DragonCon, Music Video, Book Talk

Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my first-ever Dragon*Con, and I just have to say…WOW.  Huge, amazing, such a sense of community.  Loved it.  Yes, there will be pics at the end of this post.  Before I get to that, a few things:

More than Publicity debuted the music video for my Vamped series at Dragon*Con.  You can view it here.  It’s not quite final yet.  As soon as it is, I’ll be blasting it out there, posing on my website…you name it.  I think the song is addictive, which I can say because while I had input, all the credit goes to the amazing artist, Catriona, and to Shannon Aviles at MTP.

I was up yesterday on Mike Kabongo’s Agent Incite blog with “The Real: Lucienne Diver.”  Hope my answers do justice to the spirit of fun inherent in the questions themselves.

Also yesterday, the amazing DEAR BULLY anthology released from HarperTeen.  This is a collection of essays and other non-fiction formats written by 70 young adult authors about bullying, complete with an index of resources for those who need to know how to reach out.  A portion of the proceeds to to the Stomp Out Bullying campaign.  Yes, I’m a contributor to the anthology.  Yes, this is a subject matter very near and dear to my heart.

Charles de Lint gave Steven Harper’s WRITING THE PARANORMAL NOVEL a nice write-up in his September/October “Books to Look For” feature in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

And now, some pics from Dragon*Con! (1-Magical Words gathering; 2-Rachel Caine and I as we begin booth set-up; 3-Jessi Vail, Kaylan Doyle, me, Samantha Sommersby, Melisa Todd and Sarah Weiss post booth set-up; 4-Part of The Knight Agency dinner (Marley Gibson, Deidre Knight, Tyler, Jennifer St. Giles, Jade Lee and Patrick Burns); 5- Another part of The Knight Agency dinner (Peter Wheeler, Kalayna Price, David B. Coe, Riley, Jud Knight and Faith Hunter); 6- Pete and I done up as Perseus and Andromeda for the masked ball; 7- The sith and I; 8- The Wizard of Oz (the first thing I saw upon entering my hotel!); 9- Zombie Cows; 10- Puppet Pal Snape & friend)

Query vs. Critique

I saw a post recently on Facebook (one of those groups I seem to get automatically subscribed to whether I want to be there or not but decided to check out) where a woman said something like, “My daughter received a rejection saying the agent didn’t connect with the plot.  What the heck does that mean?”  I was so tempted to answer, but that way lies madness.  However, it does make a heck of a blog topic.

Here’s the thing: agents receive hundreds and hundreds of queries a week.  Our job includes reading these to see whether we’d be interested in reading further, to offer a “yes” or a “no” about reviewing additional material.  It’s not to offer critique.  We couldn’t possibly critique, say, 300 queries a week and still agent.  It’s just not possible.  When we do offer a response, it means that we thought your query deserved our going the extra mile.  Does it mean you didn’t deserve the extra mile if we didn’t comment personally?  No, it might mean that we’re busy or that our assistant reviewed it for us and didn’t feel that the query needed our attention, whether because it wasn’t ready yet for prime time, wasn’t in a genre we represent or whathaveyou.  I was surprised at the mother’s what the hell? sort of response to the agent’s comment, since pinpointing the plot as a problem area does say something about the reason that particular query failed for him or her.  It doesn’t mean the next agent won’t connect with the story.  Could it have been more specific—the plot wasn’t terribly original or didn’t have enough suspense or insert reason here?  Sure.  But, critiques are not part of our job description, except for those authors we’re already committed to working with.

When I started out in publishing, I wanted to help everyone.  I was gung ho about giving the most helpful responses I possibly could.  You know what nipped that in the bud?  Most people don’t want to hear it.  The writers who make it want constructive criticism so that they can hone their craft and be all they can be.  However, others just want to hear that they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Anything else, and they’ll argue.  You heard me, argue.  You get more than a few of those and start to decide it’s not worth the grief.  Yes, we get thank-yous as well, and we truly appreciate those.  It’s good to know when we’ve made a difference in someone’s writing or career.  However, once we feel that sense of diminishing returns, well, that gung ho attitude gives way in the face of all the other work we have to get done and which we know is certain to be appreciated.

