His Honor drove southward seeking exotica

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

PPWC Day 2

I awoke Saturday morning with my first coherent thought being "It can't possibly be time to get up yet" followed by "Oh shit, I'm pitching in three hours!"

I took care of routine maintenance and headed down for a typical Marriott continental breakfast of coffee, pastries, fruit, coffee, rather suspicious hard-boiled eggs, and coffee. Did I say coffee more than once? I meant it. At breakfast, I sat with a group of guys from a Northern Colorado writers group (Word to Aaron, Jason, and Ross!) along with DeAnna. We talked shop, pitching, told each other about our books, and so on.

After breakfast, I went to the first half of a session called 20 Questions with Laura Resnick. I must admit I didn't pay too much attention because my mind was on my pitch. I ducked out halfway through to go to The Seventh Floor. That term took on an ethereal, horror-movie mystique over the weekend. People would ask "where are you going" and others would reply in wide-eyed trepidation "To The Seventh Floor." As far as I know, everyone who went up to The Seventh Floor returned, but in a conference this big I can't possibly remember everyone.

While awaiting my turn, I ran into my friend and first reader Wendy, who'd arrived late the night before. We talked pitching for a few minutes before my name was called and I found myself at the agent's table. I pitched quickly to her (she was sick and clearly wasn't feeling up to much) and she asked for 50 pages. Then I said I had an offer on the table and she said I'd better send her the full and asked to have until Friday (May 1) to read it and make a decision. I agreed.

After my pitch, I decided to skip the next session (I was still a little verklempt). I brought my laptop down to the lobby where they had free internet and emailed the full to the agent. On an unrelated side note, to any Marriott executives who wander in here to read this post, I'd like to point out that even the Shitbreak Motels now have free wi-fi in their rooms. How dare you all charge $10 for yours? Asinine!

The third session on Saturday I went to: a new author panel entitled I Sold, Now What? I'm afraid to say I found it, uh, dull. I sneaked out and drifted to the bar where I found Wendy, DeAnna, and an author from Westminster named Julie (Hi Julie!). We were so engrossed in our conversation we nearly forgot to get in the lineup for lunch. Side note: lineups for meals at the PPWC are really, truly impressive. People jockey for early front positions in line so they can be the first ones into the dining hall at cattle call and sit at the table of their choice (usually one of the headline authors or agents). Fortunately, DeAnna and I had gotten around this by volunteering to moderate workshops. Our reward for standing at the front of a workshop, introducing the speaker, and threatening people who didn't shut off their cell phones was getting a reserved seat at a lunch table on Saturday. I had the pleasure to sit next to Del Rey/Star Wars Books editor Shelly Shapiro. She may have been the one to inadvertently set me off on my current course of writing back in 2003. That's a story for another day. Somebody please remind me.

After lunch, I moderated a workshop on Book Publishing by author Laura Hayden. It turned into a diatribe against self-publishing, which I found a little surprising. I know self-publishing is generally frowned upon by the traditional publishing establishment, and I understand why. I was expecting something more about publishing instead of tirades (and based upon the comment cards I glanced at - a moderator's privilege! - so were the attendees).

The last session of the day was a tag-team of What an Agent Can and Can't Do For Your Career with two agents from Curtis Brown, Ltd. It was interesting but didn't really bring me any new information. And by this time I was getting hungry and looking forward to the banquet (which has always been loads of fun).

At the banquet, I sat at a table with DeAnna, Wendy, and Maleesha, and oh yeah, author Anne Crispin. I'm afraid that my peeps and I raised quite a ruckus and were having so much fun that we kind of scared everyone else at the table from conversing. I'm rather embarrassed to admit we didn't even notice when Anne Crispin finally joined us. I could tell you about going into the basement to cut off hunks of Cool Whip or free range potato chips, but it just wouldn't be nearly as funny to you as it was to us. Dinner was - what else? - chicken breast with gravy, mashed potatoes, and a reasonably good piece of steak. We all wanted chocolate cake for dessert but were forced...forced...to eat cheesecake instead. Our keynote speaker was author Jeffrey Deaver, who was quite brilliantly funny.

Post-dinner meant more time in the bar. Wendy, Maleesha, and I connected with authors Ellen and the kilt-wearing Marc and spend the next four hours holding court in the bar and making many ass jokes (again, you really had to be there). Probably it was my favorite part of the entire conference.

If you've read this far, I commend you. I won't keep you any longer tonight. The next post will detail the last day of the conference.

White on white translucent black capes

Bela Lugosi Is Dead - Bauhaus

Roll up the streets, close down the hotel. The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is over, and I have Left The Building.

The conference this year was my fourth, and in many ways was my favorite. If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know that I had some extremely good news going into the conference on the agent front. The good karma seemed to be continuing at the conference. It began, like so many things do in the publishing world, with lunch.

