Ken Lizzi's Blog, page 63

Monterrey Writing and Beer-Tasting Excursion

MBW is on a business trip to Monterrey. Monterrey is a vast, sprawling metropolis in Northeastern Mexico. It’s grown even larger since my last visit, not long ago. MBW brought me along with her to entertain the HA. The Airbnb we rented boasts an impressive view (when smog and clouds allow), a gym, cafeteria, and — most importantly — a swimming pool. The HA and I have spent numerous hours in the pool and we’re only at the halfway mark of the trip. I expect many more.

Look, it isn’t exactly a vacation. I’ve taken vacation days from the office for this, but I’m not out seeing the sights or sitting on a beach somewhere. What I am doing (other than HA wrangling) is getting in some serious writing time. Thousands of words so far and over two chapters completed on the current WIP (a sequel to Boss.) If I can maintain this pace for the duration of the trip I might shave a month off the expected completion date. As I have a deadline for two sequels, this is a welcome prospect.

I have also sampled some of the products of Mexico’s growing craft beer scene.

As of this writing I haven’t yet tasted the La Avenida. The Lagerita required lime to be palatable. So, can’t recommend it. The Obelisco Red Ale was a fine example of the style, rich and malty. The Minerva Vienna is one of my go-tos in Mexico, when I can find it. And it is the least expensive of the lot. (I bought more.)

Denver and Westercon 71

Denver, I hardly knew thee. That’s because I spent most of the last four plus days in the Hyatt Regency. The hotel hosted Westercon 71, yet another convention foolish enough to invite me to sit on panels and pontificate. That required I stay inside most of the time, preventing my touring the city.

I did get out for lunch a couple of times. Denver vies with Portland as a beer town. I’d hoped to hit a few brewpubs while here, but managed only two.

Dad and Dude’s is a strip mall place with an odd mash up of frontier and prohibition themes. The service lagged somewhat, but the beer and food made up for it. Recommended.

The Bull and Bush is a British themed establishment, complete with the faux Tudor exterior. The inside is dark, seventies-vintage decor. We sat outside on the patio, enjoying the summer warmth. The service was prompt and the food was good. Unfortunately I can’t speak highly of the beer.

I did get to join the family for a trolley ride in the historic heart of the city. A short excursion, but it was nice to get out.

The convention provided excellent opportunities to meet friendly and interesting genre fans, as well as the chance to chat with other writers. All names will remain undropped, but if any of you are reading this, thank you for the conversational pleasure.

My Beautiful Wife (MBW) and the Heir Apparent (the HA) took the rental car on several excursions. So at least someone had the opportunity to visit Denver and environs. The pictures look nice. We can all enjoy a vicarious tour, I suppose.

Beach Weekend

The weather has become suspiciously summer-like. You know what that means? Beach weekend.

Friday afternoon I drove MBW and the HA to Lincoln City where we met up with friends. Of course I had to check out the local brewpub, The Rusty Truck,  for dinner. Nice, laid back roadhouse atmosphere. Good service. Excellent seafood. A pity about the beer. In fairness, the sours weren’t bad.

Saturday we purchased kites. Apparently the previous week Lincoln City hosted some sort of kite festival. I can see why. Of course, once you get the kite aloft it can grow a trifle tedious. The steerable kite provided a bit more entertainment, but given time of day and wind direction it led to staring almost directly at the sun, which I don’t recommend.

Back home. A short week starts tomorrow, then we’re off to Denver.

Next week: Westercon 71 report.

The Late Reviews Continue

MBW was away at a conference it Atlanta. You know what that means: more reviews of films you all saw months ago. Now, working the day job, writing, and taking care of the HA can wear a man down some. So I have to admit I went to bed early a couple of times. Therefore I was only able to catch up on two movies.

First up, Black Panther. This is a film thoroughly enjoyed by many, one that resonated with a lot of viewers. I’m not inclined to tell someone he’s enjoying the wrong thing, that his fun is invalid. So, if you liked Black Panther, great. It didn’t work for me, though. There were a few good action scenes. Some of the visuals were impressive. Not all, however. The CGI fights of our titular hero looked false, like some of the early Spiderman movie effects. The whole lost world vibe can make for cool story, but it is hard to swallow nowadays in a world encapsulated with satellites. And the writers suffered from Star Trek syndrome, with characters suddenly forgetting the technology at their disposal, thus allowing a problem to continue for dramatic purposes that they should be able to settle without difficulty. A lead character with the immense resources of an entire kingdom at his disposal ought to be in a better situation than BP allowed himself to suffer.

