From Chandra and Hubble and Astronomy Photo of the Day

What is that strange blue blob on the far right? No one is sure, but it might be a speeding remnant of a powerful supernova that was unexpectedly lopsided. Scattered debris from supernova explosion N49 lights up the sky in this gorgeous composited image based on data from the Chandra and Hubble Space Telescopes. Glowing visible filaments, shown in yellow, and X-ray hot gas, shown in blue, span about 30 light-years in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Light from the original exploding star reached Earth thousands of years ago, but N49 also marks the location of another energetic outburst -- an extremely intense blast of gamma-rays detected by satellites about 30 years ago on 1979 March 5. The source of the March 5th Event is now attributed to a magnetar - a highly magnetized, spinning neutron star also born in the ancient stellar explosion which created supernova remnant N49. The magnetar, visible near the top of the image, hurtles through the supernova debris cloud at over 70 thousand kilometers per hour. The blue blob on the far right, however, might have been expelled asymmetrically just as a massive star was exploding. If so, it now appears to be moving over 7 million kilometers per hour.

Kind of Sort of THE END

I'm trying something new. In the next few days, I plan to finish the first draft of my novel ALMOST FINAL CURTAIN (the second vampire princess of St. Paul book). I'm nearly there. In fact, I just wrote "THE END," but I didn't mean it.

Consistently, my beta readers tell me something along the lines of "the ending was a bit rushed." Today, I decided to just give into the impulse completely. Instead of roughing out the scenes, I just wrote a synopsis of the last few pages.

My plan, and I do have one, is that maybe having done this, I can take a breath and can try something new, like maybe writing non-linearly. One of the things I always rush through at the end is description. Like a reader, I just want to hit the good parts. So,I've written down placeholders for the good bits. I'm hoping now I can try going back and filling in the stuff that excites me the most FIRST, and do the others later.

Perhaps this sounds ridiculously simple to you. I've never been the kind of writer that can do that jumping around thing, though. Everything is always written in order. I never skip ahead. (I do, of course, in the revision process skip back and fill in, but then I've also been known to re-write entire books during revision too.)

This sort of sounds like gibberish, but it seemed monumental when I thought of it. Wish me luck at any rate.

Astronomy Photo of the Day

The photo today is awesome, but copyrighted, so here is a link.

When I first saw the image, I thought of L-5 colonies, spinning so there is apparent gravity on the inner surface, and I wondered -- for a moment -- if the photo showed a garden growing inside a centrifuge. In fact, no. It is a photo montage. But quite wonderful; and it gives an idea of what trees in an L-5 would look like.

Doug's CONvergence Schedule

I'm going to be doing all of one panel this year at CONvergence:

Practical Rapier for Writers, Friday, 9:30 - 10:30 AM (Doug Hulick, Jamie Feldman)

It's going to be hands-on workshop, with combat demonstrations, explanations about the philosophy of swordplay, and some (very) basic lessons on the use of a rapier, all with the intent of helping the writer better understand and convey what it's like to be in (or watch) a sword fight.

Class size is going to be limited depending on space.

I will be MIA a good part of the rest of Friday afternoon due to family concerns, but may return in the evening. I expect to be around much of Saturday. Not sure about Sunday yet, it being the 4th and my eldest son having extracted a promise from me to make ribs....

Eleanor's CONvergence schedule

I have one panel at CONvergence -- at eleven on Satuday morning. It's on writing in multiple genres. Other than that, I will be hanging out Saturday and probably not back on Sunday, though Kelly's panels on Sunday sounds interesting.

Kelly's CONvergence Schedule

Here's my official schedule for CONvergence. I'm told I'm doing something with closing ceremonies as well, though that's not on here.

The Voorwerp workshops should be interesting. As part of a Hubble Space Telescope Education and Outreach project we're going to try to cooperatively write a webcomic. I'm covering the writing side of the workshop. My friend, Dr. Pamela Gay, is doing the astronomy side of the thing as well as having landed the grant in the first place and running the whole show.

