C.S.E. Cooney's Blog, page 7

Petty Tyrant at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

First of all, you want to see this show. Carlotta-B from 1593 is the stuff of dirty jazz and nightmare carnivals and poet clowns. You get this in your head, you won’t WANT anything else in it.

So here’s where you get tickets:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/petty-tyrant

You’re welcome.

Second, here are all the dates you can see it:

Third, here’s all the stuff about it.
(Well, not ALL the stuff. Friends, there is so much GLORIOUS STUFF.)

I’ve written about Carla Kissane of the Shakespearean Cabaret before. (Hey! Follow her on INSTAGRAM!)

I was so lucky as to sweet-talk her into being a cast member of Ballads from a Distant Star, the SFF folk musical (SFFF?) written by myself, Carlos Hernandez, Caitlyn Paxson, and Amal El-Mohtar, with musical help from my brother Jeremy Cooney and Dr. Mary Crowell.

Ballads from a Distant Star at Arts on Site. Carla Kissane in the middle, me on the left, Amanda Baker on the right. Photo by Nelson Luna.

Follow the link to the blog I wrote about one of Carla’s previous Shakespearean Cabaret shows, Whores and Weeping Women, which was… AWESOME!

I also wrote this sonnet for Carla, back in the pandemic days, as she was creating her character “Carlotta-B from 1593” on a Brooklyn rooftop:

I like to think it was prophetic.

Friends, if you’re in the U.K., at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, PLEASE! GO SEE THIS SHOW! Then come back here and tell me ALL ABOUT IT in the COMMENTS!

Our GenCon Schedule

Carlos and I are so excited to attend GenCon this year. GenCon runs from August 1-4th in Indianapolis. This is my third year going, although Carlos is a long-time fan, and it’s certainly a highlight of the summer. Though I gotta tell ya, friends… it’s like this summer has been ONE LONG HIGHLIGHT already!

Not only are we once more a part of the wonderful Writers Symposium that is GenCon’s writing track, but we get to run two games of Negocios Infernales, one on Friday and one on Saturday! As of right now, they are both sold out, but I’ll put the information here just in case someone drops out.

INFERNAL BARGAINS: THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR FAUSTIAN EGOMANIACS ANYMORE!

The Spanish Inquisition INTERRUPTED by aliens! You play wizards who bargain for weird powers from aliens you think are devils. Use your “magic” to save your country & if there’s time, your own soul!

The nation of Espada is about to begin something like Earth’s Spanish Inquisition. Some well-meaning aliens, however, arrive in time to stop Espada from going down the path of zealotry and religious persecution. Players play wizards who think they have sold their souls to the aliens in exchange for powers. The core of the game is the “Deck of Destiny” (“La Baraja del Destino”), a custom deck of 70 cards. Much like a fortune teller reads cards to tell the future, the players interpret the cards they draw to determine their magos’ successes, failures, and fates. Together, the magos quest on behalf of Reina Resoluta to save Espada—or, depending on the luck of the draw, just to save their own skins. Great for new roleplayers and old hands alike! Create, collaborate and laugh your heads off with us!

Friday 6-11 PM EDT

For Tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/255110

Saturday 6-11 PM EDT

For Tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/255111

Claire’s Schedule

Writing Genre Poetry: Thursday, 4:00 PM EDT

1 hour

Join our panel of poets as they discuss genre (or speculative) poetry, what it is, and ways to experience it. Featuring: Brandon O’Brien, C. S. E. Cooney, Jordan Kurella, Linda D. Addison, Sandra Tayler

Cost $0

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262481

Writer Meet and Greet: Thursday, 6-9 PM EDT

[Due to a gaming conflict, Carlos and I may not be able to make this entire event, but one or the other of us will try to be there for part of it.]

Join writers of the Gen Con Writers’ Symposium to say hello, get your existing books signed, or purchase new ones here). Tickets are nice but not required during this 3hr open-house event!

