I was supposed to do a second post about Keycon — and I was supposed to post about Bloody Words. These are the two conferences I have attended so far this year. One was a sci fi fantasy con, where I spent most of my time surrounded by unbelievable costumes and all the writers I’ve befriended over the years. (That would be Keycon.) It was great fun, and I learned a lot.
The learning was what I didn’t post about. Sorry.
The second con (Bloody Words) was dedicated to mystery. I’d decided to try a different genre, because I found out that the novels I was writing belong more in the mystery genre than they do in fantasy. (Who knew? Apparently just about everybody but me!) So I went — on my own, no buddies, no wing man, just me, myself and I — and hung out with mystery writers.
What can I say? It was good. Mystery writers were (generally speaking) very friendly, and I had the chance to hang around with a number of them. However, I did run into one (who shall remain nameless) who couldn’t believe I’d written a novel on spec, that I didn’t have an agent yet, and that I was wasting my time writing short fiction. I found out after that he was a naval officer who was also a nuclear physicist who wrote espionage thrillers… Gotcha. If I had your pedigree, I wouldn’t write a word until I had the advance in hand. I don’t, though, so — it’s an expensive hobby until I really break in. Many of the other writers understood completely.
My husband and I decided to turn the Bloody Words weekend into the beginning of a small holiday. So, after the con, we rented a Mustang convertible and tooled around Victoria Island for a couple of days. It is beautiful — but wow, being raised on the prairies started to take its toll on our enjoyment.
The first two days we were all “ooh ooh isn’t this beautiful” and “ooh, look at all the trees,” and such. By day three the claustrophobia kicked in, and the comments ran closer to “Why doesn’t somebody clear cut this, so we can see where the hell we’re going?”
And no, it wasn’t necessarily my husband who said this!
Luckily, we were done by that time, so we came home. (Did I mention I LOVE the Alberta sky? It’s frigging huge! A person can breathe under a sky like that!)
And then — things got really busy. An idea Ryan McFadden (a member of the Apocalyptic 4) and I had been working on suddenly hit the tipping point — and before either of us really knew what happened, we were full bore into a really exciting project, with a launch date and everything! Most days I feel like I can’t lift my head, for fear of losing a minute’s writing and organizing time.
But — life marches on, now doesn’t it? I had a birthday — and got a new puppy. My mother, who has lived in the same house for 58 years, is moving. (My dad built the house for her when they were first married, and I truly believe if she could figure out a way to take every board, she would.) My husband picked up a few new contracts, and is suddenly busier than “a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.” (I think that’s what he says, anyhow. Doesn’t seem quite right, does it?)
Did I mention that the dog has three legs? What about my mother going on holidays two weeks before she has to move? Have I talked about the rain? (Probably not. Hardly had time to notice, to be honest. Head down, keep writing…) What about my daughter breaking two fingers in a softball game (first of a double header) — and then catching the second game? THEN going to the hospital and finding out both fingers were broken — and she was out for the rest of the season?
Did I mention the puppy is a Border Collie — the smartest dogs on the planet, as far as I know — and that I’m going to have to run just to keep up with him? (Handicapped? Not so much.)
Yeah. Just a little bit busy.
In the midst of writing, puppy training (more for me than for the dog, trust me) and packing boxes, I’ve also been getting ready for the next con on my list — When Words Collide, in Calgary, in mid August. This is going to be a good one! It is an all genre con, so mystery writers can rub shoulders with science fiction writers and romance writers and fantasy writers! I love it!
OH! Did I mention I signed up for a writing workshop that happens just before when Words Collide? So I’ve been critiquing 11 manuscripts…
It’s all great! (Well, most of it.) I’m having a blast! But…
The blog was forgotten. And for that, I’m sorry.