As you may recall, I signed up for four panels and ended up moderating two of them. In addition to those panels, I attended several others that seemed interesting to me related to writing and publishing. In my opinion, I felt the audience was fairly responsive and respectful of the opinions that the panel offered. There were panelists from diverse perspectives and backgrounds, which provided for interesting discussions and audience participation. Unlike other panels I’ve spoken on, I also felt that the audience came with a basic understanding or desire to acknowledge the business functionality of both publishing and the entertainment industry. Translation? I had more conversations about online marketing and social media with other writers than I did about any other topic.

The publishing industry as a whole is shifting and changing so rapidly, that many authors I talked to feel that they need to embrace aspects of online marketing to monetize their efforts and sell more books. In an ideal world, a publishing company would allow the writer to simply write and provide the PR for them in order to sell books. Given the reality of today’s market and volume of publishers, I believe that even if an author doesn’t “do” their own marketing, they should at least be aware of what’s going on in the space.

There were a few topics that I’ll cover in later blog posts which I feel warrant further discussion. For example, I had brought up the issue of network neutrality in a panel discussing print vs. e-publishing. Another topic I’ll address is the challenges of establishing a writer’s community, and how the internet truly “seems” to be having an impact on how offline communities are shaped and supported.

Here are a few of the wonderful writers and editors I had the pleasure of speaking on panels with:

• Lori Devoti – Lori’s new book, Amazon Ink, just debuted a few days ago. She’s a very passionate and energetic writer who brought a lot to our discussion about Consistency vs. Variety in book series. Lori started her writing career in romance, but is now writing urban fantasy. Watch for a special treat from Lori on www.flamesrising.com in the next, few days.
• Kelly McCullough – Kelly is working on a novel series which debuted in 2006, called WebMage. He has a love for world-building, which shows both in his books and the discussions we had about Consistency vs. Variety. If you’ve never met Kelly, he’s a very likable guy with a great sense of humor.
• John Helfers – Both an author and writer, John and I wrangled a panel about Reinventing the Adventure in the wake of our moderator’s absence. Wearing probably the coolest t-shirt I saw at the convention, (Any Firefly fans out there?) John was an animated and experienced speaker who had a lot to say on the subject. If you’re a fan of John’s work (HINT: He’s working on Shadowrun) you can catch up with him at GenCon: Indy in August, too.
• Mary Robinette Kowal – Meeting Mary Robinette Kowal, who is the secretary for SFWA and up for a Hugo Award, was a lovely person to meet. Mary is extremely web-savvy, but also highly creative. Working as a puppeteer by day, Mary is definitely a writer that many science fiction fans should be keeping their eye on. Mary moderated the panel Do Writers Need a Platform?, and her first book is due out next year.

The people I mentioned were just a few of the talented folk I spoke with on panels, and I highly recommend that even if you don’t attend the conference you visit www.wiscon.info to check out the professionals that do attend. There were also dozens of professional writers and editors that I had the pleasure of chatting with, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with writers like Alex Bledsoe, Sarah Monette, Richard Chedwyck, Lynne Thomas and Michael Damien Thomas, Jack McDevitt, professionals from Tor Books and several others.

The other thing that I’d like to point out regarding this convention, is that there’s a strong element of literary criticism present at this convention that originates from a love of books. I believe that regardless of your opinions on a book or on writing, attending a convention like this one will open up your mind to new ideas and different perspectives. I did not have one conversation that I did not enjoy; everyone was respectful, intelligent and engaged — even if we disagreed. Additionally, even though this was the most diverse group of people I’ve ever seen at a con, they supported one another tremendously.

I will be attending next year’s convention and hope to speak on panels. I invite you to participate, volunteer and do the same.

Thanks for following my blog! Instead of wishing you best of luck with your writing today, I hope that you are able to fall in love with a book.

Related posts:

1. Visit Me at these WisCon Panels
2. Speaking Engagement: OddCon 2008 Panels
3. Observations from OddCon

• Networking at conventions (15)
• Worldbuilding – Some Necessary Background (31) Waiting Confirmation
• GAME FICTION: The Good, the Bad the Ugly (89)
• SF and Horror (91)
• So You Wanna Be A Freelancer? (107)

In addition to the OddCon panels that I will be appearing on with Guests of Honor Patrick Rothfuss and Sarah Monette, you can join in the fun! Be sure to check out the fiction writing contest and come to network with other writers and fans of the genre. Also on hand will be Emma Bull Guest of Honor, Matt Forbeck, novelist and game writer, Michael Damien Thomas and Lynne Thomas, Jeff Preston, Illustrator, Matt M McElroy of the Flames Rising Horror and Dark Fantasy Webzine and several other wonderful guests!

Hope to see you there!

Related posts:

1. Speaking Engagement: OddCon 2008 Panels
2. Observations from OddCon
3. Follow Up from OddCon: Writing Panels and Author George RR Martin

In addition to WisCon, I’ll be going to see Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull friday evening. We went to see the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last weekend. I thought that it was better than the first movie and would be a great rental. My biggest challenge with the film was that the fantasy race, Telmarines, were not treated as a “fantasy race” at all. Instead, the filmmakers had chosen to bill actors of Latino descent and even went so far as to “paint” two of the main actors to look that way. (Both Prince Caspian and the general.)

I had written about this trope in a writing exercise where I talked about how you can apply research to avoid common fantasy tropes, but I also wrote about it in an earlier post about writing unconventional fantasy settings. My point here is not one of political correctness (even though that may be implied), but about truly making a fantasy setting — fantasy. In Prince Caspian, the common trope could have been avoiding by simply adding in more unique rituals or mannerisms to truly make the Telmarines a fantasy race that had a reason to be “bad.” Remember, that when cultures clash (in this case Telmarines and Narnians) good and bad are often relative to points-of-view.

