writing | Michael A. Ventrella

Young Adult Authors Panel

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

I will be a guest author at the Doylestown Book Store’s Young Adult Author Panel this weekend. (The books are written for young adults, not that the authors are young adults.)

Also participating will be Josh Berk, Kate Brian, Alissa Grosso, E.C. Myers, Jennifer Murgia, Tiffany Schmidt, and Nicole Zoltack.

This will be on Friday, October 18th at 7:00 pm. Details are here on their web page. Do not let the picture of Newt Gingrich on the top scare you away; his book promotion tour won’t be there that night.

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My Capclave 2013 schedule

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

This year, I will be attending the Washington DC convention Capclave for the first time, and it looks to be great fun. The Guest of Honor is George R. R. Martin, and other guests include many people who you may have met through my interviews here: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Philippa Ballantine, Gardner Dozois, Val Griswold-Ford, Mike McPhail, Tee Morris, James Morrow, Lawrence M. Schoen, Hildy Silverman, Bud Sparhawk, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and Allen Wold, among many others. Links to each of these interviews are to the left.)

Capclave is held over the Columbus Day weekend (October 11th)

They’re keeping me busy, as I like, and I’m moderating a few of these panels.

Here’s my schedule:

So You Want To Be A Writer?: We did it before and we’ll do it again! Authors discuss how they became a writer, and why you should(n’t) Writers share their experiences and offer advice to those interested in becoming a professional writer. Pay it forward. With Matt Betts, Michael Dirda, Laura Anne Gilman, Alma Katsu, Dina Leacock, and Bud Sparhawk. (Friday 4 pm)

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Once we could only watch cartoons on Saturday morning, now they get entire channels. What are the best sf/fantasy cartoons ever? What did you learn from them? How have cartoons influenced other media and even reality? With Matt Betts, E.C. Myers, Sherin Nicole, and Steve Stiles. (Friday 5 pm)

Buy My Book: Self promotion and you. Nervous about talking about your books and stories? There are some things you should do and avoid when talking about your writing. With Philippa Ballantine, Jennifer Barnes, and John Edward Lawson (Friday 6 pm)

Reading: This is where I will read from my work, and probably my humorous short story “The Jesus Secret.” (Saturday 9:30 am)

Moving Beyond the Small Press: A look at how small presses in the age of the eReaders – where anyone can be a publisher – have their limits, and what to do when you’ve hit them. There is also the additional pressure of performing on a higher level. Listen to panelists describe what to do when you have plateaued with your own independent publisher, and what lies ahead if or when you step up to corporate publishers. With Philippa Ballantine, Ron Garner, and Lawrence M. Schoen (Saturday 10 am)

Mass Signing: The Saturday evening mass autographing session. With Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Catherine Asaro, Eric Bakutis, Philippa Ballantine, Matt Betts, Matt Bishop, Neil Clarke, Tom Doyle, Andrew Fox, Charles E. Gannon, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Laura Anne Gilman, Bob Greenberger, John G. Hemry, Alma Katsu, Annette Klause, John Edward Lawson, Dina Leacock, Edward M. Lerner, Marianne Mancusi, George R.R. Martin, James Maxey, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, James Morrow, Diana Peterfreund, Patrick Scaffido, Lawrence M. Schoen, Jon Skovron, Alan Smale, Michelle D. Sonnier, Bud Sparhawk, Janine Spendlove, Michael Swanwick, Jean Marie Ward, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Steven H. Wilson, Leona Wisoker, and K. Ceres Wright (Saturday 7:30 pm)

The Eye of Argon: Our panelists read the worst fantasy story ever written, mistakes and all, and if they laugh or read it incorrectly, they are forced to act out the story. Just try not to fall over laughing! With Tee Morris, Hildy Silverman, and Ian Randal Strock (Saturday midnight)

Not Another Lawyer Joke: So we all know lawyers just make the stuff up as they go along. Or is that just the ones in fiction? How does fiction and popular media portray the law and lawyers? What do they do right and wrong? What about all those Law and Order shows? With Day Al-Mohamed and Jim Stratton (Sunday 9 am)

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Interview with Campbell award-winning author Mur Lafferty

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am pleased to be interviewing Mur Lafferty, who just recently won the John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer. Mur lives in Durham, North Carolina, and her web page is here. She is a podcaster and her first traditionally published book is THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY, published in May from Orbit.

I was fortunate enough to share a reading with her at a recent convention, and enjoyed it tremendously!

Mur, after hearing your reading, I didn’t think I could be further impressed by you, and then you went and won the John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer! Tell us about that!

MUR LAFFERTY: It was an amazing experience. I was in my second and last year of eligibility and it was a tight field. Oddly enough, last year several people told me they thought I had a good chance (I came in 4th), while this year everyone looked doubtful and said it was a really strong field and they didn’t know who would take it. Which was good because I didn’t get my hopes up, and was really surprised when I won.

VENTRELLA: Let’s discuss the podcasts. How did you first become involved in that?

LAFFERTY: I heard about podcasting in 2004 soon after it was created and knew I wanted to be involved. It took a couple of months to decide what I wanted to talk about, but I launched my first geek-oriented show that December. I’ve done several different shows since, and still enjoying it a great deal.

VENTRELLA: Many of your podcast stories are now available as kindle downloads – did you use a specific publisher for these?

LAFFERTY: No, I hired freelancers for layout and editing and cover art, but I published them myself.

VENTRELLA: Can we expect paperback editions soon?

LAFFERTY: It’s unlikely. I like the concept of POD (I used to work at Lulu) but I’ve found the cost per book too high for reasonable sales.

VENTRELLA: Do you advise other authors to podcast their work, or do you think this would only be worthwhile for a certain type of fiction?

LAFFERTY: It’s hard to say. The podcast fiction market is pretty busy right now, and it’s so much work for not a lot of return. When I started doing it, there were far fewer authors doing it, so it was easier to stand out. I’m not sure I would do it these days if I didn’t already have some kind of blog/podcast following.

VENTRELLA: You have also written about gaming (which is where I also got my start, in Dragon magazine all those years ago) … did you write about games or were you creating games (or modules) yourself?

LAFFERTY: Both. I was writing for RPGs at White Wolf, but I also had a nonfiction column in Knights of the Dinner Table for several years. I discussed the geeky lifestyle, parenting as a gamer, and other topics important to me as a gamer, a writer, a mom, a geek, and a woman.

VENTRELLA: How do you publicize yourself and get the word out?

LAFFERTY: I’ve been active on Twitter and Facebook for years, and my podcast is another way to promote myself. I just try to stay active, talk about things that I enjoy, and help promote others.

VENTRELLA: For the Shambling Guides, did you get an agent? If so, tell us about the process!

LAFFERTY: My agent story is long and detailed and likely far too long. In short, my agent at the time was more interested in selling another one of my books, and in networking via conventions I got my book in the hands of the editors at Orbit. They sent me an offer and I sent it to my agent to negotiate it.

I had had unproductive experiences with agents in the past, and this one was looking at successful Kickstarter campaigns and found the campaign I did for my novella series, The Afterlife Series, and contacted me. I was hesitant, but she convinced me. A year later she quit being an agent and I got picked up by my current agent at the same agency.

