Indie Author, Podcaster
Wow. The James River Writers conference was phenomenal. This was the 10th and the best yet. Lots of thoughts, but I’ll share a link to Leila’s post, 8 Take Aways for the 2012 JRW Conference.
What I love most about the conference is the new friendships you make. If you haven’t attended the JRW conference this year, please consider going next year. You’ll love it and find it worthwhile.
Came across this interview with L.A. Confidential writer James Ellroy on the Telegraph website.
Came across this interview with L.A. Confidential writer James Ellroy on the Telegraph website.
I can’t recall if I’ve read any of his novels, though I had met him at a book signing in Michigan. Still I liked the details about his everyday life as a writer: Up at 5:30 for black coffee and oatmeal; writes with a fountain pen (I love those, but haven’t used mine in quite a while); sends out friends for field research.
In addition to the panelists at the Writing Show last night, there was a representative for NaNoWriMo — National Novel Writing Month.
In addition to the panelists at the Writing Show last night, there was a representative for NaNoWriMo — National Novel Writing Month. I had first heard of this event last year but didn’t participate. It’s held every November, challenging all (non-)writers to write 50,000 words beginning midnight Nov. 1 through 11:59 Nov. 30.
Learn more at the NaNoWriMo website. There appears to be a lot useful stuff there, including pep talks and community support. I intend to sign up and give it a shot. It may be the kick in the tuchas I need.
Will you participate this year? Have you in the past? What was your experience?
Tonight’s James River Writers Writing Show focused on writing groups.
Tonight’s James River Writers Writing Show focused on writing groups. Fittingly, all the members of our writing group showed up (a first!).
The Show’s panelists included authors Carolyn Parkhurst (The Dogs of Babel), Leslie Pietrzyk (A Year and a Day) and Susann Cokal (Breath and Bones). Poet and novelist Virginia Pye moderated the discussion.
From my notes I wrote that Pietrzyk begins her novels with a question that she can’t answer and a paradox — two things that are each true but cannot be true together. The first part resonated with me. That is, what is the central question in my novel? It isn’t the approach I took — my novel had begun with the characters, but still I think it’s worth examining. So that’s some homework for me.
I also took to heart Cokal’s suggestion that when your work is critiqued, do not immediately make revisions to incorporate them. Keep writing forward, rather than stopping to go back and revise. I am doing that now (revisions) and I don’t like it, though I feel that I must. I want to finish a complete draft. It seems forever out of reach.
When the topic of research came up, I liked Cokal’s remark that reserch is her chance to experience the world of her novel. They all agreed that a few vivid and true details can be all that is necessary to convince the reader that you have been to a place you never visited, but the moment the reader catches you in something implausible, then you may lose them.
I was happy to spot Steve from Fountain Books. I had the opportunity to thank him for his recommendation. Then we discussed The Magicians, which we both liked. He seemed to agree with my point about being a magician is akin to being an alcoholic in Grossman’s novel.
I’m following up this post with NaNoWriMo (hopefully tomorrow if not tonight).
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to reread the multi-mini-series comic book, Vigil.
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to reread the multi-mini-series comic book, Vigil. Written by Arvin Loudermilk and illustrated by Mike Iverson, the vampire comic first appeared for two issues in 1992 under the imprint Innovation. Over the years it changed from Innovation to Millenium to Duality Press (the creators’ own imprint).
The series has held up since I had first read the title — wow! 17 years ago. (I feel old now.)
The story centers on a vampire named Grace Kimble who is one tough blonde with a serious crush on big guns. (Think Sarah Connor of T2.) In the first story, she aims to take down a late-night talk show host who is a vampire pretending to be a human pretending to be a vampire. With his fame and wealth he gets many unsuspecting women in bed and thereby their blood. In Grace’s efforts to stop him, she inadvertently involves the clueless movie star, Greg Tonell. Nonetheless, Grace ends the talk show host’s life. Unfortunately, Tonell is wrongfully implicated in the murder and the two have to escape to Mexico.
The subsequent one-shots and mini-series follow them searching for a cure for Grace’s “affliction,” falling in love with each other and eluding myriad enemies who want Kimble, Tonell or both captured/killed.
The art is black-and-white and realistically drawn. The style works with the writing, very cinematic. Like an action film there are lots of panels and pages with hand-to-hand fighting, gunfire and narrow escapes. Written for mature readers.
I like that it’s a simple, well-told story.
A vampire mythology isn’t touched on in the series. Grace considers herself infected with a virus, though she refers to herself as a vampire. She’s hard to put down, heals quickly and is quite cold. She struggles to be human and relies on Tonell for the right push. Tonell goes through a nice arc through the series.
Have you read this?