Eric Garrison's Blog, page 3

RJ Sullivan and the Magical Mermaid Mug – Whiteboard Wednesday!

My buddy RJ Sullivan, the man and his mug.

Okay, so it’s not Wednesday. But this is a special occasion. Click on the picture to hear the legend of the Magical Mermaid Mug, and to hear about an event that you don’t want to miss on October 3rd, 2014!!!

Forget the haters: Why I love National Novel Writing Month #amwriting #nanowrimo

(this rant was written for the Nindy / NaNoWriMo Indianapolis group on Facebook, reposted here for your amusement)

http://www.salon.com/2010/11/02/nanowrimo/

The right tool for the job of pounding out words… and NO FACEBOOKING!

So, in another Facebook writing group, this anti- NaNoWriMo piece resurfaced. It made me mad when I first saw it, and it made me mad again today.

Why? Because it degrades something wonderful. Sure, NaNoWriMo encourages quantity over quality, but so what? I went almost 39 years of my life without writing a novel. And yet, growing up, I always admired authors, wanted to write my own novel.

I just didn’t think I COULD.

NaNoWriMo changed that. I wrote my first novel, FOUR ‘TIL LATE, in 2007. Since then, it’s been revised and edited and published by a small press, along with the other two books in the TRILOGY. Another small press publisher put out another NaNo novel of mine, REALITY CHECK. Two more NaNo novels are set to be published within a year, and I am writing another in that series this November.

How is that a waste of time? How is it a waste of time, even if you never publish the results of November? How is scrapbooking a waste of time, or knitting, or learning a musical instrument? If you love to write, why not write a novel in a month? Why NOT challenge yourself?

And some will say, “that’s fine for a hobbbyist, but what about professionals?”

To them I say, everyone has to start somewhere. You don’t step onto the job as a concert pianist without learning to play the piano first. And learning to play an instrument takes practice. And practice only happens by DOING it, not by talking about it. So it is with any skill, especially writing.

Of course, practicing writing in a vacuum is only going to get you so far. You have to show it to others, get feedback. Better yet, find (or form) a critique group. But if you never learn to finish things, you won’t even get so far as to learn to get better, and NaNoWriMo teaches us that we CAN finish things.

So ignore the haters. If you want to write, then WRITE. I am.

Caught on camera: the #Imaginarium prankster! (Whiteboard Wednesday)

Caught on camera: The Imaginarium Prankster!

At 4pm on Friday of Imaginarium, the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel Louisville was evacated, not long after the inaugural Imaginarium Convention had started. A quick-thinking attendee caught this blue fire sprite in the act! He is wanted for questioning.

@ImaginariumCon wrapup and @ContextSF 27 convention this weekend!

So, first off, let me say that Imaginarium was a TON of fun! I got to see old friends and made new ones as well. I didn’t need to freak out after all. The only “me thing” that got in the way was being recognized by people I hadn’t met yet. People I only knew from Facebook who didn’t look precisely like their profile picture. So I had to stare at people’s belly buttons a lot; the badges hung kind of low, and I had to check out names. Once I got past that terror, I relaxed and had a great time.

This being the first year, it was mostly a networking convention, but that’s not a bad thing. I was amazed at how well organized and smoothly run it was, and was blown away by the huge turnout for a first-ever convention. I am looking forward to next year!

So THIS weekend, I am off to Context 27 SF convention! I have attended this one since 2011, and I look forward to it every year. I owe my publishing contacts to Context, and many wonderful friendships have begun there.

My plan is to arrive before noon on Saturday and head home Sunday evening. I don’t have much of a schedule, but here’s the definite stuff:

Saturday 3pm – I will be signing my books – including Reality Check and my complete Road Ghosts Trilogy! (either at the Seventh Star Press table, or the Context Signing Table).

Saturday 7pm – I’ll be reading one of my flash fiction stories for the Beatnik Cafe (Griswold A).

Sunday 11am – Dr. Trista Robichaud and I will be presenting Homebrewing Science (Griswold D).

Otherwise, I plan to attend various panels, socialize, and maybe even sell some books. If you’re going, please do come talk with me!

(Achievement Unlocked: This is my 200th post on this blog! Woohoo!)

Freaking out two days before Imaginarium!

Aaaaaaaaa! So much to do, no time to do it!

Tonight, I went out and celebrated my brother’s birthday, and so I am writing this somewhat under the influence. I’d just call it a night, but I know I have only tonight and tomorrow night to prepare for the Imaginarium Convention! I’m stressing enough about this inaugural event that I had restless dreams last night about bombing on the panels I am moderating.

So. To avoid some of that, I’m getting a few things out of the way tonight. I took inventory of my books (including the brand new Me and the Devil!!!) and boxed up almost all of them to take to Imaginarium. I suppose it’ll be a problem if I sell out and have nothing much to bring to Context Convention the next week, but it’s kind of a problem I want to have!

What about sales??? I’m debuting the WHOLE Seventh Star Press Road Ghosts Trilogy this weekend for the first time… I’m super excited and nervous about that. PLEASE BUY MY BOOKS!!!1!!

I’ve got my Square signage, my book stands, and my postcards to give away. I still have to go to the bank to get change for cash-paying customers. Maybe I can do that on the way out of town on Friday?

And yeah, I am on 5 panels, moderating 2 of them. I’m not a complete slouch at my moderating topics… “LGBT Themes in Modern Literature” (I myself am “T” transgender, and I have a bisexual main character in one of my series), and “Steampunk Today” (Reality Check is at least 40% Steampunk, baby!) but I fret and worry anyway that I won’t have enough good questions, or not the right questions to make everyone happy. The other three are more winging it, so I am not as worried about those.

