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I did fifteen pages today on the Jason book. I was pretty happy with that, because it came in a rush, and I know exactly what I’m doing tomorrow. Always a good sign.
Nasfic was interesting. I have learned many things from it. Lesson number one; try to never ever do three conventions in three weeks back to back. Especially, if one of them is a very large convention like San Diego Comicon. Lesson number two; no more late night panels. Both Friday and Saturday night at Nasfic my panels ended at midnight. I could have said no, and in future I will. I write about vampires, I am not one, myself. It was especially difficult because we were beat from Comicon only four days before. Even Charles, who is much more social and much better at going on little, or no, sleep, than we are, was beat by Friday night. When Charles begins to wind down, Jon and I are way past our expiration date.
We had some good panels. This was Jon’s first con where he got an author badge. He was pretty pleased, and that is an understatement. Elizabeth Moon and I had just been on panels at Tulsa’s Conestoga about three weeks before. She was even more fun and more articulate at Nasfic, which I didn’t think possible. Mark Tiedemann said one of the sweetest things on a panel. An audience member had asked the question I get often, something to the effect that lately I’m choosing sex over plot. Mark spoke next and pointed out that sex is part of the plot. He gave an example from his own writing, where he used a sex scene to show the dysfunction of a couple’s relationship. Sex is part of the plot, and I use it to show character and build relationships in ways that wouldn’t be possible without the sex. Sex is one of the most intimate things we do, why isn’t it logical that it shows things about us as people that it would be difficult, if not impossible to reveal otherwise? Next time I get that question I’m not just going to agree, but ask them why isn’t sex plot, too? I actually sometimes leave clues to the mystery, the magic system, or other parts of the storyline in the sex scenes. For me, it is part of the plot. Thanks to Mark for making me see that I could say that without feeling apologetic.
Another nice think an audience member said, was that by writing mixed genre and making it popular, I, and other writers, have changed the way people use the bookstore. Now, if you want urban fantasy you don’t know whether to go to horror, science fiction, fantasy, or romance, or even, mainstream fiction. You never know where you’ll find us. One writer said that a friend of his had been told to pick a pseudonym that would be shelved next to me alphabetically, so the friend chose something, then ended up shelved in romance. I’m shelved in horror most of the time, so the pseudonym didn’t help that particular writer. But the fans that want urban fantasy and paranormal romance, again pick a title for the genre, have to search the bookstore to find people. By helping make mixed genre popular I’m helping break down the genre barriers. I thought that was a really cool concept. Mixed genre is helping get people to go to parts of the bookstore they might never have visited before.
Like I said, the Nasfic panels that I was on, were good. Good discussions, and interesting points raised. When you’ve just done three conventions back to back, that so much new stuff was raised is pretty impressive.
I got to have a panel with my writing group, then we all got to have tea with them. We, being, Jon, Charles, and myself. Deborah Millitello, Debbie, bought real china for us to use. She also baked cookies. Debbie’s homemade baked goods are amazing. The writing group can’t seem to decide which of her specialties are our favorites. Mine would have to be the pies, or the jellies. But her sugar cookies make everyone else’s sugar cookies pretty wimpy by comparison.
The tea party let me know that it isn’t that I’m socialized out, so much as publicly socialized out. Behind closed doors with friends that I can be myself with, it is refreshing, not stressful. As much as I love meeting everyone in public, I’m still ‘on’ in that everyone watching, having to watch what you say and do sort of way. With friends you don’t have be worried about being scrutinized, because you’re with friends. Marella Sands made scones, though her oven misbehaved, and there were fewer scones that might be. But what we had were delicious. She also made sure there were pictures of the writing group, and examples of our work for the panel we all shared. She commented that the last time she did this we could fit everything we’d ever written on a small table. Now, even a large table couldn’t hold everything. We made a loose count, and between us all we have over sixty books, and over forty short stories. Not bad for a group that began with nothing sold.
I think Sharon Shinn was the only member of our group to be a selling writer before she joined.
One of the true treats of Nasfic was that Janni Lee Simner was up for it. She was a member of our group, The Alternate Historians, years ago, as in fifteen years ago. She had the audacity to move to Arizona. Where she continued to write, but without us. I hadn’t seen her in ten years. Mark Sumner hadn’t seen her in fifteen. Jon had never met Janni. She stayed over a couple of extra days so we could have a JanniQ, sort of like a barbecue, but with the main plan to be to see Janni more.
We held it at our house last night, Monday. The group was afraid that Jon and I would be too tired from all the travel, but we said, come. They came, and a good time was had by all. Jon burned meat. Everyone brought something, and we visited. Trinity got to visit with Sue’s son, Jared. Trin was worried that she’d have nothing in common with a boy, but once they found out that they were both huge Bionicle fans, they had a great time. They got to watch Bionicle movies, and eat on trays in the living room. Though Sue warned us that that might end in a spill. We chanced it, and there was no spills at all. The adults sat in the dining room and we all just barely fit around the table. There are seven of us in the group and most of us brought spouses, so it was a lot. Though Rett MacPherson and her family weren’t able to make it.
When Darla got to work this morning she remarked that we seemed more relaxed. We were. Lesson number three of Nasfic: spending time with friends is relaxing and renewing, and we need to do more of it. Lesson number four of this entire three week period: that we need more down time.
To try and put some of these lessons to work: I did my fifteen pages this morning, then Jon, Richard, and I, took Trin to see the Harry Potter movie. A good time was had by all.