Marjorie M. Liu's Blog, page 11
February 6, 2014
Labyrinth of Stars (or, how I finished the novel).
I’ve been a bit phobic about promoting this novel. I have no idea why — maybe because it’s been a couple years since I had a release, and the nerves are setting in. Call it “avoidance” — I’m trying to avoid it all, like it’ll go away — but it won’t and that’s silly, because a book release is something to be celebrated. I wrote a book about characters that I love, and it’s hitting shelves in a couple weeks. Maxine Kiss and her demons are back.
I finished writing this book in a hotel room in Syd...
February 5, 2014
Pep talk of the day!
When you’re struggling to become your own self, whoever that might be — making choices that are right for you — you’re going to encounter some push back from the people around you. And by “people” I don’t just mean friends and family (though that’s common enough), but also society at large. It really doesn’t matter what path you take, how lofty or “acceptable” it might be. There’s always going to be someone out there saying, “Why would you do that?” Or, “That’s a waste of your time.” Or, “Tha...
February 4, 2014
More on revisions.
In the comments of my last post, the wonderfulLeslye wrote: Not being able to see what’s wrong is why I have such a love/hate relationship with revising. I think I sometimes take the “kill your darlings” thing a bit too far and have to resist the temptation to change everything. I’ll brainstorm revision ideas that are essentially an entirely different book than the one I drafted. It’s such a balancing act!
To which I say: YES. I have the exact same problem. Ittruly is a balancing act, and requ...
February 3, 2014
Black Widow!
If you’ve never read my comic book work before, here’s a good place to start. Black Widow: The Name of the Rose is now available at ComiXology for $3.99. You can read all five issues on your iPad, phone, or computer.
Beware illusions of value…
The other day I tweeted a little line about the importance of not being afraid to get rid of that one PRECIOUS OH MY PRECIOUS thing in your novel. Sort of in the same vein as “kill your darlings”, but way more apocalyptic. Because the “precious” I’m thinking of, the “precious” we sometimes have to throw into the fires of Mount Doom, requires not just a wee tweak in the revision process, but instead a major rewrite.
Listen, I just spent the last couple months all hung up on what had been a majo...
January 31, 2014
Happy Chinese New Year!
And with a new year (the year of the horse, folks!), comes a new website and blog. I’ve been away for a long time — not from the writing, though there was some of that, too. As I’ve said before, I needed a break. Which might seem nutty, given that everything was going so well — new contract, books coming out, comics, etc. But writers have to fill the well (as we like to say), and mine was at critical levels.
So I spent the last two years traveling, moving, making new friends, a new life — all...
January 29, 2014
Workshops & Conferences
Workshops I’ll be teaching:
VONA/Voices (a weeklong multi-genre workshop for writers of color). I’ll be holding a Popular Fiction course (romance, urban fantasy, mystery, comics). Application deadline isMarch 1st. Learn more, and apply here:http://www.voicesatvona.org
Conferences I’ll be attending this year:
Tokyo Literary Festival (Tokyo, Japan)-February 28 – March 9- schedule to be announced
WonderCon (Anaheim, CA) -April 18-20- schedule to be announced
C2E2 (Chicago, IL) -April 25-27- schedule...
January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
I heard the bells at midnight
Ring in the dawning year;
And above the clanging chorus
Of the song, I seemed to hear
A choir of mystic voices
Flinging echoes, ringing clear,
From a band of angels winging
Through the haunted atmosphere:
‘Ring out the shame and sorrow,
And the misery and sin,
That the dawning of the morrow
May in peace be ushered in.’
And I thought of all the trials
The departed years had cost,
And the blooming hopes and pleasures
That are withered now and lost;
And with joy...
December 17, 2013
News & Upcoming Signings
In less than two weeks I’ll be in Australia! I’ve been invited to the Melbourne and Brisbane Writer Festivals, with a yet to be scheduled pitstop in Sydney for a book signing and reading.
August 23-25
Melbourne
August 26
Brisbane
Brisbane Writers Festival
I’m hard at work on the next Hunter Kiss novel—but in the meantime, I’m happy to finally be offering you another story in the Dirk & Steele universe. Some years ago, I wrote a prequel to the series—originally published in...
October 10, 2013
Thursday & Friday @ NYCC
THURSDAY:
Title: New York Times OUT and Geeks Out present LGBT and Allies in Comics
Time: 6:15PM – 7:15PM
Location: 1A14
Speakers: Dan Parent, Daniel Ketchum, Greg Pak, Marjorie Liu, Rich Bernatovech
Description: The New York Times OUT and Geeks Out join forces to present a panel where LGBT characters and their allies will be discussed by comic book professionals. We will be discussing their use in mainstream comics, independent/creator-owned comics and comic book movies. Moderated by New York Tim...
