Just a brief post to let everyone know I’ll be doing two presentations at the Conflux Writers Day on Saturday April 5, which is a prelude to the Aurealis Awards that night.
The inaugural Conflux Writers Day will take place at University House, Australian National University, Canberra.
The theme is ‘The Writers Journey’, which will be covered by four sub-themes – Writing Skills, Writing Processes, Submission and Publication and Building a Career.
My first presentation, Presenting Your Blog Posts for Maximum Impact will focus on:
text layout
readability
images and other features
how to keep people on your site for longer
accessibility issues and what to avoid.
My second presentation, The Elements of Novels, will feature information about:
balancing the beginning, middle and end
purpose of theme
how to distil a novel into a single, sharp, meaningful sentence
the three essential characters every novel needs (and how they work together).
In all, there will be a total of twenty sessions, plus an additional four plenary sessions by:
Joanne Anderton
Kaaron Warren
Ian McHugh
Keri Arthur
It will be well worth your time if you’re able to come.
Last year was a huge year in many ways. I landed an agent and kicked a bunch of other goals, all of which have moved my writing career forward in several ways.
So what are my Big Hairy Audacious Goals for this year? I should probably write a list:
Get my epic fantasy signed by a big publisher.
Edit and self-publish at least one novella.
Write at least one new novel or novella.
Obviously, the first of those three major goals is out of my hands (although I’ll do everything I can to make it happen), but the other two are entirely up to me.
I’m currently editing the first novella in a series – Through The Veil: Welcome to Earth, which I hope to self-publish this year, and I’d like to plan and write at least one of its sequels. Preferably two.
I also have a stand-alone novella (loosely set within in the series) written, and a novel set in the same universe. Both need editing/review/polishing.
Other goals:
Blog regularly. Once a week would be good.
Continue to grow my social media presence.
Get at least one short story published.
Attend at least two conventions.
Give at least three writers workshops or presentations.
I think most of those secondary goals are pretty doable too, although no doubt I’ll struggle with the blogging. I didn’t originally name this blog ‘The Infrequent Blog’ for nothing. Still, it’s a goal I’d like to kick.
You’re welcome to read the first chapter of Through The Veil: Welcome to Earth. It’s still a draft, so any feedback you could offer would be appreciated.
For a little bit of fun, but mostly experience, I made a book trailer for a work in progress.
It’s not the greatest thing in the world, but for an afternoon’s work and considering all I had was a bunch of clips and a copy of Movie Maker (which I’d never used before – in fact, I’ve never used any movie-making software), I think I’ve done pretty well.
I’d be interested to know what you think about:
what works
what doesn’t
where it could be improved.
I know I’ve got a huge list of things I’d change if I had the right skills and the time (including an image of actual book cover at the end), but please let me know your thoughts about anything else you notice isn’t working for you, or you would change/add/alter (in the comments section or elsewhere).
It was a lot harder to come to a decision than I’d thought it would be – as well as the responses directly on my blog, there were plenty more on G+ and even a few emailed directly to me.
What’s more, they were all awesome, making the decision even harder.
Thanks everyone so much for entering! I had a lot of fun doing this post and I hope you had fun too!
Although all the responses were fantastic, there was only one position available for murder, and so I had to make a really tough choice.
I eventually went with the response I thought was the most creative: Vanessa MacLellan!
Here’s Vanessa’s response: So far that month, Vanessa had burned a pattern in her lawn, eaten raw liver, sacrificed her pet bunny, Arnold, erected a tower of tinfoil and chrome, and sent emails to Aliens@space.com and still she had no visitations, though the real reason she should die: striped socks with plaid pants.
Congrats Vanessa – it’s going to be a pleasure to murder you… in print, of course.
Do you fantasise about being kidnapped and murdered by an evil shapeshifter (every day, right)?
Not the lycanthrope kind, but the ‘let’s take dark magic and warp someone’s mind and body’ kind.
Perhaps being murdered is your greatest fear and you feel a desperate need to exorcise it, or maybe you’d just love to show the story to a loved one and see their reaction.
Whatever your reason, here’s your chance to vicariously live the dream.
The story situation is quite simple: an innocent girl is going to get killed in order to send another girl a ‘message’. She’ll be stabbed to death – the body discovered after the event.
The dead girl could have your name. Sounds like fun, right? (If it does, you need to see someone with quack-type qualifications.)
So here’s what you have to do.
In the comments below, simply tell me why you’d love to get your namesake murdered.
