shades of Milk and Honey or Scenting the Dark. There are advantages to having a story that’s only 970 words long.

20:00, Location: P-517ABC
Hugo Awards
No description needed. I’ll have a pretty dress.

<h3>Monday</h3>

10:00, P-513C
Characterization Workshop for Costumers
Good costumes are better costumes when they have a character behind them. Use characterization to bring your costuming to the next level. Give your original design a backstory and personality. Our panel will discuss ideas and show you how.
Mary Robinette Kowal, Toni Lay

11:00, P-521A
Kaffeeklatsch
A chance to ask those burning questions.

Eventually a group of us splintered off to get dinner at the Mediterranean place next door. The hotel menu has ZERO vegetarian food on it and two fish items, both appetizers. Foodwise, the weekend looks bleak for me.

When we got back, I found out that Scalzi and my Schmoozing 101 panel had been moved to 10:00pm that night, into the slot vacated by Wil Wheaton. We had some audience members who were there to see us, but most of the session was waving people off who’d come to see Wil read. It was still fun.

I gratefully dropped into bed back at the hotel and now I’m off to my slew of panels today.

May 2, 2009
10:00 am — Ballroom 7
Making Fiction Work In Audio

What to avoid when writing a story to podcast, and what to change to adapt one. Concise language, appropriate pacing, holding attention, choosing a performer to read, and more tips from two of the leaders in podcast fiction: Steve Eley of Escape Pod and Rick Stringer of Variant Frequencies.
Steve Eley, Mary Robinette Kowal, Rick Jackson, Rick Stringer

11:00 am — Ballroom 7
Can I Be Your Friend? Bringing Authors and Readers Together

Facebook, LiveJournal, WordPress, MySpace, Twitter, website, etc. — SF/F/H authors are encouraged to engage in self-promotion on the web. Some, like John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton, make it look easy. But where’s the line on privacy and personal details for the authors? And what about fans bent on making the transition to troll or stalker? No one said this was going to be easy.
John Scalzi, Jim C. Hines, Wil Wheaton, Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel Hogan, Dr. Philip Kaldon

1:00 pm — Poolside 1
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Character Development. Bringing your imaginary friends to life. Discussion of what makes a character live on the page. Heroes, villains, supporters. Different methods and ways of making your characters real to your audience.
Elizabeth Bear, David Crampton, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sarah Hoyt, Dan Hoyt, Cherie Priest, Jeff DeLuzio, Sarah Monette

3:00 pm — Poolside 3
Johnny Can’t Read and Nobody Thinks It’s a Problem

Illiteracy is a major problem in our society, or perhaps it’s not, given the lack of attention it gets. Can children read? Are they reading? Should they read more? How can we get them to read? How can we read more as adults? Our panel of mostly experts will discuss the issue.
David Crampton, Richard Herrell, Mary Robinette Kowal

7:00 pm — Poolside 1
Lie to Me!

Authors telling lies….what will happen next?! (PS – the audience gets to lie too!)
Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sarah Hoyt

8:00 pm — Poolside 1
Schmoozing 101!

Conventions offer a chance to meet some of the top names in the field. How can you take advantage of that without coming off like a weasel? Learn about the etiquette of talking to editors and how to effectively “work a room.”
John Scalzi, Mary Robinette Kowal

May 3, 2009
8:00 am — Poolside 1
National Novel Writing Month

Every November hordes of would-be writers as well as established pros unite to attempt to produce 50,000 words in one month. Good idea or waste of time? Does it help or hurt writing? What about the pressures of deadlines in general? Does slow and steady win the race, or does the pressure cooker of trying to produce so many words in the last hour really work?
David Crampton, Jim C. Hines, Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel Hogan

9:00 am — Poolside 1
How to Give an Effective Reading

Learn to make your words sound as great out loud as they do on the page. Using both demonstration and audience participation, we will explore voicing, narration, and pacing.
Mary Robinette Kowal