The setting didn’t work well for me. I had trouble rooting for a tribalistic monarchy. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Then there’s the end. If BP suddenly wished to benevolently share his country’s tech and resources, why not start with his neighbors? When comparing levels of poverty and disease, frankly Oakland doesn’t match the neediness of say, Senegal or Sudan or Namibia or…you get the picture. Start in your own backyard, man. (Yes, BP did tell the UN he was going to share with the world, but apparently the first priority was — California.)

I’ve enjoyed most of the Marvel offerings, so I went into BP with good will. But, as with the second Thor flick, it failed to entertain me. YMMV. But c’mon, armored rhinos?

Second, The HItman’s Bodyguard. Now this one pushed the right buttons. Near John Wick level action but with the hyperkinetic comedy snark of Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. Note to writers: a simple plot limits the likelihood of plot holes. There were some, if you trouble to think about it, and the action was — as is always the case with these films — implausible. No one should be able to long survive the trauma these characters do. But you know going in that’s in an action comedy. The film delivered precisely that. Plus Salma Hayek. Recommended with a couple of beers and a bowl of popcorn.

Feel free to tell me how wrong I am.

Father’s Day 2018 News

Allow me to wish all you dads out there a Happy Father’s Day. And — what’s that? You wish to offer reciprocal celebratory felicitations for my having fulfilled my biological function? Well, thank you kindly. From MBW and the HA I received a card and charmingly framed photos of me with the HA. Both ladies are feeling a bit under the weather, but despite that temporary deficiency, I consider them peerless.

So, now that that’s dispensed with: News. Read on at your peril.

I will be attending Westercon 71 in a few weeks. This year Denver hosts Westercon. I’m looking forward to the convention. I’m also hoping to get a chance to see some of the city, but I imagine I’ll spend the bulk of my time at the con. If I’m not on a panel or meeting-and-greeting I’ll probably be locked away somewhere writing. If you will be in town, here is my convention schedule. MBW and the HA will be out touring Denver. I’ll be lonely. Come say hello.

Ken Lizzi (5 panels):

Thu, 12:00 PM-12:50 PM, Discussing Combat in Fiction (The Shire)

Thu, 8:00 PM-8:50 PM, Humor in the Modern Action Story (The Shire)

Fri, 12:00 PM-12:50 PM, Relatable AND Interesting Characters(The Shire)

Sat, 4:00 PM-4:50 PM, Author Readings (15 min each)(Thunderpass)

Sat, 5:00 PM-5:50 PM, Fighting the Day Job (Serenity)

In other news, a story of mine placed as runner up in Liberty Island’s Fantastic Fathers & Magical Mothers Spring Writing Contest. The story should appear in a few days on the site. I’ll post a link on Twitter and Facebook.

Runner up! That’s right: as you’ve all long suspected, I’m number two.

Visiting Old Friends

I’m re-reading books quite a bit currently, old favorites. I suppose that’s how you know they are old favorites; you revisit them more than once. Some books you decide to pick up again don’t gain status as favorites. Revisiting those only recalls your initial impression and you don’t read them again. That impression might not be negative, but it doesn’t incline you to a third go-round.

I am also reading new material. New to me, that is: the copyright date on my lunch book is 1939. But with new material you are gambling with your time. Will you be entertained, informed, enriched? You don’t know. You pays your dime you takes your chances. With old favorites you know exactly what you are going to get.

Sometimes you get more. Fletcher Pratt’s The Well of the Unicorn is revealing depths I had previously pass over. My 49-year old self is getting more out of the novel than did my 14-year old self or twenty-something Ken. In Well Pratt subverted character archetypes and flouted narrative conventions in ways I hadn’t appreciated in previous readings. He was plumbing individual differences and considering political and group interactions when young Ken was merely enjoying an adventure of war and magic.

Some people do not read a book again. Why bother? You’ve already consumed it once. You could be using that time to read something different. I understand the argument. But in my experience you often are reading something different. Reading a book from fresh perspective can provide a novel experience.

And even if re-reading doesn’t provide a new experience, the old experience remains pleasurable. An old favorite is like a worn-in pair of jeans or a beer at your local watering hole. It is comfortable and comforting.

Can I get an “Amen?” Or do you think I’m talking nonsense? Let me know.

A New Journey

It is that time again. I started writing another book at the beginning of the week. The tentative title is Captain. It is the sequel to Boss (look for Boss in early 2019.)

A new project carries with it a farrago of feelings. There is excitement at starting a new work, anticipation to discover exactly what you’ve birthed. There is trepidation of failure. There is wary contemplation of the effort ahead, a reluctance to take that first step.

Step is an appropriately evocative word. Writing a novel is a journey, a journey of step following step with the destination always seeming to hover on the same unreachable horizon, never nearing. Until it does.