Friday July 2

2:00 PM Hanny's Voorwerp I (Connies Quantum Sandbox)

Workshop: Hanny finds the Voorwerp and goes to wise astronomers to seek knowledge, but is told she has found something new and magical, and is sent to discover the true nature of the object. Join our band of writers and illustrators as we chronicle Hanny's journey. For details on the project see: http://hannysvoorwerp.zooniverse.org/

Kelly McCullough, Pamela Gay

7:00 PM Writing Contest Reception (Atrium 8)

Reception: Meet the winners of the GPS writing contest to talk about the contest and their work.

Attending artists (not the winners): Hilary Moon Murphy, Charlotte Nickerson, Jodie Gustafson, Kelly McCullough

Saturday July 3

11:00 AM Hanny's Voorwerp II (Connies Quantum Sandbox)

Workshop: Hanny finds the Voorwerp and goes to wise astronomers to seek knowledge, but is told she has found something new and magical, and is sent to discover the true nature of the object. Join our band of writers and illustrators as we chronicle Hanny's journey. For details on the project see: http://hannysvoorwerp.zooniverse.org/
Kelly McCullough, Pamela Gay

12:30 PM Lois McMaster Bujold and Kelly McCullough Signing (Autograph Table)

Signing: Former Guests of Honor Lois McMaster Bujold and Kelly McCullough will be available to sign their work.

Lois McMaster Bujold and Kelly McCullough

2:00 PM Evolution of Common Themes (Bloomington)

Panel: How do you reinvent something that has been done to death in a way that is interesting without seeming forced? Vampires, werewolves, androids, zombies and sentient computers that want to rule the world.

MontiLee Stormer, Michael D. Thomas, Matthew Davis, Kelly McCullough

Sunday July 4

11:00 AM Hanny's Voorwerp III (Connies Quantum Sandbox)

Workshop: Hanny finds the Voorwerp and goes to wise astronomers to seek knowledge, but is told she has found something new and magical, and is sent to discover the true nature of the object. Join our band of writers and illustrators as we chronicle Hanny's journey. For details on the project see: http://hannysvoorwerp.zooniverse.org/

Kelly McCullough, Pamela Gay

12:30 PM Can't-Put-It-Down Pacing (Vista Suite)

Panel: What distinguishes the book you can't put down from an interesting character story or a stylistic triumph? Is it the same for everyone?

David Oppegaard, Hilary Moon Murphy, Matthew Davis, Kelly McCullough

Friday Cat Blogging now Lazy Saturday Cat Blogging

Lazy Saturday cat says "..."



Myaster, I have prepared the body.



Sleepy cat says "pthpbbbth!"



Lurky cat is lurking.

Overheard Last Night

1. "Like Bill, I liked the nymph's carved a$$."

2. "Frankly, I'm not interested in Jesus."

3. "I just think you want to avoid saying moist at all times."

And, then, because there is a Jesus novel in workshop, we got a little silly. We had a little impromtu rap that involved the chorus "Yo. Yo. Yeshua." And we pitched a number of Jesus movie ideas including: "Jesus Christ: Revenge of the Rabbi" and, my personal favorite starring Jet Li, "Kung-Fu Savior."

Living in the Future

I just heard a line from Patrick: "The advantage of living in the future is, it's the only place where you can change anything." Pat doesn't know where he got the line, but I love it. It is the ultimate argument for science fiction.

Tricks the Muse Plays

From Doug two days ago:

...You need to learn not only what works for you, but also how you tend to trick yourself as a writer. After all, it's our job to tell convincing lies stories, and we often make our own best targets.What makes it even harder, though, is that sometimes we aren't tricking ourselves. That same urge that is a bad idea nine times out of ten may be the right answer this time

The problem I have is a negative response that comes back repeatedly as I am writing, but is especially bad at the end of a story. "This is terrible. This is unfixable. I am need to trash this story," which I sometimes do. I wrote a story titled "The Garden" that I threw out part way through. But it kept nagging at me, so I wrote the beginning over, since I no longer had a copy, and then went on to finish the story. It was not easy to sell. Once it sold, it was picked up for two "Best of the Year" anthologies.