11:00 am — Poolside 1
Finding Your Voice

1st Person vs 3rd Person writing. Discussion of pros and cons of different voices in writing. Benefits of the “God” point of view for an author and a reader. Benefits of the main character as narrator for the author and reader. Limitations of both.
Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sarah Hoyt, Dan Hoyt, Sarah Monette

Still, it was a fun con and it was nice to see the host of folks.  I particularly enjoyed stumbling onto the branch of MaltCon 09.3 surrounding Laura Anne Gilman. Next time, I will have to bring my own flask so I can share. Despite my complaints about travel, I did get to spend time in the bar with Chuck Gannon, Mike Kabonga, and Neal Clarke, of the Hugo-nominated Clarkesworld magazine, today before Rob whisked me back to the city on the bike. (By whisked, I mean, drove slowly through traffic.) I also met some lovely, lovely people including, but not limited to, Kate Baker,  Chris McMahon, Jill Friedman, Racheline Maltese and Tom Crosshill.

All in all, it was a good weekend.

Friday
How to Avoid Publishing Scams 6:00 PM (Brundage B)
Warning signs, what to ask, and what to look out for.
Participants: Sean P. Fodera[M], Mary Robinette Kowal, Joshua Palmatier, Ian Randal Strock,

The Worst Advice I Ever Got? 7:00 PM (Brundage B)
About writing. About critiquing. About the publishing business. About marketing.
Participants: Barbara Campbell[M], Mary Robinette Kowal, Nick Pollotta, Shane Tourtellotte, Michael A. Ventrella,

Saturday
Sports and Fantasy 1:00 (Brundage A)
SF is filled with sports and games, but fantasy isn’t (quiddich being a conspicuous exception). How come everyone in the future is involved in physical activities, but no one in fantasy seems to have extracurricular hobbies when they’re not dragon slaying or wenching? Why aren’t there more Robin Hood style town archery contests or Tom Brown’s Schooldays style contests between villages?
Participants: Pauline Alama[M], Alma Alexander, Sam Butler, Mary Robinette Kowal, Chuck Rothman,

Gender Balance in Fantasy 12:00 PM (Grand Center)
We’ve come a long way from the days when it didn’t occur to Tolkien to put any female characters in The Hobbit. Nowadays, the perky girl protagonist is as much a staple of the genre as the pig boy who’s destined to be king. Have we reached a good balance, or are we just creating new cliches?
Participants: Alma Alexander[M], Esther Friesner, Daniel Hoyt, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mercedes Lackey,

Sunday
Reading 12:30 – (Elija Budd)
A chapter of Shades of Milk and Honey OR a new short story, depending on audience choice.

I’m heading for my first Philcon this year. I figure it’s close plus the SFWA regional meeting is there and I’d like to attend.

Here’s my preliminary schedule.

Friday
10:00PM Websites for Writers – Event #16

Saturday
12:00PM Sherlock Holmes and Science Fiction
2:00PM Science Fiction and Romance
3:00-5:00PM Crafting: Hand Puppets (Yep, I’m going to teach on the kids’ track.)
8:00PM Beyond Philip Pullman- Is Atheism the Last Taboo?

Sunday
10:00AM Towards a Theory of Science Fiction
11:00AM Reading (I’ll bring a couple of options and let the audience pick)
12:00PM Presenting your art: tips for approaching art directors, publishers, and galleries
1:00PM The News from Mars

Will I see any of you there?

Straight from there, I went to Schmoozing 101 with John Scalzi and Mike Kabonga. It has to be the most fun I’ve had on a panel ever. The thing that’s been sort of fun afterwards has been having people that had been in the audience try out their new schmoozing techniques on me when we run into each other in the hall. It’s like we all get to have a great playtime.

I had an hour break and then trotted back for Survival Tips for the Beginning Writer with David B. Coe and Darlene Marshall. I learned a lot from these two, as the junior writer on the panel. The biggest point that I think we all made is that it’s not just about talent or skill, it’s about hard work. Butt in chair… but you know that, already.

Launch Pad: Astronomy for Writers
Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.
Launch Pad is a week-long crash course in modern astronomy for writers founded by Mike Brotherton and held each summer at the University of Wyoming. NASA foots the bill with the goald of increasing the quality and quantity of astronomy reaching the public. Come hear instructors and participants discuss the experience.

