Matthew S. Rotundo's Blog, page 4

The Rotundo World Tour Rolls into MileHiCon!

It’s time for the last stop on the 2015 Rotundo World Tour:  MileHiCon!  Here’s my schedule:

Friday, October 23rd

4:30 pm, Video Room—Dune Discussion.  Right after the screening of Dune, join me and Vivian Caethe for a discussion of the film.  Sparks will fly during this one, I think.  You won’t want to miss it.

Saturday, October 24th

7:00 pm, Avistrum (12th floor)—Award Winners Discussion & Readings.  Looks like there will be five us reading, so we won’t have a whole lot of time, but remember:  I always bring treats to my readings.  Come for a treat, stay for a tale, that’s my motto.  Or would be, if I had a motto.

Sunday, October 25th

1:00 pm, Wind River A—Strange Stars: How SF&F Transformed Popular Music.  SF and fantasy literature has had a vast influence on TV and movies—and also on popular music, from David Bowie to Parliament Funkadelic to Iron Maiden to Radiohead to Janelle Monae. We’ll discuss how various artists have drawn from SF/F and share some of our favorites.

4:00 pm, Wind River B—Alternative Endings.  Even the best story could do with a little tweaking. We’ll discuss popular movies and books and dream up what-if endings with more spice and pizzazz.

You’ll also find me at the bar, and generally gadding about, as I am wont to do.  It’s MileHiCon, after all.

Hope to see you there!

Current Music: "Still I'm Sad"--Rainbow

Progress Report, in which I refrain from getting too crazy

Petra Rising has more words!  See?

And some of them might even be good.

I mean, no promises, or anything like that.  Let’s not get too crazy.  But I keep moving forward, which sure as hell beats the alternative.

Your snippet:

Loren came back to the table, peering at Emma as if she were some strange insect specimen.  “Emma, if I’m understanding you correctly, you’re proposing total surrender.  Why would you do that?”

“No.  Conditional surrender.  I have to figure that the Compact would much rather take this place without a fight.  That gives us some room to negotiate.”  Emma paused.  “It’s not the greatest bargaining position, but it’s the best we’re likely to get.  It’s certainly better than condemning everyone in this settlement to death in a war we can no longer win.”

No updates for Write Club.

Onward.  That-a-way.

Current Music: "Pack It Up"--Joe Bonamassa

Progress Report, in which I keep good company

Still inching along with Petra Released.  Magic Meter says so:

I could whine about this, but really, minuscule progress is certainly better than none at all.  And if it turns out that I finish this thing right around the time George R.R. Martin turns in the last installment of the Song of Ice and Fire saga . . . hey, at least I’ll be in good company.  So that’s something.

Your snippet:

Emma braced herself inwardly, said, “I have an alternate suggestion.”

The council turned to her as one.

Though seated, she felt momentary vertigo, as if a giant fissure had opened at her feet.  She pushed forward with what she had been rehearsing for the past two hours:  “Without the platforms, we might want to consider whether an armed conflict is . . . strategically worthwhile.”

Eyebrows raised around the room.  Cromberg gaped.  “What in the hell are you talking about?”

Write Club update:  A tier one bounced from Flash Fiction Online.  Response time, 14 days.

Onward.

Current Music: "The Unforgiven III"--Metallica

Progress Report, in which I compare my novel to a plant, and praise the writing gods for their wisdom

One trip to WorldCon and a few baby steps later, Magic Meter has this to say about Petra Rising:

Which isn’t at all impressive.

The good news is that chapter 3 is done.  Also, right at the end of last night’s writing session, I discovered that a certain random bit of information from Petra Released is going to be a factor in this novel.  I had no idea when I wrote it, several years ago, that it was going to resolve a certain plot point in a future volume.  Just one of those random gifts from the writing gods, I guess.  I’m not sure I deserve gifts from the writing gods at this juncture, but who am I to question their wisdom?

Anyway, it’s encouraging.  This story has a lot of life in it yet, despite my neglect of it.  In that, the novel is a bit like the philodendron by my desk at my day job.  It just won’t die.  I swear, I could spray that plant with Roundup and it would still grow.  So let it be with Petra Rising.

Your snippet:

Purgatory’s admin building—a kind of town hall, she supposed—nestled near the bunker, built on the remains of command center that dated back to the settlement’s earliest days, when it had been an experimental prison camp.  It was a simple, one-story structure of wood and repurposed concrete and steel.  The paint on the walls, made from native plant pigments, was wearing thin, revealing the patchwork of building materials beneath.  A few gouges showed where shrapnel from the explosion had hit, but at least the fire hadn’t reached this far—a small comfort.