I’m so tempted to close with “And that’s how Sue sees it” from Glee, but, well, agents already get a bad wrap, and as much as I like Sue Sylvester, I wouldn’t want to be her.  For one thing, I loathe tracksuits.

DragonCon Schedules

I can’t believe how quickly DragonCon is coming up!  It’s their 25th anniversary, so it should be a blow-out.  Guests include Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Jonathan Maberry, Adam Baldwin, Christopher Lloyd, Edward James Olmos, Colin Ferguson…the list goes on and on.

For those of you planning your visit, I hope you’ll swing by and see me and the premier of my music video for the Vamped series in Booth 707 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta.  Many awesome authors will be participating, and you can probably find a full schedule of events at the DragonCon website, but I thought I’d post an at-a-glance list here for my authors who’ll be in attendance (Rachel Caine, David B. Coe, Faith Hunter, Kalayna Price and Susan Sizemore).  I’ve included my schedule below as well.  Unfortunately, due to her current health, Rob Thurman will be there only in spirit.  However, her booth mates will have an oversized card for people to sign (Marriott Marquis, Marquis Ballroom, Booths 100 & 102), and they’ll be passing out her giveaways and selling books on her behalf, so I hope you’ll stop by.

Rachel Caine
Title: Dark Shadows
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Fans of the Gothic soap opera discuss its enduring legacy.

Title: Fan Works
Time: Fri 10:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Fan fiction and fan art in YA.

Title: Reading: Rachel Caine
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Edgewood – Hyatt (Length: 1)

Title: Dragon*Autographs
Time: Sat 02:30 pm Location: M301 – M304 – Marriott (Length: 1)

Title: Faeries vs. Vampires
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Which is more awesome: Faeries or Vampires? Ladies and gentlemen, you must choose a side.

Title: Switching…YA to Adult or vice versa
Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Greenbriar – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Differences in writing YA and adult works…does some of one creep in to the other?

Title: Online Interactions
Time: Sun 01:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: How do kids and teens use technology to interact with books and authors today? Do they expect more as they turn the last page of that novel?

(Also to be found for signings and swag in Booth 707 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

David B. Coe 
Title: Fightin’ and Writing’
Time: Fri 10:00 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Need an expert at sword fighting, martial arts, cutting edge munitions? You need to be here. These experts can help you develop your fight scenes.

Title: Writing Short Fiction
Time: Sat 07:00 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Maybe novel-length fiction isn’t for you. Try the short story market.

Title: The Adventure Continues…
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: Cairo – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Authors discuss creating and maintaining dark and urban fantasy series.

Title: Blood & Steel
Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Montreal / Vancouver – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Tales of swords, sorcery, and grim adventure.

Title: Reading: David B. Coe
Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Roswell – Hyatt (Length: 1)

Title: Knowing your Audience
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: So, you sold a book. Who’s your audience? Do you write for your audience or for yourself? How do you discover who your audience really is?

Title: Your Voice
Time: Mon 10:00 am Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Editor’s rave over a writer with a distinct voice. How do you develop that rare quality that stands out above the rest?

(Also to be found for signings and swag in Booths 100 & 102 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

Lucienne Diver
Title: Plotting or Plodding?
Time: Sat 1:00 pm
Description: Developing intricate and layered plots that will keep readers turning pages.

Title: Editors and Agents Speak Out
Time: Sunday 8:30 pm
Description: How and why editors and agents choose the books/authors they choose.

Title: Your Voice
Time: Monday 10 AM
Description: Editors rave over a writer with a distinct voice. How do you develop that rare quality that stands out above the rest?

(Also to be found for signings, sales and swag in Booth 707 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

Faith Hunter
Title: Hunting Monsters for Fun and Profit
Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: Centennial II – III – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: A roundtable discussion by some of dark and urban fantasy’s biggest names.

Title: The Adventure Continues…
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: Cairo – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: Authors discuss creating and maintaining dark and urban fantasy series.