Schmoozing 101
Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Conventions offer a chance to meet some of the top names in the field. How can you take advantage of that without coming off like a weasel? Learn about the etiquette of talking to editors and how to effectively ‘work a room.’

Survival Tips for the Beginning Writer
Wednesday, 4:00 p.m.
Once the story is written, what happens next? Panelists talk about cover letters, manuscript tracking, rejectomancy and other blunders that they learned about the hard way.

Signing
Thursday, 1:00 pm

Reading
Thursday, 4:00 pm
A sampler-platter of short stories from me and John Scalzi

How to Give an Effective Reading – Workshop
Friday, 10:00 a.m.
You may be a good writer, but reading aloud is a separate skill. Learn to make your words sound as great out loud as they do on the page. Using both demonstration and audience participation, we will explore voicing, narration and pacing.

Strolling with the Stars
Sunday, 9:00 a.m.
To encourage a healthier, more active environment at Denvention 3 we are scheduling a 9AM walk every morning. We’ll leave from under the Big Blue Bear at the Colorado Convention Center, and we’ll stroll for a leisurely mile through downtown Denver. Each day’s walk will be led by a Famous AuthorTM, Artist, Editor or Scientist who will not only lead the walk but will interact with the participants. Join luminaries like Frank Wu, David Brin, Jay Lake, Ellen Datlow, John Picacio, Lou Anders, Paul Cornell, Scott Edelman, Mary Robinette Kowal and Stephen H. Segal for a gentle, friendly stroll to get the day started on an upbeat note.

The morning started with the Codex breakfast, which featured a completely different group of Codexians than we had at the retreat. It was good to see Elaine Isaak, Doug Cohen, Joy Marchand, ((Did not get enough time with Joy)) Cat Rambo, David Walton, Erin Underwood and Will McIntosh, who brought his lovely wife. We also had the special guests Kris Dikeman and Justine Graykin ((who was in Shimmer’s Pirate issue)) joining us. It’s fun to catch up with writers who I know online but only get to see at cons.

After that, I headed for a panel, walked into the room which was FREEZING and decided to go get a sweater and, um, took a nap instead of returning.

Had lunch with Amy Tibbets, John Joseph Adams, Chris Cevasco, Doug Cohen and then two people whose names I should remember in full because I really liked both of them. Amy Eastment, the mask making engineer, and John the horror writer. ((I should start taking notes, because I am such crap with names.))

I listened to Ekaterina Sedia talk about how she wrote Alchemy of Stone. The book sounded fascinating so I picked up a copy and the first chapter is great. I’m looking forward to continuing the book on the train trip home. The main character is a mechanical girl! Sweet.

I also got to spend a lot of time hanging out with David Anthony Durham, ((Campbell nominee and author of Acacia)) who is one of my new favorite people. On Friday he hosted an interesting discussion about crossing over into SF. The gist of which is that there’s not that much difference between writing a historic novel and a fantasy novel, in that you are still having to let the reader know about customs and lands with which they are unfamiliar. Still have to create compelling characters and dynamic plots. The difference comes in how it’s marketed.

Let’s see… Sunday I went out for coffee with Mary Hobbson and Genevieve Valentine then headed off to the panel on the Aesthetics of Online Magazines. They spent way too much time talking about the market forces of online magazines. Granted, that informs the aesthetic, but I wanted to hear more about the aesthetics of content and form.

My panel on podcasting was similar, I think. We covered some interesting topics, but mostly it devolved into a “please use your microphone responsibly” ((I am guilty of causing one of those tangents)) with some brief flourishes of “this is where podcasting can go.” Liz Gorinsky had some good things to say about how other fields handle podcasting, but we kept tangenting away from those points so I’ll have to find her later and see what she had to say that we skipped.

On the whole it was a grand time. Highlights include: sushi with David Anthony Durham, drinks with Jenn Jackson and Michael Curry, ((not the award-winning puppeteer)) the Codex breakfast, reading with my Tabula Rasa group — who had rocking stories that I’d never heard, and Friday’s steampunk panel.

