Ken Lizzi's Blog, page 61

A Farewell

It has been an integral part of my life for over twenty years. We’ve had ups and downs. I’ve endeavored to pay a constant amount of attention to it, able to lavish more some months than others. We’ve been through a lot: several apartments, a military deployment, a condominium, a house. But now the time has come to say goodbye. The steadfast constant of so many years is no more.

I have paid off my law school student loan.

I considered starting with a Julius Caesar riff: I come to bury it, not praise it. I don’t know; I like to think there’s more comedy than tragedy to a student loan. I also considered titling this post Requiem for a Student Loan, but that would have given away the gag.

Seriously, this milestone in my life is a millstone removed from around my neck. I feel I can breathe more easily.

Here’s a little student loan anecdote for you: I enlisted in the Army Reserves after college after first examining what the other branches of service could offer. The Army ponied up the promise of $20,000 in student loan repayment. Sounded good for someone about to take on a load of debt for law school. Well, some of that number vanished due to a failure on someone’s part to timely file certain paperwork. I’ll name no names. Then, right as I began my third year in law school, my services were urgently demanded to secure America’s vital interests in Haiti. Thus I was out of school for a year. Now, when you are not actively enrolled in school, your loans become due. I endeavored to explain to a customer service representative of the loan company that I didn’t want to drop out for a year, that this wasn’t voluntary: the United States government demanded that I do so. His response: “It’s not our fault you joined the Army.” Hence interest began to accrue. Coincidentally, it amounted to roughly the same amount the Army provided in student loan repayment. So, financially, it was a wash.

And now, I’m done. Can I get a Huzzah?

Another Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

Advice from a man who probably has no business giving advice: Remain grateful but beware contentment. There, that ought to cover Thanksgiving.

MBW, the HA, and I drove to the Oregon Coast Wednesday for an extended Thanksgiving weekend. The weather was appropriately Oregon Coast-ish: wet and windy, though we did enjoy occasional sun breaks.

I think we all enjoyed the trip. The little condo we rented overlooked the beach and the breaking surf proved constantly engaging. I could stare at it for extended periods. That might explain why I got only minimal writing done; enough that I don’t feel bad about it but I certainly could have cranked out more words.

A minimal Thanksgiving feast of roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and salad still left us full and with leftovers. Pie was redundant. I ate some anyway.

The HA has always found aquariums fascinating. We drove to Newport and spent a couple of hours at the Oregon Aquarium.

There was also beer. Of course there was beer. I tried a beer/wine mashup at the Pelican Pub and Brewery in Pacific City. I enjoyed it as a curiosity but wouldn’t go back for seconds. The taster tray at Rogue Brewing in Newport ranks among the best I’ve tried. I briefly considered the possibility of marrying the Batsquatch. But I soon realized I would be consistently cheating on it with the Combat Wombat so decided to retain my monogamous relationship with a human being. One of my wiser choices I think.

I hope my American readers enjoyed Thanksgiving. And I hope the rest of you had a good Thursday. If not, perhaps some pictures will help make up for it.

Long Expected Parties

I am celebrating the HA’s fifth birthday today. It isn’t her birthday yet; that will occur later this week. But the important point of a child’s birthday party is the party. Sunday works better for a gathering of her little friends than does the day after Thanksgiving.

Shortly after today’s party we celebrate the birthday of MBW. One impact of moving to the United States that certainly never occurred to me and I doubt occurred to her, is that her birthday — a day she could always associate with herself and herself alone — now falls near or on a major holiday. And then, on top of that, her daughter demanded quite forcefully (on pain of death isn’t putting it too strong) to be born the day after. I imagine she often feels a bit neglected with everyone concerned about preparations for Thanksgiving, or, if they are cognizant of a birthday at all, it is the HA’s birthday, not MBW’s.

I rented a house on the coast for the Thanksgiving weekend. This will be an intimate, immediate family only Thanksgiving. The big family event at some relative’s house is a nice tradition and often enjoyable. But I think we’ve travelled enough this year. And I want MBW to receive the attention she might not otherwise at a large gathering.