Other places I’ll be heading this weekend will be the Ale Asylum, Farmer’s Market, and hiking/picnicking/kiting on Memorial Day. Busy weekend but thank the stars warm weather is finally coming!

Related posts:

1. How to Infuse your Creativity by Researching Tropes, Myths and Beliefs
2. Visit Me at these WisCon Panels
3. WisCon: the Recap

A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through Earth’s shadow. The last lunar eclipse took place on October 13th, 2004 in our area, but according to the resources I read, lunar eclipses can be seen at different times according to the physical geo-location you are in. This Wikipedia article about lunar eclipses has some great information and links to NASA as well as a US Naval calculator for when you can see the next lunar eclipse.

While lunar eclipses are fascinating to watch, I (of course) am intrigued by how different cultures take on a more spiritual outlook to this astronomical event. According to Zodiac Arts for example:

A lunar eclipse is a time of beginnings, endings, exposure and major changes. It always has something to do with “relationships”. The changes are tied to how we relate and will have a lasting impression. Emotions run high, causing upsets and feelings of disorientation. Actions taken often do not have the expected results, but they do bring awareness and enlightenment. The energy of an eclipse is at its strongest during the two days before and three days after its occurrence.

Whether or not you believe in astrology, remember also that several religions worldwide have followed this phenomenon for centuries and continue to incorporate the phases of the moon into their beliefs. Here in the US, lunar eclipses were an integral symbol, part of the “dire” apocalyptic predictions that took place in 1999 and continue through to today.

The next lunar eclipse is a few years away, so I hope you had the chance to get out there and enjoy it!

Related posts:

1. Winter Got you Down? Things to do in Madison to Cheer You Up!
2. Guest Blogger: Freelance Reporter Chris Welch on his Coverage of Wisconsin Flooding

Here’s my top 5 list of things to do in Madison to “think spring” and cheer up:

Spice and More Spice

Whether it’s true or not, spicy foods like Thai and Cajun are great mood lifters for me. I love the colors and pungency of Asian food. There are some good chain restaurants like Sai Bai Thai, but I’m pretty adventurous and love the spices and quality I can get from Penzey’s Spices. One of my favorite recipes to make this time of year is Venison Jambalaya. I also make a mean White Chicken Chili and Cashew Chicken.

Venison Jambalaya Recipe

(1) Venison Sausage Ring
(1) Pack Chicken
(1) Red Pepper
(1) Sm. Purple Onion
(1) Diced Garlic
(1) Box Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix

Boil the venison in an infusion of red wine, water, and garlic. Then, cut the venison into thin medallions and grill with chicken pieces. Drain. Chop pepper and onion into chunks, grill for a few minutes in olive oil. Add ingredients and follow the instructions on the box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix — enjoy! For a more traditional version, you can add grilled shrimp but in all honesty, the flavor of this and texture is a lot better without.

Work Out

Like everyone else on the planet, we’ve all made a New Year’s Resolution to get back in shape. No time like the present and for me, since I have a few appearances coming up this year, I’d like to not look like I’m sitting on my butt all day writing — even though that’s usually what I’m doing. There are quite a few places to work out around town from The Princeton Club to the YMCA of Dane County, and I have to admit that some of the workout classes are really great for socializing and just seeing people out there. I like Power Yoga, a lot. Which is traditional yoga with weights. You hardly feel like you’re in a weight class but by the end you feel like you’ve accomplished something grand! I’m also falling in love with the Zumba latin dance class.

Gardens, Plants & Flowers

What better way to “think spring” than to visit Olbrich Gardens? Between the sweet-smelling flowers and green grass, this place really is a mood lifter for me. I’m also strongly considering hydroponics; have you visited Brew & Grow lately? The other thing I like to do is buy flowers for other people, there are a few local shops around here that are pretty great and the grocery stores like Copps and Woodman’s. I’ve also had excellent, excellent customer service experiences by buying online through FTD flowers.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

My two favorite coffee houses are Victor Allen’s Cafe. The wi-fi is just great at both places and if you sit there all day they don’t get snippity. The food is better at Cool Beans; and the atmosphere (i.e. wide open sunlit areas) is much different at Victor Allen’s, but they both have something to offer me. I’ve been switching to decaf tea (well, today anyway) because it’s so easy to drink coffee this time of year. The problem with that? Before you know it, you’re dehydrated and feeling all kinds of “yuck.” Switching to water can be tough when it gets cold, but there are decaf teas out there; I recommend the peppermint tea at Cool Beans and for something a little different, Victor Allen’s has a nice Blueberry tea that is very fragrant.

Color your World with Arts & Music

Okay, if you’re like me all this white stuff has got you going crazy about this time. White, white and more white can make any creative person go insane. So why not go a little crazy yourself and add some color to your world. From crafty classes at Michael’s to art classes through The Union, there’s a ton of different ways you can create art and play around with colors for pretty inexpensively. If you are an art appreciator, have you been to the Madison Art Museum lately?

Bands, plays and music performances are another great and fun thing to do. There’s quite a few “live” bands and concerts coming up; you can check out The Isthmus or Maximum Ink to see the latest bands.

So there you have it, add a bit of sun when the world is so white…

Related posts:

1. Lunar Eclipse in Madison, Wisconsin
2. Writing Unconventional Fantasy Settings