ConClave 34 Convention

As October 9th quickly approaches, I thought it best to mention the upcoming Conclave convention. I will be attending the convention, both for entertainment and as a panelist. Although the final panel list has not yet been released, I do know that there will be a number of enjoyable ones - for writers and fans of SF/Fantasy.

So why go to a convention? If you're a fan of genre fiction, it is a great place to meet people and discuss your favorite topics. You can also attend panels and join in on the discussions. Also, there is always something going on and something to do. Overall they can be great fun.

Now, if you're a writer, conventions are handy for meeting other writers, or editors. Usually there are a few panels dedicated to writing and publishing. Sit in on these and get information the easy way: by asking questions or jotting down notes.

This year at Conclave there will be the Writers Workshop - a three day workshop where a number of moderators, including me, comment upon submitted works. This is a great chance to meet with writers and editors one-on-one and ask a few questions.

There will also be panels covering the basics of freelance writing. Everything from manuscript formatting, to query letters, to submitting, finding markets, promoting, etc. will be discussed. Because the panels will be longer this year, much more can be covered.

Of course, there will be panels for experienced writers dealing with a variety of topics. I'll stop describing the panels and wait for this list appear on the website: ConClave 34

At the very least, drop by for a day and say hello to a few people. Hear some "inside buzz" and have a great time!

Oh, I nearly forgot - so I'm updating this post. There may be copies of the Dark Wisdom anthologies there (at least one). And a few of the authors appearing in the anthology will also be present.

Not speaking of computers. My drive recently crashed, and I lost a number of emails. So, if you've not heard from me, please re-send your email. Most everything else was restored. This technological hindrance did slow my writing pace, but for those who've been asking, here is another word count update. (I'm not really sure what that graphic means. Is the computer sticking it's tongue out at the potato? That is a potato, isn't it? Well, if I'm correct, my computer did just that - except I'm not a tuber. Hmmm. Some might disagree).

Books, Books, Books

I wanted to post this Friday, but I never managed to find the time. So I'm playing catch-up.

I have a few books of which I wanted to make mention. One the upcoming anthology Dark Wisdom: The Best of Dark Fiction. But the others are two titles that are great reads.

If you haven't had a chance to read John Shirley's novel Black Glass (the lost cyberpunk novel), give it a shot. It is available in bookstores, with a recent re-stock arriving at Barnes and Noble either very shortly or within the next week. Like all of John's works, it's clever, contemporary, and sharp. John never pulls any punches.

Also heading to bookstores, including Barnes and Noble as well, is Tim Curran's classic novel Hive. It's not too late to enjoy a chilling summer read. This novel has been in print for a while. Still, if you haven't read it, add it to your reading list. Tim captures the mood and feel of a cold, unforgiving antarctic research station that uncovers eternal horrors. And he'll be following this novel up with a sequel. So even if you've read Hive, it might be time to re-read it

As for Dark Wisdom: The Best of Dark Fiction, it isn't in bookstores yet. But I've had a few emails asking about what authors are in the anthology. The anthology is named after the internationally distributed, full color magazine Dark Wisdom. You might say it's the next stage of the magazine's evolution. For those who read Dark Wisdom, (originally named "Book of Dark Wisdom Magazine"), you'll know it went from digest size to full size, from B&W to color, and soon it will be reborn online.

As a "real" book, the anthology includes some of the classic tales printed in the magazine, some that were in the queue for future publication, and some collected tales of dark fiction. This makes it an amalgamation of things. But mainly, a "best of dark fiction" anthology. A complete table of contents will be revealed when the book ships to stores. Until then, I can reveal the author names. The following list is in order of appearancee in the anthology. For those familiar with the anthologies I edit, I tend to place tales in thematic progression, or in an order that highlights a story's theme. And it's always delightful to read the emails from readers who have divined the method to my madness. Of course, my hope is to make the anthology read like a larger work, not simply a collection of stories (something I did as the editor of the magazine as well).
Onward! Here is the present ordered list of authors:

Tom Piccirilli
Tim Curran
C.J. Henderson
John Pelan & Paul Melniczek
Wendy Leeds
Sherry Decker
John Shirley
Neddal Ayad
Rachel Gray
Alan Dean Foster
Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Peter Straub
Patricia Lee Macomber & David Niall Wilson
Christopher T. Leland
Richard A. Lupoff
Christopher Welch
Gene O'Neill
Bruce Boston & Lee Ballentine
Deanna Hoak
Christian Klaver
Lee Clarke Zumpe
Gerard Houarner
Sam W. Anderson
Richard Wright
James Argendeli

On Writing

Based on the title, I suppose I should attempt to write something profound about writing. That wasn't my intention. "Write." If you want to be a writer, then writing is the most difficult aspect of the job, and the most fundamental. I know it sounds silly. However, the most common barrier people encounter in writing is the writing aspect. It is tough work.

Okay, it's not profound or original. But maybe it is a little bit insightful.

I've spent the last few months wrestling with various projects, trying to complete each. I've finally reached a point to where it seems I've returned to where I've started - which means, some projects are complete. I'll start announcing a few of those next week. Or maybe even tomorrow.

For the moment, I've reset my writing counter, and embarked on another project. I typically divide my time between projects, so word count trackers are not accurate. Still, I'm going to use one. And I'm isolating it to a single project. This keeps it a bit more honest.

On the off chance someone is curious, the project I'm tracking now is a novel. I have a few to write in the next year, so I thought it'd be fun to track them.

I'll not venture into "my process" of writing. Although I'd love to hear how others approach a work such as a novel or short story. And if you have something you'd like to mention, please do. For those who are shy, emailing me is fine.

Traditional Instruments meet the Future

I wonder how many people in the world play what I'd call a traditional instrument? - violin, trumpet, drums, guitar, flute, etc. What I mean by traditional instruments is pretty much any musical instrument that requires time and training to master or even not master, but to learn to play at some level, and it is an instrument that has an original sound that can be identified with it. I know this places keyboard synthesizers in a gray area, so maybe we include them under "keyboards."

I bring this up because having spent years learning to play a variety of "traditional" instruments, I've now encountered modern, ergonomic, synthetic musical devices that can reproduce most any existing, or even non-existing, instrument. They have a short learning curve, require no calluses, and can even play by themselves, or accompany you. Actually, these machines can even play other electronic instruments.

Two examples of these devices are the MPC1000 and MASCHINE. In a few minutes, a person with some musical skills, and quite a bit of technological savvy, "play" one of these new instruments. I've included some YouTube links for samples.


This brings me to the argument I've heard. Some people state that traditional instruments are better because they do require mastery, and "just anyone" can't play them. The other side of this argument is that new-tech instruments are more democratic, and take the emphasis away from fine-tuning the body to play an instrument, allowing more time for the mind to create music. And of course, a single person can replace an orchestra.

Naturally, being a person who straddled the age of classical instruments into electronic instruments, I enjoy the originality and flexibility of both. But I wonder if "traditional instruments" have seen their day come and pass? Yes, for the present, they are required for most electronic devices to use as sample sources. But can they can they compete with the new age of musical instruments?

MASCHINE DEMO (YouTube)

MPC 1000 DEMO (YouTube)

Both videos have lengthy introductions, but it is worthy watching them for the actual demonstrations.