I tell this story about "Garden" fairly often, because it reminds me that my judgment is not always good. It's safer to get the story done and gone. Let editors and readers decide.

Part of this is a simple reluctance to finish a story, because then I will have to send it out and risk rejection. Part is frustration, as I realize that the words on paper are not the marvelous, luminous tale I imagined. It's not as good as I wanted it to be.

I've written before about having several stories going at once. This may be a trick the muse plays on me, a way to avoid finishing anything. Or it may be a way to cope with perfectionism and reluctance to finish: if I have the next story going already, then it's easier to get the less-than-perfect, last story out the door.

It shouldn't be this difficult to write. I've been doing it for most of my life and selling stories for 38 years.

Some days, when I am in a good mood, it seems to me the best of my stories are quite wonderful. I tend to think of these as the stories that belong least to me, that show the least evidence of my effort and skill. Instead, the muse seems to speak through me.

But that isn't the muse who tricks. That the muse who speaks clearly and truthfully.

I realized, when I wrote the above, that crediting the muse with my best work may not be a good idea. In part I do it because there's something marvelous about a story that really works. It seems magicial. And I also do it because I was raised to never brag. Saying that I am responsible for something magicial is bragging.

However, when I don't claim credit for my best writing, I am not allowing myself to feel achievement and success. It's far healthier, I think, to say, "Mine! Mine! This is absolutely wonderful, and I did it."

Courtesy of NASA and Astronomy Photo of the Day

What are these strange color bands being seen from the International Space Station? The Sun setting through Earth's atmosphere. Pictured above, a sunset captured last month by the ISS's Expedition 23 crew shows in vivid detail many layers of the Earth's thin atmosphere. Part of the Earth experiencing night crosses the bottom of the image. Above that, appearing in deep orange and yellow, is the Earth's troposphere, which contains 80 percent of the atmosphere by mass and almost all of the clouds in the sky. Visible as a white band above the troposphere is the stratosphere, part of the Earth's atmosphere where airplanes fly and some hardy bacteria float. Above the stratosphere, visible as a light blue band, are higher and thinner atmospheric levels that gradually fade away into the cold dark vacuum of outer space. Sunset is not an uncommon sight for occupants of the International Space Station, because it can be seen as many as 16 times a day.

REALLY Geeky Vampire

I participated in an article for GEEK SPEAK MAGAZINE called "Dead and Doing It" in which the authors Rachel Hyland and Kate Nagy plumb the depths of the question that I'm sure boggles many book sellers, "Why vampires?" (with the implied corollary, why are they _still_ so hot??)

If you read my answer, you'll see that I, er, *totally* geeked out on the answer. I guess I thought I was participating at WisCON or something because I actually said "sexually transgressive."

I also discovered that I'm completely behind the marketing curve. Apparently, I should have book marks, wallpaper, etc., available for sale as merchandize. Who knew??

Next, NYT Bestseller List!!

My editor just sent me this, and I nearly died:

STARRED Review, Publisher's Weekly:

"Hallaway's witty, fast-paced series starter cheerfully details the horrors of magical war and high school. Anastasija Ramses Parker is a modern day witch's daughter fond of wearing "black with black and black" but hopelessly unable to perform actual magic. When she flunks her coven's initiation ceremony, she learns her father is a vampire -- and not just any vampire, but a vampire leader, which makes her "some kind of vampire princess"... Ana's narration is pitch-perfect and totally teen: half calculated attitude, half wistful empathy. This all-too-brief tale will have readers hunting down Hallaway's Garnet Lacey series while they wait for Ana's next adventure. (Aug.)"

I guess I get to cross that off my "life list": Get starred review in PW....(faints!)

