L.S. Johnson's Blog, page 8

FOGcon schedule

Next weekend (March 9-11) is FOGcon, a Bay Area con modeled on Wiscon. It’s my local con, and a good one if I do say so myself – small but with lots of programming and a literary focus. My schedule is

Friday, 3:00 PM – Self-Publishing Q&A

Friday, 9:30 PM – Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading with Loren Rhoads, Tina LeCount Myers, Rebecca Gomez Farrell, and Liz Green

Sunday, 10:30 AM – How to Get Into Stories

I will also have copies of Vacui Magia and Harkworth Hall for sale at the Borderlands B...

soundtracking grace

A few kind folks have been putting “To Us May Grace Be Given” on their 2017 recommendation lists, for which I am thankful. Reading their responses inspired me go back to the soundtrack I did for the story – just a half dozen pieces, a kind of palette for the different spaces and landmarks. Music is so very useful as a scaffolding: it can create architecture and energy alike.

One track on repeat was “Prospector’s Quartet” from Jonny Greenwood’s soundtrack to There Will Be Blood. The album as a...

january

We are keeping warm here in California, where I am figuring out seven different ways to sneak aboard a ship, and if I can work up the energy to tear apart a short story and rewrite it as it needs to be rewritten, and what should I work on first?

Here are some new things learned: being unemployed merely changes the writing stresses, it does not alleviate them; being nominated for an award merely changes the flavor of imposter syndrome, it does not alleviate it; having ideas to write and deadl...

end of the year, 2017

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see a year come to a close, despite its highlights. Writing-wise, everything took a turn for the better as 2017 progressed, with sales starting again, and the prize and WFA nom for Vacui Magia. I got Harkworth Hall out, and its sequel drafted, and I have plans for a second little collection. I finished more stories. I made plans past 2018. I felt, and feel, like I’ve regained control over this part of my life.

This is all very, very good, and I am grat...

writing advice

I have learned to loathe a lot of writing advice over the years, but I greatly appreciated this mid-career take by Nancy Werlin. Along with a recent Twitter thread by Isabel Yap, there’s a lot there that rings true to me. I’m also keeping this fable close to hand; it echoes something I’ve told myself in my better moments, but that I am quick to forget, especially when I have stories on sub or it’s award season. (Both are true now—this is definitely an example of synchronicity, for when do I n...

award eligibility / unplugging

Dear all – I am getting ready to disconnect for at least a week, maybe more. I need to recharge and shake the last of this cold. I also need to finish the Leviathan first draft, which has been dangling on the precipice of the last act since before World Fantasy. Plus I have about six short story drafts in various stages of mess …

But it’s also the start of award voting season! So here is the roundup of eligible works and their categories, as well as links if they’re available online:

Harkwor...

home…

… is where the heart is.

I didn’t win, which is fine. But it was an … interesting con. A lot of good, some ehh moments, a bit of ugly even. I wrote some notes on the plane but I’m still processing, now that I have the time and quiet to do so. But definitely a lot for me to think about re: the state of writing and publishing, the SFF community, and my own place in it.

World Fantasy and Harkworth Hall

As I write this, Harkworth Hall is uploading to Kobo, iBooks, B&N, and Gumroad, and I believe the price has already dropped at Amazon. Because that’s right, it’s a sale, to celebrate the fact that I am still getting on a plane for San Antonio tomorrow despite all that 2017 could throw at me. Grab it by Monday!

So yes, I will be at WFC! Look for me at the mass signing on Friday night, where I’ll have copies of Vacui Magia and Harkworth Hall for sale, and again on Sunday morning for a reading/h...

A round-up of recent interviews and reviews

I’ve been overdue to get to this!

The wonderful Charles Payseur reviewed “To Us May Grace Be Given,” and “blood and bad choices” will be my second sampler based on a review quote.

Maggie Boyd named Harkworth Hall one of “4 Fantasy Novellas You’ll Fall for This Autumn.”

Harkworth Hall was reviewed at Sci-Fi & Scary, Beauty in Ruins, Fantasy 411, Marie Blanchet, and Jeyran Main.

I was interviewed at On Writing.

Nikki @ The Bibliophilian busted me on my sloppy use of “sensibility.” Good catch, a...

Sunday morning, with updates

Last night I was reminded of Peter Greenaway, an old, problematic fave, and I had strange dreams as a result, dreams I cannot remember now. I want to do a rewatch but I’m at that point in the Leviathan draft where I’m nervous about taking in too much modern stuff, or reading any writers with a strong style, lest I lose the rhythm. For those who care about such things, I’ve passed the 40% mark of my projected word count, but I have a sinking feeling that I’m going to overshoot, and then revis...