Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
What’s Good About Science Fiction and Fantasy?
Folks, for the past several days I have been wired for sound over this SF&F contretemps (which I referenced here a few days ago).
But I can only handle so much stress. (And make no mistake about it: watching people I respect and admire savage each other is not my idea of a good time.) Which is why when Mary Robinette Kowal put up a post a few days ago asking people to talk with her about being a fan of SF&F, it got me thinking.
What is good about science fiction and/or fantasy? What do I like about it?
At its best, science fiction and fantasy can lift you out of yourself, because both genres are about ideas. And ideas have power, and value, and can inspire…
There are so many wonderful authors out there, and so many great books. They’re full of ideas. And ideas can inspire, entertain, lift you out of yourself, maybe give you a new slant on an old problem…you never know where an idea might lead you, in short.
So what’s good about science fiction and fantasy? Plenty.
Try to remember that, amidst this current controversy. And concentrate on the stories, because it’s the stories that all made us want to be SF&F fans in the first place.
Friendship, and the SF Controversy “du jour”
Folks, I continue to be consumed by my edit for A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, which is the main reason I haven’t been online to blog in the past week-plus.
But there are other reasons.
One of them caused me to ponder what the meaning of the word “friendship” is all about. For when someone knows you for a long time, there is a presumption that if there’s a disagreement — regardless of what the disagreement is about — the other person will listen to you.
He or she may not agree with what you’ve said. But the other person will at least listen, and try to understand.
During this past week, I’ve seen more distress coming out of the community of science fiction and fantasy writers than I’ve ever seen before. I can’t really summarize this for people who don’t understand it, and it seems like “inside baseball” unless you’ve been caught in the crosshairs of this particular bit of internecine strife.
But the upshot of it is this: Writers are fighting other writers, mostly using words — something writers are very good at using, by definition. And rather than trying to find any common ground with one another, writers are continuing to duke it out with our words instead.
How does this have anything to do with friendship, you ask?
It’s simple. I have a friend, Jason Cordova, who got nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in SF&F — the John W. Campbell Award. He got nominated due to the auspices of a group that many other long-term SF&F writers do not like (this group being called the “Sad Puppies”). Jason was not the only writer to be nominated by the “Sad Puppies,” mind you, but he’s the one I know the best.
He is my friend. (You may have gathered this, yes?)
So when some long-term writers started saying that all the people who’d been nominated by the “Sad Puppies” were racists, or homophobic bigots, or the like, I protested. (Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows that I am not shy about such things.)
Jason is Hispanic. He has a sister who’s married to another woman. He is far from wealthy. He is an honored and honorable veteran of the military. And he’s written some lovely short stories along with his solo novel, CORRUPTOR, and several co-written novels with Eric S. Brown, most particularly KAIJU APOCALYPSE and MURDER WORLD.
I don’t think Jason in a million years thought that he’d ever be considered for the John W. Campbell Award, whether the “Sad Puppies” nominated him or not. But he was.
And, being a friend, I congratulated him. And then defended him, even though he probably did not need my defense, because that is what friends do.
To make things a bit more complex, one of the people who was upset was also my friend. This person saw my defense and became irate.
Instead of asking me what I was about, this person walked away. At this point, I don’t know if this person will ever return, either.
Now, there’s a whole lot I’m leaving out, partly by design. (As I said, it’s “inside baseball” for those who aren’t following it — lucky you.)
But the important thing is this: If you are my friend, I know we’re not always going to agree on everything.
(How boring would the world be if we did? But I digress.)
What I would hope we’d agree on is the fact that our friendship deserves at least a little care. A little understanding. A little bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, common ground can be re-established.
I don’t know how many times I’ve gotten upset with my friends, including Jason at times. I’m sure he’s gotten upset with me, too. We don’t agree in our political philosophy, we don’t always agree on other issues…but we are friends, and we work things out — sometimes by agreeing to disagree, sometimes by trying to meet each other halfway.
This is what friends do.
I wish that the SF&F community could try to do that now. Because SF&F writers have far more in common with each other than we do with anyone else…and it’s sad that instead of using our immense energy and creativity to create new worlds with, we’re instead savaging each other.
And as for my other friend? I will care about this person until the day I die. I owe this person a great deal, and I haven’t forgotten this.
But like Lillian Hellman, I will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions.
******
Note: I thought long and hard before writing this. I am willing to discuss the issues of friendship and whether or not SF&F writers can somehow try to find common ground with one another again. Anything else will probably raise my blood pressure unduly; besides, there are many other places discussing these issues in far greater depth than I am.