Plus, it will probably be easier to get a bit of writing done. I start chapter 4 of Warlord tomorrow. I’ll see how far I can get over the long weekend with a bellyful of turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the States. For the rest of you, when the day arrives, ummm, enjoy your Thursday.

Orycon 40

Orycon winds down. My last panel is still a couple hours off, so I have a few moments to write this post in the Green Room, where the few remaining authors who haven’t yet taken off for home are congregating. Many look ridden hard and put away wet. A long convention weekend will do that to you. At a certain age staying up late a couple nights running begins to take it out of you.

It’s been a good con with some interesting panels and interesting conversations. My reading was well attended. My thanks to those who came to listen. I hope you enjoyed it.

The weather cooperated. It is pleasant to look out the window and see blue skies above the Columbia River. It will also be nice to look out the windshield and see my house come into view. I’m ready to get home to MBW and the HA.

MBW should be back from her weekend conference on the other side of the country. The HA will likely be sad: she’s spent the weekend with her grandparents who drove up to take care of her. Returning to the care of her boring old mom and dad will be a letdown, I imagine. Well, life is tough, kid.

I should probably begin preparing for the last panel, so that is all for this week. Be good, or at least fake it.

Eugene, Oregon 2018

A cool fall day in a college town on a football Saturday is classic Americana. I traveled to Eugene and back this weekend for precisely that.

A taster tray and a good lunch started the festivities on a positive note. Hop Valley puts out some tasty beers. In addition to a standby of mine, Bubble Stash, I recommend the VIP vanilla porter and the Cryo Stash Imperial IPA.

Tailgating is traditional. Partake in the tradition when the opportunity presents.

The game itself offered an entertaining spectacle. Unless you are a UCLA fan, in which case I suppose you were less than entertained. Better luck next game, Bruins.

Welcome back, Chip.

Now, enough entertainment. Time to begin preparing for Orycon.

 

Making Progress

The second draft of Captain is now complete. Mostly complete, that is. There remain a few blanks to be filled in, currently with such place holders as [Name.] I still need to finish the final polish of Boss in order to recall the names to fit in the blanks and to ensure that characters are consistent between Boss and Captain.

But those are simple tasks and shouldn’t require much time. A more difficult task awaits: tomorrow I must begin the first draft of Warlord. The outline is complete, so I have a map to follow. Still, that first day, facing the blank page, is always simultaneously daunting and thrilling. It’s the first step on a journey that will last months. There’s a long, wearying way to go. But the effort is its own reward, making the destination so much lagniappe.

I enjoyed reading through Captain. There is a nagging self-doubt that clings to writers. We question ourselves. Is this any good? Am I any good? Should I just give up? But it is always a pleasure to discover that you’ve actually written something pretty entertaining after all. Especially if you’ve left the manuscript to sit long enough that you don’t remember all the twists and turns you built in and can surprise yourself.

I’ll have to see if it still holds up in a couple of months when I write the third draft. Ideally I wouldn’t take a break from writing Warlord to return to Captain. However, the current release schedule appears to demand it. Third drafts usually don’t require much time, so I’m optimistic.

Well, onward.

Orycon 2018 Schedule

Orycon approaches. Time to mingle, share from my meager store of knowledge, and roam from room party to room party.

I received my schedule the other day. If you are in Portland during the convention, pick up a membership and come say hello.

 

Fri Nov 9 4:00:pm
Fri Nov 9 5:00:pm
Story Pacing: Hurry Up, and Wait


Pettygrove
Speed the story up, raise the stakes, increase the tension — But not too much. Readers, like runners, want to keep moving fast but can’t go at a breakneck pace all the time. What are the techniques, large and small, to make you story roller-coaster a fun, exciting ride?


David D. Levine Diana Pharaoh Francis Ken Lizzi Richard A. Lovett Wendy N. Wagner

 

Fri Nov 9 5:00:pm
Fri Nov 9 6:00:pm
Autograph Session: Friday 5pm


Dealers: Autographs
Authors and artists sign things


Alma Alexander Ken Lizzi

 

Sat Nov 10 5:00:pm
Sat Nov 10 6:00:pm
Building an Extended Series


Pettygrove
Some readers want to immerse themselves into a series, rather than just a single book. They want to binge. And once your trilogy is done, then what? How to expand your literary universe instead of walking away from your book or short series forever.


