Patrice Sarath's Blog, page 15

Two letters to the convention community

Dear Convention organizers and volunteers,

You are the beating heart and wise soul of the science fiction convention circuit. Your involvement, planning, enthusiasm, and just plain super-hero energy are what makes the con world go ’round. I can’t even run my own life — I don’t think I could run a con. And you guys do it every year. You have to deal with hotels that forget to tell you they have a 110-decibel Christian rock praise service at the same time you are running panels, and you have to organize guests, fans, meeting rooms, con suites, and logistics that would make any mortal a gibbering idiot.

I salute you.

But. And you knew there would be a but. Because I’m a butt. But I digress.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind for programming.

Not every panel idea is a good idea. If the programming committee can’t think of three good areas of discussion for a panel topic, it’s probably not a good panel topic.  Don’t necessarily rely on the guests or the moderator to salvage a vague panel thesis. If there’s no clear idea of what the panel is about, it’s probably not going to be an interesting panel. Floundering Panelists may be a good name for a band, but it makes for a lousy panel.

Know your guests. We all fill out the questionnaires, but they don’t go that in depth. However, at a regional convention, we all know the usual suspects. So for example in Texas, for outrageous enthusiasm, you have the Four Redheads of the Apocalypse. For the curmudgeonly contrarian, there’s A. Lee Martinez. For Strong Opinions on Feminism, there’s Stina Leicht. Etc. Use your superpowers for good, and put the opinionated people on the opinionated panels. If you are running a con in Texas, you know who is likely to be there, and what their strengths are. Play to those strengths and even, dare I say it, reach out to these people outside of the questionnaire.

And that brings me to:

Don’t play it safe. Safe panel topics are boring. Con panels should be thought provoking and even provocative. They should be loud, with lots of debate. Maybe even raucous. After all, we — panelists, guests, fans — go to cons to have these conversations. We want to get into meaty discussions.

There’s a lot of competition now from media cons. I happen to believe cross-pollination is a great thing, but it means that traditional cons have to bring their A game. ConDFW was faced with a difficult situation this year as Dallas ComiCon was programmed against it. One way to get fans excited about traditional conventions is to have stellar programming. We have, what, a 75-year history or more of science fiction conventions? Let’s bring back the excitement for fans.

Dear Authors, Editors, Artists, and other Panelists,

Come on, guys. Being a pro means working a bit harder on panels. Yes, many of us have done this for a while, and it’s hard to gin up excitement about some panel ideas. But being a creator isn’t a right, it’s a privilege, and going to cons is how we give back to the community. So please, a little more enthusiasm. Engage with the audience. Be a performer. Yes, we are all a bunch of introverts, yeah yeah. In your heart of hearts, though, you know you want to steal the show.

Have you been tapped to moderate? Well, come up with questions about the panel topic and try to make them provocative and challenging. Don’t know some of the people on the panel? Look them up. Tailor questions. Make it interesting for everyone.

Panelists, remember the first part of this letter? There’s excitement, and then there’s hogging the airtime. Don’t be that panelist. Let everyone have a turn in the spotlight. We are all guilty of this one, but it’s just basic courtesy.

Have you ever been assigned to a panel that isn’t your area or you find dull as dirt? Tell the programming committee. Don’t suffer through a panel you aren’t interested in, because you sure won’t be an interesting panelist.

We’re all in this together. The pressure from media cons and the aging of fandom means that cons are threatened as never before. We need to bring in the anime fans, the cosplayers, and the media fans and show them that they can have as much fun here — and for far less money — than at a big ComiCon or Comicpalooza. For most of us, we were fans first. Let’s remember the excitement of our first cons and try to recreate that. It’s not always easy, and I will be the first to admit I didn’t exactly bring my game this weekend. But let’s try to get our mojo back, hmm?

Because the alternative is not that much fun — boring conventions with a dwindling fan base.

 

ConDFW here I come

I will be at ConDFW this weekend. Looks to be a good one. Since I despise the drive from Austin to Dallas, I’m taking the bus, and actually I’m looking forward to it. I can get some reading done, and maybe even some writing. That would be nice.

I’m going to be on the following panels:

Saturday, 11am: Return of the Lone Western

Panelists: Sabine Starr (M), Scott A. Cupp, Tex Thompson, Linda Donahue, Patrice Sarath, Bill Crider

Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight brought signature Western back to the cinemas this past month. Is it a sign the Western is back?  Or is it just a fanboy’s dream?  Our panelists talk about cinematic Westerns and their effect on writing Westerns in today’s world.

Saturday, 3pm: The Slippery Slope Between Mystery and Horror

Panelists: Patrice Sarath (M), Scott A. Cupp, Lillian Stewart Carl, Carole Nelson Douglas, Teresa Patterson, Bill Crider

When does a murder mystery become horror?  In “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, all 10 people who go to the island mansion die, one by one, in increasingly disturbed ways.  Is it still a mystery by the end?  Or is it a horror novel?  Our panelists explore the boundary between mystery and horror and how to use it to its full potential.

