December again. How did that happen? If seems like I’ve only just finished washing up the Thanksgiving dishes. And now I’m neck-deep in stringing lights along the rain-gutters, hanging ornaments on a tree, and vacuuming up glittering refuse from homemade Christmas card creation.
It has been an integral part of my life for over twenty years. We’ve had ups and downs. I’ve endeavored to pay a constant amount of attention to it, able to lavish more some months than others. We’ve been through a lot: several apartments, a military deployment, a condominium, a house. But now the time has come to say goodbye. The steadfast constant of so many years is no more.
Advice from a man who probably has no business giving advice: Remain grateful but beware contentment. There, that ought to cover Thanksgiving.
MBW, the HA, and I drove to the Oregon Coast Wednesday for an extended Thanksgiving weekend. The weather was appropriately Oregon Coast-ish: wet and windy, though we did enjoy occasional sun breaks.
I am celebrating the HA’s fifth birthday today. It isn’t her birthday yet; that will occur later this week. But the important point of a child’s birthday party is the party. Sunday works better for a gathering of her little friends than does the day after Thanksgiving.
Orycon winds down. My last panel is still a couple hours off, so I have a few moments to write this post in the Green Room, where the few remaining authors who haven’t yet taken off for home are congregating. Many look ridden hard and put away wet. A long convention weekend will do that to you. At a certain age staying up late a couple nights running begins to take it out of you.
It’s been a good con with some interesting panels and interesting conversations. My reading was well attended. My thanks to those who came to listen. I hope you enjoyed it.
The weather cooperated. It is pleasant to look out the window and see blue skies above the Columbia River. It will also be nice to look out the windshield and see my house come into view. I’m ready to get home to MBW and the HA.
MBW should be back from her weekend conference on the other side of the country. The HA will likely be sad: she’s spent the weekend with her grandparents who drove up to take care of her. Returning to the care of her boring old mom and dad will be a letdown, I imagine. Well, life is tough, kid.
I should probably begin preparing for the last panel, so that is all for this week. Be good, or at least fake it.
A cool fall day in a college town on a football Saturday is classic Americana. I traveled to Eugene and back this weekend for precisely that.
The second draft of Captain is now complete. Mostly complete, that is. There remain a few blanks to be filled in, currently with such place holders as [Name.] I still need to finish the final polish of Boss in order to recall the names to fit in the blanks and to ensure that characters are consistent between Boss and Captain.
Orycon approaches. Time to mingle, share from my meager store of knowledge, and roam from room party to room party.
I received my schedule the other day. If you are in Portland during the convention, pick up a membership and come say hello.
| Fri Nov 9 4:00:pm | Fri Nov 9 5:00:pm | Story Pacing: Hurry Up, and Wait |
| Pettygrove | Speed the story up, raise the stakes, increase the tension — But not too much. Readers, like runners, want to keep moving fast but can’t go at a breakneck pace all the time. What are the techniques, large and small, to make you story roller-coaster a fun, exciting ride? | |
| David D. Levine Diana Pharaoh Francis Ken Lizzi Richard A. Lovett Wendy N. Wagner | ||
| Fri Nov 9 5:00:pm | Fri Nov 9 6:00:pm | Autograph Session: Friday 5pm |
| Dealers: Autographs | Authors and artists sign things | |
| Alma Alexander Ken Lizzi | ||
| Sat Nov 10 5:00:pm | Sat Nov 10 6:00:pm | Building an Extended Series |
| Pettygrove | Some readers want to immerse themselves into a series, rather than just a single book. They want to binge. And once your trilogy is done, then what? How to expand your literary universe instead of walking away from your book or short series forever. | |
| Joseph Brassey Ken Lizzi Mike Shepherd Moscoe Seanan McGuire Steve Perry | ||
| Sun Nov 11 10:00:am | Sun Nov 11 10:30:am | Ken Lizzi Reading |
| 152 Readings | Ken Lizzi reads from his works. | |
| Ken Lizzi | ||
| Sun Nov 11 2:00:pm | Sun Nov 11 3:00:pm | Consequences of Violence |
| Overton | Random groups wandering the countryside and slaying evil-doers are less likely to be seen as heroes than as murder hoboes. Our panel will discuss the mechanisms that real societies (and realistic fiction) use to limit violent actors. | |
| Crystal Connor Ken Lizzi Rory Miller S. B. Sebrick | ||
‘Tis the month of Halloween, during which we make light of death, the supernatural, and terror. What fun.
For me, the quintessential Halloween book is Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October. (What, you haven’t read that yet? Go hence and remedy that deficiency post haste.) But is it quintessential by default? Are there other Halloween fantasy/science-fiction novels?
I am undecided how to proceed Monday morning during my standard writing time. Saturday I took MBW’s car in for brake servicing. Sitting, waiting, and drinking coffee I was able to finish outlining Warlord. That is good. Hearty pats on my own back. However, this leaves me with some uncertainty, as I will explain.