Some days, you don't want inspiration

My Muse came to visit me this morning. It went something like this:

Muse: Hi Doug. How's it going?
Doug: Shitty. I've been banging my head on this scene for days. It keeps dragging on and on, and I need to tighten it up.
M: (pouty) Aww, that sucks.
D: I don't suppose you could lend a hand?
M: Well, I do have...(reaches into a fold of her skimpy toga)..THIS!
D: Wait, isn't that....
M: Yes! An entire new beginning for your book!
D: But I'm already over thirty thousand words into...
M: But look how *sparkly* it is...
D: And I only have eigh..eight months...to...Sparkly...
M: And just think: you could restructure the whole opening...
D: Sparkly opening...
M: ...heighten the tension with a new setting, create new characters...
D: Sparkly characters...
M: ...and cover most of what you've already written through some tight exposition.
D:...Sparkly tight...wait, wait. Hold on a sec: a new beginning? Now??
M: Why not?
D: Because I have a deadline is why not.
M: Eight months. Pish! You have nights, right? The kids go back to school in September, right?
D: No.
M: But you could...
D: NO.
M: Well, poo. Fine. But you're stuck on this chapter, right?
D: Riiiight.
M: So maybe you could just, you know, try the new beginning? See how it feels. You certainly wouldn't have to keep it. Hey, it might even help get your creative juices flowing for this chapter, right?
D: Well...
M Spaaaarklyyyyy!
D: Spar...No! No, get it away from me.
M :Sparkl ---Waaaugh!
/seventeen minutes of gratuitous pummeling of the Muse later/
D:...when I said I. Have. A. F**king. DEADLINE!
M: (straightening hair) Geez, alright already.
D: Thank you! (helps Muse back to her feet) Now, if you don't mind?
M: Sure. (turns to leave, then turns back) Oh, hey, have you given any thought to any short stories lately?
D: ...

The above was originally posted on my LJ a week or so back (you can find a link my LJ on the sidebar under "Blogs and Journals"). Among the various comments made on the initial post, Naomi noted that this sounded like a visit from Lyda's Muse. Why? Well, this seems to be Lyda's S.O.P. when it comes to starting a book; so much so that when she bemoans that she isn't sure where the book is going and the beginning sucks and...we all just nod our heads, make some suggestions, and more or less move on. Not because we don't care, but because we know that she will pull it out and get it together after X many starts. It's just how she works, more often than not.

But every writer is different. So for me, this wasn't so much a, "Hmm, maybe you should start over" moment as it was a delaying tactic. I love beginning new projects -- books, stories, home repair projects, whatever. It's the follow-through that can get me. So when my Muse shows up and dangles a tantalizing new beginning in front of me, I know that, nine times out of ten, it's me trying to avoid working through a tough/slow spot. I've had more short-story and novel ideas part way through a book (or in college, through a term paper) than I can count. And each time, it's my imagination saying, "Man, I'm bored. Let's try...**THIS**...instead! C'mon, you know you want too..."

It took me years to figure this out. And, I admit, it was easier to resist this time around because, like I told my Muse when she came calling, I have a deadline. But Muses are tricky, and you can never be sure....

So, just to be safe, I took 20 minutes and a legal pad and outlined the new beginning. Very cool. And, it turns out, very much a logistical nightmare to write. Problem solved. But I had to get it out of my system: otherwise, it would have sat there, poking at me for weeks, likely at the worst possible times. (On the plus side, a couple of the scenes I outlined can be used later in the book, so it wasn't wasted time.)

Is there a moral to this story? If pressed, I'd have to say that you need to learn not only what works for you, but also how you tend to trick yourself as a writer. After all, it's our job to tell convincing lies stories, and we often make our own best targets.What makes it even harder, though, is that sometimes we aren't tricking ourselves. That same urge that is a bad idea nine times out of ten may be the right answer this time, which is why Lyda beats herself up over every new beginning, and why I ended up outlining the idea that dropped in my lap: because this may be that one in ten shot that takes you someplace better.

You never know. Which is part of the fun, but also part of the pain. And it's all part of the process.

So, what are some of your writing foibles? What mental packages does your Muse drop off that you make you wonder: Hmm...gift, or letter bomb?