Title: Knowing your Audience
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: So, you sold a book. Who’s your audience? Do you write for your audience or for yourself? How do you discover who your audience really is?

Title: Your Voice
Time: Mon 10:00 am Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: Editor’s rave over a writer with a distinct voice. How do you develop that rare quality that stands out above the rest?

Title: Reading:Faith Hunter
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: Roswell – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

(Also to be found for signings and swag in Booths 100 & 102 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

Kalayna Price
Title: Spotlight: Witches
Description: Explores the role of witches in fantasy literature.
Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: Cairo – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Reading: Kalayna Price
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Roswell – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Spotlight: Dark Faeries
Description: A writer’s roundtable about the sinister side of the “Fair Folk.”
Time: Sat 07:00 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Spotlight on BelleBooks & Bell Bridge Books
Description: Whether you’re writing about demons, vampires, teens, tweens, ghosts or grandmas, come and see what this dynamic niche publisher is looking for.
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Knowing your Audience
Description: So, you sold a book. Who’s your audience? Do you write for your audience or for yourself? How do you discover who your audience really is?
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

(Also to be found for signings and swag in Booths 100 & 102 in the Marquis Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

Susan Sizemore
Title: Worldbuilding
Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: Learn how to choose the right details to make your world come alive.

Title: Dark Shadows
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: Fans of the Gothic soap opera discuss its enduring legacy.

Title: Dragon*Autographs
Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: M301 – M304 – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

Title: Spotlight: Vampires
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Description: The current state, and possible future, of vampire fiction.

Title: Reading: Susan Sizemore
Time: Mon 10:00 am Location: Edgewood – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Worldcon

Worldcon this year was an amazing affirmation of the continued strength of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy fiction and a smorgasbord of steampunk and other wonderful costuming.  I wish I hadn’t been too busy running from appointment to appointment to panel to take more photos, but here are those I managed to grab, including one of me in the incredible George R.R. Martin Game of Thrones throne.

1- Me…plotting.  (“What’re we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?”  “Same thing we do every night, Pinky…try to take over the world.”)

2- Devi Pillai of Orbit with an appropriately fashionable backdrop.

3- The Hugo Award nominees for Best Novel (l to r): Lois McMaster Bujold, Ian McDonald, Connie Willis and N.K. Jemisin

4- Me and N.K. Jemisin at the Hugo reception.

5- Amazing authors Susan Krinard, Carol Berg and Diana Pharaoh Francis.  The world stands no chance.

6- The Westercon party with it’s Earth pinata and blazing comet headed for destruction. The party also featured failed doomsday prophecy trivia, apocalyptic films and encouragement to drink the Kool-aid (choices were Gangrene and Jonestown).

My two favorite lines from the con came from our New Pro Orientation panel, featuring Brent Weeks, John Berlyne, Sandra Tayler, Ann Crispin and me regarding the role of agents.  Brent Weeks: “An agent will even out your crazy.”  John Berlyne: “Why would have a dog and bark yourself?”  Love it!

Good thoughts for Rob Thurman

As many of you have no doubt heard by now, Rob Thurman is currently in critical condition after an accident and subsequent complications, including double-pneumonia.  I hope that you’ll keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.  If you’d like to leave them your heartfelt support, please comment on her blog, and we’ll all pray together that she’ll be able to read the notes herself some time very soon.

Wow, so much

Just back from Worldcon with hundreds of e-mails to answer, so I’ll have to make today’s post short and sweet.

In HUGE contest news, New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Twisted tour kicks off today.  Grand prize is concert tickets of your choice from TicketMaster, a $100 mini shopping spree at American Eagle Outfitters, a Glam Make-up Gift Set from Urban Decay and a $100 Visa Gift Card for dinner at your fav. restaurant.  Don’t miss out!

While we’re on the New York Times (we weren’t really, but I’ll take any transition I can get), the amazing DEAR BULLY anthology was written-up in the NY Times Sunday Book Review’s “Back to School” section.  I know I keep saying this, but it’s because I believe in it so strongly: this is a book that every school and public library should have.

