Liz Williams's Blog, page 5
June 1, 2013
SFWA bulletin
I have only just come across this, not being a current member of the SFWA (for the record, I left it years ago because I'm based in the UK, it wasn't doing anything for me, and it was expensive), and don't think I am totally up to speed on the latest row, but the comments on LJ and various women's resignation letters have reminded me irresistibly of the row in Gaudy Night:
"Harriet wrote a tart letter to the paper, pointing out that 'undergraduate' or 'woman student' would be seemlier English than 'undergraduette'... The only result of this was to provoke a correspondence headed 'Lady Undergrads' and a reference to 'sweet girl-graduates'. She informed Wimsey - who happened to be the nearest male person handy for scarifying - that this kind of vulgarity was typical of the average man's attitude to women's intellectual interests. He replied that bad manners always made him sick; but was it any worse than headlining foreign monarchs by their Christian names, untitled?"
I gather there was a quote from an, ahem, gentleman writer suggesting that we “maintain our quiet dignity as a woman should.” I will note only that I will maintain quiet dignity as and when I damn well see fit, and should I choose to respond loudly and obnoxiously instead, I shall do so. (As you might have noticed on previous occasions, regardless of the target). One of the advantages of age, I find, is a remarkable decrease in the importance of anyone else's opinion; I might not be able to rock a chainmail bikini these days, but I find that I possess a correspondingly substantial ability to say what I think.
"Harriet wrote a tart letter to the paper, pointing out that 'undergraduate' or 'woman student' would be seemlier English than 'undergraduette'... The only result of this was to provoke a correspondence headed 'Lady Undergrads' and a reference to 'sweet girl-graduates'. She informed Wimsey - who happened to be the nearest male person handy for scarifying - that this kind of vulgarity was typical of the average man's attitude to women's intellectual interests. He replied that bad manners always made him sick; but was it any worse than headlining foreign monarchs by their Christian names, untitled?"
I gather there was a quote from an, ahem, gentleman writer suggesting that we “maintain our quiet dignity as a woman should.” I will note only that I will maintain quiet dignity as and when I damn well see fit, and should I choose to respond loudly and obnoxiously instead, I shall do so. (As you might have noticed on previous occasions, regardless of the target). One of the advantages of age, I find, is a remarkable decrease in the importance of anyone else's opinion; I might not be able to rock a chainmail bikini these days, but I find that I possess a correspondingly substantial ability to say what I think.
May 14, 2013
mevennen @ 2013-05-14T15:43:00
These have now all been sent out to subscribers, but there is still time left to order these, and the new subscription offer has been sent out:
WINTERSTRIKE: there are be four short stories set in the world of Banner of Souls and Winterstrike, so if you’re after some far future Martian tales, this is the sub for you!
WORLDSOUL: again, 4 short stories, each set in the different quarters of Worldsoul – north, south, east and west.
CHEN: this has been an opportunity for me to explore the back stories of some of the other characters in the series, although Chen and Zhu Irzh (with added badger) will be appearing in them.
Customised stories under the Story Garden imprint are also still available.
NOVEL: THE MOON IN DAYLIGHT
And the novel is still available:
“Outside the lighted windows of the church, London roared by. It was dusk now, ancient stone soaking up the November cold and breathing damp into the echoing air. The man stood, having long since tuned out the traffic, murmuring under his breath:
"...At this time that is not a time, in this place that is not a place, on this day that is not a day..."
He did not speak in English, but in old Welsh, the sibilance whispering through the vaults. Movement caught the corner of his eye, but he ignored it. He stared straight ahead, to the red candle. In the pool of its own light, it looked like a column of meat: the white wick a sliver of fiery bone.
Outside, London hammered on. Nothing to do with him, this modern twenty-first century world, and yet he had a place in it. Not as his own self, for most of the world had long since ceased to pay attention to his kind, long since ceased to believe. The real world, some called it. But that, he thought, was on the verge of changing.
After all, real is what you make it, if you are a god.”