I’ve taken a general course mostly because I wanted those who are just finding out about this issue to understand just how messy this nonsense is. I’ve already lost one friend over this because I chose to defend another friend I felt was being unjustly attacked.
I neither like nor dislike the “Sad Puppies.” I do respect many of them, most particularly Brad Torgersen and Amanda S. Green. (Before anyone asks, we’re not going to discuss the merits of the “Rabid Puppies” group right now. Or the lack thereof.) I feel they have a right to be heard, and under the rules, they did nothing objectionable. But to some, me saying that is like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
And I neither like nor dislike the vast majority of writers on the other side of this mess.
One thing I do know, though: No one should be threatening anyone else over this. Ever.
Anyway, the floor is open. I welcome comments, providing they are civil. Any that aren’t will be deleted. (You have been warned.)
Time for a February #MFRWHooks Blog!
It’s time for a Marketing for Romance Writers Book Hooks promotion! And as it’s a whole lot easier to write that as a hashtag (#MFRWHooks, for short), I think I’ll just do that for the remainder of this blog.
In combination with #MFRWAuthor ReTweet Day (which I discussed yesterday), I decided to take part in this week’s #MFRWHooks. I’ve done this before, as it’s an excellent way to let new readers know about my comic YA urban fantasy/romance novel, AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE (say that five times fast — I dare you!).
So without further ado…let the #MFRWHooks Blog Hop, February 11, 2015, edition, begin!
The rules of the #MFRWHooks blog hop are simple: You post six to eight lines of your novel plus a short blurb, and then you head to the next hop.
Ready? Here’s eight lines from the first chapter of AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE. Note that at this time, Bruno the Elfy’s name is still Jon…as to why? (You need to read the book to find out, though this brief excerpt is part of the answer.):
“While you’re pacing, will you please tell me your name?” Jon asked. “No one here has asked my name, and no one gave me their name in response, and, well, well—it’s just bad manners!”
“I think my parents are terrified the Elfy-Welfies, being so elusive, are that way because of the souls they’re supposed to have stolen,” the girl said softly. “Which the Elfys never could have done if names hadn’t been freely given—”
“What utter rubbish!” Jon interrupted.
I hope you enjoyed that little snippet. But perhaps you’d rather read a short blurb about what AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE is about instead?
Bruno the Elfy believes he’s very young, has no power, and has no enemies.
He’s wrong.
Quickly sent to our Earth (the Human Realm) and told to watch for magic, Bruno must unravel the lies, keep his mentor from being tortured, and—oh, yeah—figure out why he’s so strongly attracted to young, Human Sarah.
Because his life depends on it.
* * * * * End blurb * * * * *
Or maybe you’d just like to read more of the sample chapters? (If so, here they are.)
Or maybe — just maybe — something here intrigued you. If that’s the case, here are my buy links:
Amazon (US): http://amzn.to/1p6xvQj
Amazon (UK): http://goo.gl/dDoBnd
Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/m8o49ad
Now, go be fruitful and multiply — or at least make your way to the next blog in the hop by visiting http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com, as that’s the easiest way to discover any number of other interesting books, all featuring at least a small hint of romance.
Enjoy!
#MFRWAuthor RT Day is Tomorrow…and Other Stuff
Folks, tomorrow is Marketing for Romance Writers’ monthly ReTweet event. As I’m a member of MarketingforRomanceWriters.org (which you can find on Twitter as @MFRW_ORG), I’ve signed up to take part in something called a “Thunderclap,” which causes many Tweets and Facebook messages to go out at once as I understand it. (I’ve never taken part in a Thunderclap before, so that’s all I can tell you regarding this particular promotion.)
Mind, I always support #MFRWAuthor RT Day — the hashtag works out to “Marketing for Romance Writers Author” and of course “RT” means ReTweet — because I find the Marketing for Romance Writers group to be quite beneficial. They help you to understand marketing, for one (as I’m sure you’d expect, considering their name and all), as they are fellow writers who’ve all walked — or who are now walking — the same path you are. MarketingforRomanceWriters.org tends to help indie or small press authors the most, as we need the most help because we don’t have major publishers behind us. But it’s a group that will help any writer if he or she is willing to acknowledge what they do in return…do check them out (they have both a website and a blog as well as a Yahoo Group), as they are an invaluable resource.
Aside from that, I’ve been editing, doing a spot of writing, and editing some more, as per usual.
I do have some semi-bad news to report as my newest short story was rejected by the Writers of the Future contest. I call this “semi-bad” only because I am happy I wrote the story; while I’d have appreciated it if WOTF had loved it the way I do, it’s OK that they didn’t. (You wouldn’t believe how many thousands of stories they get during each quarter.)