None of my agent experiences are standard, or contain advice I could give others, I’m afraid. It’s been a strange road.

The only advice I can give is a bad agent relationship (and I’m not even talking about crooks, just agents you don’t click with) is worse than no relationship at all.

VENTRELLA: How do you research? Did you live in New York for a while?

LAFFERTY: I wish! I love the city, visited a couple of times, and did a lot of research in books and online and with friends who live in the city.

VENTRELLA: Your next Shambling Guide is for New Orleans – why did you pick that city?

LAFFERTY: The series began in NOLA with a short story I’d written for a charity guide to benefit the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. By the time I wrote the New York book, the fictional world had changed a bit, and I’d always meant to go back and revisit the city that got me started.

VENTRELLA: Where do you expect to go next?

LAFFERTY: I’d love to go to Orlando, Vegas, San Francisco, or London. I’m not contracted for any more, though, so it’s up in the air.

VENTRELLA: Do you find yourself creating the setting first, characters first, or plot first? How do you organize your work? Are you an outliner or a pantser?

LAFFERTY: I get a plot first, and then put characters in it. Setting depends on the book I’m writing; if it’s a Shambling Guide, of course it’s a decision made early in the book, otherwise it could be later. I’m a pantser but wish I could outline. I’ve tried. Really.

VENTRELLA: How have you handled collaboration?

LAFFERTY: I’ve only collaborated on one thing, a self published novella + photography project called HER SIDE I did with my friend JR Blackwell, a very dark and bloody story about the birth of a serial killer. We brainstormed about it, usually her telling me a vague idea, me fine tuning it, then she took her photographs and sent her favorites to me and I chose the ones I wanted to include with the book. She’s a writer as well, so I listened when she had issue on the climax, and her comments made it a lot better.

VENTRELLA: What advice do you have for beginning writers concerning getting published? Is self-publishing a reasonable way to begin?

LAFFERTY: I have no idea these days! The self publishing world is getting very clogged with content and it’s hard to stand out. The people making millions are the exceptions, I’m afraid. I don’t look down on self publishing — I can’t, I do it myself — but I do worry that a lot of people are doing it because they are afraid of rejection in the publishing world. But they don’t realize that often the publishing world is a lot more professional with their rejections than, say, a bad Amazon review. I recommend attempting traditional publishing while self publishing, but always being confident in your work. Make sure you’re publishing good stuff.

When it comes to self publishing, remember, you need to make it professional, a lot of people overlook the need for editing, the need for proper ebook layout, and the need for a good cover. They’re unwilling to spend the money, and put out non-professional books. Don’t do that.

VENTRELLA: Tell us about “I Should Be Writing” which is something in which all aspiring writers should have an interest…

LAFFERTY: In 2005, Michael A. Stackpole had a writing podcast called “The Secrets”, a show from the POV of a veteran writer. I enjoyed it, but wondered if we could use a show that spoke to writers about the things that really slow us down at the beginning, namely the angst within that tells us over and over to quit. So I discuss how the writing career is full of rejections, and nothing will kill you (Salmon Rushdie is the exception), and persistence is key. I also explore my own anxieties mainly to let people know that they are not alone. It’s also a platform for me to interview established writers to promote them and have them give their own writing advice.

VENTRELLA: What criticism of your work do you disagree with the most?

LAFFERTY: Gosh, I don’t know. I am so critical of myself I often agree with criticisms. Publishers Weekly mentioned my weak romantic plot, and I’ve always felt romance is a weakness of mine, so I couldn’t really get mad about that. And I try to avoid online reviews for a variety of reasons — if I’m a grownup, I say that the reviews are for the reader, not for me, and if I’m a little less mature I just say, well, there’s nothing I can do about it if it’s negative, it’s not like I can edit the book to suit them (and likely can’t edit the next one either because it’s already turned in), and if I’m not mature at all I’ll admit I’m a fragile flower and don’t like reading things that make me sad. So criticisms are either a) from my editor and something to work on, b) things I agree with, or c) something I haven’t read because I don’t want to cry.

VENTRELLA: All writers basically write what they would like to read. So what do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

LAFFERTY: Growing up, it was Robin McKinley, Anne McCaffrey, and Madeline L’Engle. They wrote fantasy with prominent female characters and I was delighted to find books with a hero I could identify with.

VENTRELLA: What advice would you give an aspiring author that you wish someone had given you?

LAFFERTY: You will make mistakes, and there are very few mistakes that will kill your career. There will be stumbles and mistakes and bad decisions, but the only thing that will stop you from writing is yourself.

Also, there will always be someone better than you. That’s OK. it should drive you to write more, not less.

Me & Mur at Balticon 2013

Filed under: writing | Tagged: agents, literary agent, Mur Lafferty, podcast, Shambling Guide to New York City | Leave a comment »

Interview with NY Times Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I’m pleased to be interviewing author Kevin J. Anderson, the author of 120 books, 51 of which appeared on bestseller lists; he has 23 million copies in print in 30 languages. Kevin coauthored thirteen DUNE novels with Brian Herbert, as well as their original HELLHOLE trilogy. He followed his epic “Saga of Seven Suns” series with his “Terra Incognita” fantasy trilogy, and wrote the novel CLOCKWORK ANGELS based on the new Rush album. He recently launched a hilarious new series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie PI. In addition to numerous STAR WARS projects, he wrote three X-FILES novels and collaborated with Dean Koontz on FRANKENSTEIN: PRODIGAL SON. He is also one of the founding members of the premiere seminar for writing careers, Superstars Writing Seminars. His web page is here.

Science fiction and fantasy can often overlap. Do you tend to think about balancing the two in your books?

KEVIN J. ANDERSON:No, I think about the story and not about the genre. Much of my science fiction epics are modeled after fantasy epics and tropes, but they are still science fiction. My Saga of Seven Suns and the follow-up the Saga of Shadows are like big fantasy series in the plot structure, character archetypes, and the sweep of the story.

VENTRELLA: As a scientist, do you try to find scientific ways to explain magic?

ANDERSON: I apply my scientific experience in my worldbuilding, which is what I’m probably best known for. If it’s a fantasy series, I develop the magic system as rigorously as I develop alien cultures or environments. In the only big fantasy trilogy I’ve done, Terra Incognita, I have a very complex system of sympathetic magic (no wizards waving wands at singing elves), but the culture and history are based on meticulous research into our Age of Discovery, Prince Henry the Navigator, the Crusades, sailing ships. I like to get the details right.

VENTRELLA: Would you ever consider writing a standard fantasy with wizards and elves? If not, can you think of an example where it would interest you?

ANDERSON: I did write a trilogy — GAMEARTH, GAMEPLAY, and GAME’S END — set in a Dungeons & Dragons type of role-playing game, which has dragons, ogres, big evil. But it’s also got some interesting twists, a meta-fiction both inside and outside the game. That was how I made it interesting to me.

VENTRELLA: Do you find yourself creating the setting first, characters first, or plot first? How do you organize your work?

ANDERSON: You don’t build a giant cathedral without drawing a blueprint first. My big novels — the Dune series, Hellhole, the Saga of Seven Suns, Terra Incognita — are all immensely complex with myriad plot strands, interacting characters, choreographed battles. I create the setting, characters, and plot all together interactively.

