I’ll be at Rustycon this weekend!

Rustycon 34 is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention, held locally in at the Seatac Marriot, with approximately 500 – 700 people in attendance. They have multi–track programming in writing, art, gaming, cosplay and more. They also have a dealer’s room,  art show, game room, and a hospitality room for the general membership. Itinerary for Elizabeth Guizzetti

Fri Jan 13 3:00:pm	Fri Jan 13 4:00:pm	Magic or Religion?
Washington C		Priestess, cleric, mage, witch, sorcerer. What are the differences and who should I use in my story?
Bruce Taylor Elizabeth Guizzetti G.R. Theron Jeremy Zimmerman

 

Fri Jan 13 7:00:pm	Fri Jan 13 7:30:pm	Reading Elizabeth Guizzetti
Tacoma		Reading from Elizabeth Guizzetti’s newest work, The Grove. A sorcerer believes waking a few ancient gods will save humanity from itself. (And Elizabeth will bring chocolate chip macaroons using the recipe from the novel!)
Elizabeth Guizzetti

 

Fri Jan 13 8:00:pm	Fri Jan 13 9:00:pm	Are You Sure You Want To Go There?
Washington C		Writing about the darker things in life; Rape, torture, childhood trauma, Sex with Dwarves. Sometimes it’s done for a laugh. Sometimes it is done for an emotional response. Sometimes, we ask ourselves “What was THAT all about?!” This will be a panel that goes into the darker side of writing, where the envelope is not only pushed but fed to the shredder. When is “shock” essential to the story, and when is it sensational?
Bruce Taylor Elizabeth Guizzetti G.R. Theron John Lovett

 

Sat Jan 14 12:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 1:00:pm	Self-Publishing – When and Why to go Indie
Tacoma		Self-publishing is a viable career path, but is it for you? Discover the answer as a formerly traditionally-published author gone indie takes you through the ins and outs of what you need to consider when looking at self publishing. Includes balancing the risks and rewards, questions of creative control and freedom, and, of course, the financial side of things.
Elizabeth Guizzetti Tod McCoy

Sat Jan 14 12:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 1:00:pm	Self-Publishing – When and Why to go Indie
Tacoma		Self-publishing is a viable career path, but is it for you? Discover the answer as a formerly traditionally-published author gone indie takes you through the ins and outs of what you need to consider when looking at self publishing. Includes balancing the risks and rewards, questions of creative control and freedom, and, of course, the financial side of things.
Elizabeth Guizzetti Tod McCoy

Sat Jan 14 3:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 4:00:pm	How do I finish???
Washington C		You have the story, the big climax.. how do you end it?? A lot of beginning writers (and some pros) have problems with that. Come get some ideas.
April Daniels Elizabeth Guizzetti John Lovett Tom D Wright

 

Sat Jan 14 5:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 6:00:pm	The Bechdel Test
Washington C		What is the The Bechdel test and why does it matter? Do you have at least two female characters in your novel that have conversation *not* about a man? Discuss why this is so important, especially in genres that aren’t romance.
Elizabeth Guizzetti John Lovett Rebecca Birch Sienna Saint-Cyr

 

Sat Jan 14 7:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 8:00:pm	Self Marketing for Artists and Writers
Evergreen I		Some basics can be applied to any self-marketing. What has worked in the past for our panelists, what have they tried that was a total bomb?
Anthea Sharp Elizabeth Guizzetti Michael Suiter Rob Carlos

 

Sat Jan 14 8:00:pm	Sat Jan 14 9:00:pm	Why the heck do I write?
Washington C		Lousy pay, long lonely hours, no recognition. Heinlein called it the other solitary vice. Pros and not-so-pros discuss why they keep on writing.
Bruce Taylor Elizabeth Guizzetti Geoffrey Quick Richard Gilmore

 

Sun Jan 15 2:00:pm	Sun Jan 15 3:00:pm	Violence in our World, Violence in our Stories
Everett		Let’s do some soul searching. Are there any super hero movies that don’t end with the hero physically pounding on the villain? Do all SF/fantasy novels tell readers that violence is the only real answer? What stories avoid violence and yet still grip the reader from start to finish? Are there stories we are not telling?
April Daniels Elizabeth Guizzetti Michael S. Warner Tom D Wright

