Reesa Herberth's Blog, page 20

Reesa Goes to Balticon 45

Last weekend (yes, I'm a terrible travel blogger.  Why do you ask?) Michelle and I trekked (and trekked, and trekked again) to the wilds of   Maryland for Balticon 45.  It's my third year attending, and my first as a panelist.  I got a ribbon!

Our first panel was Start Up Rituals of the Pros, where we shared a table with Myke Cole and James Knapp.  Rather august company for our first panel as pros, given that James had just won the 2011 Compton Crook Award, and Myke's book, due out in 2012, looks pretty damn awesome.  We were down a couple of panelists, including a moderator, so Myke jumped in to moderate.  If any of you noticed that my hands were shaking so hard that I almost spilled my water, thanks for not pointing it out.  Myke kept us on a pretty clear track, talking about discipline in writing, how we get ourselves going on a project, and what our daily writing routines were like.  Four people, four almost entirely different styles of psyching ourselves up (or, in Myke's case, psyching himself out) but I think in the end we all made the same point- if you want to write a book, the key is to actually WRITE it.  Thinking up ideas for writing is fun, talking about writing is fun, but at the end of the day, the only thing that puts words on the page is actually writing.  Fun panel.  (And a shout out to Heather, and the gentleman whose name I didn't catch, who both came up to talk to use after.)

Our readings were scheduled for Saturday afternoon, back to back, and we got there with plenty of time to set up.  The person reading before us wasn't done, and not wanting to be rude, we waited in the hallway to claim our room.  This was fortuitous, as while we were milling around, trying not to be freaked out by our first public reading, we ran into the lovely book blogger, Mary Spila!  We chatted with Mary until it was time to go in, and then Michelle took the floor.  She read excerpts from both of the Ylendrian Empire books, The Balance of Silence and The Slipstream Con.  Because we had back-to-back readings, I waited a few minutes and picked up where she'd left off, reading another short excerpt from Slipstream, and then a longer scene from my post-apocalyptic/solarpunk WIP, The Memory Keeper.  I tried to remember to read slowly, keep my voice clear, and infuse the words with the emotions I was portraying with them in the story, and I think it went well.  Again, special thanks to everyone who didn't point out how badly my hands were shaking!  (And a world of gratitude to Mary, for showing up, and the other fine people who listened to us tell them stories for an hour.)  The reading was recorded, though I don't know if it will ever be publicly available or not.  If it is, I'll be sure to link it here, so my Mom can hear it.

This is the point in the recap where I admit to making a terrible mistake.  It's one I've made before, but I can tell you, with absolute certainty, that it's not one I'll make again.  We did not book a room for the weekend. You heard me right.  Somehow, I thought that driving an hour and a half (4 hours on Friday afternoon, actually.  Yay.) each way, for three days, would be a great idea.  I do it every year.  It's just Baltimore!  It's not that far away!

Yes, Reesa.  It IS that far away.

Next year, my right knee has informed me that we will be renting a room on-site.  I can learn from my mistakes.  Apparently it just takes me three years of 500+ mile weekends.

We ran into our fellow Starbucks denizen, Patrick, and talked with him a bit before we scurried off to some more panels and readings.

Sunday, we were scheduled for the Small Press Round Table.  I got to sit on a panel with Maria V. Snyder, even if she wasn't sure why she was on it! (These are my victory arms \O/)  We were joined by a fellow Samhain author, D. Renee Bagby, as well.  Very cool to meet her.  It was an interesting panel that I think got a little bogged down in small press vs. New York publishing, and if my level of shaky-handed water consumption is anything to guess by, it got a bit tense for awhile.  I think small press publishing has a lot to offer the readers of the world, and goodness knows, it's been great to me.  I wish the panel could have focused more on what small press publishing is doing, rather than how it's different from working with a larger house, but I still think the information the panelists offered was helpful to someone looking into both options.

There was a ton of other stuff going on.  The Masquerade, the Art Show, catching up with friends, meeting new ones.  I'm forgetting a ton of it, but I had a blast.  I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

Fifteen Minute Fiction – Inkling (4)

Because it's Monday (or, you know, it WAS Monday) you get an extra scoop of story.  Now with more art supplies, and possible hell hounds.  If you missed a part, you can catch the who story so far here: Fifteen Minute Fiction – Inkling

Inkling
An Ongoing Flash Fiction Serial

by

S. Reesa Herberth

 

"It's on the aisle where everything begins."  It was the most relevant information she'd ever given him on their new layout, and it was still nearly useless.  He nodded like he knew what the hell she was talking about, backing out of her office before he hustled to the front of the store.

His customer was still waiting for him, fingers twitching against the leg of his jeans as he poked through towers of clay and sketchbooks.  "I knew I should've gone to Crafts'N'More."

"Bite your tongue."  Glancing at the stockroom doors to make sure Eva hadn't followed him out, he rolled his eyes.  "Although at least you'd be able to find something there, I guess.  Come on, I can help you."