It could have been worse, Emma kept telling herself, though she had a hard time believing it.

WorldCon was a great time, by the way.  Potentially very interesting developments on the professional front, but it’s too early to go into that yet.

Write Club updates:

Tier one bounces from Betwixt and IGMS.  Response times,  24 and 55 days, respectively.

And a tier two bounce from Nameless. Response time, 407 days (!).

All praise the writing gods.  Onward.

Current Music: "Your Own Worst Enemy"--Bruce Springsteen

Next Stop on the 2015 Rotundo World Tour: Sasquan

The 2015 Rotundo World Tour rolls into Spokane, Washington, this week for Sasquan, the 2015 WorldCon!

I’ll be signing at the SFWA table in the Dealer’s Room on Wednesday from 4:00-6:00.  Do stop by and say howdy.  Would love to see you!

I go once more to be among my people.  I love WorldCon.

Current Music: "Breadfan"--Metallica

Progress Report, in which steps are taken

The horse and I took a few baby steps last week.  And so Petra Rising proceeds.  Really, really slowly, but it proceeds. Here’s Magic Meter:

Baby steps, man.  Baby steps.

On the plus side, I broke 10K words.  So that’s something.

Your snippet:

Allons said, “Do you know what today is?”

Ferson tensed, as if Allons had just sprung a pop quiz on him.  In the desolation of Farside, it was easy to lose track of days.  He considered a lighthearted response, decided against it.  Humor would probably not play well at the moment.  He figured simple honesty would be his best option.  “No.  Some special occasion?”

Allons snorted.  “Yeah, you could say that.”  He reached for one of the bottles, but only stroked the side of it.  “Real special occasion, Boll.  It’s ten years to the day that we attacked Mainland.”

“Oh.  Jesus.”  Ferson dropped his gaze.  At least he understood Allons’s dark mood now.  It wasn’t the kind of anniversary anyone in New Cassea was likely to celebrate.  “Ten years.”

“Yeah.  I keep track of this shit.  Someone has to.”

No updates for Write Club.

Giddy-up.  Or something like that.

Current Music: "Deify"--Disturbed

Progress Report, in which I eye a horse, warily

In a previous post, I discussed how difficult it’s been to regain normalcy and productivity.  And it occurs to me that regular progress reports were once part of that normalcy.  Maybe the new normal doesn’t have room for them anymore . . . but maybe it does.  Who knows?  The only thing to do, I guess, is try, and see if they still fit.

I won’t say I’m climbing back on the horse.  Let’s say I’m eyeing it warily.

Since we’re here, I’ll trot out Magic Meter to bring everyone up to speed on Petra Rising:

Well, OK.  That wasn’t so bad, was it?

Since I’m feeling so adventurous, I’ll even post a snippet:

The desert at sunset.

Ferson Boll normally welcomed the end of another day on Farside.  Dusk and dawn were the most temperate times.  One could find just enough solace in the cool of the coming night to make toiling in the fields—with all the attendant dust, sweat, and hard work—worth the trouble.  And the stark hardpan extending to the horizon, backlit by the glow of the setting sun, had its own kind of beauty.

Nightfall was usually Ferson’s favorite part of the day.  But as he wound through the New Cassea settlement, on his way for his weekly bout of drinking with Major Jon Allons, he finally admitted to himself that he didn’t care for these particular nights.  In fact, he had come to dread them.

The horse stands just over there, pawing the ground, eyeing me as warily as I’m eyeing it.  I take a step toward it.

Write Club update:

Oh, far too many to recount here.  Suffice to say there have been a lot of them.

Where’s my saddle blanket?

Current Music: "Vevey (Revisited)"--Yes

Next Stop on the 2015 Rotundo World Tour: OSFest 8

The next stop on the 2015 Rotundo World Tour is right here in Omaha, for the Omaha Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival, aka OSFest.

As previously announced, this year’s Author Guest of Honor is . . . well, me.  This is my first GoH gig.  I’d say I’m excited, but that doesn’t seem to do justice to what I’m feeling.  I am truly honored by this, and hope I can make it worth everyone’s while.