The Moon in Daylight is a full-length contemporary urban fantasy novel which has never been published in either short story form or novel format – it’s a new world for me. Set in London and North Wales, this is the start of the adventures of Siriol Jones – professional herbalist, Druid and magician – and her mysterious friend the Hermit. In this novel, Siri and the Hermit go in search of Siri’s addict sister, Non, and find more than they bargained for in a trip to the Celtic otherworld. It’s got magic, some very dodgy goddesses, London folklore, the club-going lord of midsummer and ancient boar spirits, and what I hope is a reasonably accurate depiction of the actual British pagan scene.
In tone, it’s closer to the Chen novels than my SF, and it is hopefully a light read!
The Moon in Daylight is available in Word and PDF format, and I can send this to you immediately.
Short Stories
Worldsoul stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
Winterstrike stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
Chen stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
The Moon in Daylight £10.00 GBP
All of it! £50.00 GBP
All of it for regular subscribers £45.00 GBP
WINTERSTRIKE: there are be four short stories set in the world of Banner of Souls and Winterstrike, so if you’re after some far future Martian tales, this is the sub for you!
WORLDSOUL: again, 4 short stories, each set in the different quarters of Worldsoul – north, south, east and west.
CHEN: this has been an opportunity for me to explore the back stories of some of the other characters in the series, although Chen and Zhu Irzh (with added badger) will be appearing in them.
Customised stories under the Story Garden imprint are also still available.
NOVEL: THE MOON IN DAYLIGHT
And the novel is still available:
“Outside the lighted windows of the church, London roared by. It was dusk now, ancient stone soaking up the November cold and breathing damp into the echoing air. The man stood, having long since tuned out the traffic, murmuring under his breath:
"...At this time that is not a time, in this place that is not a place, on this day that is not a day..."
He did not speak in English, but in old Welsh, the sibilance whispering through the vaults. Movement caught the corner of his eye, but he ignored it. He stared straight ahead, to the red candle. In the pool of its own light, it looked like a column of meat: the white wick a sliver of fiery bone.
Outside, London hammered on. Nothing to do with him, this modern twenty-first century world, and yet he had a place in it. Not as his own self, for most of the world had long since ceased to pay attention to his kind, long since ceased to believe. The real world, some called it. But that, he thought, was on the verge of changing.
After all, real is what you make it, if you are a god.”
The Moon in Daylight is a full-length contemporary urban fantasy novel which has never been published in either short story form or novel format – it’s a new world for me. Set in London and North Wales, this is the start of the adventures of Siriol Jones – professional herbalist, Druid and magician – and her mysterious friend the Hermit. In this novel, Siri and the Hermit go in search of Siri’s addict sister, Non, and find more than they bargained for in a trip to the Celtic otherworld. It’s got magic, some very dodgy goddesses, London folklore, the club-going lord of midsummer and ancient boar spirits, and what I hope is a reasonably accurate depiction of the actual British pagan scene.
In tone, it’s closer to the Chen novels than my SF, and it is hopefully a light read!
The Moon in Daylight is available in Word and PDF format, and I can send this to you immediately.
Short Stories
Worldsoul stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
Winterstrike stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
Chen stories x 4 £16.00 GBP
The Moon in Daylight £10.00 GBP
All of it! £50.00 GBP
All of it for regular subscribers £45.00 GBP
NEW SHORT STORY SUBSCRIPTION - 2013
The last set of stories have gone out for 2012-13 (see my next post if you'd like to order these - they are still available), and I am floating a new series of stories for the next year. I'm reducing the cost of this a little.
THE MIX: I will be writing 8 stories set in the different worlds of my novels (Winterstrike, Mondhile, Empire of Bones and Nine Layers of Sky).
CHEN: I will be announcing the final (OK, the sixth) Chen novel shortly, but have not yet finished the back stories - I have done four of these, but there are more characters, so.....
The first set of these will be with you in June 2013, and thank you all for your support!
Short Stories
The Mix £25.00 GBP
Chen £10.00 GBP
All of them £35.00 GBP
THE MIX: I will be writing 8 stories set in the different worlds of my novels (Winterstrike, Mondhile, Empire of Bones and Nine Layers of Sky).
CHEN: I will be announcing the final (OK, the sixth) Chen novel shortly, but have not yet finished the back stories - I have done four of these, but there are more characters, so.....
The first set of these will be with you in June 2013, and thank you all for your support!