The best response will win you immortality in print along with a digital copy of the book when complete. I’d have offered you a new Ferrari, but I’m all out of Ferrari’s at the moment.
The rules!
It’s a girl that gets murdered, so it has to be a girl’s name. If you have a guy’s name, you’re welcome to find a female equivalent (so long as you include your actual name too).
You need to impress me with a response to this question: Why do you want your namesake gruesomely killed off? I’ll choose a winner based on the responses.
It has to be your own name – your mother-in-law’s name and those of your enemies and friends are off limits.
Keep it to a single sentence (I’m applying the KISS principle here).
You can enter multiple times.
I can add and remove rules as I see fit (the butt-covering rule).
If you enter, I reserve the right to look at you strangely for all eternity.
The competition closes at midnight (your time), November 9, 2013 (Friday the 13th was too far off).
I’ll announce the winner shortly thereafter.
Here’s the story’s premise: A warrior princess from another universe unexpectedly falls for a human boy while hunting the shapeshifter that murdered her parents.
The girl that gets murdered is human (just like you – so if you’ve got a name that sounds like it comes from another world, I may veto your entry because that’s not what I’m looking for, but put your entry in anyway).
And that’s it. I’m looking forward to reading your deepest, darkest, most horribly gruesome desires!
I spent the last weekend at GenreCon in sunny Brisbane. Brisbane is incredibly pleasant for such a big city – at least where I was staying at South Bank.
Clean and tidy, open and airy, they’ve put a lot of effort into making the riverfront appealing, including a rainforest walk, a free pool/beach, a massive open-air stage and a café and restaurant district.
GenreCon itself was held at the State Library, a modern building with a bookshop and café outside, and great facilities inside.
The event began with a cocktail party where I caught up with a bunch of friends including Mark and Luke Mercieca, Amanda Bridgeman, David Versace and Josh Melican, and met a whole heap more.
David Versace channelling James Bond at the cocktail party.
I only wish it had gone on for twice as long.
We followed up the cocktail party with drinks at the official Con hotel, though I snuck off to bed a bit early as I didn’t want to risk a hangover.
Some people chose to risk it judging by the zombie stares and Twitter talk the next day.
Day 1 was full-on. It included:
fantastic keynote speakers
workshops
panels.
The highlight for me was the workshop on creating book trailers with Scott Baker.
Scott gave us lots of very useful information disguised as common-sense, straightforward guidelines, but in reality he made it clear that a professional-looking book trailer is really hard to pull together, and potentially quite expensive.
The other big highlight of the day was a great chat I had with the lovely Rochelle Fernandez from HarperVoyager.
Not being faced with the prospect of having to pitch a novel to her at any point, it was a relaxed, easy-going conversation. It felt like a catch-up with an old colleague.
At the Cutlasses and Kimonos Banquet.
Saturday night featured the Cutlasses and Kimono’s Banquet, where Chuck Wendig’s speech: 25 Reasons Why Genre Is Awesome (or something to that effect), had the room in laughter and cheers. Brilliant speaker. He loves wombats of the steampunk variety, apparently.
He followed it up by answering 25 Questions, which produced just as many laughs.
The final day was the ‘interesting’ day.
It started with a ‘What the?’ moment.
I woke up well before the con started, and being slightly hung-over following the banquet and after-party, I figured I needed a little more sleep.
So I took it upon myself to roll over and get some.
At some point I started awake, and panicked. You would have too.
Scott Baker explaining one of his slides.
There was less than ten minutes until the con started. I bolted for the shower, determined not to miss anything.
That was stupid, of course.
The hotel was a ten to fifteen minute walk from the con, and I still had to pack up and check out.
Regretfully, I decided to sacrifice the keynote speeches, get organised, and arrive late as if I’d intended to do so all along.
Naturally enough, being at a genre convention, I entered a Time Warp at that moment.
Time Warp you say? Seriously? Yeah, seriously.
Nothing else could possibly explain it, not even the fact that the room was fairly dark when I woke and my watch has hands but no numbers.
After checking out of the hotel, I was about halfway to the con when I decided to check my social media feeds on my phone.
My phone was clearly broken. The time read 6:56am. What the…?
I checked my watch. Same thing. I looked around. The streets were fairly quiet for what was supposed to be about 10am, and the sun oddly low in the sky.
Thanks to my own personal Time Warp, I’d been given the gift of several hours.
Stranger things have happened, like the time I fell ten metres and then swam to the edge of the pool without a single broken bone.
A photo I took on my early morning walk.
Taking the Time Warp in my stride, I did what every red-blooded Australian would do.