VENTRELLA: You’ve also written superhero stories — do you consider those science fiction or fantasy or neither?

ANDERSON: I wrote THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON, a detailed science fiction epic about the fall of the planet Krypton, written with as much ambitious plotting as my own big epics. ENEMIES & ALLIES is a very rational superhero story set during the Cold War, with Bruce Wayne trying to analyze scientifically how to reproduce Superman’s superpowers.

VENTRELLA: Do you like writing in someone else’s universe? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

ANDERSON: I am a fanboy and I love the media universes I work in. I grew up with Superman and Batman; I saw Star Wars when it first showed in theaters; I watched every episode of Star Trek, day after day. I love writing those stories, even if it means headaches with the licensor’s lawyers or continuity experts. You certainly get a lot of readers who come to those books, and many of those readers go on to read my other work.

VENTRELLA: It seems that the advantage of novels over graphic comics is being able to get into the heads of your characters more -– is that what attracted you to the idea?

ANDERSON: I got into writing comics much later, after having published many novels. There are different strengths to the mediums. My first comics were for Star Wars, which is an amazing visual property, and I leveraged that with my comics.

VENTRELLA: When writing about Batman or Superman, do you have a specific one in mind? A specific writer or actor? Or do you create your own version?

ANDERSON: I had my very favorites among the comics and movie versions, but I tried to make it all fit into an original interpretation.

VENTRELLA: When adding new Dune stories, have you tried to copy Herbert’s style at all? Did you feel limited in any way?

ANDERSON: Not at all. Brian Herbert and I each developed our own styles over the course of our careers, and Frank Herbert was such a master with his own distinct voice we would never try to copy it. We set our stories in the world Frank Herbert created, but we don’t try to imitate him.

VENTRELLA: Of all of the other universes you’ve been allowed to play in, which is your favorite?

ANDERSON: Oh, don’t make me pick! If I had to, I suppose Star Wars and Krypton were my favorites.

VENTRELLA: How have you handled collaboration? Do you and Rebecca (for instance) plan out a story together or does one do a first draft and the next polish and so on? Is it different with other collaborators?

ANDERSON: Each collaboration is different, each partner is different. In my collaborations, we follow the same model: we discuss the complete novel, work out all the plot details together, then write the outline. We divide up the chapters, each writer taking half, then we each write our chapters and swap them for as many edits as it takes.

VENTRELLA: You maintain a great presence with your fans — an active blog, convention appearances, Facebook posts and the like. How do you manage to find time to write? And is this all that important?

ANDERSON: It’s extremely important to maintain contact with your fans. They are the ones who keep your books alive, who tell their friends and spread the word. Social media makes it much easier and much more personal. I make the time for it because I think it’s vital. If I didn’t have dedicated fans, I wouldn’t be able to have the job I love.

VENTRELLA: Do you think it is important to fight back politically against those who would deny science?

ANDERSON: That is such a hard one. I used to get involved in vocal arguments over political disagreements, but that absorbed huge amounts of my time and energy … and I lost a lot of readers. I now keep my politics to myself.

VENTRELLA: Many established authors are now self-publishing their back catalogues themselves, avoiding the big publishers completely. Some are even handling their new releases on their own. What are the disadvantages of doing so?

ANDERSON: You have to do all the work, and many writers don’t know how to do all of those steps. That’s the pitfall. You can do it all, but sometimes you need a professional. Kind of like putting in new plumbing. That said, I’ve spent the past twenty five years learning all the steps and i feel I do know what I’m doing. My wife and I are the publishers of WordFire Press, which now has over 80 titles up, not just of my own back stock but of other authors as well, including Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, Bill Ransom, Doug Beason, Neil Peart, Brad R. Torgersen, Michael A. Baron, and Pulitzer prize winner Allen Drury. We’ve done very well with it.

VENTRELLA: What book do you advise for the starting Anderson reader and why?

ANDERSON: I think I would suggest CLOCKWORK ANGELS (a wonderful steampunk fantasy based on the new Rush concept album), CAPTAIN NEMO (an alternate historical about Jules Verne and his creation), and especially the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series. Those were the books I had the most fun with.

VENTRELLA: What criticism of your work do you disagree with the most?

ANDERSON: When people dislike a book I wrote before they even read it (this from some die-hard media fans who refuse to consider anybody else’s interpretation)

VENTRELLA: All writers basically write what they would like to read. So what do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

ANDERSON: I like to sink my teeth into big epics, such as the works of Dan Simmons, Larry McMurtry, and Frank Herbert.

VENTRELLA: What advice would you give an aspiring author that you wish someone had given you?

ANDERSON: Learn your business and treat writing as a business, a career, not just a creative exercise.

VENTRELLA: What projects can we expect from you next?

ANDERSON: I’ve got more Dan Shamble Zombie PI books coming, then MENTATS OF DUNE in March, a new trilogy set in the Seven Suns universe, THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS, out next June, and the third and final HELLHOLE novel out next August.

Filed under: writing | Tagged: Batman, Clockwork Angels, Dune, Kevin J. Anderson, Saga of Seven Suns, Star Wars, Superman, Terra Incognita, X-Files | Leave a comment »

What’s in a Query letter?

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

Over a year ago, I discussed query letters and mentioned that I’d share mine, which could be used as an example.

My goal was to post it and then say, “Thanks to this letter, I now have an agent who is shopping around my manuscript.”

Well, that hasn’t happened (yet).

Admittedly, I tend to send out a bunch and then wait, instead of making this a regular process. I have a friend who sent out over a hundred before finding an agent, and there are plenty of stories of very successful authors — such as J.K. Rowling — who had similar experiences. I haven’t sent out that many yet, so maybe there’s still hope for me.

(an example of a bad query letter)

A query letter, however, is not like bait on a fish hook. An agent may really like your work but is not sure how to sell it, or thinks the market won’t be interested, or just doesn’t handle that kind of literature. (After all, if you are a heavy metal band, you don’t want to approach an agent who only represents bluegrass bands.)

I’ve shown my query letter to a number of professionals in the business who think it’s pretty good, so at least I am presenting myself properly. Let’s go over it, so you can use it as a guideline. (Note: Your query letter should not look exactly like mine. You are a writer; be yourself. Just make sure you include the important parts the agents look for.)

I start my query letter off with a personal note to the agent explaining why I am sending the letter to him or her. This is important. You’re not just randomly picking agent names off a list, after all — you’re doing your research (right?). You are looking for agents that handle your genre and who represent writers whose style may be similar to yours.

And of course, make sure you have their name spelled right! (These are all fake names below, by the way.)

Dear Ms. Dent,

Given your representation of Edward Pendleton and your recent Penguin deal for Louise Franks, I believe my latest manuscript may interest you.

With these few comments, I have shown that (a) I am professional enough to use Publisher’s Marketplace and (b) I have done my research as to which agents may be right for my work.

Next, I give a short description of the book, listing the word count and the genre. SPOILER ALERT.

“Bloodsuckers” is an 77,000 word political thriller punctuated by character-driven humor. It’s where The West Wing meets the bat wing.