Here’s my schedule, and it’s a busy one:

Friday, July 31st

5:00 pm–Pantsers vs. Planners:  A panel of writers discuss two different approaches to writing, the advantages and disadvantages, varied approaches, etc.  Nebraska A

6:00 pm–Star Wars Match Game:   It’s the classic game show with a Star Wars twist! Join guests of honor and staff with our host Genetic ʺGeneʺ RayBurn as contestants try to win prizes by filling in the ________.  I have a ______ feeling about this!  Main Stage

Saturday, August 1st

9:00 am–Coming up with A Killer Plot:  Have you ever wanted to write a great story with a killer plot? Come join a panel of authors and learn how they compose a plot. We’ll discuss the Hero’s Journey and other tropes, and teach you the necessary parts for a great story!  Colorado C/D

10:00 am–Writing Interesting Characters:  When crafting a story, good authors carefully craft memorable characters. What makes them special? Why are they the way they are? Come listen to professional authors discuss how they come up with fantastic characters to carry a great story along.  Colorado C/D

11:00 am–Going Down the Research Rabbit Hole:  Researching for a story or novel can be a Wonderland rabbit hole with no bottom. New writers often ask, “How much research is enough? When should I stop? Should I stop at all?” And then they scream and fall into the abyss of insanity. This panel of experienced authors will answer those questions before you throw yourself off the cliff into insanity.  Colorado C/D

2:00 pm–Who Will Win the Iron Throne:  So, Song of Ice and Fire fans, you’ve read all the books, watched every episode, read all the fan theories. Now it’s your turn: How do you think it will all shake out? Who will live? Who will die? Who is Jon Snow’s mother? And when winter finally comes, who will wind up sitting the Iron Throne?  (Needless to say, but we’ll say it anyway:  SPOILERS WILL ABOUND, for both the show and books.)  Nebraska B

4:00 pm–Sticking the Landing: Ending Your Story:  Endings are the most powerful moment in books and stories. Why do some endings leave a lasting impact and others just fizzle? How do endings in a series differ from stand-alone stories? This panel will discuss why some endings work or don’t, and how to maximize their impact.  Colorado C/D

5:00 pm–Matthew Rotundo Reading:  Hey, wait.  That’s me!  Remember my motto, folks:  Come for a treat, stay for a tale.  There will be treats.  I always have treats.  Colorado A

10:00 pm–Legends Lost: Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lee:  A look at the live of Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lee among others we lost this past year.  Main Stage

Sunday, August 2nd

11:00 am–It Ain’t the Writing, It’s the Rewriting: The Power of Revision:  Rewriting and revising are arguably the most important part of the writing process. These experienced authors talk about revision techniques to make your story shine, without polishing the shine right back off again. How do you find your invisible weaknesses? How do you work around those weaknesses?  Nebraska A

And of course, in between times, I’ll be generally gadding about, as I am wont to do.

If you’re local—or if you’re not local but feeling like a road trip—do stop by.  It should be a blast.

Current Music: "Arlandria"--Foo Fighters

Signs of Life

You might have noticed that the blog’s been dark for a while.  (Or, more likely, you didn’t.)  But for the three of you out there who read this thing, suffice to say that the Vastly Overrated Real World has been kicking my ass of late, and I hit what can only be called the Nadir of Suck with the death of my father, back in May.

Yeah, in case you hadn’t heard:  my father died last May.  I might write of it sometime, but not at the moment.  For now, I’m too busy trying to crawl back to some semblance of normalcy and productivity.  And let me tell you, my friends, it’s been a lot harder than I dreamed it could be.

I’ve debated whether I even want to continue with the blogging, whether it serves any real purpose.  Then again, one could argue that writing fiction serves no real purpose, either, and I still keep doing that (albeit at a pace lately that one could charitably call glacial, if doing so weren’t an insult to glaciers).  Still, I thought some sort of update was in order, so here it is.

I won’t promise that I will be resuming regular blogging anytime soon.  We’ll just take it slow, and see what develops.

Hope you all are well.

Current Music: "Mr. Crowley"--Ozzy Osbourne

Progress Report, in which things just keep happening

Oops.  Kinda missed last week’s update.  I kept meaning to do it, and then something else came up, and then something else, and then . . .

Then it was Monday again.

Well.  These things happen.  A lot, lately.

Anyway, you know what else happened?  ConStellation 6, in sunny Lincoln, Nebraska.  Except that it wasn’t so sunny, most of the time.  We managed to enjoy ourselves, anyway.  I had fun doing a Star Wars panel, in which there was lively discussion about the new films.  There was a room party in which I helped dispense some blue concoction I nicknamed Romulan Ale, although said moniker somehow failed to catch on with attendees.  I even sold and signed a copy of Alembical 3, the profits from which I spent the next day in the dealer’s room.

Good times, good times.  But boy, I would sure love for the Vastly Overrated Real World to settle down enough for me to get some writing in.  Maybe someday . . .

Write Club update:

Tier one bounces from Giganotosaurus and F & SF.  Response times, 32 and 12 days, respectively.

Onward.

Current Music: "Malignant Narcissism/De Slagwerker"--Rush