I got to the hotel in excellent time - only 90 minutes from my house, if you can believe that. You'd think I had my ass on fire to meet a girl. Well, in a way, I did, but in this case it was for a lunch date with the agent who'd offered me representation earlier in the week. She was in town to meet with one of her clients and offered to talk to me in person, which I appreciated. Lunch was at the hotel restaurant - just a buffet, and all I had was a sandwich. I didn't truly appreciate that until much later in the conference. The discussion was far more satisfying, and without discussing too many specifics, put my few concerns at ease and into a position where I felt nearly ready to accept the offer. I told her I had promised another agent the chance to read the manuscript and I still wanted to keep my pitch appointment since it was for a manuscript she hadn't read. She was okay with that. "If she wants it," she said, referring to the other agent. "I'll probably want it more."

I was a little late to Session 1, which was a workshop on Book Marketing by author Deborah LeBlanc. She had some frankly brilliant suggestions which had never occurred to me (or many of us in the workshop) before. I didn't take notes (because I'm a horrible note-taker), but I did file many of those ideas into the corner of my brain that's been mostly disused since college.

Session 2 was a Read and Critique with agent Ginger Clark, editor Rose Hilliard, and author Jeffrey Deaver. One of my friends, DeAnna, was getting the first 16 lines of her manuscript critiqued by the panel of experts. They liked it, and she nailed it, and I told her when she pitched she'd get pages requested (and yes, the next day, she did!).

The last session on Friday I attended was Writing the Fiction Synopsis by author Pam McCutcheon. I hate writing synopses and would rather write uncomfortable sex scenes or squeegy emotional stuff any day, but she did a lot to make it much more palatable. DeAnna and I looked for our friend Wendy, but she was nowhere to be found (she didn't actually arrive until very late Friday night).

We ate dinner at a table with author Laura Resnick, who laughed when I told her her father Mike Resnick had written one of my favorite books, Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future. Apparently she's out-famoused him and he gets recognized more often as "Aren't you Laura Resnick's dad??" She said he'd be thrilled to know she'd met a fan at the PPWC. She's a fascinating person and although I haven't read any of her books, I plan to soon. Dinner was a marginally-edible chicken-based dish that was almost, but not entirely quite unlike Chinese stir fry. This theme would be repeated throughout the hotel-provided conference meals, and for the first time at a PPWC I was thoroughly disappointed in the food throughout. The post-dinner keynote speaker was author James N. Frey, who was quite entertaining.

After dinner, the real work began. And by real work, I mean the hanging around in the bar with everyone. DeAnna, Maleesha, and many more people I hadn't seen in a year...or two years. I don't normally like being surrounded by loud crowds, but these are my people. It would take a lot more than an evening in a bar with people who love to write as much (or more) as I do. We talked and talked and talked until the wee hours.

I ducked out a little early because I wanted to get some writing done. I ended up reformatting my major manuscripts (which I'd needed to do anyway) and set up a master timeline sheet for the Just Cause novels - 70 years of history and at least 19 novels completed or planned. I just don't dream small. Life's too short for that.

I conked out sometime after midnight and before dawn. I'll catch up on Day 2 in my next post.

The world would change in the blink of an eye

Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones

Earlier this week I received an offer of representation by an agent.

Gosh, it feels nice to say that after all these years. I'm not going to give out a lot of details just yet because I haven't accepted and here's why:

I'm meeting Agent 1 at the conference for lunch on Friday where I will ask some poignant questions and see what she has to say. I will not make a decision because of Agents 2, 3, and 4. I'm pitching to Agent 2 at the conference on Saturday, and it's likely she'll be interested to know I have an offer on the table. Whether she is or is not, I had two requested partials out there, so etiquette demanded I notify Agents 3 and 4 that the project in which they were interested now has another agent interested enough to represent me.

Agent 3 emailed me this morning to say she'd just started reading the partial and "really liked it so far" and went on to ask if I hadn't already made a decision, would I mind waiting until Monday. I said that was fine-and it is. I can be patient now. Well, a few minutes later she emailed back and requested the full, so there's that. I haven't heard yet from Agent 4, but if I do will grant the same consideration.

Ultimately whether I have only one agent or as many as four vying for the chance to represent MY work, it feels awfully good to have reached this particular pinnacle in the mountainous range of the quest for publication.

I'll let you all know what happens, of course.

Live like the wind upon the water

Anybody Listening? - Queensryche

Sam over at Wuthering Life borrowed a blog idea from someone else, and since I don't seem to have much to say here these days, I thought I'd borrow it as well. I will ruminate on the following:

"If you could bring to life a character from one of your stories and hang out with him or her for a day, which one would it be? Why? What advice would you give them? (Include name, personality traits, etc.)"

Seeing as how I've written so many stories, I'm going to pick more than one.

