A long-time Calgary resident drying her wings in the sun.
This post comes to you later because of my phone’s short memory, that forces me to reduce/reformat/transfert pics taken onsite!
The When Words Collide convention in Calgary from August 16 to 18, provided a golden occasion to see old friends again and meet new writers and readers! It is an annual ReaderCon, meaning, focusing on books and reading more than movies and media SF.
Recharging SF writer’s batteries
Friends recharging/relaxing in the central lobby of the Delta, close to the unused pool: Robert Runte (who knows a lot about Canadian SF) , Graeme Cameron, waving (who does a lot of work publishing Polar Borealis), Allan Weiss (author of Making Rounds) and a fine author I don’t have a name for.
Yes, there are the presentations, lectures and workshops (the schedule is still available here), but also, just meeting people from the four corners of the country and the US, people I haven’t seen since before the Covid, is a great moral booster. I met some of them in Montréal at the Scintillation 5 organized by Jo Walton and a dedicated team.
At home or visiting family, I rarely discuss my WIP, my projects (All the contrary in my teens). I do mention the novels I’m working on, briefly, but expending about any challenge, lack of inspiration, difficulty would bring glazed eyes. But interacting with peers who experience the same kind of problems give me courage.
The best moments are often between presentations, or mingling at the book selling room. Yes, I bought a lot of those!
We went to the launch of Undaunted (by Dave Sweet and Susan Forrest, published by Stark Reflections) on Thursday evening.
Tresa Gibson Studio entrance
A very welcoming couch in artist Tresa Gibson studio. Good food behind!
Michele with Susan Forrest (at the launch of Undaunted) on August 15th
Gilles, Michele, Mark Leslie and Susan Forrest at the launch of Undaunted
Dave Sweet with the Undaunted helmet
With Brenda Carre, whom I met in 2016 at an Anthology workshop in Lincoln City. Brenda had a beautiful vest every day of the Con!
Lyn Worthen and Michèle. Lyn writes dark fantasy and thrillers, we also met at the Anthology Workshop!
A happy camper (Monica) on Thursday evening.
Books, books, look!
A host of new books covering my coffee table after two SF conventions! Sorry, didn’t find pics of the vending tables.
I bought from Tiche Books and Owls Nest and, and… am currently reading 6-7 in parallel !
My new books from, the WWC:
Super Earth Mother, Guy Immega. Guy does hard-SF and takes his time.
Drunk Slutty Elf and Zombies, Den Waldron
Making Rounds, Allan Weiss
A Crane Among Wolves (just for the cover)
Undaunted, Dave Sweet, with Susan Forrest
Skeletons in my closet, Dave Sweet, with Sarah Kades
War of the Words, a collection of short stories
From the Scintillation 5:
Iris and the Crew tear Through Space, Cait Gordon
Darkborn, Alison Sinclair, a fascinating universe!
Starlings, Jo Walton, a collection
The Little Library, soon filled with SF books!
Learning, Learning, learning!
I cannot do justice to the mountains of new ideas and strategies dispensed here, from creating your believable « villain » to avoiding trope traps.
Those I met but in passing, Rob J Sawyer, who in a presentation explained how the « J » in his name help people find him among the thousands of Robert Sawyer. Robert Runte, knowledgeable in Canadian SF. Mark Leslie, always a goow reference in indie publishing with Stark Reflections.
Slush, slush… sush!
The most facinating panel was the slush fiction panels (I participated in the first one on Friday). The idea: a comedian reads the first page of a mansuctroipt, and the editors raise their hands as soon as they decide the ms is not for them. After three hands up, the reading ceases, and the editors who raised their hands explain what went wrong. I attended two other similar panels, and wow, I was impressed by Rhonda Parrish, Adria Laycraft, Shirlee Smith, Ella Beaumont, Greame Cameron, and Rob J. Sawyer for their fine-tuned senses : super editors, able to detect a story’s faults and clichés. The slush fiction panels were fountains of fun (to use a bad cliché) and really instructive. Some pet peeves here :
- Starting a story with a character waking up in bed (or in a white chamber, arg)
- Having a POV character looking, observing… doing nothing.
- From the start, we need to know WHO is telling the story, or WHo we follow, and the story problem.
- Fountains of blood, blood, blood, but no connection with the reader
- The writer inserts him-her personal peeves in the character’s perception
- Tons of others clichés trope, ill-used.
- The premise had been used often and nothing distinguishes the story form countless others (low-hanging fruit)
A big, big thanks to all of you to all the seasoned writers for their advice, presentation, panel discussions!
The slush fiction table for SF, dissecting a one-page manuscript. Graeme Cameron, Susan Forrest, Michael Martinek, Ella Beaumont. Missing: Rob J. Sawyer. Reader: Kevin Weir.
We are the heroes, not the sidekicks: Building worlds and stories in SFF that centre disabled protagonist.
The most useful evolution in SF is the voice of the « disabled » writers and their protagonists.
We are the heroes, not the sidekicks: Building worlds and stories in SFF that centre disabled protagonist. From the program: « Many times when a disabled character is introduced into science fiction and fantasy, they are a token character, often crafted by authors who do not have lived experience of disability. »
In particular, Cait Gordon and Iris and the Crew tear Through Space . I also met a new fan, Elaine, who uses technology assistance to lead her own way as a enthusiast SF fan.
We are the heroes, not the sidekicks: Building worlds and stories in SFF that centre disabled protagonists
Friendship and good food!
Gilles and I dined on Saturday with Den, who is as generous as he can be grumpy. But a nice kind of grumpy.
Sunday evening, we had a quiet dinner at the Delta Pub with fellow SF writers: Lyn, Krista, Monica, Brenda, it was good to take the time to wind down with you, dear friends!
And new fans from this WWC will discover my fiction, always a plus.
Heritage Park
After the convention, my husband and I walked in the Heritage Park, passing close the the Owl’s Nest Bookshop that was present at the Convention. The next day, we followed the Bow River on foot, to the Calgary Downtown! The parks, the views were breath-taking.
Our only adventure was a bat haunting the open-air pool of the Carriage House Inn, in the evening!