Many authors will have books for sale, and the GCWS USB drive will also be for sale. Featuring: Akis Linardos, Anthony W. Eichenlaub, Ava Kelly, Ben Riggs, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Brady McReynolds, Brandon Crilly, Brandon O’Brien, Bryan Young, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Cat Rambo, Kwame Mbalia, Danian Darrell Jerry, Daniel ‘Doc’ Myers, Dedren Snead, E.D.E. Bell, Erin M. Evans, Gabrielle Harbowy, Gregory A. Wilson, Howard Andrew Jones, James Farner, Jason Sanford, Jennifer Brozek, Jeremy Bernstein, Jerry Gordon, Jordan Jones-Brewster, Jordan Kurella, Khaldoun Khelil, Linda D. Addison, Marie Bilodeau, Michael R. Underwood, Monica Valentinelli, Richard Dansky, Sharang Biswas, Sheree Renée Thomas, Victor Raymond PhD, Will Sobel

Cost $0

Get Tickets: (not required) https://www.gencon.com/events/259940

Worldbuilding for TTRPG Systems: Friday, 1 PM EDT

1 hour

Join our panel of experts as they discuss the aspects and considerations of starting to worldbuild for TTRPG environments. Featuring: Will Sobel, Brandon Crilly, Brian Duckwitz, C. S. E. Cooney, Richard Dansky

Cost $0

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262484

Book Signing and Meet and Greet: C. S. E. Cooney and Marie Bilodeau: Friday 3 PM EDT

Swing by the back of the Exhibit Hall to meet the panelists of the Writers’ Symposium and get your books signed. Or, buy a book or game – and get it signed on the spot. Or, just stop by and say hello!

Most panelists will have merchandise for sale, but you’re welcome to bring what you already own to get signed. You may stop by without a ticket and we’ll try and accommodate you, time permitting. Featuring: C. S. E. Cooney, Marie Bilodeau

Cost $0

Get tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262511

An Infernal Salon: Workshop and Literary Salon: Saturday 12 PM EDT

2 hours

Join game designers and writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez for an Infernal Salon, an interactive workshop for creatives at all stages of writing.

Need a little fuel for your creative engine? Enjoy a bit of macabre inspiration? Love the company of other writers? Join us for an Infernal Salon! First, we deal out writing prompts from our “Deck of Destiny,” a spooky deck of cards that is the core mechanic of our new TTPRG, “Negocios infernales.” Then we set a timer for 20 minutes. Every writer in the room creates something new, inspired by the card prompts: story, poem, song, play–anything! (Finishing a piece isn’t necessary or even likely! Everyone’s in the same boat.) At the end of twenty minutes, we use the rest of the time to share our new works with each other! Much revelry is had by all! Featuring: C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez — #gcws #experience

Cost: $2.00

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262540

Writing the Beautiful Nasty: Saturday, 3 PM EDT

1 hour

Join our panel of experts as they explore writing scary or repulsive matter in attractive and beautiful ways within the complex realms of horror. Featuring: S.E. Lindberg, Akis Linardos, C. S. E. Cooney, Jason Ray Carney, Jeri “Red” Shepherd 

Cost $0

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262478

Make Your Own Monsters: Sunday, 11 AM EDT

1 hour

Join our panel of experts as they discuss creating unique, fun, and meaningful monsters for your fiction. Why? Because monsters rule. Featuring: Sarah Hans, Brian Duckwitz, C. S. E. Cooney, Daniel ‘Doc’ Myers, Marie Bilodeau

Cost $0

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262474

Carlos’s Schedule

Adventure Branching: Writing Choices for Tabletop Games: Thursday, 11 AM EDT

Join our panel of experts as they discuss adventure design and the writing of stories that players interact with beyond turning pages.

Featuring: Alexander Bevier, Carlos Hernandez, Gregory A. Wilson, James Ryan, Elisa Teague 

Cost: $0

For Tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262394

Writing for Children and Young People: Thursday, 1 PM

Join our panel of writers as they discuss writing for children and young people: what to do, what not to do, and how to help young minds thrive in a world of storytelling.

Featuring: Kwame Mbalia, Carlos Hernandez, Mary Fan, Maurice Broaddus, Jerry Gordon

Cost $0

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262354

Writer Meet and Greet: Thursday, 6-9 PM EDT

[Due to a gaming conflict, Carlos and I may not be able to make this entire event, but one or the other of us will try to be there for part of it.]

Invention! An Interview with Writers: Friday, 1 PM EDT

Writer and researcher Dr. James Ryan hosts a discussion with authors about their practices of invention, and getting to the root of personal theories of where ideas come from and how they work.