Short Stories
The Mix £25.00 GBP
Chen £10.00 GBP
All of them £35.00 GBP
April 25, 2013
Women to read
Kari Sperring is running a Twitter series on women to read in SF, here:
http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/353496.html
There has been a lot of debate recently about the lack of women in SF - the general consensus, with which I concur, is that it's a buying issue, but quite what fuels that is debatable (promotion, or lack of it, in bookstores, buying habits, and self promo). It's a phenomenon of some concern, since women have been writing in the genre since its inception and the squeeze on the female presence in SF was highly noticeable in the Clarke submissions this year (I'm hoping that there'll be more of a balance next year, with some interesting work coming up). Most of the criticism that was got, as female judges, was from men: for being insufficiently feminist. There was finger-wagging on a number of male-dominated threads as to what I, in particular (as a result of the Guardian article) should be thinking and feeling, and there seems to be an assumption in some quarters that our primary issue, as female judges, should be gender. I need hardly point out how problematic this is.
http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/353496.html
There has been a lot of debate recently about the lack of women in SF - the general consensus, with which I concur, is that it's a buying issue, but quite what fuels that is debatable (promotion, or lack of it, in bookstores, buying habits, and self promo). It's a phenomenon of some concern, since women have been writing in the genre since its inception and the squeeze on the female presence in SF was highly noticeable in the Clarke submissions this year (I'm hoping that there'll be more of a balance next year, with some interesting work coming up). Most of the criticism that was got, as female judges, was from men: for being insufficiently feminist. There was finger-wagging on a number of male-dominated threads as to what I, in particular (as a result of the Guardian article) should be thinking and feeling, and there seems to be an assumption in some quarters that our primary issue, as female judges, should be gender. I need hardly point out how problematic this is.
April 23, 2013
A quick catch-up
I'm working this week on the remaining three stories for this year's subscription, and will then be announcing a further sub. Thanks for your patience on this one! Likewise, the latest set of tarot readings will be done soon, too.
Otherwise, I am working on other people's manuscripts at present - always an enjoyable process.
Otherwise, I am working on other people's manuscripts at present - always an enjoyable process.
April 10, 2013
Milford SF Workshop - SIGNAL BOOST
=========================================
Milford SF Writers' Conference Weeks, 2014
=========================================
You are cordially invited...
MILFORD 2013, Saturday 14th to Saturday 21st September 2013 is now fully
booked, however it booked up so early and so fast that you can already
book for 2014. (Early booking advised.)
Because Worldcon is in London in 2014 we are running an additional
Milford week (subject to take-up of a minimum of nine bookings).
So you have a choice of dates:
Week 1 - 23rd to 30th August 2014
Week 2 - 13th to 20th September 2014
The venue for both is the lovely:
Trigonos, Plas Baladeulyn, Nantlle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 6BW
The booking form (downloadable from the website) asks you to state your
date preference, but also asks that, in the event of your first choice
of date being fully subscribed, whether you can attend on the alternate
week. Your flexibility, if possible, is greatly appreciated.
We are reserving half the places on the August 2014 week for overseas
attendees until August 2013 or until fully subscribed, whichever is
first. We hope that writers attending Worldcon (14th - 18th August
http://www.loncon3.org/) from outside the UK will take the opportunity
to attend Milford on the same plane ticket.
The total price for 2014 is £605 inclusive of full board for seven
nights.
A deposit of £115 is required to secure your booking and the balance of
£490 is payable to Trigonos upon attending (by cash or cheque - no
cards). Apart from a small Milford admin fee of £10, this sum represents
your booking with Trigonos for accommodation.
Go to the Milford website to download and print the booking form for the
2014 weeks as a Word document; as a text file or as a pdf. You can state
your date preference on the form.
http://www.milfordSF.co.uk
Questions? Email the secretary.
Liz Williams <mevennen@hotmail.com>
Or Jacey Bedford <jacey@jaceybedford.co.uk>
Milford SF Writers' Conference Weeks, 2014
=========================================
You are cordially invited...
MILFORD 2013, Saturday 14th to Saturday 21st September 2013 is now fully
booked, however it booked up so early and so fast that you can already
book for 2014. (Early booking advised.)