Saturday, 5pm: Where do Heroes Go to Die?

Panelists: Tracy S. Morris (M), Barbara Ann Wright, Patrice Sarath, Gloria Oliver, Michelle Muenzler

Last year we heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing Legend of Conan (eventually?  Maybe?  Now it looks like November 2016) as a direct sequel to the first Conan, where it ended with him being King, old and grizzled.  As a concept, the idea is neat, and is something that Howard dealt with in his original stories as well.  Just how do you write old heroes?  Our writers of sword and sorcery discuss these topics

and more.

Sunday

READING

Sunday, 11am: KM Tolan, Patrice Sarath

Looking forward to 2016

After a pretty decent 2015, stirring things are in the air for 2016. Lots to look forward to, to keep up the momentum. Here’s where I’ve been:

The astronaut on the cover is the main character in my story, Murder on the Hohmann.

In 2015 I sold one short story “Murder on the Hohman,” forthcoming in the anthology Futuristica)
I sold a nonfiction article for the SFWA Bulletin, forthcoming in February, on writing with a day job
I wrote The End on one novel and finished revisions on another one (inasmuch as revisions are ever really finished)
I wrote four short stories, two of which are out on submission, one sold, and one is waiting to get critiqued by my writers group
I wrote spec chapters for an epic fantasy that I will not abandon  — it’s on suspended animation for now
I am in process of writing a science fiction screenplay for an idea I’ve been noodling around with for a while — also in suspended animation but not abandoned
I signed with Agent Jennie of Red Sofa Literary

Here’s where I’m going:

I plan to finish revisions on Book 1 of the Tales of Port Saint Frey and send to my agent (mid-January)
I plan to start revisions on Book 2 of the Tales of Port Saint Frey and send to my agent (Feb-March)
I plan to start Book 3 of the Tales of Port Saint Frey and finish by November or December
I plan to unsuspend the pending works and make headway on those as well
And I plan to write the short stories that make themselves known to me as wanting to be written.

So it’s a big year ahead. And it’s not just writing. I’ve started taking voice lessons and I’m thinking of adding piano lessons to that. I’m going to get back into the saddle in 2016 as well; I am ready to challenge myself again and be a rider (though I’m going to be reasonable about it.) I’m going to watch movies and hear music and be with my friends and work hard at the day job and the writing job, and try as much as possible to be happy.

There. Resolutions unlocked. Let’s do 2016.

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Sickly hell — a Christmas Carol

Sickly hell, or strep throat takes Christmas

Fevered faces, red-hot faces,

Chills and high temps are here,

Penicillin attacking

the germs.

Hours passing, nothing happening

I’ve got so much to do.

And every moment you’ll hear me:

Sickly hell, sickly hell,

This isn’t time for strep throat.

Trim the tree, buy last gifts,

Soon it will be Christmas Day.

People rushing, my nose gushing,

Everyone’s getting shit done.

Me, I’ve got lists and nothing

to show.

Taking medicine, happy medicine,

Wanting it to kick in.

And every moment you’ll hear me:

Sickly hell, sickly hell,

This isn’t time for strep throat.

Trim the tree, buy last gifts,

Soon it will be Christmas Day.

 

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Agent news — Red Sofa Literary

My good happy news for December 2015 — I have signed with Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary. Jennie represents Tex Thompson, author of one of my favorite books of the year, Medicine for the Dead,  Carrie Patel, (The Buried Life, a mystery set in a dreamlike underground city) and a slate of other fantastic authors. I am so excited for the new year and being part of the Red Sofa gang. Here’s what Jennie says about herself:

“I’m a literary agent at Red Sofa Literary, specializing in fun, optimistic science fiction and fantasy, for adults and children.

I’m also a historian specializing in early American history. My book, SUCCESS TO TRADE: CHARLESTON’S MERCHANTS AND THE EARLY AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA is forthcoming from University of Georgia Press.”

She also writes nonfiction, as well as fiction under the name Nora Fleischer.

I am so excited as I mentioned, and I have a lot of work today. Jennie and I have been discussing plans for the new project and revisions and I have some homework — a book proposal package with marketing and publicity info. So now I have a real excuse for letting my blog languish — er, rest, but be assured, in 2016 there will be plenty of news to post about.

Yay! Snoopy happy dance!

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October roundup

I tend not to post when my life is fraught. This is against the general tendency of the confessional blogger, so yeah, I can understand why I really don’t have a huge readership, but I’d rather not exploit my own nature, you know?

But radio silence can become so overwhelming that it’s hard to break through, and that’s not healthy either. So here’s what happened in October.