In “Bloodsuckers,” disgraced journalist Steven Edwards considers the “Batties”—the loonies who believe that vampires are real and that Presidential candidate Norman Mark is one—just another crazy tin-foil extremist group. Then someone shoots at Mark, changes into a bat, and flies away before Steve’s eyes, leaving him as the prime suspect. With the help of the Batties, Steve goes underground. The only way he can establish his innocence is by proving vampires exist—not an easy task while on the run from both the FBI and the bloodsuckers.

The novel explores the choices we make in politics, as the protagonist is slowly seduced into abandoning his ethics for a greater goal—which becomes a delicious irony when the vampire candidate is ultimately revealed to be Niccolo Machiavelli himself.

This description has worked a few times. I’ve had three agents like the idea and ask to see the manuscript. Unfortunately, two decided not to go forward, and one has yet to get back to me.

Note that the description does contain a spoiler. Agents want to know that you can end the story well. If the agent has requested a synopsis, it should not be a teaser.

Next, I give a short biography. First, I mention my experience in the area to show that I am “writing what I know.” For instance, if your novel takes place in Australia and you are an Australian resident, mention that. If it’s a novel about bowling and you are a professional bowler, that’s something that’s important.

I then mention previous publications, to show that I have been edited and published before. This helps a lot, even if all you have are short stories. Self-published works aren’t as impressive unless you can add “and have sold 10,000 copies” or something similar.

I then mention social media and promotional appearances to show that I am willing to help sell the book. Finally, I point out that my books have been reviewed by published authors, which hopefully will encourage the agent to check out my web page.

Note that this is all really basic and short. I could easily spend three paragraphs on all this, but the agent doesn’t need all that just yet.

I am an attorney with a Political Science degree who has managed many campaigns over the years. Double Dragon has published my two novels and two short story collections I have edited, and other short stories have appeared in various anthologies. I have been actively promoting my work through my blog, Facebook and Twitter, and by being a guest panelist at science fiction conventions and writing seminars. My web page (www.MichaelAVentrella.com) lists reviews and endorsements by bestselling authors.

Next, you need to follow the agent’s guidelines. Do they want a short synopsis? The first ten pages? Do they want it inserted in the email or as an attachment? If you can’t follow the simple instructions the agent provides, you won’t seem very professional to them. After all, they want to represent someone who won’t need to have their hand held through the process.

Below are the first ten pages. A synopsis and the complete manuscript are ready.

Thank you for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you.

I’ve been told that is a good query letter. Now it’s just a matter of finding the right agent!

Please note that in the year or so I’ve been sending these out, I have not stopped writing. I am finishing up a middle-grade pirate novel now, have published three short stories and edited an anthology. I’ve also revised BLOODSUCKERS a few times (and have blogged about it) but don’t want to just keep polishing the same story over and over again. I believe BLOODSUCKERS is better than anything I’ve written before, and I expect the next one will be better yet. You’re supposed to improve over time, after all!

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Interview with author Sara M. Harvey

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Please welcome to the blog today Sara M. Harvey. Sara is a genre-crossing author whose work has been described by Jacqueline Carey as “a compelling blend of the numinous and the creepy”. Her webpage is here!

Sara, your first work was the romantic urban fantasy A YEAR AND A DAY. Tell us about it!

SARA M. HARVEY: That book was such a work of the heart. I was lonely, living in Orlando, Florida, working for Disney, missing NYC, in the uncertain beginnings of a long-distance relationship, flat broke and spiraling deeper into debt, and I needed a distraction from my life. I came home from work exhausted every night and sat down and wrote about angels living in the East Village and it was magical and got me through a very rough patch.

It got published as a “contemporary romance” but I’d call it more urban fantasy than romance. Sure, there’s a love story, but the main love story is between me and New York City, or so I’m told. This was my NYC, the one that I got to know and love.

The short version is the Angel of Vengeance and the Angel of Joy are roommates in NYC’s East Village, Hijinks ensue!

You can still get it as a used paperback via ebay and the usual online outlets — Powell’s, Amazon Marketplace, etc. Or if you prefer ebooks, Baen Ebooks is your go-to spot DRM-free for any and all devices!

VENTRELLA: How did you get that published?

HARVEY: Funny story, really. I was working as a temp at a temp agency (totally meta, I know!) and one of the managers belonged to a women in business group to whom this local publisher came and gave a pitch. They had a contract with CVS Pharmacies to put out some mass market romances. She remembered that I mentioned I wrote so she brought me their info. What followed was the very worst query letter I ever sent. I literally said “I don’t think you’ll want this but…”

It’s a nice thing to say I sold 35,000 copies through CVS stores nationwide … but the publishing company soon went bankrupt, showed their true colors, and although I finally (after legal action) got my rights back, they still owe me $1700 that I will never see.

VENTRELLA: You then delved into steampunk with your BLOOD OF ANGELS novellas from Apex. How has that been received?

HARVEY: The reception has been overall really great! The first of the series THE COVENT OF THE PURE was reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly and it still sells and reviews really well, even years later!

I found Steampunk to be an exceptionally fun genre to work in, there are so many facets and permutations to explore. I really love history and exploring all the dark and twisty “what if?” paths!

VENTRELLA: Do you find novellas easier than full works?

HARVEY: It was a challenge. I really throw the reader into a no-holds-barred roller coaster ride with very few places to stop and breathe. This makes for an exciting but exhausting read. So on the one side, it’s good the size is smaller, but on the other, were I writing a full 100k word range novel I would have done a lot of things differently. So … easier? No, it just didn’t take quite as long.

VENTRELLA: What are the advantages of a novella?

HARVEY: Time commitment, both on the side of the reader and the writer; there’s a certain amount of time sunk into a full novel. Some concepts are just not novel-length so a shorter format allows more freedom to tell those stories without trying to pack in filler to pad the word count. With the ever-expanding self-pub and small-press markets, novellas are really gaining ground as companion pieces to larger works and standalone treasures.

VENTRELLA: Your newest work is SEVEN TIMES A WOMAN set in mythic Japan. What sort of research did you do for this work?

HARVEY: My background is in theatre and history. I have a bachelor’s degree in costume design and a master’s in costume history. I have also had a lifelong love of kimono and all things Japanese. I actually started writing SEVEN TIMES A WOMAN before A YEAR AND A DAY, when I was still living in NYC and had access to the Japanese wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took classes at the Japanese consulate, and had a lot more Japanese people in my life. So the research was fairly organic and I had an amazing set of resources at my fingertips. Also, the internet is a wonderful tool! But having the real life experts to fact check stuff made weeding through the bad research online a lot easier!

VENTRELLA: I note that you have been with many different small publishers. What are the advantages of using different publishers?

HARVEY: I am a pretty eclectic author and I write in a variety of sub-genres of fantasy. Each publisher has a little bit of a different flavor to their oeuvre and since I have a lot of facets to my work, I have been able to find different publishers that sync up with each!

VENTRELLA: You also wrote the opening story in the recent DREAMERS IN HELL, part of the “Heroes in Hell” series (Shameless plug: I’m in the book, too). How did that come to be?

HARVEY: I have some friends among the early recruits for the Heroes in Hell reboot and was invited and accepted to ROGUES IN HELL, but my story got pushed back to DREAMERS IN HELL, where is it much more fitting. I couldn’t be happier to have it there!

VENTRELLA: Is it difficult writing in someone else’s world?