Because Worldcon is in London in 2014 we are running an additional
Milford week (subject to take-up of a minimum of nine bookings).
So you have a choice of dates:
Week 1 - 23rd to 30th August 2014
Week 2 - 13th to 20th September 2014
The venue for both is the lovely:
Trigonos, Plas Baladeulyn, Nantlle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 6BW
The booking form (downloadable from the website) asks you to state your
date preference, but also asks that, in the event of your first choice
of date being fully subscribed, whether you can attend on the alternate
week. Your flexibility, if possible, is greatly appreciated.
We are reserving half the places on the August 2014 week for overseas
attendees until August 2013 or until fully subscribed, whichever is
first. We hope that writers attending Worldcon (14th - 18th August
http://www.loncon3.org/) from outside the UK will take the opportunity
to attend Milford on the same plane ticket.
The total price for 2014 is £605 inclusive of full board for seven
nights.
A deposit of £115 is required to secure your booking and the balance of
£490 is payable to Trigonos upon attending (by cash or cheque - no
cards). Apart from a small Milford admin fee of £10, this sum represents
your booking with Trigonos for accommodation.
Go to the Milford website to download and print the booking form for the
2014 weeks as a Word document; as a text file or as a pdf. You can state
your date preference on the form.
http://www.milfordSF.co.uk
Questions? Email the secretary.
Liz Williams <mevennen@hotmail.com>
Or Jacey Bedford <jacey@jaceybedford.co.uk>
Cats. And stories.
A huge thank you to everyone who signed up for the 'dog repair' story. We made our target and can pay the vet. If anyone has NOT received the story, let me know asap and I will send it to you at once.
In other news, Trevor and I went to the Cats' Protection League yesterday evening to look at a little puss, and came home with an arrangement for three of them: Ruby and Rosie, who are sisters (b&w, and grey and white) and Wesley, who is black and white. I am checking out group insurance to try and avoid the crisis we had with Cass, although cats are a lot cheaper to insure than Rottweilers. Henry, who has now been with us for over a year, has a haematoma on one ear: we took him to the vet, and he was so good in the car that, being irresponsible car parents, we took him to the pub (in his basket) where he perched on a barstool, glaring at everyone. The ear is now settling down. How he and Sid will react to 3 kitties remains to be seen....wish us luck.
In other news, Trevor and I went to the Cats' Protection League yesterday evening to look at a little puss, and came home with an arrangement for three of them: Ruby and Rosie, who are sisters (b&w, and grey and white) and Wesley, who is black and white. I am checking out group insurance to try and avoid the crisis we had with Cass, although cats are a lot cheaper to insure than Rottweilers. Henry, who has now been with us for over a year, has a haematoma on one ear: we took him to the vet, and he was so good in the car that, being irresponsible car parents, we took him to the pub (in his basket) where he perched on a barstool, glaring at everyone. The ear is now settling down. How he and Sid will react to 3 kitties remains to be seen....wish us luck.
March 24, 2013
Thank you!
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser for Cass' veterinary bills. Thanks to your kindness and generosity, we have exceeded the target, and I will be making a donation to a local organisation which helps baby badgers. And now, on with the story!
March 23, 2013
Thank you!
Folks, huge thanks to everyone who has signed up for the new badger story, to pay our dog's unexpected veterinary bill.
We are halfway there already! Thank you!
http://mevennen.livejournal.com/921123.html
We are halfway there already! Thank you!
http://mevennen.livejournal.com/921123.html
Badger story!
As some of you know, our dog was taken very seriously ill on Wednesday through some kind of poisoning. We rushed her into the vet and she was kept in overnight - I don't think they did very much except put her on a drip, but thankfully she has recovered. Not thankfully, however, they have charged us £350 for her overnight stay: it might have been cheaper to book her into the Ritz.
I am therefore fundraising - a one-off Badger Tea Kettle story, probably with added cats, which will be with you in e-form by the end of the month. The cost is £5, and the Paypal link is below.
I am therefore fundraising - a one-off Badger Tea Kettle story, probably with added cats, which will be with you in e-form by the end of the month. The cost is £5, and the Paypal link is below.
Liz Williams's Blog
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