I picked up some coffee and banana bread, and went for a long walk along the river. I even took some photos on my phone.
I got to the library a good hour before the con started, too. Impressive, no? Just like I planned.
Despite that, I felt as if I’d already had a big day.
After downing another coffee I rested on a bench, my ‘Duff Beer’ hat over face, and nursed my Time Warp-muddled senses until Peter Ball let me in early (what a champion!).
Day two highlights: Lean Pub – a way to publish your work as a serial, or just publish them as an e-book. Looks pretty interesting. I’ll be playing with their site and maybe using it for a series of short stories and/or writing articles.
Me at the Cutlasses and Kimono’s Banquet.
The other highlight was the Thinking Like a Pro panel with Valerie Parv, Keri Arthur and John Connolly. Always good to get the perspective of a pro.
Unfortunately I missed the final panel and The Great Debate as Qantas refused to hold my plane for me.
Okay, technically it’s their plane, but I’d hired a seat and paid for a wonderful dinner of three tiny biscuits and a microscopic tub of relish.
The lessons I took home from GenreCon were vastly superior and much more filling than the Qantas meal, and definitely worth the effort.
A big thank you to Meg Vann and Peter Ball and all the other Con Ninjas for putting on such a great, professional event. Cheers guys – rest up for a bit.
I run a regular Novel Writers Group at the ACT Writers Centre, usually spearheaded by a topic of the month.
This month it was The High Concept.
It’s worth devoting some time to it and figuring out.
During the discussion, the High Concept quite often got confused with Theme and Plot, probably because it’s tied into both.
Phillip Berrie, a member of the group, recently wrote a wonderful novella called The Changeling Detective.
Right there in the title is the basis of the story’s High Concept – a detective who can alter his appearance.
There’s a heck of a lot more going on in the book than that, and the overall series might have a different High Concept compared to the individual book, but as a stand-alone that’s what’s at the heart of it.
Break it down
What happens in the story is Plot, and this will influence the High Concept.
So will the story’s higher meaning – its Theme.
Both Plot and Theme hang off High Concept, not the other way around.
The Changeling Detective centres around a character who can change his appearance – short and simple. Everything’s tied into that. In this case, it’s an origin story – which further influences the High Concept.
Try explaining your High Concept to someone who doesn’t know the story
Practice with something familiar:
A family has been lost in space and is trying to find a way home. (Lost in Space)
Factions of a galactic empire fight for control of a rare mind and body-altering drug. (Dune)
Gods are manipulating people and events to try and win control of a universe. (Prophecy of Power: Quarry. Okay, that’s mine. Couldn’t resist)
The High Concept is your sales pitch, your Big Idea.
It doesn’t encompass your story – it’s the basis for it.
How do you find your own High Concept?
Look to the title.
You may not find it there (Dune, for example, doesn’t encompass it, though the Spice comes from the planet Dune and the story is set there – but the sequels come closer: Children of Dune, Chapter House Dune, etc).
Star Wars, Lost in Space, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – all give you insights into the story’s High Concept.
Consider you’re telling your best friend about a story you’ve just read. What do you say?
Imagine a bunch of robots are trying to destroy their makers, and:
The survivors flee their homeworld looking for a safe haven… Battlestar Galactica.
A cyborg is sent back in time to end human resistance before it begins… Terminator.
A man has the power to manipulate programmed reality… The Matrix.
Find the basis of your High Concept and expand on it in a single sentence.
Anyone can write a story about a secret agent with a licence to kill, but there’s only one James Bond. That particular High Concept has spawned countless books, movies, games and rip-offs.
To find your own, you’ll need to add a little uniqueness.
Start with the word ‘imagine’ and then lay it out.
What’s mine? Imagine… The Gods are manipulating people and events in order to gain control of an entire universe. The premise of the story? A princess is being hunted by assassins because of a prophecy she wants no part in. They’re tied together – but certainly not the same.
What’s your High Concept? Let me know in the comments.
My blog has been sadly neglected lately. I’ve been writing more guest posts than posts here, and I’m also in the middle of several projects which seem to be taking a lot of my time.
I wanted to blog about Conflux 9, Australia’s 52nd National Science Fiction Convention, but got all enthusiastic with another project and never got around to it. Catch-up time.
In short, Conflux was fantastic. I caught up with a lot of people from out of town (as well as plenty of locals I don’t see enough of), made new friends, rubbed shoulders with publishers and editors, convened a couple of panels, and even gave a workshop.
