Hey!
Let’s do a few wrap-ups, shall we?
First of all, I have no idea how many of you actually decided to invest because of this post here, but it appears Ashley Cope’s Kickstarter for a printed run of her amazing comic Unsounded has gone well beyond what it needed. If you’re at all interested in helping out a cool artist and getting a cool comic, though, you might consider donating a little to a great cause!
But for those of you that did chip in, thanks a lot! I’m sure Ashley is over the freakin’ moon. THE MOON, I SAY.
Secondly, you also might remember this post here about a certain gritty reboot about a certain weird-ass cartoon dog. Well, All Geek To Me (get it?) did an interview on the thought process behind this insanity with my other favorite artist, Michael Lunsford! Check it out to see what manner of hilarity abounds.
And finally, if you’ve been paying attention to the changing climate (if you’re in a place that does that, unlike my native Arizona, which deported Fall, Spring and Winter) you’ll note that it’s October and that means The Surrey International Writer’s Conference is right around the bend!
I’ll be attending this year, naturally, and here’s the stuff I’ll be doing.
Future Funny: Humour in science fiction and fantasy (Panel)
Science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, fantasy writer Sam Sykes, and historical fantasy writer Mary Robinette Kowal combine to discuss the importance of humour within the SFF genre, and the finer points of how to make it work. This panel will likely be of interest to those writing any genre. Fisticuffs expected! kc dyer moderates.
Friday, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Tyne #2
These kinds of classes are always hit-or-miss. Oftentimes, they can boil down into a brief lecture on how to be funny and funny people can usually tell you two things: 1) fuck off, 2) you can’t teach someone how to be funny. So, what I hope to do is point out how humor is used in fantasy. And really, in a genre as inherently absurd as ours, I can’t imagine why so many people let so many opportunities for humor slip past them.
I’m not sure what this business about fisticuffs is about, though. I’m pretty sure I could bench-press, like, everybody on this panel.
Complex Conflicts
The struggle, the quest, the journey. Call it what you want, the conflict is at the heart of any character and, thus, of any story. But no reader wants a simple conflict that they can guess the ending to after three pages. How do you make villains that are wicked AND understandable? How do you make heroes that are believably flawed? How do you make a conflict that makes us wonder not only what happens if the heroes lose, but what happens if they win? Sam Sykes will tell you.
Friday, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM, Green Timbers #3
This one shouldn’t be too difficult. There’s a tremendous amount to say about the subject and I’m usually the man to say it, being a creature of conflict myself. And as a creature of conflict, if you don’t come see this, I’ll probably hit you over the head with a trash can.
The Rhythm of the Word
It’s not always just about grammar, punctuation and structure. Style, rhythm and flow are what really make your prose seize (and hold) an audience’s attention. Too often, writers can fall into the trap of either adhering rigidly to rules of style or splurging in an embarrassing gush of verbiage. Sam Sykes will help you figure out what to trim and what to add to give your structure style.
Sunday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM, Green Timbers #3
This is the one I’m looking forward to the most. Prose is something that’s difficult to teach, but can be adjusted, corrected and trained, like a chihuahua. Too often, though, we just let it sort of run around and poop on the carpet, like a cockatiel. We’ll learn about using prose to establish everything from character to tension to mood to voice.
It’ll either be really good or really, really good.
And in between those panels, I’ll be doing Blue Pencil sessions and generally puttering about. Don’t be afraid to say hello if you happen to see me! Do be afraid to tell me about sports. I have no fucking idea what they are.
A note about book signings: You might want to bring whatever you’ve got from home. Canadian publishing has been pretty slow in putting out Black Halo and The Skybound Sea. Might not be wise to see if you can snag them at the conference itself.
But by all means, please check out their site and see what else is going on. This is my favorite event of the year and it’s probably one of the best resources available to writers today.
Hope to see you there!