Three More Hours a Day? Maybe? Please?

I’ve been a fan of science fiction as far back as I can remember.

My favorite tv show as a child was Lost in Space. (Now I just gave away my age…) Then the Trek franchise began. I read Heinlein and Norton, Tolkien and Herbert, L’Engle and Spider Robinson and dozens of others I don’t remember any more. In college we were visited by the Star Wars phenomenon and I found Anne McCaffrey’s dragon series, which I’ve continued to read to this day, even now that her son’s taken over the crafting of those exquisite novels.

So it should come as no surprise that I enjoy writing SF as well. I’ve written one space opera entitled Horizon Shift, about a captain who nearly loses his ship and has to rebuild to survive, collecting a crew of odd characters. I have a couple of vampire novels, an inter-dimensional fantasy, a Next Generation novel that actually got some compliments from an editor but didn’t feature one of the regular cast as the star, so they turned it down.

But the one that’s on my mind today, Triad, features three strong women, each a commander of a faction, who find they need to work together to survive, despite their enmities and varied agendas. Those women are fascinating, one a broken princess, one a conniving bitch, and the other a devoted career woman who’s lost her child because of it. I wish I could stop everything else for a week or so and take the time to revisit it, update it, polish it again and send it off.

That’s the problem any more…so often writers complain about writer’s block–I’ve got writer’s diarrhea or something, so much to say and do with my writing, but no time to do it. The urban fantasy that’s the current WIP is progressing well for a first draft, not up to my NaNoWrimo standards , but moving steadily ahead–I think it’s nearly 30K words now. I’ve got one project in intense editing, about a third of the way through–it needs 10,000 more words cut and condensed. I’m trying to keep up here and also at Firefox News, where I intend to have several articles a week published, if I can find the time.

Tonight’s article at Firefox is an interview with author Keith R.A. DeCandido, who was gracious enough after I met him at the writer’s conference to grant the time for my questions. This man is a machine–three to four books a year in addition to his editing work and anthologies. AND he plays percussion in a band, and finds time for a fiancee and two cats, as well as martial arts training. Hard to believe. He has me in awe.

Well, I’ve heard I got the runner-up slot as the Writer in Residence at Devil’s Tower, Wyoming in September–so if the first place winner loses her crown for any reason, I’ll get a free cabin for a week of solitude solely to write. Maybe then…

Meantime, I’ll keep exploring the wild and wonderful corners of imagination in space and on earth. If you come along….be sure to fasten your seat belt. Maybe bring a map too. Just in case.

Serendipity and blessings

There is no feeling like the one you get when you experience a gathering, be it conference, revival or reunion, where everyone is excited about a topic and all the energy flows in one direction.

Can I get an Amen?

I had expected the Pennwriters shindig this weekend would be exciting; to be surrounded by so many others who love to do what you do is inspiring. But the serendipity of the particular blend of folk who were there went beyond into a real blessing. The fiction workshop was well-drawn and planned by Susan Meier, who read our opening chapters and tailored a session for us, even though most were not writing romance. Melanie Donovan was a delightful and gracious woman, open and friendly, who joined my traveling companion and I for meals and drinks in addition to the actual pitch session. Joyce Carol Oates was dark and mysterious as one might expect, but gave a wonderful presentation and answered questions on all topics from attendees.

I had two editors and two agents express interest in my work and won second place in the non-fiction contest. (Four of us traveled from my critique group, in addition to my award, one took first place in story beginnings, one took third in short fiction, and the other took first in the costume contest; we are a decorated bunch.)

So I’m pretty pumped.

I also scored an interview with SF writer Keith R.A. DeCandido on his series work, which I will do soon, as well as being published by a fellow Pennwriter at the AIR Equation site. That deserves an Amen!

It turns out autism is now becoming an issue in children’s fiction, according to Melanie Donovan. She said she has one book coming out soon about autism, and another where a character may or may not be autistic. So I’m on the cusp here. Let’s hope that these other authors use their characters to create better understanding of characters like our children, and not just as a token to latch onto the latest flavor of the month.

And on that note, one of the sweetest moments of the weekend was Saturday night when I called home to make sure the Cabana Boy was surviving the chaos. The boys were full of exploits to share; Captain Oblivious had gotten his cast off and was thrilled, Ditto Boy had the latest Lost in Space episode to tell me about. Little Miss, however, has never liked talking on the phone. She mumbles or speaks so quietly that she can’t be heard, and bolts as soon as she can.

Except Saturday, when she got on the phone to speak with me, told me about her field trip to the local historical site, her dinner with her brothers, and then said “I want you to come home.”

And for that blessing, my brothers and sisters, I will give witness any time. Amen! Amen! and Hallelujah!