I know, of course, roughly how long the trip will take. I’ll reach the front door of The End around December. That’s a long journey. In comparison it only took Frodo three months from Rivendell to Mt. Doom. (Of course we don’t know how long, precisely, it took him to write up the details later. Probably rather labor intensive, that. Without a word processor and all.)

Anyway, I’m a bit over halfway through Chapter 1. I think. The road stretches on before me. Reaching the end of the journey is only a matter of putting one foot after the other. Over and over again.

Then again, once I do reach the finish line it’ll be time to start on another journey. I’m getting around, aren’t I?

Enjoying Freedom

It is a weekend during which I appreciate my freedoms and liberties more than I do most other weekends. Yesterday I took MBW and the HA to downtown Portland’s waterfront to enjoy the Rose Festival. We ate reasonably good food, listened to sub-par music (sorry, kids, I know you meant well. Perhaps your voice will sound as good as it does in your imagination a few years after puberty hits.) We walked the midway, bought overpriced inflatable toys and watched performers with talent suited for the venue.

Overcast skies covered the region. So perhaps the weather hindered my enjoyment, predisposed me to a somewhat dyspeptic attitude. At least the beer was good.

Today the sun lit an azure sky. Mt. Hood gleamed white. The golf course beckoned. I drove MBW and the HA up toward the mountain to play a round. I haven’t played in an absurdly long time. I should have been miserable, frustrated, and spewing profanity. But I had a good time and played less abysmally than I had any right to expect. Wildlife roamed the course, the sun beamed down beatifically.

All is well. The beer today will be good. Thank you blue skies and sunshine.

And, of course, thanks to all who paid the ultimate price for my freedom. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather.

Doings and Updates

Here follows a miscellany of personal doings and writing updates. Please control your excitement.

My goal for the year was, I believe, to have two books out this year. That — spoiler warning — will not happen. See, there is a novel — “Boss” — complete, ready to go, and under contract. But the publisher wants a series, and wants to release the books on a tighter schedule than “whenever Ken gets around to writing them.” So I’m busily working on two sequels with the goal of releasing them all next year. That may prevent me from diving into the second draft of the “Chale Thorson” novel for the foreseeable future. Thus, 2018 may not see much published from yours truly, but 2019 will be chock-a-block.

I will be a panelist at Westercon this year. That runs from July 4-8. Any of you in the Denver area are welcome to drop by and say hello. Discounting the airport, I’ve not been to Denver. If I have any time not engaged in panels (or working on the sequels to “Boss”) I hope to explore a bit of the city, check out a brewpub or two.

I had hoped to nurse along my 2000 Dodge Durango for a couple more years. Carrying two car payments held no appeal. However, my nursing skills failed abysmally. The transmission is in terminal condition. I did manage to drive it to the dealership and receive a pittance in trade-in value. So I am now the proud possessor of two car payments. Huzzah?

And now you are up to date. Apropos of nothing, here are links to sites where you may purchase some of my books.

 

Jack Vance, The Wizard of Appendix N

I come at last to Jack Vance. Arguably he should be first, to the devil with alphabetical order. Look, there isn’t a lot I need to say about Jack Vance. There are encomiums a plenty to the man, and rightly so. His urbane, genteel command of the language, smoothly integrating an archaic lexicon with slang and invented words is nonpareil. Of course, in context of Appendix N and Dungeons and Dragons every commentary on Vance must refer to The Dying Earth, Vancian Magic, and such iconic spells as Phantasmal Spray.

So I’m not going to. It’s been said; you don’t need to read me repeating it.

Jack Vance is a bit of an idol of mine. He lived the sort of writerly life one could envy — except perhaps for the late onset blindness. Vance’s output virtually defines prolific. I came to his writing relatively late. In a way I’m pleased by that. Not only am I old enough to appreciate certain nuances, certain winks and nudges I might have missed in my youth, I’m practically guaranteed to have enough Vance to last the rest of my life. And that’s a comforting thought.

I finished the last of the The Demon Princes last night. What a virtuoso display of imagination, Vance tossing off one fully developed and startling original planet and culture after another. Demon Princes is a five volume series of single-minded revenge sci-fi. Yet it never flags or grows dull. The characterization is typically Vancian; eccentric and memorable. Every character speaks with effortless Vancian eloquence. The badinage is tremendous fun. And when the story ends, it ends. There is no interminable denouement with the hero wondering “what now?” or considering the emptiness of the revenge. The story was over so Vance stopped writing it.

What I’m saying is, if you haven’t read Vance, go read him. If you have, you know what I mean and you should go read more. Or re-read him. Pick up Lyonesse again, or the Cugel’s Saga. Me, I’ll be picking up whatever I can next trip to the bookstore. Big Planet looks good.

Happy reading.