Aside from that, Jason Cordova has been mentioned as a possible choice for the John W. Campbell Award. I know Jason quite well, as I’ve worked with him over at Shiny Book Review for years (yes, I intend to write a review this week; why did you ask?), and I’ve read most of his output. His first novel, CORRUPTOR, came out in 2010, but didn’t sell enough to be considered a first, qualifying pro story — which means he’s still eligible to win the Campbell Award.
“But Barb,” you say. “Aren’t you eligible, too? AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE came out last April, so you should qualify…right?”
Well, therein lies a tale. I sold my first story, a co-written affair with my late husband Michael, to the BEDLAM’S EDGE anthology back in 2004 (edited by Mercedes Lackey and the inestimable Rosemary Edghill). That was definitely a qualifying pro sale under the rules, albeit a qualifying half-sale (as Michael receives credit for the other half, which made perfect sense to me at the time and still does).
My second pro-qualifying sale, I believe, was made last year after I sold a story to STARS OF DARKOVER (edited by Deborah J. Ross and Elisabeth Waters). (I say “I believe” because I can’t remember when SFWA raised their rates for a pro-qualifying story from .05/word to .06/word. Under the new SFWA guidelines, this story would not count.)
And that’s it as far as pro-qualifying sales go. Everything else I’ve written to date, including AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, leaves me eligible for the Writers of the Future Contest, meaning I’m largely unknown. (Something I’ve said all along, mind.) But because of my one, early half-sale, I believe I am ineligible for the John W. Campbell Award.
Even if I were eligible, I’d be astonished if anyone nominated me.
Why? I’m not known. (Neither is my late husband Michael, despite my efforts to the contrary — and his while he was still here.)
Anyway, Jason’s much better-known than I am. He also has more short stories and novels (some co-written with Eric S. Brown) to his credit than I do, and has more on the way. He definitely deserves to be considered for the Campbell Award as he remains eligible, and I’d love to see him win it.
EDITED TO ADD: My friend Katharine Eliska Kimbriel’s novel SPIRAL PATH is eligible for the World Fantasy Award, the Andre Norton Award, the Nebula, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and even the Newbery Medal. I reviewed SPIRAL PATH at SBR last September; I’d anxiously awaited it for over a year, and I was not disappointed. So please, do not forget about her and her excellent work…you could not ask for a better writer. (Or a better person, though awards do not measure that, usually.)
Back to my original post, already in progress…
Aside from that, to answer a few questions — Yes, my hand is better. (Thank goodness.) And yes, I’m definitely looking forward to Spring Training. (Go, Brewers, Go!)
If you have any questions for me, go ahead and ask in the comments…I’ll do my best to answer, as always.
Slowed, but not Stopped
Folks, I’ve been very quiet over the past week-plus. I didn’t want to be, mind you, but I had to.
Why? Well, I burned myself while cooking. Badly enough that I went to the emergency room right away. And I was told I did the right thing, as a second-degree burn on the hand is nothing to play around with.
You may be asking yourself why I went in right away. (If so, you’re in good company, as some of my own family members asked the same thing.) Well, as I’m a musician, writer, and editor, I need my hands for my professions. When you add to the mix that I also have carpal tunnel syndrome (I’ve made no secret of this), the burn slowed me down even further.
Anyway, I was told that I had to rest my hand so the burn could heal. I was not allowed to use my left hand at all, and was typing messages out one-handed to editorial clients and others I absolutely had to stay in contact with. While I did do some Tweeting, I again typed only with my right hand, and mentioned on Facebook and Twitter that I was dealing with “finger issues” so people would not be worried that chatty me wasn’t responding to their various comments.
Yesterday, I was seen in a follow-up appointment, and was told that I can resume typing with both hands, with caution of course. I still have to keep the burned area covered and put a special ointment on it; the area will probably scar. But if I have full use of the area, I don’t particularly care about that.
So I’ve been slowed, but I haven’t stopped.
Along the way, I hadn’t been able to share some exciting news with you all, so I may as well share it right here and now.
I have a title for the second half of the ELFY duology at long last!
Yes, my publisher and I agreed that the new title of the second half of ELFY should be…(wait for it)…A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE.
I’m very pleased I can now pass this word along.
As far as a release date for A LITTLE ELFY IN BIG TROUBLE, I’m still pushing for late April, mostly because the events of the entire ELFY duology center around Mayday or as Bruno calls it, “Ba’altinne” (otherwise known as Beltane). But I’m working on my final edit, still, and wouldn’t have a prayer of it coming out then except that it’s only going to be available as an e-book.
So in answer to several of your off-line questions, yes, the second half of ELFY will be out soon.