I stopped riding. I stopped rather abruptly, actually, first being lofted violently into the air and then slamming into the dirt of the ring so hard it was like a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. I thought I left a Patrice-shaped impact crater.

Yes, I got bucked off by Grey Gus on October 3, and I haven’t been back in the saddle since. A trip to the ER determined no concussion and no breaks, but it was three weeks before I was back to normal.

I know. I’m the first one to say, “back into the saddle!” But I can truthfully say that it’s not fear that’s keeping my butt out of the saddle, but pragmatism.

I got lucky. Very lucky. I’m in my 50s. Bone loss is already going on, because that’s the nature of being a human female. I walked (hobbled) away from a wreck that the next time could break my back, my ribs, or my neck. So while I’m mourning this accident that has grounded me, I also know that I was extraordinarily fortunate, and the right move is to walk away from a sport I love.

I also had to take a hard look at what has been going on with me and Gus. Over the past months, he’s become less stable and more unpredictable. I’d already stopped riding him on the trails as he had become nervous and anxious, leading to attempts to bolt and buck me off. This made me more anxious with him, creating a feedback loop that riders are very familiar with.

So another truth I came face to face with — whatever I am doing has caused a change in Gus, making him too dangerous for me to ride. He had become disrespectful of my space as well, so for instance, it has become unsafe for me to lunge him in the round pen.

I happen to be a competent rider, but I am not a well-rounded trainer, and if I am causing Gus’s behavior issues, I need to stop at once. Gus bucking me off was not, as characterized by someone, a “murder move” but a very loud communication from a horse who was not being listened to.

I got lucky. This could have happened out on the trails.

So what now? Well, I will eventually get back on a horse, but I will make sure that is a quiet, very calm horse. I will go back to a beginner phase, which is fine. I don’t need to go cantering out on the trails, or jumping fences anymore. I will still go out and visit with Gus and make sure he’s loved and brushed and tended to. Horses will still be in my life.

So that was my October. I’ve also been writing, and I will have some updates on story sales for next time (I hope sooner than six weeks!). If you want to keep up with the stories that I’ve been reading and been talking up, visit my pinned page with the 2015 stories that have blown me away this year.

What’s been happening with you?

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FenCon day two

I was pretty busy Saturday. Three panels: on fantasy trends, in which we discussed the pros and the pitfalls of the increasing subgenre-ization of fantasy. On cross genre fiction, ably moderated by Kimm Antell. And post-apocalyptic fiction and dystopia with S.M. Stirling. The latter devolved into a how to survive any apocalypse and prepped culture but eventually we got it back on the topic of literature.

In between my panels I went to a presentation on Pluto, the future of NASA, and near earth astronauts, a reading by Bill Ledbetter, a reading by Michelle Muenzler and maybe more. Con brain I haz it.

Jenny Hanniver organized a pizza and beer party and clown candy (I can’t even explain) and we talked movies and genre into the evening, carried the conversation up to the party hall, and finished out the evening downstairs talking of much the same, as well as community news and politicking. And Lovecraft because if you aren’t talking about Cthluhu at midnight at a con, he rises from the deeps.

That last sentence is a bit metast night I admitted that I don’t get the Lovecraft love, and A. Lee Martinez said that a lot of people don’t really get it but just like all the trappings, like the little plush Cthulu toys, and saying shoggoths, which is exactly what I just did in the previous paragraph.

I do remember the evening ending in tears of laughter on my part, so if that’s what Lovecraft meant by eldritch horror, I’ll take it.

See? I can’t stop.

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FenCon Day One

By the time I got to the con on Friday, things were already in full swing. I got through registration and scanned around for next steps. Bill Ledbetter was on a robotics panel so I went to that briefly, got bored (sorry panel!) and then ducked in to Steve Stirling’s meet and greet, and that was fun, but had to leave for Adrian Simmons’ reading, from his novel about a Stone Age era twelve-year-old going through his manhood rites – and things going very bad. He put that poor kid through hell, let me tell you, but the sensory detail was amazing.

Sean Scarber ran a fantastic discussion on the surveillance society in which we live, and the panel was pretty lively and thoughtful. Room was freezing, until one brave soul got up from the audience and turned off the air conditioning. Bravo, sir! We spend a lot of our time in office buildings where thermostats are just for show, so I am aware of the lack of initiative while also very impressed by someone who tried the obvious.

Let me diverge here and say that so far the programming has been stellar. I foresee a lot more panel hopping because the options are so good.