Tomorrow, I leave all this behind and build that springer spaniel.

I primarily go to conventions for three reasons.

1. To see other people in the field whose company I enjoy.
2. Improve craft/business sense.
3. To be “visible.”

1) To see other people in the field whose company I enjoy.
I relish the social aspect of SF. There are people that I just plain like and a convention is like old home week. It’s fun! I like you guys.

2) Improve craft/business sense.
A convention with a really good list of panels is going to appeal to me more than one in which I only hang out at the bar (though I love that, too). I want to know what’s happening in the field and to think about things that aren’t just products of my own brain banging against the inside of my skull. Even if I only learn one new thing, that’s a thing I didn’t know before.

3) To be “visible”
I’m a new writer, so I’m building my “brand.” I’m not going to get that many new readers at a convention, but the people at cons are the ones who vote on things and frankly, nominations can be leveraged ((Nominations and awards do not automatically mean a reader increase. You have to know how to work them, but the power of narrative on career is a different topic.)) into getting more readers which means…that cons are filled with a good target audience. Cons also tend to have editors at them and those are good people to know.

Now, I’ll be frank about how this works, because a lot of people don’t understand how to do effective schmoozing. Yes, yes, I’m aware that admitting this happens is distasteful. But, I’m going to talk about how to schmooze, anyway.

Schmoozing 101

These are all ideas to employ but none of them are hard and fast rules. Schmoozing is all about being charming and that will vary somewhat depending on the situation. So, here are the basic ideas behind successful schmoozing.

First idea: The other person is more interesting than you are.

Clearly, there are going to be cases where this isn’t true BUT act like it is. Why? Because the more time someone spends talking about himself and the more he feels intelligent and the more interesting he will think the conversation is. Hence, the more interesting he will think you are. So practice being a good listener.

Now, the way I do this is that as I’m talking with the person, I listen for the things that we have common interests in. They like cars? Great, I can reference the MG-TD that I covet. That gives me something to add to the conversation so that they don’t feel like they are being interrogated.

What if you can’t find any common ground?

Second idea: Have an exit strategy.
Let’s say you are a writer talking to an editor. It’s a good conversation, but you don’t know them all that well. The conversation pauses. Rather than looking for a way to prolong it, excuse yourself. To borrow from theater, “Always leave them wanting more.”

Exit strategies are also useful when you are trapped in a conversation. It’s okay to break the flow and say, “I’m so sorry, it’s been good talking to you, but I need to [x].” Yes, I’m suggesting that you lie. They trapped you. You are escaping. It’s fair.

But if the conversation is going well?

Third idea: Don’t be the first to bring up business.
Why? Because everyone at the con is talking about writing and business and you, you will be a welcome respite in the midst of a sea of people who have all been talking about the same things. You stand out this way. Now, if someone else brings it up, you are more than welcome to indulge, but don’t go there first. Later, make sure you follow up, but when you are in a non-business setting, leave the business alone.

Fourth idea: When the conversation turns to business, be prepared.
It is a con, so the conversation is very likely to swing round to writing. If you have something to pitch, practice your pitch at home. If you have a question, practice it at home. If you’ve gone to panels, think about what your opinion is before someone asks you.

Right now, I’m sucking at answering the question, “So what do you write?”

I rattle off a couple of magazines — which is what they want to hear — and I fail to say, “I’m one of the finalists for the Campbell Award this year.” I think I told two people that at the last con. This is foolish. Someone gave me an opening to pimp myself and I didn’t oblige them.

Fifth idea: Be physically pleasant.

Is this shallow? Yes, yes it is. But we’ve all read the studies that repeatedly show that people who are attractive are treated better, so for heaven’s sake, take advantage of that. You look good in green? Wear green. Nicely turned calves? Show them off. And for heaven’s sake, bathe. Trust me, in a con, just a little bit of effort will make you stand out.

Want to know a secret? In real life, I almost never wear makeup, but I wear it at conventions. Too many people take photos and I look dead in photos without it. Especially on very little sleep, which is a natural state at cons.