Hosted by Dr. James Ryan, Assistant Professor of Writing/Communications, University of Alaska, Southeast. Questions may include: Where do ideas come from? How do they pick the ones to work on? Where do they go when we feel uninspired? What gets them out of a funk and into the flow again? What stories do they have about their first encounter with an idea for a specific work? Featuring: James Ryan, Carlos Hernandez, Erin M. Evans, Jesse J. Holland, Linda D. Addison

Cost: $0

For Tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262473

Getting into Visual Writing: Comics, Cards, Graphic Novels, and Games: Friday, 2 PM EDT

Join our panel of experts as they discuss how to get into the business of writing for visual media.

Featuring: Dedren Snead, Carlos Hernandez, Lucien Soulban, Matt Forbeck, Toiya Kristen Finley

Cost $0

For Tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262357

An Infernal Salon: Workshop and Literary Salon: Saturday 12 PM EDT

2 hours

Join game designers and writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez for an Infernal Salon, an interactive workshop for creatives at all stages of writing.

Need a little fuel for your creative engine? Enjoy a bit of macabre inspiration? Love the company of other writers? Join us for an Infernal Salon! First, we deal out writing prompts from our “Deck of Destiny,” a spooky deck of cards that is the core mechanic of our new TTPRG, “Negocios infernales.” Then we set a timer for 20 minutes. Every writer in the room creates something new, inspired by the card prompts: story, poem, song, play–anything! (Finishing a piece isn’t necessary or even likely! Everyone’s in the same boat.) At the end of twenty minutes, we use the rest of the time to share our new works with each other! Much revelry is had by all! Featuring: C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez — #gcws #experience

Cost: $2.00

For tickets: https://www.gencon.com/events/262540

Our READERCON schedule

Friends! We are headed toward Boston for Readercon even as I write this from the passenger seat of our rental minivan.

We have Mike and Anita Allen from Mythic Delirium with us, and my mama is meeting us in Quincy, and Amal and Stu will be there, and and and!

Here is our schedule for this weekend. We’d love to see you!

CARLOS HERNANDEZ

Friday

12:30 PM EDT, Reading, Salon C

5:00 PM EDT, Writing For, With, About, and Around Children, Salon 4

Saturday

10:00 AM EDT, Writing Hope and Optimism, Salon 4

3:00 PM EDT, Responses to Omelas, Salon 3

YOURS TRULY, C. S. E. COONEY

Friday, July 12, 2024

12:00 PM, Reading: Salon C, Duration: 30 mins

2:00 PM Kaffeeklatsch: Basalt, Duration: 60 mins

4:00 PM Autograph Session: Salon 6, Duration: 60 mins

10:15 PM Meet the Pros(e), Salon 3, Duration: 60 mins

Saturday, July 13, 2024

10:00 AM Writing Hope and Optimism, Salon 4, Duration: 60 mins

12:00 PM How to Read Like a Reader Salon A, Duration: 60 mins

1:00 PM Paranormal Romance, Romantasy, or “Just” Fantasy? Salon B, Duration: 60 mins

Sunday, July 14, 2024

10:00 AM The Works of Amal El-Mohtar, Salon A, Duration: 60 mins

11:00 AM, Speculative Poetry Open Mic, Salon C, Duration: 120 mins

CONvergence: INFERNAL SALON

Here is the card pulls for Convergence 2024’s INFERNAL SALON!

We will call people up in groups and have them choose a number 1-8.

They go to card pull with the corresponding number. They take a pic of the cards or consult them here on this blog!

We give them 25 minutes to write (or draw), and then whoever wants to shall share whatever they create!

Our game Negocios Infernales (whose deck we use in our salons) is available for pre-order on Outland Entertainment.

To read more about the game, check out the info on our fully funded Kickstarter!

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Group 8

Solaris’s #StillProud eBook Sale!

To celebrate reading titles with queer representation all year round, Solaris Books is running a #StillProud eBook sale on their website from Friday 5th July to Sunday 14th July.

My book, Saint Death’s Daughter, is HAPPILY included!!!

Carlos Hernandez: Guest of Honor at CONvergence! His Schedule!

Thursday, July 4

3:30pm CDT Parallel Worlds

7:00pm CDT Opening Ceremony

8:30pm CDT Best of Banned Books

Friday, July 5

2:00pm CDT Meet and Greet – Carlos Hernandez

7:00pm CDT (with C. S. E. Cooney) Negocios Infernales, an Infernal Salon

Saturday, July 6

12:30pm CDT Reading: Carlos Hernandez and C.S.E. Cooney

3:30pm CDT Author’s Guide to Writing for Comics

5:00pm CDT Meet and Greet – Carlos Hernandez

7:00pm CDT Narrative In Game Design

Sunday, July 7

11:00am CDT The Creative Continuum, The Superteam of Arts Disciplines

2:30pm CDT Beyond the Barrier: The Journey of Diverse Voices in Media

5:00pm CDT Closing Ceremony

Carlos’s New Game

Carlos has a new game out with 9th Level Games’ LEVEL 1 anthology for FREE RPG DAY!

