Things are rocking at Chez Brozek House of Writing. In the past couple of days, I have turned in the novelette and the short story, dealt with two sets of contracts for two different anthologies, collected essays for a third anthology, and did a casual hangout / signing event at Games & Gizmos with Jak Koke and James L. Sutter.
The rest of this month until my next major event will be all about editing Jay Lake’s Process of Writing. I’ve been working on it for a while but now it’s time to buckle down and make it my priority. It’s been interesting downloading Jay’s writing mind into my head.
The end of the month is my trip to Gothenberg, Sweden. I’m the Guest of Honor at the RPG convention, GothCon. We’ll be there for about five days. Not a lot of time to look around but one of the organizers has agreed to play tour guide for the first day we’re there. I’m very excited about the whole thing. I’ve never been to Sweden and being there as a GoH is just icing on the cake.
Of course, that means I need to get all my notes together for the two lectures I’ll be giving about RPG writing and Tie-In writing. I also need to figure out if I’m going to give handouts or not. Decisions, decisions.
Life is moving apace. More to tell when the contracts are signed.
Event - Monday, 18 March, from 6-9pm, I (Battletech, Shadowrun) will be joining James Sutter (Pathfinder) and Jak Koke (Shadowrun) for Games & Gizmos first ever book signing in Redmond, WA. Come join us to buy books, get your books signed, and kick it with three RPG authors. We'll be hanging out, playing boardgames, and answering all of your questions that we can. There will be mini-cupcakes and sandwiches to snack on. I suspect, since Paizo is local, there will be more Paizo people joining the fun in an unofficial capacity.
Review - Roleplayers Chronicle gave Colonial Gothic: Locations a very nice review.
Announcement - Cat Labs announced the Shadowrun Returns Anthology Reward For Kickstarter Backers and I'm one of the authors for it.
Announcement - I've been sitting on this for a while but now I can announce that I am co-editing an anthology with Jean Rabe for Mad Norwegian Press. It's called Chicks Dig Gaming and it is part of the "Chicks Dig" line of non-fiction essays by women in SFF. I absolutely adore this anthology we're creating. I'll get ya'll a link to stuff as soon as I have it. Chicks Dig Gaming is due out in November 2013
Cover art. While I was out at the Rainforest Village Writer Retreat, the cover for Writing Fantasy Heroes popped up. It has a fab line up of people.
Wednesday, Feb 27 - I’ve just arrived at Lake Quinalt and, as always, I’m struck by the quiet, the lack of traffic, and the serenity of the area. It always makes me want to move out to the boondocks somewhere—with an extra-large satellite and cell phone tower for connectivity. I may want solitude but I like my internet. Fortunately, while I don’t have any cell reception at all, I do have a semi-decent internet connection. Then again, I’m supposed to be focused on just writing.
Thursday, Feb 28 - Good writing so far. I’m at 3700 words and the day isn’t half over. I’m getting good and making notes for things to look up, rather than stopping and obsessing about details I don’t know yet (like the Indian title for a woman of means in Assam, India in 1920). I’ve decided that if I can’t live by the ocean, a lake like Lake Quinalt would do. Fresh water, good view, salmon, house on the mountain side. This year, there are swans on the lake. They are absolutely gorgeous.
Friday, Mar 1 - 10,060 words in total on “Dreams of a Thousand Young.” Not bad for a three day total. Good panel today from J.A. Pitts on imposter syndrome. We all shared some war stories about imposter syndrome. Note to self: When Robert J. Sawyer says he want to hear you read, your swallow your fear and read. I read “That Bastard Called Hope” and it was well received.
Saturday, Mar 2 - I needed to stop and map out the building where the end game was. I also needed to look up what Shub-Niggurath looked like. Petty insignificant details required by writing. I did finish the draft zero of “Dreams of a Thousand Young” at 11,413. I wasn’t going to write anymore but then I remembered I owed Nayad a story and I still had half the day. So, I banged out another 2700+ on “A Card Given.” My total for the retreat was 14191. Not bad. Not bad at all. Of course, now comes the work of cleaning up all of those words.
My view for the weekend. Granted, the sun didn’t come out until the last day. I think the lake is gorgeous rain or shine.
I’m about to run off to the Rainforest Village Writers Retreat this weekend (Twitter: #RWVR). I will be speaking on panels and writing like crazy the rest of the time. I have an ambitious list to get through. We will see how it goes.