Sixth idea: Follow up.

You meet someone who is either fascinating or who might be a good connection later. Drop them a line afterwards. It can be as simple as swinging by their website and saying “Hey, good to meet you!” Don’t stalk them, but that tiny bit of post con contact will help them remember who you are. Heck, it’ll help you remember who they are too.

By the way, this is why it’s good to hand out cards at conventions. I’ve been bad about this lately and keep forgetting to print enough to take with me.

So let’s review.
1. The other person is always more interesting than you are.
2. Have an exit strategy.
3. Don’t be the first to bring up business.
4. If business comes up, be prepared.
5. Be physically pleasant, ie, bathe.
6. Follow up.

There are other things too, but these are the basics.

To encourage a healthier, more active environment at Denvention 3 we are scheduling a 9AM walk every morning. We’ll leave from under the Big Blue Bear at the Colorado Convention Center, and we’ll stroll for a leisurely mile through downtown Denver. Each day’s walk will be led by a Famous AuthorTM, Artist, Editor or Scientist who will not only lead the walk but will interact with the participants. Join luminaries like Frank Wu, David Brin, Jay Lake, Ellen Datlow, John Picacio, Lou Anders, Paul Cornell, Scott Edelman, Mary Robinette Kowal and Stephen H. Segal for a gentle, friendly stroll to get the day started on an upbeat note.

While I’m once again looking at the other names and wondering how I wound up on that list, I’m pleased as Punch to be doing it. I was telling someone at WisCon that I liked staying in a hotel other than the con hotel because it meant that I got outside at least twice a day for some fresh air. The idea of starting off the day this way sounds lovely.

Plus, Big Blue Bear!

Join us?

This should be some good writing time.

Title: Beyond Illustration: The Process of Creating ‘Vision’
Saturday, 9:00-10:15 P.M.
Caucus

Much of SF/F art is illustrative, growing directly out of the writer’s vision. But some artists are doing exactly what writers do–using a myth or folkloric theme or story as a starting point and interpreting it in a new and personal way, developing a story with a vision of their own. These image/object driven visions are sometimes then the inspiration for a writer’s new story. How is the process of creating a vision the same in writing and art? How is it different? How do they cross-pollinate?

M: Mary Robinette Kowal, Deb Taber, Connie Toebe, Catherine Crowe

Title: What If You Don’t Want to Have Children? Redux
Saturday, 10:30-11:45 P.M.
Assembly

Modern birth control and feminism have made the option of not having children much more socially acceptable, yet women (and sometimes men) are often made to feel that by making this choice they are abandoning an essential part of the human experience. Given the increasing numbers of people who are choosing to be child-free, what will society look like in another 20 years? 50? 100? There are currently some countries that pay generous benefits to parents, especially in countries with decreasing populations. How will this continue? How will the population reduction affect workplace policies? How will the results of choosing to be child-free actually benefit parents (increased tax incentives, workplace benefits, etc.)? Last year, this panel focused on the personal, emotional, and medical struggles faced by those of us who have chosen to be childfree. It was a relief to see that there were others like ourselves, going through the very same struggles. This year, let’s take a deep
per look and examine how societal structures, workplace policies, and government taxes and subsidies discourage or encourage our decision.

M: Carrie Ferguson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Gerri Balter, Maddie Greene, Isabel Schechter

Title: The Future Of The Book
Sunday, 1:00-2:15 P.M.
Senate B

With Amazon’s Kindle being the latest entry in the ongoing attempts to scale the Everest of e-book technology, it’s time to look at the technology of the book, and where we think it might be going in the next 10-20 years. Topics might include what’s wrong with the current set of e-books, what people would need to move to an e-book solution, and new technologies/approaches in the paper-book world, such as the increased use of POD books.