His game is called “NEW GOD”!

Here’s the description: “You’re a brand new god. Grow your worshippers and help them flourish. Or just smite them. Either way.” 

It’s on page 39! Find your copy at Origins Game Fair at Booth 719!!!

And just because I had so much fun dressing up, here’s my costume today!

Here at ORIGINS!

Here we are in the AUTHORS’ ALCOVE, in the 1900-1800 aisles, right in the middle, a nice big zócalo of books and creators!

We have a double table—one for NEGOCIOS INFERNALES demos, and one for OUR BOOKS!

Also, I dressed up today, because… CON!

Here’s hoping we can spread the good news about NEGOCIOS INFERNALES, and direct eager gamers to our preorder page at Outland Entertainment!

Origins Game Fair Schedule for Claire and Carlos

I’m excited to be on these Origins Game Fair panels! The rest of the time, we’ll be selling and signing books in the Authors’ Alcove.

Carlos will have copies of his Marvel omnibus THE STRANGE ACADEMY: A DEADLY FIELD TRIP, as well as his SAL AND GABI books from Disney Books.

And me? I’ll have copies of SAINT DEATH’S DAUGHTER (Solaris Books), THE TWICE-DROWNED SAINT (Mythic Delirium), DESDEMONA AND THE DEEP (Tordotcom), DARK BREAKERS, BONE SWANS, and even HOW THE STATUE LEARNED TO DREAM.

We will also have the prototype of NEGOCIOS INFERNALES to show off, and perhaps a secret sign-up sheet to play a game or two! (Logistics pending!)

So, swing by, say hi, pick up some books, and don’t forget that all the authors at Origins—including us—have brand new stories in the exclusive Origins anthology: LEGACIES. (Mine is based on a character I came up with during a game of Negocios Infernales: a poet in a bird cage.)

CLAIREThursday

2pm: Research for Now and Later

SF and Fantasy can require an enormous amount of research. How do we organize the facts we find, whether for works in progress or as a vague, “That’s cool, maybe I’ll use it someday” tidbit?

A212

Jeri “Red” Shepherd, J. Rosenberg, C. S. E. Cooney, Beth Cato

Friday

2pm: Writing Habits

Are you an outliner or an improviser? Feast-or-famine or steady-as-she-goes? Do you have a dedicated writing space, or do you prefer the couch? There’s no one “correct” way to write, and finding out what works for you is a matter of settling into your groove. Authors with various habits will share what works for them, and discuss how they arrived there.

A212

Mary Fan, Kelli Fitzpatrick, K. DeCandido, C. S. E. Cooney

4pm: The Rewards and Challenges of Writing Series

What makes some authors decide to start series? What makes a series worthwhile? What are some of the unique challenges that come with writing multiple books in a single universe? How do you start, how do you keep it going, and how do you wrap things up? Let’s discuss! 

A212

Mary Fan, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Addie J. King

Saturday:

1pm: Just Enough Worldbuilding

When writing a novel–or a story–when does worldbuilding interfere with the work of getting a novel done? When does too much detail alienate rather than invite the reader in? Panelists will talk about the ways in which they build their worlds.

A213

Carlos Hernandez, Beth Cato, Storm Humbert, C. S. E. Cooney, Jason Sanford

Sunday:

11am: Readings

Some authors love doing readings. Others hate them. Find out how to make the most of a reading, and how to give it your best.

A213

Jennifer Brozek, J. Rosenberg, K. DeCandido, C. S. E. Cooney

1pm: Fiction and Food

Authors dish on writing about food in genre fiction, from fantasy feast scenes to hot Earl Grey tea. How onerous is the research? How can familiar food themes be made fresh and innovative?

A213

K. DeCandido, Daniel Myers, C. S. E. Cooney

CARLOSThursday:

5pm: The Line Between Novelty and Gimmicks

Stories centered on novel or original things often draw readers in, but gimmicky writing often turns them off. Where is the line, and how do we learn to feel when we’ve crossed it? 

