Silver Phoenix Labs: Defying Conventions

Today, we’re welcoming Misa Buckley, who just recently had a dream come true. She’s sharing about it today and how she got to meet her inspiration face-to-face this past weekend.

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Thank you for hosting me Sara. : )

My book bio says that I “grew up watching Doctor Who and Star Trek” and this much is true, but I don’t think that really conveys just how much of a sci fi geek I am. I love sci fi as it defies conventions and is full of endless possibilities. The only limit is your own imagination. But talking of conventions, this weekend has seen me travel to Birmingham for the good kind – a Stargate fan convention (did you see what I did there?)

It’s a little hard to describe a sci fi con to those that hadn’t done one. If you haven’t, go and watch Galaxy Quest and then come back to me. Done? Great. Now you know how crazy they are.

Though I love sci fi and Stargate, there was a bigger reason I travelled three hours on a coach to the National Exhibition Centre. That reason goes by the name Cliff Simon.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will have seen this name before. I’ve spoken about him on my own blog and at least one other. I admit quite readily that I’m a complete fangirl where that man is concerned, and with good reason – he’s incredibly talented and generous, as well as being hot as hell and having the sexiest accent ever (he’s South African).

He’s also the reason I got published when I did. See, I was reading an interview where he was talking about acting and the importance of having an audience. Television shows, especially sci fi ones, owe everything to the fans. We’re the ones who buy the DVDs, go to the conventions and get loud when they get cancelled. Cliff, being very aware of this, said that “Without an audience, we’re not actors.” That struck me as a real truth not just for the acting profession, but anything that relies on being seen: theatre, art shows, fashion… and writing.

I was a writer. I wrote loads and loads. But without an audience, without readers, that’s all I was. And it wasn’t enough. I wanted to be an author. I wanted my books out there. More than anything else, I wanted people to read them, to share in the stories I was telling.

After reading that simple, six-word sentence, I became determined to get published. It took me just three months to get an accepted. Last year, I thanked Cliff over Twitter. This weekend I was able to do that in person, in the same week that Champagne Books put out a print collection of my novellas. Talk about a special moment.

Chevron 8.0 has left me more determined to push on. I’ve a novel-in-progress that I am going to finish and then start submitting to agents. I’m aiming higher than ever, because I’ve the most incredibly generous guy encouraging me (he retweeted my book link yesterday, because he’s just that lovely).

He’s my inspiration. What’s yours and what does it encourage you to do?