M: Mary Robinette Kowal, Steven Schwartz, Jeannie Bergmann, Cabell Gathman

Title: How To Be A Good Ally — And A Bad One
Monday, 10:00-11:15 A.M.
Wisconsin

As privileged allies in tee struggles against various oppressions such as racism and sexism, sometimes we make mistakes, and some of our strategies are more successful than others. And some of us are frightened by the idea of tackling the learning curve and making fools of ourselves along the way. Others of us aren’t even sure where to begin. This panel will discuss starting points, common pitfalls, embarrassing stories of mistakes made and overcome, and how to do it right.

M: Lori Selke, Debbie Notkin, Mary Robinette Kowal

The Nebula weekend is largely unstructured, providing the members a chance to hobnob with each other. Frequently I found myself chatting with someone and then realizing that they were either a) famous or b) I knew them online or c) I wish I had known them all my life. Noticeably more people were here on day two and the demographic evened out considerably in terms of age. SFWA is still very, very, very white and it would be good to see it become more diverse, y’know? We people our SF and fantasy with dozens of different species, for crying out loud, and somehow can’t manage to integrate in real life. Gotta improve that. I’m looking forward to WisCon because it’s got panels looking at these issues.

But that’s not what I was planning on chatting about this morning. You’re here to hear about the banquet, right? The food wasn’t bad and — these things are important too — the table arrangements were lovely. Watching these writers receive their awards moved me more than I expected. Particularly people like Michael Chabon, who spoke so eloquently about the field and the wonder of SF that I actually got a little weepy. I felt like, yeah, that’s why I write and read this stuff, too.

Oh, and everyone dressed. Men in tuxedos, ladies in evening wear and all of them belonging in the tribe of SF. Heaven.

From there, I headed to the hospitality room. Important note: Texans know how to lay out a spread. Homemade cookies, people.

I spent a while hanging out there meeting new people and started to notice an interesting thing. The demographic of people who attend the Nebula Weekend seems to consist of people in their late forties and up. Yesterday, the only people my age or younger that I saw were nominees. Granted, due to the membership requirements, the organization will self-select to an older crowd because one needs time to establish a writing career. Still. It seems disproportionate. I understand more people are arriving today, so I’ll take note at the business meeting and the banquet tonight.

At three I headed to the panel on Publishing Contracts by Sean P. Fodera. This was an excellent, excellent discussion. I took notes, but I need to make them into something that people besides me can read before I post them. His closing remark was that in doctors, lawyers… all of these people need to do continuing education to stay abreast of what’s going on in their field. That they need to continually practice in order to maintain their license. People with artistic licenses think that they don’t have to do so, but it’s just as important for us if we want to be professionals. I am in total agreement with this. ((The worst business-of-writing advice I’ve gotten was from OSC because he’s thirty years out from being a beginning writer and a LOT has changed in that time. Plus, he’s a major writer so gets to play by different rules.)) I wish the panel had not been so sparsely attended. It was the only panel yesterday and had only 22 attendees. Yes. I counted.

The mass autographing session made an easy way to greet people, but, again, felt very sparsely attended. This might be because half the attendees were sitting down to sign things. I’d really like to see more general public at an event like that.

Dinner, I spent with David Levine and Kate Yule. We went out for Indian food, which was not bad, considering that we are in Texas.

I hung out in the hospitality room afterwards until my sleep deprivation forced me to retreat to my room. Mmm… sleep. Broken by a wake-up call at 5:30 am. A wakeup call which I did not request. I was annoyed, but not as annoyed as whoever didn’t get their call.

Looking forward to today.

It contained my contributor copies The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, volume two. Keen!

I want to give a shout out Mike Munsil, who created Liberty Hall Writers, an online group that does weekly flash challenges. My story, “Evil Robot Monkey” came out of one of those. Each weekend, you get a trigger and then have an hour and a half to write a story.

The story itself is sort of the product of two triggers. See, at Shimmer we have a running gag which stemmed from when we were testing the submission system. Beth sent in a trial submission called “Harry Potter and the Evil Robt Monkeys!” ((The misspelling is intentional. You’d be amazed by how many people send in stories with misspellings within the first five lines.)) Brilliant. I decided that whatever the trigger was, my story would have that title. The trigger itself was a piece of clockwork art.

Here’s the first bit of the story.