Anthology News

I just wanted to let everyone know that SHE NAILED A STAKE THROUGH HIS HEAD: TALES OF BIBLICAL HORROR in which my short story "Jawbone of an Ass" is reprinted has an official release date: October 19. It's also available NOW for pre-order on Amazon.com

"Jawbone of an Ass," of course, first appeared in our second Wyrdsmiths' chapbook, NEW WYRD, which is available for purchase in the sidebar. I've described the story to other people as my IRA/Samson story, but a niftier blurb might go like this: "What would it be like to know that God is absolutely *not* on your side? 'Jawbone of an Ass' is a modern day retelling of the story of Sampson’s first wife (known only as the woman of Timor), who slowly comes to realize the horror of knowing she, through no fault of her own, is on the wrong side of the wrath of angels."

Also, if you happen to be in the Twin Cities area for CONvergence next weekend, you can stop by my editor Tim Lieder's signing at 2:00 pm on Friday, July 2 at CONvergence and pick up an early copy.

Friday Cat Blogging

North-going zax meets south-going zax?



Suh, what ah you doin' in mah boudoir?



Oh the felinity!



Practicin for my zero-gee jump shot, why?



Walrus cat says: Who stole mah bukit?

Martian Ocean

The idea of this is simply too cool.

Writing

Lyda and I went to a coffee shop and wrote yesterday, as we do most weeks. Naomi and Doug are taking the summer off from our meetings, due to child care and (in Doug's case) a book deadline.

Work does get done, when one writes with other people. I finished revising a story yesterday. But there is always the temptation to talk.

I'm planning to go to another coffee house today and revise another short story manuscript. Writing in coffee shops gets me out of the house, which is good. Picking a place that is a 20-30 minute walk means I get some exercise going to and fro.

The idea (right now) is to clear out my backlog of almost finished short stories. This is not a huge project. However, I have trouble making final revisions and getting the story out the door.

After that, comes the novel I have been (in theory) working on for the past 2-3 years. It's amazing how slow I am compared to Lyda and Kelly especially. I don't expect to ever be as fast as they are, but I think I can learn to be a bit more rapid.

At the same time, I am working on first drafts of two YA novels. I tend to have more than one project going at a time. When I get stuck on one, I can move to another. This is fine, so long as I don't have too many projects. When they become too numerous, I get distracted.

I like first drafts, because they surprise me. I never know exactly where I am going, though I may have a rough idea. But it's easy to stall. I often need to take a few days -- or weeks -- off, because I really don't know where I am going.

Revisions are easier, but also more boring; and I run into my dislike of finishing things. If you never finish a manuscript, it never becomes its less-than-perfect final self; it's always possible to dream of improvement; and you never have to send it out into the world and risk the rejection of editors.

What I need to do is push through the resistance to ending a story, say "It may be imperfect, but it's done," and shove it out the door. I often have the experience of going back to a story after it's published and saying, "This is pretty good," though I disliked it as I finished it.

If readers like a story that I still feel dissatisfied with, that is very cool. My own opinion may change. Thoughtful readers can hardly be wrong.

Courtesy of NASA -- Something Really Unusual

How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created? At the nebula's center is an aging binary star system that surely powers the nebula but does not, as yet, explain its colors. The unusual shape of the Red Rectangle is likely due to a thick dust torus which pinches the otherwise spherical outflow into tip-touching cone shapes. Because we view the torus edge-on, the boundary edges of the cone shapes seem to form an X. The distinct rungs suggest the outflow occurs in fits and starts. The unusual colors of the nebula are less well understood, however, and current speculation holds that they are partly provided by hydrocarbon molecules that may actually be building blocks for organic life. The Red Rectangle nebula lies about 2,300 light years away towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). The nebula is shown above in unprecedented detail as captured recently by the Hubble Space Telescope. In a few million years, as one of the central stars becomes further depleted of nuclear fuel, the Red Rectangle nebula will likely bloom into a planetary nebula.

Today

I went to the bank and the library, then sat in a coffee house and read workshop manuscripts. (Kelly and Sean: I am done with your submissions.) After that I walked by the river, seeing two robins bathing in a fountain, a great blue heron, two young men sculling, a man and his child fishing and the Andrew Cannava, a tow boat out of Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The day is overcast and humid. The air smelled of summer and the river. Now I am home with the air on. I am thinking about a nap.