I’m glad my hand is healing. I still can’t do as much as I’d like. But I can type again with my left hand, I can do some work, and I am pleased with that. (It’s progress. I’ll take it.)
As far as reviews go, I hope to be able to review at least one book over the weekend at Shiny Book Review, providing my hand holds out.
And as far as music goes, I am scheduled to play the alto saxophone in the Racine Concert Band’s February 26 concert at Horlick High School in Racine. I wasn’t sure at first whether or not my hand would heal enough for me to do this, but as I can type today (with some difficulty and pain), I should be able to play in another week or two (which is when rehearsals are due to start up again).
Anyway, that’s all I know…excepting that, as always, I will persevere and do my level best to overcome all obstacles. (Really, would you expect me to say anything less?)
Why Writing a Book Is Like Preparing for a Marathon
Why is writing a book so much like preparing for a marathon?
Writing a book takes time. Effort. Forethought, planning, a certain drive and sticktuitiveness…it’s a test that will push you to your limit. It shows you, as a writer, what you are made of — because you have to believe that your persistence, your effort, and your skill will pay off.
Runners do this, too, when they prepare to run marathons. They must get into condition, learn to eat efficiently, and prepare their bodies for a maximum effort. And they must believe that all of the training, all of their skill, will pay dividends when they finally run their races.
Runners are strong. They have to be. And they must believe in themselves, even if no one else does, or they can’t run their best races.
You have to be strong to be a writer, too. And you have to have faith in yourself that what you’re doing is the right thing, all because you have a creative vision that will not be denied.
Perhaps thinking about writing in the terms of preparing for a marathon will help you, especially if you are stalled or frustrated with your work-in-progress. While a completed book is not like running an actual marathon, writing that book is very much like preparing to run a marathon.
I know the metaphor only goes so far. But it’s still an interesting way to think about writing — as a marathon, not a sprint.
“First Contact Cafe” Is Now Available for Pre-Order! (And Other Stories)
Hot off the presses! Read all about it!
Why am I so excited? Well, I have a story called “An Intoxicating Mess” that’s been included in the forthcoming FIRST CONTACT CAFE shared world anthology, edited by Phyllis Irene Radford. And as FIRST CONTACT CAFE is now available for pre-order, I thought I’d share the word about it right now.
First, here’s a picture of the lovely cover:
Next, here’s a list of the table of contents:
First Contact Café by Irene Radford
A Steaming Pile of Crap by Bob Brown
Apologies by Frog and Esther Jones
Certainty Principle by Manny Frishberg and Edd Vick
One Being’s Trash by Margaret McGaffey Fisk
Prime Cut by Liam Hogan
It’s A Con World Afterall by C.F. Bentley
Let’s Make A Deal by Leah Cutter
Anything You Can Do by Jacquelyn Meyers
And Down Came an Audit by D.H. Hanni
Goolie Unruly by Brenda Carre
The Tete á Tete by ElizaBeth Gilligan
Leave the Dead Lie by John Lance
An Intoxicating Mess by Barb Caffrey
Consistency by Joyce Reynolds Ward
FIRST CONTACT CAFE will be available on February 1, 2015, and the price for the e-book edition will be $4.99.
But if you just can’t wait for FIRST CONTACT CAFE, and want to buy something else from me, here’s the lowdown on everything else that’s currently available:
My novel, AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE, remains on sale at the extremely low price of ninety-nine cents. If you like urban fantasy, ghosts, the paranormal, cute YA romances, comedy, slapstick, wordplay, or any dozen other things, you will love AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE. (Barnes and Noble link, as always, is here.)
My late husband’s two stories of military science fiction adventure featuring hero Joey Maverick, “A Dark and Stormy Night” and “On Westmount Station,” are also available and are priced at ninety-nine cents. (These are either long novelettes or short novellas.) If you enjoy sailing adventure with just a tad bit of romance, you’ll enjoy “A Dark and Stormy Night” more; if you enjoy a “whodunnit” plot with some hand-to-hand combat set aboard a space station, you’ll enjoy “On Westmount Station” more.
My story “On the Making of Veffen” is available in the HOW BEER SAVED THE WORLD anthology, edited by Phyllis Irene Radford. The e-book price is $4.99.
I wrote a story with my late husband Michael called “Bright as Diamonds” that’s available in the BEDLAM’S EDGE anthology, edited by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill. The e-book price is $6.96.
Finally, my story “Marja’s Victory” is available in the Exquisite Quills 2014 Holiday Romance anthology, available here and here. “Marja’s Victory” is a fantasy/romance set around Yule, and features a mature female shapeshifter and her long-time partner (in every sense), Tomas — an eight-foot-tall, telepathic Mountain Troll. And that story, again, is absolutely free — as is everything else in the anthology.