Sliding his hands over the clay, Sly relished the moisture oozing around his fingers. The clay matted down the hair on the back of his hands making them look almost human. He turned the potter’s wheel with his prehensile feet as he shaped the vase. Pinching the clay between his fingers he lifted the wall of the vase, spinning it higher.

You can see that I kept the hairy potter.

I’ve volunteered to help SFWA by chairing the Service to SFWA committee, which has been revamped to recruit, retain and reward volunteers. Any service organization, like SFWA, relies on its members to be active participants in supporting its goals. More specifically, it relies on its active members to set those goals.

I have not been happy with a number of things about SFWA lately, however, when I look at the organization as a whole it has accomplished some very good things. Griefcom, the Legal Defense Fund, the Emergency Medical Fund, raising the pro-rate standard from 3 -5 cents… These are good things that volunteers accomplished. At its core, SFWA exists to promote and aid Science-Fiction and Fantasy Writers.

That’s me. I am a science-fiction and fantasy writer.

So my choice is to walk away from the good things or to try and change the things that I don’t like. I want an organization that represents me and that represents my interests. From working with other non-profits, I’ve found that quickest way to be taken seriously is to volunteer. So that’s why I’m doing this.

And that’s why, if you aren’t happy, I think you should consider volunteering. Shift the balance. Help me.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can help your fellow Science-Fiction and Fantasy authors, please fill out the following questionnaire and email it to sfwavolunteer@gmail.com or leave it in the comments here.

1. I am interested in volunteering for SFWA — [short-term/long-term] (ie.a quick one-time job, versus an ongoing position)

2. I can offer [x] hours per month for volunteer work.

3. I am interested in learning more about volunteering to help with
a) Website
b) Writing related advice
c) Legal advice or issues (ie contracts, copyright, etc.)
d) Outreach (ie, Youth, Speaker’s bureau, Conventions, etc.)
e) Publicity (ie publications, Nebulas, PR, etc.)
f) Operations (ie audits, procedures, run for office, etc.)
g) Grunt Work (ie stuffing envelopes, sorting lists, lifting tables, etc.)
h) Other (ie I got mad skillz you don’t even know to ask about, teleportation, graphic design, an active fan base, FTL travel, etc.)

4. My SFWA membership status is: [non-member, affiliate, associate, active]

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to working with you.

Mary Robinette Kowal

Edited to add: You don’t need to be a member to volunteer for anything except those things that involve voting, such as running for office or chairing a committee. All you need is an interest in support science-fiction and fantasy writers, or concern with helping to shape the future of the organization.

My god… I have such a strange job.

Anyway, I’ll try to do a full con report soon.

Tell you about it all later. Right now, I’m going to try to get an actual full night of sleep. It’s only 1:30 am. That’s early, compared to my usual schedule.

It was hard to cross the lobby without running into someone that I knew, which was a wonderful feeling. Like old home week.

Now, I’m off with Beth Wodzinski to pick up supplies for the Shimmer pirate party. Yarr!

Pirate Issue Release Party: Friday — 9:30pm, Suite 556

And then, in a bonus stroke, when we got to 96th street, the express train magically appeared across the track. I hopped over and started breathing a little easier. I even got a seat.

Then the train stopped in the tunnel.

It crawled forward finally arriving at NY Penn Station at 8:07. Gah! I ran into the building, sweat pouring down under my coat, knowing that I wasn’t going to make it, but having to try. After all, Amtrak had sent an announcement to expect delays. Maybe it was late pulling in to Penn. Sure enough, I checked the board and it was still there. I grabbed my ticket, no line, and turned to the gate.

Which I couldn’t find. Oh, sure… there was a track 5 E, but it was only accessible by an escalator, which was going up. I needed to go down. A station attendant saw me and another man run to 5 E and look panicked. He shouted, “The stairwell behind you. Run! It might still be there.”

I ran. Top of the stairs. Glory be! The train was still there.

At the first landing, the doors shut. Halfway past that, the train pulled forward. I stopped and dropped my bag. The other man did the same thing. Almost in unison, we cursed.

I turned around, lugged my bag upstairs to exchange my ticket for the afternoon train.