Friday Cat Blogging

What do you mean I have to go to the vet today?
(Meg's having her teeth cleaned and not happy about it)


Lookatthat! Lookatthat! Lookitthat! Lookatthat! Lookatthat!



That



Stoopid levitating squirrel. I killie you with my brain.



Brain killieing squirrels is hard work. Napz now.



2 cats got to vet 1 comes back—makes me very nervous.*



*Jordan is acting very insecure and part of it is
probably that we won't get Meg back until this
afternoon once the vet is done with her teeth.

How's YOUR Lightsaber Skill?

Naomi Kritzer sent me this, but it's just too damn awesome not to share with everyone. On Craig's List, she found:

Star Wars Character with Lightsaber Skills Wanted

My favorite line is, "Lightsaber skills a must." Because, you know, that's demonstrable... Actually, I'd bet that you could get a bunch of local fans to do something really, REALLY awesome including an entire battalion of stormtroopers to bust up the party near the end. Heck, one of our very own Wyrdsmiths (you know who you are) has a very convincing lightsaber and Darth Vader mask.....

Writing Identity Writing Class (Chicago Area)

Mary Anne Mohanraj asked folks to forward this. It's not specifically SF/F, though she says SF/F is welcome.

*****
Writing Your Identity - Six Weeks of Summer Writing
(Oak Park, just outside Chicago)

Each and every one of us possess complex identities, which include such elements as race, age, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion, class, national, political orientation and much more. In this summer workshop, you'll be encouraged to write your identities through the lens of fiction and/or creative nonfiction. (All prose genres are welcome.) We'll aim to create powerful stories with rich and compelling characters, while also exploring the basic elements of fiction/non-fiction writing: plot, dialogue, point of view, setting, structure, and more. All levels of writers (including beginners) are welcome.

The workshop will meet in person in Oak Park at Eastgate Cafe (Harrison & Lyman),in two three-week sessions; you may register for either session, or for both. Class size is limited to ten students per session.

During session one, we'll do focused exercises on character, setting, voice, and pov. In session two, we'll critique a completed short story from each member, as well as discussing plot, structure and theme. Workshop dates: Mondays, July 12-26 (session 1, $75); August 2-16(session 2, $75), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Tonight at Dreamhaven

If any of you local folks don't happen to have plans tonight, on this (potentially) rainy Friday night, feel free to come on down to Dreamhaven to hear me read.

The details are --

Friday, June 4, 2010 I'll be reading from RESURRECTION CODE at Dreamhaven Books at 6:30 - 7:30 pm as part of the Speculations series. Dreamhaven is most recently located at 2301 East 38th Street, Minneapolis. You can find out more information at dreamhavenbooks.com. SPECULATIONS is a co-production of Dreamhaven and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also sponsors DIVERSICON.

Friday Cat Blogging

It is spring and I am picturesque



Grump cat votes no



Centered cat has amazing symetry skillz



See!



I iz thinking you should not have interrupted my nap



Really! Go 'way.

WisCon Report (Updated)

This is going to be disjointed, but then so is my typical con experience.

Our WisCon vacation started with the trip down on Friday. Breakfast with the usual suspects (Ben, Steph, Sara, James) here before caravaning to Madison. We put a WisCon 2010 banner in the back window of the Smart car but didn't get any waves for it until we were within a few blocks of the hotel. Parked next to a Mini in the ramp because the Smart makes it look huge.

Bumped into my (one and only) cousin Liz in the lobby. She gave me a shark finger puppet. Laura got a mouse.

Got registered and checked in then went to the gathering. Laura dug through the ARC pile while I chatted with Michael Damien Thomas and a rotating cast of other young writers.

Then we (the usual suspects plus J. Simon) headed for dinner at the Irish Pub on the capital square to celebrate James' new job, CIO of UMn Morris. He got the call on the way down. Lovely fish and chips with a glass of Dalwhinnie, also a fair bit of Sara's Irish stew. Nom.