I’m also very pleased to offer kudos to Janet Mullany, whose novel JANE AND THE DAMNED made Booklist’s Top 10 Horror Fiction list for 2011.  Go, Janet!

Quick things

So swamped leading up to Worldcon that I’ve barely had time to post or tweet. (I’ve checked, and no, this isn’t one of the signs of the apocalypse…though probably it should be.) For anyone coming to Worldcon, you can find me:

Friday 10:00-11:00 a.m. New Pro Orientation – Understanding Publishing with John Berlyn, Sandra Tayler, A.C. Crispin and Brent Weeks

Friday 1:00 to 2:00, Hall 2 Autographing alongside Robin Hobb, Carol Berg, Sharon Shinn, Sean McMullen, Patricia Briggs, Kim Stanley Robinson and Martha Wells

Saturday 3:00 to 4:00 The Paranormal as Metaphor with Naamen Tilahun, Carrie Vaughn, Rose Fox and Patricia Briggs

I’m looking forward to seeing my awesome authors Carol Berg, Diana Pharaoh Francis, N.K. Jemisin and Susan Krinard there and, of course, to rooting for N.K. Jemisin’s THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel!  You can catch the live stream of the awards ceremony on Saturday, August 20th at 8 Pacific Daylight time.

Whether or not you can make the convention, you can find me here today, guest-blogging for the good people at the Clarion Writers Workshop.

 

 

Events

Had a wonderful, wonderful time emceeing the Battle of the Bands this past Friday at the Wesley Center.  I’ll post some pics and info below, including links to the bands if anyone wants to check out some new talent.  In the meantime, two quick and exciting things:

The incredible Charlaine Harris (great writer and so supportive of other authors) did a nice write-up of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series and others over at her blog.

Tomorrow night, The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings presents fab friends and authors Laura Anne Gilman and Keith R.A. DeCandido at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art on 138 Sullivan Street, NYC from 6:30 – 9:00.  Hope you’ll check them out.

And now, to the Battle of the Bands,  a benefit on behalf of New Beginnings, help for the homeless.  The bands were so talented and the people involved so wonderful that it really made the evening.  I thought I’d gotten pics of each of the bands, but, unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.  I’ll post some of what I have here, though.

First up was Set The Score, a group which competed in the 2011 Battle of the Bands’ Ernie Ball 15 as well.  They had a bit of a Ramones flavor to their music, I thought.  The drummer (below) was kind enough to let my son bang on his drums.  Pictured here are also one of the guitarists and the lead singer/guitarist.

Next was Fallback 16, a punk/rock band from Kissimmee, pictured here.  Mandi, the fabulous coordinator was kind enough to let me grab this pic from her Facebook album, since mine of them on stage didn’t turn out terribly well.  Just beside them, I have Mandi and my son, who was very excited to hang with the bands.

Radagun came all the way from Jacksonville, FL and had the only female singer.  They recently opened for 100 Monkeys, a band which has as a member Jackson Rathbone, who plays Jasper in the Twilight movies.  So, there you go, vampire-related and therefore up my alley.

My son particularly loved hanging with Deadbolt Revival, because they’d talk Halo with him.  Deadbolt Revival is a Christian hard rock/rap band made up of a great bunch of guys with uber amounts of stage-presence and commitment.  Definitely check them out.   Here they are setting up backstage and striking manly poses.  (Note to self: see if Mandi has a pic of the whole band.)

Last, but definitely not least, Vagrant Undertow, a band after my own heart.  They’re listed as an “energetic punk/rock band joining us from Orange Park,” but I thought of them as more alternative.  I would absolutely come out to see these guys again. Much fun and “energetic” suits them perfectly.  Here I am standingwith them.  Yes, one of these things is not like the others.  Your call.

I understand the voting was very, very close.  In the end, Deadbolt Revival (think Creed meets Rage Against the Machine, my husband says) came in first, with Vagrant Undertow nipping at their heels.

(Ack, still trying to figure out formatting on WordPress.  Sorry for the odd configuration!)