Heading for the front door, he waited until the guy exited before yelling into the empty store.  "Eva, I'm taking a break."  He didn't really care if she heard him or not, since anyone else who walked in would probably think they were closed for renovations.

Tattooed guy was watching him when he turned around, and Grays pointed across the parking lot at his car.  He ignored his companion as they made their way across the blacktop, mostly because there were potholes to avoid, and he wasn't particularly adept at not twisting his ankles in stupid ways while other people watched.

He unlocked the lid of his trunk, using the hem of his shirt to keep his fingers from burning on the hot metal until he could prop it open with the old baseball bat he kept for just that purpose.  He was greeted by a mess of supplies and the milk crates that once held them, and Grays rooted around in the paints, dirty shirts, and rolls of canvas until he came up with a half-used jar of gesso.

Managing to extricate himself from the trunk without smacking his head, Grayson turned around and held the jar out.  "Here you go.  Prime your canvas in good health, my friend."

The guy smiled at him, the first time he'd done it since walking into the store, and Grays had a second to think that maybe it wasn't just the tattoos that made him worth looking at.  Then something in the corner of his vision twisted, and a fire breathing dog came bounding towards them, drooling wisps of flame as it snarled.

There was absolutely no relevant question that Grayson could ask in the time available, so he yanked the baseball bat out of his trunk, brandishing it in front of him like a sword.  He couldn't imagine what good it was going to do him against something the size of a small pony that was literally spitting fire, but an aluminum bat seemed more useful than a paintbrush.

Tattooed Guy stepped in front of him, and Grayson didn't argue.  His manly pride could handle not being eaten alive.

"Ffokcab."  As low and growling as the sounds emanating from the dog in front of them, Tattooed Guy's voice rolled over the slurred syllables.  He traced the outline of one of his tattoos with the index finger of his right hand, never breaking eye contact with the creature, that, okay, definitely wasn't a dog.  The ink on his skin started to glow around the edges, a bright blue-white halo that surrounded the piece of art as is lifted off his arm.  Gripping it like a Frisbee, he flung it across the parking lot, directly into the stream of flame that was coming right at them.

Fifteen Minute Fiction – Inkling (3)

And on to part three.  Or you can read the entire (ongoing) text of Inkling here.

"Hang on."  Grays pushed his hair out of his eyes, hustling into the back room.  He dodged boxes and empty pallets, narrowly avoided tripping over a roll of vinyl, and finally found Eva in her office, watching a video on her computer.  She paused it when he came in, holding up her index finger.

"I know why I'm not a great manager yet.  It's because I don't know where you're at."

His shoulders slumped, and he sighed.  "Really?  I thought it was because you keep ending sentences in prepositions."

Eva smiled at him, snapping her fingers before she lowered them.  "That's it!  See, that right there!  Exactly what I mean."

"Where's the gesso?"

She smiled at him, her dark head bobbing up and down.  "It's where it's supposed to be."

"No, it's not with the paint, and I've got this guy who needs some right away, or like, the world will end and velociraptors will consume our spleens."

"Vivid!"  She said it like it could have been a good thing, but with Eva, you could never be sure.

"The gesso, Eva.  Where is the gesso?"

Fifteen Minute Fiction – Inkling (2)

Timing worked out for a little more today.  I admit it, I fudged my schedule just a little so that I could be sure to have fifteen minutes before going home.

Inkling (Part 2)

An ongoing flash fiction WIP

S. Reesa Herberth

"Yes, they hurt, no, I don't have time to tell you what they all mean, and can you please show me where you've moved the gesso?"

Grays got to his feet, worrying the corner of his lip with his teeth while he shuffled around the end of the counter and up the cluttered main aisle.  Eva, making full use of her managerial might, had been reading some article on how to keep shoppers in the store longer.  Apparently it involved moving the inventory around every three to six months, subtly warping the expectations of which items should be together on the shelves.  Grays personally thought it was a load of crap, and when he couldn't find something in a store, he left.

"It should be here."  He trailed off, staring at the empty space at the end of the paint aisle.

"Yeah.  I know.  But it's not, and I've got about fifteen minutes to get back to school before I get marked absent, fail a course I didn't even want to take, and flunk out of community college."

Fifteen Minute Fiction – Inkling

I don't know about you, but as my work day winds down, I generally finish up my projects and find myself with a few minutes to spare.  I hate starting something in the last few minutes of my work day, because then I'll just sit there and think about it all night at home, but fifteen minutes is a lot of time to sit here trying to look busy.

I'm trying to train myself to fill in these little blips of free time at work with writing, and to that end, I'm going to try doing a series of story bits written when I have a few spare moments.  They may form a cohesive story, or I may get several stories going at once and bounce back and forth.  I'll be sure to mark each piece clearly, so you don't have to figure out who the heck I'm talking about when I post.

You'll be able to read them under the Fifteen Minute Fiction category, and I'll also update a full file of the ongoing work every week in the Free Reads section.