I am a great big nobody- and I’m okay with it! Advice no one wants to hear…

Okay full confession, “I’m a great big nobody and I’m okay with it!” is inspired from a Dear Polly that I read last year. This lady, hurtling toward 50, had some successes as an author—published books—but never broke through to the next level. She was thinking about giving up. Best line: “…if I read one more “follow your dreams” platitude from someone lucky enough to be picked by Oprah, I may go out of my gourd. I’ve been walking in the direction of my dreams for the past 20 years, and now I’m fucking stalled, scared, and frustrated.”

Dear Polly said: “Stop pressing your face to the glass of someone else’s party. Enjoy the party unfolding around you. She basically suggested this mantra “I AM AN OLD NOBODY AND I LOVE WHAT I DO.”

I get it. It’s hard to enjoy your “own party” since no one respects the average writer, not even the average writer, which is kind of weird since we all know everybody wants to be a writer. We all have dreams about what we want. We are all trying to do the best we can. Most of us are trying to do it without wounding our moral compass or harming our loved ones. I know the lady sitting across the table at the coffee house wants to be an author. I can read her notes.

I am an average American writer for this epoch. I have both self published and published novels. I have a couple of short stories published too. Weirdly, most people don’t think I am a success–including myself. Yet there are a few struggling authors who find me an object of envy. I’m cruising towards 40.

Around the same time I read this Dear Polly, I was flipping out about The Light Side of the Moon and my pal, Evan asked the most important question. “So how many books do you think you can write even if they only do as well as Other Systems?”

Damn his logic. The answer is/was at least a solid twenty. Then I realized: I won’t ever give up writing and art. I love this shit!  Yes, I have goals. (Hell, I write a profit assessment for every project to do.) But no matter what happens,  as long as I am able, I’m going to keep creating. 

That doesn’t mean I’m going to a “success” the way other people mean it. Our society bases our worth on how much money we make. You must tell yourself, that you are okay with where ever you are in your career. I don’t need to worry about breaking through and neither do you, because that’s half luck anyway.

And if you don’t believe me or Dear Polly: Listen to Picard.

 

Want to be a writer? Here is some more great advice from Chuck Windig: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/02/21/25-things-i-want-to-say-to-so-called-aspiring-writers/

Writing advice for #NaNoWriMo folks and anyone else who ever wanted to write a book!

Since it is NaNoWriMo month, this is my best advice for anyone who wants to write a novel.

1) Write what you love.

There are two basic problems with writing for the market is that you limit yourself as a writer AND writing a saleable book and getting it published takes time. By the time you get your opus to market, the market has probably moved on.

 

2) Hard work trumps inspiration.

Inspiration is fickle. Hard work matters. I’m telling you, if you want to be an author only one thing matters: butt in chair and words on a page. Enough said.

 

3) Focus on the present.

Stop thinking about seeing your book on TV. Don’t look at previous triumphs and failures. They don’t matter anymore to your current project than your jerk of a sophomore English Teacher who said you can’t string two sentences together. Focus on the ‘right-now’ and the right now it is your job to put words on a page.

And once that novel is completed…

4) Face rejection/critiques like an ADULT.

We all face it. We all have ways to deal with it. Be sad, that’s natural, but realize after every rejection there is a next step. Take that step. And if you get rejection with personal feedback, read it closely. Is there something to be gleaned from this?

 

5) Face success like an ADULT.

Don’t shove your successes into other people’s face. Be humble, because another failure is just around the corner.  Marketing takes work–almost as much work as writing the damn thing. Anyone who says its easy is generally trying to sell you a book on how to market your book.

There is the myth of “If I just get my foot in the door…” It’s a myth. My second book The Martlet was rejected over 30 times. I thought once I was published the first time the next time it would be easier. Nope.

So good luck, and get writing, everyone!

And please feel free to add your own writing advice in the comments if you wish!