Topsy Turvy Days and Surprise from Russia

Around my topsy turvy day yesterday, I did have time to write about three Tamago entries, but between the lines, my husband stopped by and surprised me with roses, and a trip out to our favorite pizza place for lunch. We had a Zookie, which is a cookie sundae, for my birthday, and I figured, you know, I might only have 52 more years, so I should sneak that in. ;P

It was great. I think I like the Granite City Cookie a bit more, because of the toffee chewiness with the chocolate, but they really are two different critters. Accepting the weight gain, I moved on.

Until today, when, between a meeting about college student support reform (take that, noun phrases!) and another one, the last Vietnam meeting with students before we go, my boss Allison thought that since I had a birthday yesterday, and Lorna, who is substituting for Sharon this week, has one today, that we should have little mini-cakes from the New Pioneer Co-op, known for particularly delicious cakes. There was a raspberry cheesecake and a lemon chiffon raspberry cake, both of which were delicately decorated and presented, and which I didn't feel I could say no to. So, I took one for the team there. Mmmm, but not helping. Well, I'll accept that weight gain and move on too. Let's think of the current me as Rubenesque.

Bryon and I are going out for Italian tonight. It was my plan to have creme brulee, but I think I'll just stick to the seafood spaghetti. I'm actually kind of full.

Looking forward to two weeks of hard labor, small portions, and healthy food in Singapore and Vietnam, if for no other reason than the last two days.

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So, I have spent most of my day tracking down a few last Vietnam facts, like time differences, phone numbers for the hotels we'd be staying at and so on. However, the coolest thing that happened to me today? Behold the awesome power of the Internet.

Below, read about Hulk Hercules in Russia. I didn't even know Hulk Hercules was in Russia!

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Wiscon Readings

At Wiscon, I took in a few readings. Let's talk about them.

Oxford Comma Bonfire: The readers were Vylar Kaftan, Nancy Hightower, Michael Underwood and LaShawn Wanak. Vylar read an upcoming story from the Mayhem and Glitter anthology. Nancy read a short about an artist creating a pathological disease from his work, LaShawn read an amazing piece about the divine driving those who had seen angels mad, and Michael read a piece from his new novel Celebromancy. I enjoyed all the readings, and Michael was such a performer that he has agreed to give me an interview about his technique.

Monsters, Magic, Mayhem, and Mothers: Also New York: Christopher Barzak, Kristin Livdahl, and M. Rickhart. Lots of good stories here as well. It's no secret that I'm a Barzak fan, and his story, also coming in Glitter and Mayhem was a riff on the twelve dancing princesses. I am finding that my memory fails me about the other two stories, which is inexcusable, but is testimony more to my recent schedule than there quality.

Compass Reading: Catherine Schaff-Stump, Alex Jennings, David Engelstad, and Anna LaForge. No point in talking about my own reading, but my three partners in crime read some interesting things. David and Anna both presented a very different kind of high fantasy each, and Alex read from Peaches! his high concept YA that I'm on the look out for as soon as it comes out.

***

There were a lot of other excellent readings that I'd wish I'd gotten to. It's really one of the strengths of the convention.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Wiscon: It’s Actually Quite Hard to Rip a Bodice Part 2

Panelists: Mary Robinette Kowal (moderator), Vylar Kaftan, Jo Walton, Amy Butler Greenfield, Delia Sherman

Vylar's Recap from Last Year
Where do you go to get sources for historical fantasy?
How do you find sources?
How do you deal with problematic perspectives on race and gender?
When do you stop researching and start writing?

Amy stays with facts when she writes non-fiction.
In fiction, she researches deeply. She also looks at the literature and primary materials of the period.
Once she hears voices, she limits research.
If her manuscript stops cold, she will return to research.
She fills in small gaps as she goes.

Delia writes and researches at the same time.
She reads social history, novels, and memoirs.
Delia says there is never a point where you stop researching.

Vylar says she researches fifty percent first. Then she drafts.
When she discovers what she doesn't know, she'll research minimally throughout (10 percent).
Researches forty percent at the end.

Jo writes in a place she's already familiar with, so she never leaves blanks as she goes.
She usually has already been reading general research for what she's writing.

Mary researches ahead of time. She does broad research for what she's writing. for about a month. She writes quickly and fills in details later. She will stop when she hits plot or character trouble.

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.