I purchased far more books than I probably should have too, but hey, if you can’t splurge at a con, when can you? Hopefully I’ll get the time to read them soon.
I’ve also managed to produce several printed copies of my manuscript through CreateSpace. I’ve sent three out to proof-readers, and hopefully I’ll get their feedback soon. The plan is that if I don’t get any joy from the agent and publisher I’ve sent the manuscript to, I’ll publish the book myself.
That decision has freed me up to write the sequels – something I’d avoided previously as being a waste of time. The reason was that if the first book never sold, spending time on the sequels was pointless because they’d never sell until the first one did.
That’s changed with the option of self-publishing.
I’ve also gained some insight into another story I’ve been wanting to tell, but couldn’t find a satisfying way into it. I think I’ve found that now. The entire story arc is beginning to fall into place. I needed to slow the pace a little – show the entire story, not just the end-game.
Okay, I’ve been a bit slack here lately – but I’ve got an excuse. Several, actually.
Firstly, I’ve been writing (rewriting) the sequel to Prophecy of Power: Quarry, as well as another project.
Secondly, I’ve written two guest blog posts – the first has just gone live on the wonderful Jen Christopherson’s website – a Q&A. The other will go up in a few weeks or so (I’ll post the link when it’s available).
Thirdly, I’m preparing for the possibility of self-publishing. As part of that I’ve been playing with covers and have uploaded my epic fantasy novel to CreateSpace.
It took a lot more work than I’d anticipated, but the end result is that I’ve ordered some proofing copies.
If traditional publishing doesn’t pan out, I’ll publish the book myself.
If you want to know more about the project, I’ve posted several chapters of Prophecy of Power: Quarry online.
With Conflux kicking off this Thursday, I thought a post about pitching to agents and editors was in order.
Why?
Other than having a good time and catching up with friends at Conflux, I’ll be moderating a panel on pitching (with two agents and an editor), teaching the art of creating elevator pitches during a workshop on Friday morning, and later that day pitching to an editor myself in the hopes of selling my epic fantasy.
So what do I know about pitching? A few things.
The basics…
The best thing you can do is approach a pitching session from agent or editor’s perspective, which means keeping two things in mind:
They want to know that you’re someone they can work with (that you’re not insane).
You have something they can make money from (they’re running a business, not an art-house).
In regard to pleading ‘not insane’:
Don’t turn up in your best Princess Leia slave outfit (I’ve heard of it happening – people trying to be memorable, which they were, but for all the wrong reasons). Go with neat and tidy instead. You want them to remember your story, not your outfit.
Be polite and enthusiastic, but not over the top. Think of it as an informal job interview if that helps; keep it casual but on-topic.
In regard to pitching your story:
Your pitch only has one purpose once you get over the insanity hurdle – to get them to request your story. Nothing else.
Therefore:
Have a good one-liner that neatly summarises your book and intrigues at the same time (ie, the bulk of what I’ll be teaching at my workshop).
Try to get them to care about/empathise with your characters and the situation they’re in (character is story).
Give them an overview of the ‘big idea’, particularly if they’re ‘ideas people’.
Practice in front of the mirror.
And that’s all you really need to do in five minutes. If you’re attending, I’d love to see you at my workshop. Otherwise, pull me aside for a coffee and a chat.
Following on from last week’s post about self-publishing, another question arose – how do you review a book by a friend or acquaintance without facing some sort of ethical dilemma?
You want to help your friends by spreading the word with a good review, but you don’t want to appear biased, and on the flip side, what if you promote a friend’s book that’s clearly not as good as you say it is? People won’t trust you.
Last week, I commented on three books from authors I don’t know – but I’ve got books in my collection from authors I do know. Lots of them.
Do I review their babies and give an honest opinion? What if I don’t like what I read? What if I do?
Should I just comment on the aspects I like and pretend the stuff I don’t like isn’t there?
What if I only post about the ones I like? That’s an opinion too, and one even more likely to hurt people.
I suspect the best option might be to avoid reviewing books written by people I know, but that’s not helping either.
What’s your take on this problem? Do you review books by friends? Should you? How do you go about it?
Just a brief update to say I’m still hitting my goals, although the one with the most potential at the moment is that I’ve shipped a query to an agent. Fingers crossed yet again!
Otherwise, I’m about halfway through another proofread of my epic fantasy novel (no matter how many times I go through it I always pick up more mistakes/typos etc.
I’m also about a third of the way through the edit of my urban fantasy novel. Editing isn’t writing unfortunately, but it’s still getting stuff done.