With that out of the way, here's the very first part of a story I know absolutely nothing about at this point: Inkling

Inkling

(An ongoing flash fiction WIP)

S. Reesa Herberth

Grayson didn't have a thing for tattoos, no matter what Jordan said.  Just because his last three furtive hookups had involved people who liked to carry art on their skin, that didn't make it a Thing.

Then again, as Thing's went, it wasn't any worse than liking redheads, or breasts large enough to have their own gravitational pull.  He could appreciate both, but neither of them were as immediately inspiring as the flash of ink on someone else's skin.

Fine, fine, it was totally a Thing.  He had a Thing.

He also had a customer, and he was pretty certain that he'd been staring at him for a little too long, if the vaguely annoyed expression was any indication.

"Uh, hi.  I mean, welcome to Rosenguild Fine Art Supplies.  Can I help you with anything?"

Whoops.

 

Balticon

Still too wiped out for a full report, but we had an awesome time! Got to talk to some great folks… Renee Bagby, a fellow Samhain author, Maria V. Snyder who was just so cool, Joshua Bilmes who moderated the Small Press Publishing panel, Nobilis Reed who's always fun to interact with, Myke Cole who jumped in to fill the moderator's hole on the Start Up Rituals and last but not least, our con buddy Patrick. And our readings were fun once we got past the terrifying part!

My public awaits.

I think, out of all the advice and rules for attending public events that I've read in the past couple of days, I'm going to narrow it down to a core value:

Don't be a douche.

I'll do my best.

Balticon 45 Schedule

Michelle and Reesa are appearing at Balticon 45, this weekend in Baltimore, Maryland.  Our schedules are below.

 

Michelle's Schedule

5/28/11

1:30 PM

Duration: 00:30

Room: Pimlico                      

Michelle Moore – reading

Immediately followed by S. Reesa Herberth.  Time will be split between the authors.

5/28/11

7:00 PM

Duration: 00:50

Room: Parlor 1041

Which Comes First: Character or Setting?

Where do you start when you create fiction? A round table discussion.

5/29/11

5:00 PM

Duration: 00:50

Room: Belmont

Authors and Publishers – Small Press Publishing Round Table

Back by popular demand! Small press publishers discuss how they work with authors and authors discuss how their experiences working with small press publishers have been.

 

Reesa's Schedule

5/28/11 12:00 PM

Duration: 00:50

Room: Salon A                    

Start Up Rituals of the Pros

How do you get started on the writing day? Professional writes share their secrets for getting their fingers tapping on the keyboard (or moving the pencil) on writing days.

 

5/28/11 2:00 PM Duration: 00:30

Room: Pimlico   

Reesa Herberth – Reading

This reading immediately follows Michelle Moore, and the time will be shared.

 

5/28/11 7:00 PM

Duration: 00:50

Room: Parlor 1041                      

Which Comes First: Character or Setting?

Where do you start when you create fiction? A round table discussion.

 

5/29/11 5:00 PM

Duration: 00:50

Room: Belmont

Authors and Publishers – Small Press Publishing Round Table

Back by popular demand! Small press publishers discuss how they work with authors and authors discuss how their experiences working with small press publishers have been.

—-

We're both looking forward to meeting readers and fellow authors.  If you see us, feel free to say hello!

New Review – 4 Blue Ribbons at Romance Junkies!

The lovely readers at Romance Junkies have reviewed The Slipstream Con, and given it 4 blue ribbons.

S. Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore deliver a solid second installment, THE SLIPSTREAM CON, in their YLENDRIAN EMPIRE series. Don't let the premise of a ménage/multi-partner relationship make you hesitate to pick up this read if they tend not to be your cup of tea. Though this book gradually leads all three lead characters into the makings of a joined union, this is not the focus of the story. While steam is not heavy on the list, action certainly is. There is not a dull moment to be had while the trio is jet setting across the galaxy. The writers do an amazing job of creating their universe backdrop and building up the characters to individuals that can all hold their weight in keeping the story interesting.

 

You can check out the full review on the Romance Junkies site.

Rewrites and such

We realized tonight that there's a scene out of place in Peripheral People. Well, not just out of place… it'll need rewriting. But it's cool, no panicking going on. Mainly because what needs to be done is clear.

Also realized tonight that "A Thousand Words", my next Enchanted Grounds short story, needs some fairly major overhauling. The destination is still the same… it was just getting there via the wrong track. Just a matter of leaving from a different train station. Again, this is okay. It'll be a freaking lot of work, but I KNOW what needs to be done.

When I start flipping out is when I know something is wrong and needs to be changed but I Just. Can't. Pinpoint. It. Teeth-gnashing, tearing of hair, rending of garments, I got it all. I guess it's good to realize that it's not the work that bothers me. I guess?

On a totally different kind of rewrite? Changed my drink tonight! Had to sneak off to another Starbucks to do it, though. I know how much stress it would cause my favorite barista. But should anyone be interested, a Java Chip Frap with coconut cream? Soooo good! A drinkable Mounds Bar.