So go forth, read some good stories (maybe even a few of mine and my late husband’s), and get ready for the FIRST CONTACT CAFE anthology, will you?
Vinny Rottino Signs with the Miami Marlins, and Other Stuff
Happy New Year, everyone!
I figured I’d write a quick blog tonight and mention a few things, mostly in passing, that may be of interest only to me.
First, as the title says, Vinny Rottino has been signed by the Miami Marlins to a minor league deal. This means he’ll have a job in baseball as a player during 2015, which is definitely worth celebrating. Rottino made the AAA All-Star team for the Marlins franchise back in 2011, and got a call-up from them in September as his reward. (I wrote about that here.)
I’m glad that the Marlins front office remembered Rottino, and is giving him another shot to play despite his advanced age (in baseball years only). He’s a smart player, he’s always maximized his ability, and while it’s unlikely now that he’ll be able to make a serious run at a major-league job as a player, it’s far from unlikely that he’ll be able to make the majors in some other capacity later. So it’s very good that the Marlins signed him; my guess is that Rottino’s going to end up mentoring other players in the minors, and probably playing every second or third day. And that may lead him to a managerial or coaching job down the line…which I’m sure he doesn’t want quite yet, but is something to consider for future reference. (Thank goodness it’s still “for future reference,” as I was really worried after he became a free agent again.)
Aside from that, I finished a new short story and sent it to the Writers of the Future Contest on 12/31/14 as I remain eligible. (Not enough book sales as of yet.) I’m glad I was able to do that, as with all of the editing I do — and the holidays, and the family appearances that are well worth going to but normally take away from any available writing time — I don’t get anywhere near as much time to write as I’d like.
And I’m working on two different editorial projects right now, so my blogs may be sporadic for a few weeks until/unless something really grabs my attention…but I do hope to have at least a few book reviews in January 2015 over at Shiny Book Review that may interest you. (Namely the three I didn’t get to at the end of 2014 like I’d planned.)
May your 2015 be all that you want it to be, folks. And may it be a better year for us all.
New Interview (Mine) at Ally Shields’ Blog Is Up…
Folks, I wanted to let you know that urban fantasy author Ally Shields invited me over to her blog today and interviewed me…and the interview has been posted. It’s a conversational interview — hence the name, “Coffee Chat” — and I enjoyed being interviewed by Ally immensely.
Please be sure to check out this interview, as Ally asked me some extremely interesting and relevant questions that I hadn’t been asked before. She’s an urban fantasy author herself, so one of her questions was about what attracted me to the paranormal/UF genre — and I told her that, along with many other interesting things.
For some reason, I’m having trouble cutting and pasting from that interview, so you’re going to have to go directly there and read it for yourself.
Thanks again, Ally, for having me over for a Coffee Chat.
Craig Wayne Boyd, Persistence…and You
Folks, it’s no secret that I am a fan of Southern country/rock singer Craig Wayne Boyd. His time on NBC’s The Voice was in some ways magical, especially considering his eleven-year odyssey in the music business. And that he made it all the way to the end, and then actually won The Voice, was just that much more special.
What I found in Craig Wayne Boyd’s story were a number of things. Persistence. Faith, not only in a higher power, but in himself and his talent. And the drive to succeed against all odds.
Consider, please, that Mr. Boyd has said in several televised interviews that he considered quitting music altogether not too long before he auditioned for The Voice. And he knocked around Nashville and the touring circuits for eleven long years, singing his heart out, with talent and drive and dedication — but all of that garnered him very little.
Or so it seemed at the time.
Because in retrospect, what Mr. Boyd was learning all that time was to have faith in himself and his talent. He was also learning to perform, and the limits of what he could do and what he could — and couldn’t — control.
This is something we all need to learn. Because like Craig Wayne Boyd, we cannot control what other people do. We can’t control who will take notice of us, who will show up at our gigs, who will buy our books and/or recordings, or who will care about what we’re doing.
All we can control is what we do and how we do it. That’s all.
And that’s why being persistent is so very, very important. You don’t know when the next audition you do will result in a major breakthrough (as was the case for Craig Wayne Boyd). You don’t know when someone will read what you’re writing and decide it’s wonderful and tell all his friends, because you don’t know when your big break will come.
The only thing you do know is this: Once you stop trying, you have absolutely no chance of doing whatever it is you want to do.
That’s why I’ve said over and over again that you cannot and should not give up. Because you don’t know what’s around the corner…for all you know, it might just be your big break.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 