Heading to Boston and other stuff

Well, I’m traveling again. This time, for work. I’m heading to Inbound 2015 in Boston and I’m pretty excited about the trip. It’s an opportunity to get my marketing on, learn some new stuff and, of course, eat some good damned food. I’ll be there through Friday, but before I head out, figured I’d give you some of the updates I promised.

Marketing

Marketing is the thing I do during those pesky daylight hours.  I explained it a bit on Facebook not too long ago.  Dunno if you saw/read/cared about it or not, but I did it over there and you are free to check it out if you want.  A lot of it boils down to me being like those people who used to spin plates on poles…

In the same way Worldcon lets me recharge my writer and fan batteries, something like InBound allows me to recharge the marketing cells in my brain.  Plus, free trip to Boston, where they have that 24 hour Italian Bakery with the cannoli…

Figuring it out

It’s taken me a while to figure out what was going on with me.  I stopped doing some stuff, like blogging and the panel episodes over on the SF Signal podcast, and it was all related.  Anealio and I discussed it on and off air, and he noticed I was angry, and I was.  DeNardo picked up on it too.

I was angry about Worldcon, the Hugos and all the crap going on in and out of the community.

Eventually, I was able to articulate how I feel, like a child caught between parents in a particularly nasty divorce.  I mentioned above how Worldcon lets me recharge, and that’s very true.  It took me a really long time to find people who could relate to me, and I to them.  My own family has never really ‘gotten’ me.  The things I like, many in my family consider to be ‘kid stuff’, and that includes science fiction and fantasy novels.  It’s like they keep waiting for me to grow up, and some have even said as much.  So, to find people who like the things I like, and speak my speak, well, I found my tribe.  And, to my surprise, I was accepted by the tribe, welcomed even.

To have so much anger and vitriol going back and forth, to see the pain, well, I took it personally.  Very personally.  And I haven’t dealt with it very well.  I shut down, for the most part.

It’s taken talks with Anealio and DeNardo, and also JT and some other folks, as well as going to WorldCon in Spokane and being with my people, to help me feel better about it all – and I do.

I recorded a panel for the SF Signal podcast just last week,

…and I feel better.

Writing

I keep writing.  Went through a bad patch there, too.  Came out the other end feeling stronger.  Much of what I’m writing these days is better than anything I’ve written before.  Part of that comes from finding the fun in writing again.  Or maybe with having fun writing again.  I blame that on R.L. Stine. And JT.

My critique group shrank and grew sorta kinda at the same time.  We lost one member to some medical stuff – not dead or anything, just unable to maintain his seat at the table, another is on hiatus, and two have been swamped by work and unable to attend meetings, but we also added two – and they just happen to be two of my favorite people in the world.  So there’s that.  I love what they write, and so far, they’re fantastic critique partners and a really good addition to an already strong group of people.  I’m seriously jazzed.

Let’s see, what else?  One of my books is on the desk of an acquisitions editor, so that’s good.  I’ve nearly almost gotten a new Cahill story published to Amazon, and a third has begun its way through the aforementioned critique group.

So on the writing front, things are looking good.

Life Stuff

I’m single again.  Mom is mom – no changes there.  My brother pretty much lives in my house now.  Wheee.  The cat still wakes me up in the middle of the night.  Zombie dice rule.  Garage/Yard sales blow.  Elder Signs is a ridiculously fun game.  Season 3 of Stargate Sg1 is still one of my favorites (I might be rewatching the whole shows run at the moment…shhh).  Bob’s Burgers is one of the best and most underrated shows you should be watching.  iPhone updates suck.

…on to Boston.