Crashed hard and early, nothing like a small hole in your neck and big doses of antibiotics three times a day to knock you over.

Saturday was Panels Day for me.

Started the day off with a morning juvenalia panel in which Mary Robinette Kowal, the legendary Carol Emshwiller and I read from some of our earliest works by way of showing the world that everybody sucked at some point. It was good fun, though I have to note that none of what we read was too awful and some of mine are even up on the web + part II and III. We also got a very brief personal puppet interpretation of one of Mary's stories (written at age nine), which rocked.

After that we settled in for a hallway party for a bit. Most WisCons Laura and I can be found hanging out in the second floor hall a good bit of the time during the day as we're there to see old friends and new and most pass by at some point.

My next panel was a field guide to editors, which was populated mostly by professional and well regarded editors, plus Pat Rothfuss and I who are both primarily writers at this point. On one level I felt far more underqualified for this panel than any other I've been on in years. On another I think it was probably good to have a couple of folks who mostly write to talk about the other end. Best moment: Pat doing a little cautionary (don't do this when you meet an editor) improv piece from the point of view of a desperate writer that ended in him clutching John Jospeh Adams' arm and saying "you smell so good…like New York."

Then more hall party and a lovely Indian dinner with J. and the usual suspects.

Finally it was off to the Tor party where I chatted with a number of folks. Best moment: after chatting with Jim Frenkel senior editor at Tor and my one time agent about my new series, he blinked a couple of times and said "You just can't do anything simple, can you?" Guilty as charged.

Sunday started off with more hall party, this time playing with a non-uniform bouncy ball which is both a great physics toy and a good way to start conversations. We've made quite a few friends over the years playing with bouncy balls in the hallways of conventions of the sf and physics varieties.

Then I handed over twenty years of accumulated rejections to my archivist, the lovely and talented Lynne Thomas. It was actually quite hard to do, probably because I paid for those in blood. I am going to get copies of them all and have them bound though, so that's something.

Eventually went out for dinner with Mary Robinette Kowal, the Thomases, and the Monettes. Lovely Indian food again, and much good conversation.

Rounded off the night with an impromptu room party, which included my laughing and snorting Glenlivet into my sinuses, and some really spiffy trifle from the Governor's club desert buffet.

At the point that broke up it was time to crash and burn which meant that I didn't make it to Eleanor's launch party for which I feel a bit guilty. OTOH, I don't think I'd have made it down even without the room party. I was really beat this WisCon and the only reason I lasted as long as I did was I was able to be social from the comfort of my own bed.

Monday was goodbyes and the sign-out where, as with last year, I sat with John Joseph Adams and Alex Bledsoe which was a lot fun. They're both good conversationalists and we're collectively not too far apart in how much we sign. Most amusing moment Pat Rothfuss coming up and (entirely facetiously) shrieking "Kelly McCullough! Squeeeeee!" while putting his hands against one cheek. Very nicely done. Pat's sense of the silly is at least as strong as mine, which makes him a lot of fun to hang out with.

Finally, home to collapse, with bad traffic adding an hour to the trip.

Updated to add: Congratulations to Dr. Berg! Long time friend and one-time assistant to my one-time agent, Tracy Berg, has just successfully defended her Ph.D and there was much hanging out and rejoicing with Dr. Berg, which included some fabulous 15 year cheddar and her joining us for Indian food on Saturday.

Serial Question

This probably isn't worth a post, but both Kelly and I were featured responders (separately) in on of SF Signal's Mind Meld posts. The fun part of the Mind Meld posts is that they ask a number of SF/F luminaries to respond to a single question. It's really fun to see who they ask (the range is often from the bigger names to people like me,) and what they have to say.

At any rate, mine is up today and answers the question "What Science Fiction Series is Underrated?"

Kelly's response was up last week and answered: "Which Fantasy Series is Underrated?"

Soooo.....?

Anyone care to point me to some post-WisCON reports? I'm dying to know how it all went (without me!)