The main news however is that Australia’s Nation, Conflux, is on this month. I’ve been doing lots of preparation for it. I’ve got:
a workshop on the Friday morning called Distilling Your Story, where I’ll teach people the art of creating elevator pitches/loglines/one-liners.
another panel on the Saturday evening called Star Wars, The Rebirth, where we’ll ‘create’ our ideal Star Wars 7. I’m thinking both the Rebellion and the remnants of the Empire should join forces and hunt down Jar Jar Binks. Please tell me you’re with me on that one!
While I’ll admit I’m a little nervous (all this convention participation is way outside my comfort zone), I’m also somewhat excited for the same reasons.
If you see me at Conflux before, after or between my panels please say ‘hello’, or perhaps join me at my workshop on the Friday Morning. If you can’t make it to Conflux, you can always find me Google Plus.
Bruce Lee taught martial arts and he was the best at what he did. Words, however, are your weapons, so verbally abuse your competitors with cutting cynicism and bludgeoning sarcasm via book reviews and online critique groups until they quit in despair.
2. Get an agent.
Why? Instant street cred – they look great on your side at writer-type parties and book launches. Avoid marrying them though – marriages never end well and you don’t want to risk children as nappy fumes suffocate creativity.
3. Practice, practice, practice.
The best way to practice, of course, is to teach what you know, so grab yourself a bunch of two-year-olds and go for it. It’s probably best to ask their parents for permission first – parents get a bit antsy when their children disappear from day care centres without notice.
4. Master character development.
The more flaws you find in your friends, the better you’ll get at depicting character. Pick on their looks, hair, physical shape, attitude, intelligence, and anything else that seems appropriate. Hopefully you’ll master character development before your friends master Bruce Lee’s teachings.
5. Read everything.
Use the internet for inspiration – the net has plenty of thinly-disguised D&D adventure stories, authoritarian scrawlings and self-delusional family histories to draw from. Declare your brilliance by showing up all the amateurs via comments on their blog postings.
6. Find a mentor.
Someone supportive, but avoid successful author as they’ll eventually resent your brilliance. Your mother, however, has been putting up with you for ever. Start with her (and she knows how to cook your favourite meal, too).
7. Join a writers’ group.
Every group needs a leader, right? Any writers’ centre should be able to point you at a bunch of feeble-minded cretins waiting to follow a dynamic, brilliant, creative, God-like being such as yourself, all of them willing pawns in your Game of Publishers. Walk in, crack a whip, and tell them who’s boss. That’ll end well.
8. Study the greats.
Pull out all your school essays and assignments for a quick lesson in awesomeness. Why bother looking anywhere but at your own writing?
9. Get all the right tools.
You know – a ghost writer. Why put all that effort in when someone else can do the dull stuff for you? Relax on a beach sipping pina coladas while someone oils your back while writing your masterpiece.
10. Get inspired.
Alcohol works best – and it’s legal. You’ll be surprised at your own genius when you proofread with half a bottle of vodka pickling your brain – typos, continuity errors and illogical character decisions will all become a joy to behold.
Thanks for taking at look at my latest Cretin’s Guide. If you have some additions, please post them in the comments!
Professional cover artist (and good mate of mine) Les Petersen has done an amazing cover for my (as yet unpublished) epic fantasy novel.
I’m shopping the novel around for a publisher at the moment, so seeing something like this is inspiring beyond measure.
Bookcover by Les Petersen
Les didn’t ask for a plug, but how could I not?
Although currently rebuilding his website, he’s managed to post a few of his more recent images along with his contact details if you’re looking to hire a fantastic cover artist for your self-published novel. Check out Les Petersen’s website.
Just a brief post to let everyone know I’ll be doing two presentations at the Conflux Writers Day on Saturday April 5, which is a prelude to the Aurealis Awards that night.
Last year was a huge year in many ways. I landed an agent and kicked a bunch of other goals, all of which have moved my writing career forward in several ways.
The results are in!
The Competition
I spent the last weekend at GenreCon in sunny Brisbane. Brisbane is incredibly pleasant for such a big city – at least where I was staying at South Bank.
I run a regular Novel Writers Group at the ACT Writers Centre, usually spearheaded by a topic of the month.
My blog has been sadly neglected lately. I’ve been writing more guest posts than posts here, and I’m also in the middle of several projects which seem to be taking a lot of my time.
Why?
Don’t turn up in your best Princess Leia slave outfit (I’ve heard of it happening – people trying to be memorable, which they were, but for all the wrong reasons). Go with neat and tidy instead. You want them to remember your story, not your outfit.