HARVEY: Yes and no. I have written my fair share of fanfic and I find the constraints of fitting original stories and concepts into other people’s worlds and characters to be pleasantly challenging. HEROES IN HELL was a larger challenge because there are so many books and such an enormous cast of characters. Keeping everything organized was really challenging. So I ended up writing what Janet Morris calls an “outlier” story, one that fits generally into the overall story but not directly or linearly.

It was kinda cheating, but also a good way to get my feet wet. With such a robust history, I didn’t want to dive right into the deep end on my first shared-world swim!

VENTRELLA: What can we expect next from you?

HARVEY: Currently shopping out an urban fantasy novel that takes place in Nashville. And my latest piece of short (but also kinda long) fiction is the the MOUNTAIN DEAD chapbook accompanying the Appalachian Undead zombie anthology from Apex Publications.

VENTRELLA: When you’re approaching a story, how do you begin? Characters, plot, themes? What is your writing style? Do you outline heavily, for instance, or just jump right in?

HARVEY: Usually there are characters first, followed very closely by a setting (actors and location) and then I have to work out the specifics of the very vague plot idea I have for them. BUT I just started a YA fantasy where I had a really detailed plot and no characters and no setting. Which is just the opposite of my usual mode of operations. But I’m having a good time with the research and construction. I never shy away from a new way of thinking about writing!

I’m an academic at heart so I always make an outline. I never stick to it, but I make one.

Mostly, I’m a pants-er when it comes to writing. I just jump right in! Even when I wrote longhand, Mead notebooks and Bic pens were cheap, I filled drawers with them. These days I have whole folders of dribbles and drabbles in Word documents. They take up very little hard drive space and fit easily onto a 2GB thumb drive.

VENTRELLA: Who do you like to read?

HARVEY: Jacqueline Carey, Cherie Priest, Neil Gaiman, Catherynne Valente, 1990s era Francesca Lia Block, early Anne Rice, early Stephen King, Lovecraft, Shakespeare, Tolkien, historical fiction, non-fiction history and fashion/costume books.

VENTRELLA: These days, even authors with major publishers need to know how to market themselves. What are some of the smartest things an author can do to promote their own work?

HARVEY: Like Wil Wheaton says, Don’t Be A Dick! Have a platform of actual content or wit or something. You can’t just plug your book over and over. Don’t use birthday greetings on Facebook to market your book, be a cheerleader for others and pay it forward or back or sideways — generally be involved in your community and genre, and most importantly be yourself. Be genuine in your dealings with the people you meet online or in person at conventions or signings or events. You never know who is a fan or a potential fan and you have so many opportunities to make someone’s day by just being you. Be mindful of that, think about how you’d like to be advertised to and apply that to your marketing strategy!

VENTRELLA: Should beginning authors ever consider self-publishing?

HARVEY: I think self-publishing is still the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about. I have a pretty good fanbase but still haven’t moved much of my self-pubbed piece (a novelette called “Allegiance to a Dead Man” about Emperor Norton, available for Kindle and Nook!) but I know a lot of authors who do okay at it. I don’t know anyone quitting their day job, however. The industry is really in flux right now and I think self-pubbing will be with us for a very long time, if not forever. It isn’t the stigma it used to be, but it isn’t the magic wand promised by so many. So I’d say, research all your options and be prepared to go it alone. Alone. Even small presses have marketing teams, blogs, media connections, etc. Have a plan in place, a good and solid plan, before you even think of self-pubbing. And I say, try out your small press options first. Especially your first time out of the gate.

VENTRELLA: What do you see as the future of publishing?

HARVEY: Publishing needs to lose the megalithic “Big Six” or “Big Five” or however few of the major labels there are. They are going to crumble like the big recording labels did ten years ago. Sure, those labels are still around, but they don’t have the same strangle-hold on content like they once did. We’re in a really turbulent time right now and I think there are still a lot more upheavals to come.

That said, we still need gatekeepers. So much self-pubbed and a lot of small-press stuff it a terrible waste of time and an exercise in ego. Wading through that muck is hard on readers. But we have an unprecedented amount of literature available in an unprecedented number of ways — paper books, ebooks, audiobooks, online, etc. and there is nothing bad in that! There just needs to be a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and that’ll come with time. Remember the internet 10 years ago … it was the WWWild West! And things sorted themselves out. Publishing will do the same.

Readers aren’t going anywhere and as things have shown, there are more and more of them and they are engaging with authors in new ways every day and that right there is a thing of beauty and tells me that we’ve got nothing to worry about.

Filed under: writing | Tagged: Dreamers in Hell, new writers, promoting yourself, publishing house, query letter, Sara M. Harvey, self-publishing, steampunk, writing advice | Leave a comment »

Interview with Hugo and Nebula award-winning author and editor Gardner Dozois

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Today I am pleased to be interviewing author and editor Gardner Dozois, winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, and probably best known for being the editor of ASIMOV’S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE for over 20 years!

Gardner, you’re well known as THE modern editor of science fiction – no one comes close (especially when you consider the number of awards you’ve earned). What do you have that others don’t?

GARDNER DOZOIS: Many editors are sensitive, highly intelligent, high-strung people, and they tend to burn out relatively quickly. Me, I’m a stolid peasant type who actually likes eating meat and potatoes every day. Where others burn out from reading science fiction all day long, get sick of it, I actually like reading science fiction, and am not sensitive or intelligent enough to get tired of reading it.

VENTRELLA: What, in your mind, makes a good editor?

DOZOIS: It’s similar to the answer to the question above. You have to like what you’re doing. You have to have passion for it. When you read a really good story, you have to have the ability to be excited by it AS a reader, to become engrossed in the reading of it rather than just coolly evaluating it professionally. If you lose that, you’re lost. My strategy as an editor has always been simple: I’m a reader with fairly average tastes myself, and so I figure that if I like a story, as a reader, then many other readers will probably like it too. This is the philosophy I had when I was editing ASIMOV’S, and its what’s guided me through all the years of editing THE YEAR’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION, which is now up to its THIRTIETH ANNUAL COLLECTION — so it must work.

It seems to me that editing requires an eye for balance – you don’t want too many stories with the same theme in a collection, but you also don’t want to stray too far and alienate readers by being too eclectic. How do you balance the extremes? What guidelines do you use?

You do have to have balance, and this was as true of an issue of ASIMOV’S as it is for an edition of The Year’s Best Science Fiction. You can’t publish nothing but near-future dystopias, or nothing but grim, depressing stories. I always put a lot of effort into trying to balance the mood of the stories in anything I was working on. You have to try to balance the TYPES of stories, too — some hard science fiction, some soft, some offplanet stuff, some near future, some far future, and with both ASIMOV’S and THE BEST OF THE YEAR volumes I put a lot of effort in to working out the story order so that you don’t get a lot of the same kind of stories in a row. You also have to pay some consideration to sources. You can’t use only stories from one source, and even too many of them, no matter how good a job you think that source is doing. When I edited ASIMOV’S, I used to get a lot of grief from reviewers for using too many ASIMOV’S stories, so I had to be careful not to overdo it.

Sadly, this is largely a waste of time. Most readers ignore the carefully arranged order and either read the stories by the authors they like best first, or start with the shortest stories first, or the longest ones. I know it’s a waste of time, but I can’t help doing it anyway.