From the Just Cause Universe, I'd like to hang out with Crackerjack (Jack) and Desert Eagle (Sondra). Both of them are mature heroes. Desert Eagle is just under and Crackerjack is just over 40. I feel I would connect with them well - Jack's sardonic wit, lopsided grin, and perpetually positive outlook on life; Sondra's capacity for love and creative approach to life - both appeal to me. Someday I intend to write a story focusing on their lasting relationship. A superhero romance? You never know what I'm liable to write next! I feel they and I would have a lot to talk about over colossal cups of coffee (I lean more towards Sondra's tarry blend than Jack's sugary, flavored mixtures). I don't know that I'd have much in the way of advice for the two of them. They're so much in love with each other and even more, they're comfortable with each others' flaws. If they were married, people would say they had a great marriage. But they're not, and although they talk about it, they never seem to get around to it. I'm okay with that, and so are they. Perhaps I'd suggest that they might think about starting a family, because with both of them such wonderful people, their kids would likely be equally wonderful.

Also from the Just Cause Universe, I'd like to hang around with Katie Malone and Tim Foster, prison guards from the Deep Six facility. As extremely low-powered parahumans, their lives are much less defined by powers than, say, Jack and Sondra. They're both single parents (until they eventually blend their families together, which I think is inevitable given the circumstances under which they met). They're both practical, responsible people, which are traits I admire. My advice to them is don't rely too much on technology, because like most prisons, when technology fails, all guards have to fall back on is their wits and training. Hopefully, that's enough when the chips are down. Also, I suggest they both learn to fly a jet (that's an inside joke).

Honestly, I don't think I'd like hanging out much with any of the characters in Troubleshooters. Camaro's too young and full of himself, Angel's too hair-trigger violent, and Haiwee's just too weird. They're awfully fun to write about, though, and despite their various damaged personalities, they make a great team when they work together. My advice would be that none of them stray too far in case I ever need to write a sequel (and I have one in mind, entitled The Sins of the Mother).

In Pariah's Moon, I'd want to hang out with Ullu, because she's just such an amazing person. I'd have no advice for her - how could I advise someone as ancient as she? Instead, I'd listen and watch and learn and try to stay out of her way, because she's wise beyond the ways of the world, kind of like Yoda but without the swamp. Faw!

Don't turn the page, I'm not finished

Here I Am - Lyle Lovett

Friday, May 1st is the 3rd anniversary of my webcomic, The Adventures of the S-Team. If you read it (four panels, once a day, every weekday - hardly a huge time investment on your part), I thank you. If you don't, then perhaps you should check it out and inject a little humor into your otherwise drab and wretched lives.

I'm hoping to get some fan art or photos of MOCs (My Own Creation) which I can post on the AST pages, so if you're of an artistic or LEGO-based mien, perhaps you'd consider it.

All you wanna do is ride around

Mustang Sally - Buddy Guy

Well, you knew I couldn't stay away. I'm writing again. Astute blog readers (the five of you who are left) may have noticed the disappearance of the Centum Dies Libri countdown in the upper left corner of the blog. That's because I shelved Canyonlands, possibly forever. I realized that not only did I not love the story, I didn't even really like it. And so I parked yet another unfinished manuscript in the sargasso of compressed old files on my hard drive, where it can join the other three parked manuscript partials of Locke & Keyes, V is for Vincent, and The Milkman 2: Evil Garden Gnome. I may go back someday and finish those. Or I may let them languish forever.

It took less than a week for me to decide to go back to writing what I love, which is superheroes, and screw the industry if they can't see past their Dan Browns and Stephenie Meyers. I'm going to write what I want to. And what I'm writing is a book with the working title of Blackout. It's a period piece set over a 24-hour stretch between July 13-14, 1977 in New York City (that's the day the Blackout of '77 hit). If you've been lucky enough to first-read any drafts of Mustang Sally (was called Just Cause in early drafts) or Deep Six or even Enter the Jackrabbit, you know what universe Blackout is set in. The story tracks the lives of four characters during this period, and how their paths intersect during one hellish night. My good friend Karyn has been amusing herself by doing sketches of some of the members of the 1977 version of Just Cause, including Pony Girl, who might be familiar to readers as Mustang Sally's mother.

I'm not putting up a timer for Blackout - at least, not yet. I'm 6000 words into it now after 2 weeks. That's well behind the pace of NaNoWriMo, and even behind the pace of a Hundred Day Novel. Fortunately, I'm not holding a gun to my head to get this one done by a deadline. I've proven to myself time and time again that I can write to a deadline. Now, I need to prove to myself that I can write. Period. Because for a very long time, I haven't been.

Here are the pictures Karyn has done for me:

Dreams will take you very far

Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire

She doesn't know I'm doing this, but I want to take a minute to pimp my dear friend Allie's new editing business.


I've worked with Allie now for most of the past year. She's given my second drafts exceptional attention in editing and revisions, and I firmly believe that her efforts will be instrumental in me reaching the next stage of publishing. I know a lot of writers don't want to spend money on editing, because the services are crazy expensive. Well, she's not. Definitely affordable for those of us operating on a shoestring budget. If you need some competent, affordable help sprucing up your manuscript/short story/non-fiction writing/or whatever, please take a look at Allison Edits.

Tell her Ian sent you. I bet you'll get preferential treatment.