That done, I walked back to the red line to go home. A line from the platform wound down into the main terminal. It wasn’t moving and from where I stood, I could see the crowd at the top, filling the platform. Someone said, “Train’s not running.”

“Any of them?”

“Not on this line. An ‘incident’.”

Groaning, I walked back to the other end of the station to take the C train home. As I waited, I watched six E trains come by and a couple of A’s but no C. Finally, an announcement said that they were running “slower than usual due to an earlier incident.”

What’s with all the incidents? After waiting for forty-five minutes, a C finally came, just as I was about to give up.

I got home about 10:30 and collapsed in bed.

Half an hour later, the phone rang. The production had run into a problem and wanted to know what they should do. With a sense of grim irony, I said, “Fortunately, I missed my train this morning. I’m still in town.”

So, I skipped the afternoon train, fixed the intestines and the dead dog and will go to World Fantasy tomorrow. Somewhere in all of this, I’m planning on sleeping more than half an hour.

I couldn’t be more pleased. I had a long chat with the Solaris gentlemen, George Mann and Christian Dunn, at Readercon about robot monkeys. It was bar conversation, but I just happened to have this short called “Evil Robot Monkey” and on a whim I sent it over thinking they would get a laugh out of the title.

I didn’t realize that they were actively reading for an anthology.

Behold! A sale. Remember back when I was watching the paint dry and said I had three good things I couldn’t mention yet? This is number 2.

Here’s a teaser snippet of the first few lines for you.

Sliding his hands over the clay, Sly relished the moisture oozing around his fingers. The clay matted down the hair on the back of his hands making them look almost human. He turned the potter’s wheel with his prehensile feet as he shaped the vase. Pinching the clay between his fingers he lifted the wall of the vase, spinning it higher.

I’ll let you know when the book is available for pre-order.

A friend, who recently sold her first novel, wrote to me paraphrased: “help I’m supposed to be giving a reading from my work at a science fiction convention. What do I do?”

Readings, like signings, are one of the epiphenomena of writing: not a central part of the business, but people give you funny looks if your first reaction on being invited to do one is to shriek and hide up a tree.

See, this is why I didn’t buy any books at Readercon this weekend. I’d told him that I wouldn’t bring any new books home, because we don’t know if we have enough space for the ones we brought. I was sort of amazed at the number of people who told me that I should buy books anyway–and not just dealers–as if they were unaware that it meant that I would be breaking a promise and then lying about it. The boy didn’t squawk when I announced I was going to a convention the weekend after we moved in, so the request that I not bring home any new books seemed pretty easy to honor.

It’s nice to be home, although it is hot. We are trying to do without airconditioning. It wasn’t bad last night or this morning, but at the moment it is very sticky. The cats are totally flat on the floor. If I give in on the air conditioning thing, it’ll be because of them. I mean, they can’t take their fur coats off.

I now have three people who want me to mod their laptop for them and I’ve got a volunteer to be a test subject on my next trial run. I’ve figured out how to make an easily customizable template, so now I just need to try it to see if it really works. I also have to time how long it takes me to do it, since I did this one in and around the process of moving. I will, naturally, keep you posted.

In collaboration with Mathias Dalhström, 22 Pop was inspired by my mother’s own fruitless attempts to imbibe the practices and conventions of the ‘connected’ world, and her growing sense of despair and exclusion from all social exchanges that take place exclusively over email. To her, instant electronic communication is a fascinating idea and so close at hand; yet any attempt to use a computer leaves her feeling flustered and inadequate. A simple email operation is a daunting task. She is not alone in her misgivings and inability to keep abreast with digital technologies constantly in flux.

It’s worth going through the rest of the site where she describes in minute detail the process of doing this. I’ve toyed with the idea of wiring one of our typewriters so it can function as the input of a computer, but the design problems she ran into–including the conductivity of a whole machine is made of metal–have convinced me that I’m not up to the task. Meanwhile, I can admire her ingenuity.

This fellow had a similar idea with his No. 5 Underwood hack, but it’s not as elegant.