VENTRELLA: How do you handle similarly themed stories with the “best of the year” collections? After all, it’s not like you can set one of them aside for the next edition…

DOZOIS: I use the one I like best, although in close cases, determining which one that is often involves reading them again, and again, and again. In the final stages of assembling the Best, I think of it as arranging a steel-cage match between two similar stories; let them fight it out, and the strongest story wins. With a magazine, like ASIMOV’s, you have a little more flexibility –if you have two similar kinds of story and you like both of them, you can always duck one of them into inventory and use it later on, in another issue.

VENTRELLA: How do you find short stories for your “best of” collections?

DOZOIS: You just have to keep your eyes open. I make a good-faith attempt to read every SF story in the English language I can find. Realistically, I know that I must miss a lot, especially these days, with all the proliferating internet markets, but I do the best I can.

VENTRELLA: Do you ever consider self-published works for these collections?

DOZOIS: Yes. Although finding them in order to consider them in the first place is the problem. Many single-author short story collections have unpublished stories in them, and you have to keep an eye out for that as well.

VENTRELLA: You have concentrated your career almost entirely on short fiction. What is it about short stories that attracts you more than novel-length works?

DOZOIS: The brutal efficiency. A short story delivers one hard punch, fulfills one purpose, and then stops. You can’t sprawl in a short story the way you can in a novel. A short story that sprawls doesn’t work at all.

VENTRELLA: Do you regret not writing more fiction and thus being known more for your editing?

DOZOIS: Yes, I regret it. I backed into editing more or less by accident, although my first reaction to reading a story I really liked was always to show it to as many people as possible, which has always suited me for the work. In an ideal world, though, I would be a Big Name SF Writer, which is what I set out to be, and be remembered for my writing rather than for my editing. As it is, my writing is already largely forgotten, and will be forgotten completely fifteen minutes after I’m dead. You play the hand you’re given, though.

VENTRELLA: Do you ever stop and consider how much you have influenced the field – how, thanks to you, certain writers have been discovered and moved on to influence others?

DOZOIS: I think it’s possible to exaggerate the contribution of an editor. It’s the writers who did all the work; if a story is good it’s because of all the blood and sweat they put into it. My function is just being smart enough to recognize the good work when it comes along. (Occasionally, an editor can spot something that needs fixing in a story that the author can’t recognize on his own, and help the author to find a way to fix it — but there all the heavy lifting is being done by the author too.)

VENTRELLA: Who are you most proud of “discovering”?

DOZOIS: There are a fair number of them. George R.R. Martin, Connie Willis, Joe Haldeman, Allen Steele, David Marusek, Mary Rosenblum, Kage Baker.

VENTRELLA: Tell us about your newest anthology with George R.R. Martin!

DOZOIS: I’ve just finished and delivered an anthology with George called OLD VENUS. Next out will be an anthology with him called DANGEROUS WOMEN, which will be published in December. Also out soon will be OLD MARS. Sometime in the future, probably 2014, my anthology with him called ROGUES will come out, and also OLD VENUS.

VENTRELLA: Magazine circulation is dropping everywhere; what do you see for the future?

DOZOIS: Most magazines will probably become electronic online-only magazines, as many already have, although the existing print magazines, like ASIMOV’S, ANALOG, and F&SF are doing a bit better these days by selling subscriptions for electronic formats online. I always said that if anything could save the print magazines, it would be the internet, and this may turn out to be true.

VENTRELLA: There are fewer and fewer anthologies being printed these days as well, and many writers are uploading their short stories rather than going the traditional route. Is this good for fiction overall?

DOZOIS: This is completely untrue. There are a lot more anthologies being published these days, from an proliferating number of small-press publishers, as downloadable files, as Kickstarter projects. There are more of them every year, enough so that it’s become harder to keep up with them all.

VENTRELLA: My worry is this: in the past, with magazines and anthologies, there was a gatekeeper (the editor) who, with a good reputation, guaranteed quality. Now I have no idea most of the time if the work I might download has even been edited, much less subject to any sort of review. What can a reader do to find good fiction?

DOZOIS: This is a bit self-serving, but your best bet is to buy one of the Best of the Year anthologies, which serve as a sampler of the work of many different authors, whose work you can then follow up on if you like it. If you don’t like my book, get Jonathan Strahan’s, or Rich Horton’s, or one of a number of others.

VENTRELLA: There still is a stigma attached to books that are either not available in a hard copy or only available as a POD. Do you see that changing in the future?

DOZOIS: Yes, that will change. Is already changing rapidly, in fact.

Filed under: writing | Tagged: anthologies, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, editors, Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin, science fiction | Leave a comment »

Interview with Robert Brockway

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I am pleased to be interviewing Robert Brockway today. Robert Brockway is a Senior Editor and columnist for Cracked.com. He is the author of two books, the cyberpunk novel RX: A TALE OF ELECTRONEGATIVITY, and the comedic non-fiction essay collection EVERYTHING IS GOING TO KILL EVERYBODY: THE TERRIYINGLY REAL WAYS THE WORLD WANTS YOU DEAD. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Meagan and their two dogs, Detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. He has been known, on occasion, to have a beard.

Tell us about your novel RX: A TALE OF ELECTRONEGATIVITY!

ROBERT BROCKWAY: RX is a cyberpunk novel about Red, a bio-hacker, chemical beta tester and specialty drug dealer in a futuristic mega-scraper city called the Four Posts. Pharmaceuticals aren’t just tolerated in the Four Posts, they’re practically a necessity. Everybody medicates constantly, to the point that Rx Feeds – nano-assembling custom drug stations – are piped into every household. The hot new drug of choice is Presence, a powerful hallucinogenic gas that simulates time travel, but with none of the consequences. Want to shoot a T. Rex? Fist fight King Henry II? Bring a battle-mech to the Civil War? Dose up on Presence and go for it. Your timeline won’t change in the slightest. Red’s best paying side-job is beta-testing new strains of Presence – hey, somebody has to go back and make sure the dose is taking customers to the right time and place. But he’s just woken up with a hell of a headache and no memory of the last twelve hours, only to find he’s violated his Non-disclosure Agreement – a crime punishable by death in the Four Posts. Now with a pair of incredibly brutal bounty hunters on his trail, Red has to clear his name and figure out what the strange prototype drug is doing to his mind before it literally tears him apart.

VENTRELLA: What sort of research did you do before writing this?

BROCKWAY: Too much. I’m kind of a link hoarder, and though the general framework of Rx is obviously science fiction, much of what appears in it was inspired by real stuff. The Four Posts were inspired by Ponte City, a huge single-skyscraper project in South Africa that, for a time, was considered the most dangerous place in the world. The drugs in Rx (well, excluding the Gas) are more stable, more potent versions of real pharmaceutical developments – drugs that eliminate fear, inspire trust, add IQ points. All real stuff.

VENTRELLA: Why couldn’t you go with your original title?

BROCKWAY: I’m assuming you’re referring to the original title of “Time Fuckers: Fuckers of Time.” Are the reasons not self-evident? I was never going with that title. It’s awful. I give myself terrible working titles until the book is finished to keep myself from taking it too seriously, and to stop from worrying about things when it’s not time to worry about them yet.