Then there’s what to wear!!! Do I wear the steampunk dress, corset, and silly hat with goggles I wore to Steampunk World’s Fair? Or is that too much? Should I just wear my kilt and be more casual/geeky?

And ERMEHGERD there are So. Many. People. I want to hang out with this weekend, there’s absolutely no way I’ll manage to see all of them! Ack! (I hope I get to go to the Troll Pub with Red Tash. That’d be amazing!!!)

Okay okay. Calm down. I got this. I’ve been to so many cons before, this is going to be fine. It’s going to be awesome. If I fail at all, it’ll just be amazing, and not quite awesome. Right?

OMG even the title is all wrong! It’s LESS THAN TWO DAYS! Aaaaaaaaa!!!

Whiteboard Selfie!

I’m super busy getting ready for the Imaginarium Convention coming up this weekend, so today’s Whiteboard Wednesday is a quickie. What do you think?

Me and the Devil (Road Ghosts #3) ebook released! PLUS video trailer! #Imaginarium

Just in time for the Imaginarium Convention…  It’s HERE! Seventh Star Press has made the Road Ghosts Trilogy finally complete by publishing Book 3, Me and the Devil in paperback and ebook form!

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Me-Devil-Road-Ghosts-Book-ebook/dp/B00NLD16FQ

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Me-Devil-Eric-Garrison/dp/1941706924

B&N Paperback: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/me-and-the-devil-eric-garrison/1105804811

Nook, iBookstore, and Kobo TBA soon!

What I’m doing at the Imaginarium!

The Imaginarium is almost here! Friday, September 19th, 2014 through Sunday, September 21st, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky, there will be a gathering of authors, filmmakers, poets, and other creators. It is the very first Imaginarium, so there’s a lot of excitement.

First off, I’ll be appearing in the vendor hall to meet and greet, and to sell and sign my books at a table with fellow Speculative Fiction Guild members and Seventh Star Press authors R.J. Sullivan and John F. Allen.

I will be debuting my FULL Road Ghosts Trilogy, published by Seventh Star Press! I will also have my science fiction adventure novel, Reality Check, published by Hydra Publications, for sale.

Hours the vendor hall will be open are:

Friday: 3pm to 8pm

Saturday: 10am to 7pm

Sunday: 10am to 5pm

I will be there as much as I can, but I will also be at the following events:

Paths of Publishing: A look at various publishing avenues – major press, indie press, and self-publishing – and what it means to be a part of each. Come listen to our panelists, ask questions, and decide which path is right for you. Moderator: Annie Jones Panelists: Eric Garrison, Lee Martindale, A.E. McCullough, Tim Waggoner (Friday, 4:00pm)

Utilizing Local Settings in Urban Fantasy: The most common bit of advice for new writers is “write what you know.” Our urban fantasy panelists discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using your hometown as a setting for your next novel. Moderator: Missa Dixon Panelists: C. Bryan Brown, Brian Dobbins, Eric Garrison, Georgia Jones, M.B. Weston (Friday 5:00pm)

LGBT Themes in Popular Fiction: Our panel, well-versed in LGBT fiction, discusses the rising trends across all fiction markets and how to properly execute these themes in your work. Moderator: Eric Garrison Panelists: Alexander S. Brown, L. Andrew Miller, Pamela Turner, Denise Verrico (Saturday, 2:00pm)

Steampunk Today: Ever wanted to ask a bunch of questions about Steampunk but were too afraid to sound like you were behind the times? Never fear! Our panel of experts are here to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the rise of Steampunk, its origins, and where it’s headed with today’s increasing technology and advancements in modern media. Moderator: Eric Garrison Panelists: Maurice Broaddus, Rodney Carlstrom, Thomas Lamkin III, Mandi M. Lynch, Violet Patterson (Saturday, 5:00pm)

Avoiding Self-Publishing Pitfalls: You’ve written your book…now what? Self-publishing, the growing new trend, lends a unique chance to completely control your creative outlets. However, like any other new system, there are some risks. Come hear what our authors have to say about self-publishing’s pros and cons and what it means to be in complete control of your work. Moderator: Tiffini Johnson Panelists: Matthew Barron, Alexander S. Brown, Eric Garrison, J.M. Madden (Saturday, 6:30pm)

Other events may be found here:

http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/schedule-of-events-programming/

There will also be a Film Festival at the Imaginarium!

http://www.entertheimaginarium.com/film-festival/

 

Spotlight On Eric Garrison #Imaginarium

Originally posted on Armand Rosamilia:

SPOTLIGHT ON: Eric Garrison

 

 

How did you get involved in the upcoming Imaginarium convention?

I am a Seventh Star Press author, and when the Imaginarium concept was announced, I couldn’t wait to be a part of it, volunteering and as a SSP author.

 

What is your latest release and what genre is it?

My latest novel, at the time of this writing, is Sinking Down (Road Ghosts #2). The series is urban fantasy, though it’s been called horror lite or “Scooby-Doo for grownups”. It’s got ghosts and ghouls and demons, but it’s also full of humor, friendship, and adventure. The third book in the series will be released in September, 2014.

 

Quick description of it.

Sinking Down is the story of the Little Ghoul, discovered living feral in the woods by ghost hunters Brett and Liz. After the poor semi-undead tween girl is kidnapped, they race against…

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Video Whiteboard Wednesday: Me and the Devil Art, From Whiteboard to Pro!