A213

Storm Humbert, Carlos Hernandez, Addie J. King

Friday:

4pm: The Rewards and Challenges of Writing Series

What makes some authors decide to start series? What makes a series worthwhile? What are some of the unique challenges that come with writing multiple books in a single universe? How do you start, how do you keep it going, and how do you wrap things up? Let’s discuss! 

A212

Mary Fan, C. S. E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Addie J. King

Saturday:

10am: From Game to Story

What is the difference between running a campaign and writing a novel? Where is there crossover? Panelists will discuss the pitfalls of not realizing the discrepancies between the two, and the felicities that come from jumping formats!

A212

Jeri “Red” Shepherd, Matt Forbeck, Kelli Fitzpatrick, K. DeCandido, Carlos Hernandez

1pm: Just Enough Worldbuilding

When writing a novel–or a story–when does worldbuilding interfere with the work of getting a novel done? When does too much detail alienate rather than invite the reader in? Panelists will talk about the ways in which they build their worlds.

A213

Carlos Hernandez, Beth Cato, Storm Humbert, C. S. E. Cooney, Jason Sanford

5pm: Breaking the Rules!

Like a t-shirt, writing advice isn’t one size fits all. Our panelists will go through their favorite writing rules to break, the writing rules they use as their old reliables, and why. Come hear why advice isn’t for everyone!

A213

Jennifer Brozek, Storm Humbert, Carlos Hernandez

Sunday:

12pm: The Intersection of Games and Books

How gaming prepares you for authoring books and how books can move into the world of games. Join panelists who find that their work thrives at the cross-section of these two creative areas.

A212

Jeri “Red” Shepherd, Matt Forbeck, Carlos Hernandez, James Lowder

FIDDLE!

Okay, I’ve had enough of a rest. I turned in my novel and my three short stories, and I narrated a few audiobooks, and then I just PLAYED AND PLAYED. Now it’s time to get back to writing until my edits come in.

So… back to FIDDLE, anyone? Been a minute.

…Like, I wrote the first draft in 2019, and the first half of the second draft in 2020, and then Saint Death’s Daughter, Dark Breakers, The Twice-Drowned Saint, and Negocios Infernales happened. And also Saint Death’s Herald, still currently happening.

But still. Can’t play Slay the Spire INFINITELY, can I? Well… I CAN, but… THAT DOESN’T GET FIDDLE WRITTEN. Or re-written, as it were.

Do you know about Fiddle?

It’s kinda rom-com romp set in the Dark Breakers/Desdemona and the Deep world, but instead of, like, the “Gilded Age” of most of the Dark Breakers stories, not to mention Desdemona, it’s… like… in the 1980’s-equivalent of that world. LOL.

P.S. The walls between the Three Worlds fell down sometime in the 60’s-equivalent (called the “Ymbeglidegold”), so now the goblins, gentry, and humans are all mingled together, in with the occasional demonspawn.

So. That’s nice.

I’ve just reorganized my Table of Contents. It’s kind of like an outline. It gives me a structure, anyway.

Act I: Dida + Istat = L0v3

Scene 1 Best of All Sisters

Scene 2 Goblin Favors

Scene 3 Okay, So He’s Pretty Okay

Scene 4 Thorn in the Dark

Scene 5 The Way of the White Widow

Act II: Ghilbrenna the Abyssborn

Scene 1 Demonspawn

Scene 2 Fexting

Scene 3 Lenscraft

Scene 4 Hen Night

Scene 5 Orca Goons

Act III: Three Weddings and a Rocket Launch

Scene 1 Deep Lords and Clade Queens

Scene 2 The Lost Basilica: Wedding One (Gentry Tripartite renewal of vows)

Scene 3 Oracles for the Unwary: Wedding Two (Dida and Istat)

Scene 4 Third Times’s the Boom: Wedding Three (Ghilbrenna and Squiddy)

Scene 5 SS Vespel Nest

Finale: Vessel Infernal Internal illustration for Dark Breakers’ “Susurra and the Moon”, art by Brett Massé.

Why did I use this “Susurra” image to illustrate my FIDDLE blog, you ask? Why, because the gentry of the Valwode, second world down on the three-petal World Flower, live a LONG-ASS TIME.

And some characters you might have met and loved in DARK BREAKERS and DESDEMONA are alive and well in FIDDLE.

Because… you know. Immortals.