VENTRELLA: You’ve actually done an annotated version of the book, with footnotes and asides and references listed. Why did you decide to do this?

BROCKWAY: Well, it was all that research and link hoarding. I heavily fictionalized the info in Rx, so I wouldn’t blame anybody for not believing a word of it is remotely possible. But I wanted to show people that the real world has always been, is now, and is about to be much, much crazier than they would ever suspect.

VENTRELLA: How did you publish this?

BROCKWAY: I published Rx as a serial eBook in three installments. I did this partly because I liked serial novels, partly because I was curious how it would do, and partly because I didn’t have a reliable network of Beta-readers. The plan was to self-publish these little episodes and incorporate reader feedback along the way. Then I would take a huge editorial pass on the collected version, and release that as a finished book. Toward that end, I ran free giveaways of the first episode, then included review incentives where any (positive or negative, so long as it’s helpful) review would earn you a free copy of the next episode. In that fashion, you could get the whole series for free, just by leaving reviews on each episode.

VENTRELLA: What is your background and why did you decide to write?

BROCKWAY: I’m not sure how to answer that: I decided to write because I’ve always been writing. I don’t know how not to do it. My background is happening right now, I’m pretty sure. I have in no way ‘made it’ or become some sort of name. I’m still practicing, learning from my myriad mistakes, and trying to get better. I hope I’ll always think of myself like that.

VENTRELLA: Amazon is reporting that e-books are now outselling traditional publications. For beginning authors is this a good thing or a bad thing?

BROCKWAY: I think it’s a great thing! I prefer physical books myself, though I’m definitely a hybrid reader these days. It’s most beneficial to beginning (I’d prefer the term ‘Indie’ as many aren’t really starting out, so much as just now getting seen) authors because, for the most part, your self-published books are just as viable as traditionally published works in these new marketplaces. I see indie books all the time, just browsing around on Amazon or Indiebound. I’m not even looking for them. But if your book hooks me with a good cover, killer title or compelling synopsis – you’ve just made a sale to a person who would otherwise never have even heard of your work. As much as we bemoan the death of book stores (and they shouldn’t die, I love them), we tend to overlook the upside: There’s one less middleman to filter out your work.

VENTRELLA: Hard science fiction seems to be taking a back seat to high fantasy, steampunk, urban fantasy, and other genres these days. Why do you think that is?

BROCKWAY: I think it’s just because we’re segmenting our descriptions of the genre. We used to call all of that stuff ‘science fiction.’ Is my book ‘hard science fiction’? Some people have said so – derogatively, I might add – as though that limits its appeal. Others call it ‘cyberpunk’ – also derogatively (man, I’m sensing a pattern here). If we applied that pattern retroactively then 1984 would be ‘technological dystopian’ and FOUNDATION would be ‘dynastical space opera.’ It’s not: We’re all sci-fi. We’re all brothers and sisters in nerdishness here.

VENTRELLA: What is the biggest mistake made by authors who write SF?

BROCKWAY: Ambition. That’s my biggest mistake, anyway, and I don’t really feel comfortable pointing out the mistakes of authors who are likely far better than me right now. I don’t know if I fully pulled off Rx – it was a hell of a lot to try for as a debut novel. I further complicated matters with an experimental release schedule. I needed to write it, of course, to learn those lessons and improve as a writer — and I think a lot of readers still got some enjoyment out of it. But that will always be the sci-fi writer’s simultaneous curse and blessing: Ambition.

VENTRELLA: Is writing a skill that can be learned or are the best writers born, not made?

BROCKWAY: Both. Natural talent happens in every field. Some people are naturally talented cabinet makers or heating repairmen. You can never fake that, but it doesn’t mean you’re excluded. I’ll never be as effortlessly good as, say, Italo Calvino. But if I work at it, I can still be pretty good someday. For example, Stephen King doesn’t think of himself as naturally talented. I’d actually agree with him. But he works at his craft, constantly, and in the end he’s going to be more influential than a hundred thousand other, naturally talented writers who phoned it in, thought they were above improvement, or never even tried.

VENTRELLA: Who do you like to read?

BROCKWAY: Anybody. Terrible answer, I know, but it’s all I’ve got these days: I’m finding so many more books thanks to recommendation algorithms or sites like Goodreads that my favorite authors are constantly shifting and evolving. Over the past few months, I’ve been most impressed with Patrick Rothfuss’ work, and I’ve got a working writer’s crush on Chuck Wendig. I don’t know how he’s so prolific while maintaining that kind of quality, but it’s something I respect and strive for.

VENTRELLA: I’ve always enjoyed the articles you’ve written for Cracked with advice for authors. (Examples: here, here, and here) How have these been received?

BROCKWAY: Mixed. People who don’t write don’t give a damn and feel compelled to tell me so in increasingly obscene ways. People who do write usually thank me. They do decent traffic with high engagement, to borrow some soulless marketing terminology.

VENTRELLA: New authors can make huge mistakes. What big mistake bugs you the most, and how can writers avoid making it?

BROCKWAY: They don’t edit. If you don’t obsessively, freakishly edit your story, then I promise you that you have made huge, gaping unforgivable mistakes, and everybody but you is going to notice and point and laugh. I edit everything. For example, I edited my responses to this interview. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have noticed that I used the word ‘obsessively’ three times in the span of two sentences. You would have laughed at me, and I would have had no choice but to kill myself to preserve my family’s honor.

VENTRELLA: Do you attend science fiction conventions?

BROCKWAY: I have attended one convention in my life. Comickaze, in Los Angeles, and I did so because I was ordered to by my employer. It was interesting and fun, but a bit awkward, and probably not representative of the larger scene. I’m kind of a hermit.

VENTRELLA: What are you working on now?

BROCKWAY: I don’t know how to categorize it, really: It’s a novel with elements of mystery, science fiction, horror and magical realism. It’s about a group of punk rockers in New York in the late ‘70s, and a group of aspiring actresses in Los Angeles in the present day. Both are tied together through a mysterious set of disappearances, usually accompanied by a strange caustic sludge, and the impossible sighting of angels.

It’s called “Punks Versus Math”.

I told you I have terrible working titles.

Filed under: writing | Tagged: convention, e-book, new writers, research, Robert Brockway, science fiction | Leave a comment »

The Pocono Writers Conference

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

As I write this, I am at my local library for the annual local authors reception (here in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania). It’s great to meet everyone and talk to other writers, and obviously I encourage all authors to participate in these things, because just about every locality has something like this.

Last year, after talking to many of the writers, I decided that what we really needed was a Writers Conference where we can learn from published authors, agents and editors. So now I am organizing one for the area.

The First Annual Pocono Writers Conference will be held on the 27th of October at the Eastern Monroe Public Library. The goal is to provide assistance to aspiring fiction writers. A panel of published authors and editors will discuss each topic and take questions from the audience.

You don’t have to be from the Poconos to attend, although I’d prefer that only local writers join our new “Pocono Writers” Facebook page.