Dinner. Dinner was uh-maze-ing. We settled on the hotel restaurant, which was pretty meh and also confusing (they brought out strips of bacon on the veggie burger) but the company was phenomenal. Astronaut Stan Love was seated to eat alone before his presentation, and we (okay, listen, it was me, I did it, I said it, and I’m proud of that fact!) asked him to eat with us, and he did and it was great. He’s also a writer and he had sent his story to the Baen Science Fiction contest which Bill Ledbetter and Michelle Muenzler read for, and so that was great. Love is also an interesting guy and did I mention he was an astronaut? Best dinner conversation in a while.

And then after all that, Dr. Love went to his presentation on Mars, and we stayed at the table and totally missed it.

My reading went well! People were there! And liked it. I read from Fog Season and it was fun.

BarCon was also successful, although again, the bar and restaurant were a bit confused. Regardless, it meant I missed opening ceremonies and the reception and although I did get to see the liar’s panel, which was pretty funny (any panel with Mark Finn and Selina Rosen is bound to be) I did miss the traditional opening of the convention.

A few of us made the rounds on the party floor, even though the official parties are not til tonight, and we barged into one suite that held a pretty rocking pre-party and stayed for a while. Thank you for the lovely scotch, Paul Abell!

That was kind of the last thing that happened, unless you count going to bed knowing I was going to be a tad hungover. And I was. But if age has taught me anything, it’s how to nip that in the bud right there. I’m ready for the day, and lots more panels.

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My FenCon Schedule

I will be at FenCon in Dallas on 2015.

I will be autographing at 5 pm on Friday, and reading at 6:30 pm that evening. I will happily bribe all listeners who come to my reading with chocolates and other goodies. And I’ll sign autographs at any time; just ask.

On Saturday, I will be on the Fantasy Trends panel at 2 pm in Trinity V (ooh, Trinity), on the Crossing Genres panel at 5 pm in Chinaberry, and the I Survived the Apocalypse panel at 7:30  in Red Oak.

Nothing on Sunday. Looks like a fantastic convention and I’m looking forward to it, to seeing friends and hanging out, and fanning deliriously over S.M. Stirling. I will have a couple of books for him to sign — The Change anthology, and his latest, The Desert and the Blade.

Of all the visions of apocalypse that sf writers have been conjuring over the decades, his is the most appealing, to be honest. Brutal yet hopeful, optimistic without being rosy,altogether ripping yarns, and the glimpses of the world existing outside of the main characters’ experience give it a full immersion experience. Compared to the sensationalism of Game of Thrones, for instance, or the seams-showing machinations of The Hunger Games, Stirling’s Emberverse as the series is officially called works on a lot of levels. It’s deeply satisfying.

So. That’s in a couple of weeks. I’m flying up from Austin this time, rather than driving. The reason being that the con hotel is at the airport this year, making the drive even more arduous than usual (DFW is on the other side of Dallas from Austin). I hate arriving at cons all travel-jagged and unhappy from driving, and the drive home takes forever.

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“The Martian” is coming

Have you read The Martian yet? Have you? Have you seen the trailers, both the first one and the funny one? Aren’t they awesome? Won’t this be fun? Can we stand it, that we have to wait?

How much longer? Is it now?

Now?

I really loved this book. First heard about it at the beginning of the year from Amy Sisson, who has my undying gratitude (a spot-on book rec will do that to a person). I read it in one fell swoop,, and then re-read the hard parts (some of the science is confusing), and then re-read the whole thing a few months ago.

Here’s what I love: the science. The fact that science saves the day. The fact that giving up is not an option.

I love the optimism.

I love the fact that, like the true story of Apollo 13, the world comes together for this one guy, and everyone is hoping he makes it. For the four years of the book, people of the world look up at the stars and they see a lost person who is trying to come home. Isn’t that awesome? I think that’s awesome.

What I didn’t like: Watney’s kind of a jerk when it comes to women. He makes these “nice guy sexist” comments that give me this reflexive little twitch at every one of them. A fellow astronaut is spoken of admiringly solely for her looks. Her shy personality is also very similar to that of another scientist, the one who figures out that Watney’s alive. Two women scientists who are blushing and shy? It was just kind of weird.

By the way, Andy Weir, if you are Googling yourself (oh come on, admit it) and you come across this comment — I don’t actually care that much about the above. I mean, I care, and I wish that maybe you hadn’t made that creative choice, but The Martian is fucking awesome, so you know, that’s basically what it is. I wish you hadn’t made that creative choice.

People will care about it and they will be a helluva lot louder than me about the above. They will write loudly and they will write strongly about what’s wrong with that creative choice.

And they will be right to do so.

But right now, for me, here’s what I care about. I care about some kid, girl or boy, who sees the movie or reads the book and decides to be a scientist.

Because what I want is for this book and movie to turn around the dreadful science education in this country. I want science to save the day again, not be mistrusted, and lied about, and demonized. Maybe that’s a lot to ask of one book and one movie, but I can’t help but be optimistic.

Is the movie here yet?

How about now?

 

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