I really enjoy writing retreats. Weirdly, they are a vacation from my fulltime freelance writer’s life. Yes, I’m doing the same thing I do most days but I’m doing it in a different environment without all of the demands of home – husband, cats, chores, weekly obligations. Instead, I’m writing and hanging out with other writers; many of whom I usually don’t get to see.
There is something invigorating about all that.
In July, I’ll be speaking at the Cascade Writers Workshop. I’ll be doing a lot more talking and attending other panels than writing but, like Rainforest, I’ll still be around a whole lot of creative people in the publishing industry. It will be a working vacation but still invigorating. There’s just something about being with lots of like-minded people that makes me inspired and eager to write that much more.
A couple cool things about the Cascade Workshop: There still openings and there are two scholarships available. You can be around your people in a more intimate setting, talk, be inspired, learn something new, and write. Also, you are not required to workshop a story if you don’t want to. You can go, attend the panels, pitch to an agent, and write.
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I will not be at Norwescon 2013. The good news is that’s because I will be one of the Guests of Honor at GothCon in Gothenberg, Sweden. I will miss going to Norwescon but… Sweden!
More good news is that I will be one of the guest speakers at the Cascade Writers Retreat in Portland, OR in July 2013. I will be on four panels. One group and three solos. There are spots open. This is going to be a great workshop. Lots of industry talent there.
Caller Unknown is out and getting good reviews. I just received a very nice blurb, "Brozek gives us the world the way it should be - full of hidden pockets of magic, ancient evils, and supernatural creatures - along with a heroine fully capable of dealing with all of the above." - Cat Rambo, author of Near + Far and A Seed Upon the Wind
Ya’ll know that me and the Husband own Apocalypse Ink Productions. We now have an announcement-only Googlegroup. Sign up and hear what all we are doing.
Finally, I was interviewed by The Geek Girl Project. I do a lot of talking about The Lady of Seeking in the City of Waiting.
I am a featured guest at Convolution this coming weekend. I will also be there with Apocalypse Ink Productions in the dealers room. So, if I'm not here, check the AIP table. Jeff will be there and will probably know where I am. Otherwise, text, email, or DM if you want to meet up.
Friday - 11/2
2:00pm Panel Moderation – Conifer
4:00pm Is Every Writer a Publishing House Publishing House – Conifer
6:00pm Private reception – Pavilion
7:00pm Meet the Guests – Pavilion
12:00am Why Daddy Drinks – Bayside A&B
Saturday - 11/3
12:00pm Fairy Tales Return – Bayside A&B
2:00pm Create an Anthology – Sand Pebble A
4:00pm Publicity for Writers – Sand Pebble A
6:30pm Dinner and Interview with Jade - TBD
Sunday - 11/4
10:00am Mental Illness – Sand Pebble C
Readings are terrifying for authors. … Okay. Terrifying for this author. I read with Seanan McGuire and Phil Foglio last night at the Wilde Rover. The SFWA Reading was hosted by Brenda Cooper and J.A. Pitts and gracious hosts they were. It helped with the terror.
When I get scared, I make silly self-deprecating jokes… as you do. Being the second reader, I joked that I was the gooey center between two pieces of awesome—but I wasn't chocolate. More like blood. Which worked perfectly for the reading itself and the audience appreciated.
Seanan read a short story with a hilariously dark take on fairytales and the trouble they cause in the modern day. You see, all fairytales are real and they must play out over and over again to the detriment of all. I read part of a story from my forthcoming collection CALLER UNKNOWN (November 2012) that involved a bike tunnel. It was creepy and scary and I stopped reading at the most inopportune time. It was awesome. Phil read from the third Girl Genius novel and it was funny as all get out about Agatha returning to Mechanicsburg.
It was a good night all around. It was a packed house, a great reading space, and a responsive audience. People had good questions for us all, they bought books provided by the University Bookstore, and I signed several books. People from my various gaming groups even showed up.
I think one of the best moments was while I was answering a question about putting real people into my books, I mentioned my collection IN A GILDED LIGHT and a lady to my right cheered. It was a tiny but beautiful moment for me as an author. It means my writing has affected someone and that is all most authors really want.
I will definitely going to more of the SFWA Reading Series. Brenda and John have it down. Also, despite being crazy nervous, I want to thank Seanan for asking me to read with her and Phil. I appreciate it.
It was a good night and sometimes that's all I need.