Guest panelists are still being confirmed, but the schedule of panels looks like this:

9:00 – 9:15: Opening remarks and introductions

9:15 – 10:30: YOUR OPENING PAGE: Grabbing a reader right from the start is imperative. As a new writer, that is the first impression they will get from you and you have to make it count. Our panel will discuss what you need to do and what you need to avoid in order to make that sale to the reader. Participants can submit their opening pages in advance for the panel to review and comment upon. Submissions should be double spaced and contain only the first page of the story and emailed in advance to poconowriters@gmail.com.

10:45 – 12:00: IT’S THE CHARACTERS, STUPID: A story isn’t about what it’s about – it’s about the characters. The plot is there to move your characters and change them in some way. A character that is exactly the same by the end of the book is not a well-developed one. The panelists will discuss techniques they use to make their stories about the characters, and not just the plot, and how to turn those characters into real, three-dimensional, believable people.

12:00 – 12:30: Lunch

12:30 – 1:45: JUST KEEP SWIMMING, JUST KEEP SWIMMING: Keeping tension on every page is a way to make sure readers stay glued to your pages. The dreaded middle dump haunts many writers, and in this session, the panel will discuss the most common story stalling mistakes authors make and how you can keep your readers turning the pages.

2:00 – 3:15: THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES MADE BY WRITERS: Editors see the same mistakes over and over again from new writers – shifts in Point of View, telling and not showing, cliches and poor dialogue, and much more. Most of these are just beginner’s mistakes, but you can avoid them if you know what to look out for. Our panel discusses the mistakes that are most commonly made by new authors that will keep your work from being sold (or read!).

3:30 – 4:45: GETTING PUBLISHED: Once your book is done, what’s next? Hiring an editor? Self-publishing? Looking for an agent? The panel will discuss the choices available, whether self-publishing is an option, and the scams to look out for.

Here’s the flyer

Filed under: writing | 4 Comments »

Interview with Philippa Ballantine

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Michael A. Ventrella

MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: I’m pleased to be interviewing author Philippa Ballantine today! New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the “Books of the Order” and the “Shifted World” series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats. Her web page is here and her twitter page is here!

Philippa, you have two new books coming out shortly. Let’s talk about HARBINGER first, which is the fourth in the “Book of the Order” series. Tell us about this.

PHILIPPA BALLANTINE: HARBINGER is the culmination of the previous three books, and I am actually rather sad to be leaving the world. Sorcha, Merrick and Raed have all been driven to literally the ends of the world. They discover that the Circle of Stars Order have plans to break the gap between the Otherside and the realm of humanity. Without their runes, Sorcha and her Deacons must take dangerous step to save their world, and all the time the Rossin, the great pard, is planning his own escape.

VENTRELLA: Then, a few weeks later, KINDRED AND WINGS, the second book in the “Shifted World” series is released. What is this series about?

BALLANTINE: The Shifted World series is all about chaos, and how people deal with it. In a world that cannot be trusted, with people warring amongst themselves, the endgame is coming quickly. The dragon Wahirangi and Finn the storyteller search for answers, while Talyn must decide her role in the world; destroyer or savior. Secrets will be revealed, time travelled through, and dragons will battle.

VENTRELLA: With your husband Tee Morris, you’ve also created the successful steampunk series “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences”. How did that creative process begin?

BALLANTINE: It actually began with a creative idea from Tee that was supposed to be set in current days. Then I wanted to experiment with a podcast for pay, so I suggested with do a prequel novel set in Victorian times. There was early interest from our agent in the series as novels, so the podcast idea morphed in that direction. It was a strange and delightfully circuitous path to publication!

VENTRELLA: How do you two split the writing on this? What’s your process? (Tee gave me his version a while ago when I interviewed him; I want to see how you saw the collaboration.)

BALLANTINE: We do a lot of brain storming of where we want to go, and sketch out a series of scenes. Tee does the Wellington scenes, I do Eliza’s, and we put our hands up for the other characters. Then once it is written, we swap and edit each other. We’ve got a pretty good grasp now, after three books, on how we do these things. It was tricky at first though!

VENTRELLA: The next Peculiar Occurrences book is scheduled to be out in the fall – that’s three in one year. You’ve been busy! How do you do it?

BALLANTINE: Lots and lots of marking calendars, and sharing them with Tee. I’ve also got better at prioritizing which projects come before others.

VENTRELLA: What is it about steampunk that interests you?

BALLANTINE: I love the creativity of the genre, and the heady mix of history. I’ve messed around with history before, but steampunk gives that freedom wings. Also the aesthetics are beautiful, and airships are just plain cool.

VENTRELLA: What makes your steampunk novels stand out among the others?

BALLANTINE: Tee and I have fun with our steampunk, but I think the real difference about our steampunk is the scope of the world view. We’ve not only done novels, but also short stories and podcasts, which have taken our readers and listeners all over the globe. Also, people seem to love our characters.

VENTRELLA: Why did you decide to move from New Zealand? (And given our politics here, do you regret the move?)

BALLANTINE: I moved from New Zealand to marry Tee, and I don’t regret it. One day we’ll probably move back to live, but right now with the writing I have the chance to go to New York to meet publishers, and the convention circuit in America provides a lot more opportunities to meet readers.

VENTRELLA: Speaking of conventions (where we’ve met numerous times), … do you find that is important for authors to do? What are the benefits of doing so?

BALLANTINE: I don’t know what the Return on Investment would be in monetary terms, but in terms of meeting fellow writers, and readers, it really can’t be measured. Writing is a solitary profession in most cases, and those kind of interactions are really needed. Tee and I have met readers who have cos-played our characters, people who have jumped up and down with delight (which I am still stunned about), and made innumerable contacts with other writers. There has to be a balance however, because you also have to write, but I would encourage new writers to try out at least a small local con.

VENTRELLA: What is it about science fiction and fantasy that attracts you?

BALLANTINE: The sheer scope of it. The speculative fiction genre imposes no limits on the imagination, and that is something that no other genre can offer. If you can imagine it, you can write it. From dragons to airships, from cyber-intelligences to minds of clockwork, all are possible.

VENTRELLA: The publishing industry is in tremendous flux right now. Editors and agents are so uncertain they are not taking risks on new authors, and small publishing houses are jumping in to fill the void. Given this, what sort of advice would you give an un-agented author with a manuscript? (Purely hypothetical, mind you …)

BALLANTINE: There are good agents out there. Laurie McLean of Foreword Literary is my agent, but also my partner in this business. I know that I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today without her assistance and guidance.

So I think if you can find an agent like her that wants to be a true partner, then you should go that route. However, if you cannot, then a small publishing house is a great way to start, you can learn so much about editing, marketing, and the process of putting a book together.

If that route doesn’t work, then I don’t think self-publishing is a bad idea at all. The only caveat I would add is make sure you produce the best professional product possible. Hire editors and cover artists. If you take short cuts, don’t expect to get results.

VENTRELLA: Do you think the SFWA and other organizations will eventually have to consider small publishing houses and self-publishing?

BALLANTINE: I was actually on a panel recently where I heard that it is not beyond the realms of possibility that SFWA might go that way. It’s just a matter of working out how they decide on membership levels. Like the publishing industry trade organizations need to be flexible and move with the changing landscape.

VENTRELLA: What book have you read recently that you loved?

BALLANTINE: I was lucky enough to get a chance to blurb A STUDY IN SILKS by Emma Jane Holloway. It’s not coming out until September this year, but is worth the wait!