Joseph Brassey Ken Lizzi Mike Shepherd Moscoe Seanan McGuire Steve Perry

 

Sun Nov 11 10:00:am
Sun Nov 11 10:30:am
Ken Lizzi Reading


152 Readings
Ken Lizzi reads from his works.


Ken Lizzi

 

Sun Nov 11 2:00:pm
Sun Nov 11 3:00:pm
Consequences of Violence


Overton
Random groups wandering the countryside and slaying evil-doers are less likely to be seen as heroes than as murder hoboes. Our panel will discuss the mechanisms that real societies (and realistic fiction) use to limit violent actors.


Crystal Connor Ken Lizzi Rory Miller S. B. Sebrick

 

Oh, Horrors!

‘Tis the month of Halloween, during which we make light of death, the supernatural, and terror. What fun.

For me, the quintessential Halloween book is Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October. (What, you haven’t read that yet? Go hence and remedy that deficiency post haste.) But is it quintessential by default? Are there other Halloween fantasy/science-fiction novels?

I must confess at this point that I am not a fan of horror. I don’t like horror films. I don’t read horror novels. I have made a few exceptions, but they are exceptions. And yet…

There is a powerful streak of horror that runs through fantasy. The fantastic is necessarily outside the mundane. It can either be delightful and charming, which is occasionally fine in narrative, or it can trigger alarm, which is better at creating conflict and maintaining reader interest.

Horror in fantasy is most pronounced, perhaps, in swords and sorcery. Consider Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane novels. Or the frequent Lovecraftian monstrosities Conan constantly stumbled across.

But horror is a constant in even epic fantasy. Consider the lodestone of the genre, The Lord of the Rings. What are the ringwraiths but embodiments (so to speak) of fear? And is not a gigantic spider a fundamentally horrific figure? I’m sure you can add examples.

So, while Zelazny’s book remains my go to Halloween book, I suppose most any fantasy snatched from my shelf might do just as well.

At Loose Ends

I am undecided how to proceed Monday morning during my standard writing time. Saturday I took MBW’s car in for brake servicing. Sitting, waiting, and drinking coffee I was able to finish outlining Warlord. That is good. Hearty pats on my own back. However, this leaves me with some uncertainty, as I will explain.

I have not yet received editorial comments on book one, Boss. Re-reading Boss and polishing the manuscript would be a productive use of my time. I need to refresh myself on certain names and personalities. But, that appears out for Monday’s writing.

I could begin the second draft of Captain. My preference is to work from a printed copy and the printer is current out of ink. Also, I’d hoped to start on the second draft after re-reading Boss so I could fill in certain blanks that currently read [NAME.] See above for the reason that hope appears likely to go unfulfilled in a timely manner.

I could begin writing Warlord. After all I do have an outline. The problem with this option is that the above two requirements must necessarily interrupt it. A first draft is a commitment of several months. I don’t like interrupting the flow. But in order to hit January and March publishing deadlines I will have to see Boss and Captain completed.

Milestone

Last Wednesday I wrote “The End” on the first draft of “Captain.” Saturday I celebrated.

There remains a way to go before I can consider the novel complete, but most of the heavy lifting is finished. Now I need to set it aside, turn my mind to something else before commencing the second draft. That something else is book three of the series: “Warlord.” I began outlining Thursday morning.

Those who write by the seat-of-the-pants dive right in and see what happens. That’s what I’m doing at the outlining stage: seeing what happens. But I do so with less effort and much fewer words. When things go all cattywampus I can correct course without having to re-write the last, I don’t know, fifty pages. And there is no law requiring me to stick to my outline. If I discover a better path forward, or a side plot that demands exploration, I will deviate from the outline without hesitation. But at least I’ll have a road map when I finally sit down to begin Chapter One.

Thank you to those of you who came by yesterday to drink my beer and help me celebrate. Let’s do it again soon. With a three-book series there should be plenty of milestones to commemorate.