Convention goodness. The Eastercon draft programme is up, and it ranges from the very sensible to the very bizarre.
I’m on this panel on the Saturday:
Writers and the Web – Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, etc. 2pm- 3pm. Room 12. Is it essential to be on the Web to promote sales of your book? Which media are used in which ways? How do you interact with your readers online? Do you link to your bad reviews as well as your good ones? Joe Abercrombie, Maura McHugh, John Meaney and Mark Charan Newton.
Aside from that, I’ll probably be in the bar on the Saturday, or thereabouts. I have no idea where else I’ll be, but do come and say hello. Or if you want a proper sit-down, drop me a line in advance to sort out a cup of tea. I’m there from the Friday lunch to Sunday morning.
Another reminder that you really should be going to Alt. Fiction in Derby, on Saturday 12th June. If you’re a reviewer, you’ll find lots of authors milling about. If you’re looking to be a writer, lots of advice is on hand, as the event is kind of suited more for those of a literary bent, rather than anything else. I’m probably going to be doing something with City of Ruin, though I’m not sure what.
Book three. I’m currently 50k words into book three, which has a title that a lot of people like, and I like very much, but I won’t be sharing at the moment, because these things can often change and I will end up looking more silly than usual. It’s back in Villjamur, which is a little more difficult for me, as I’m one of those writers who likes new stuff and creating stuff, and going back to old places provides new challenges. But all is going well. Again, it changes focus from the first two books, and I hope it can be something rather unique. I will say only that I’m trying to play with the concept of superheroes, which is difficult in a secondary world where magical stuff happens anyway. It seems to be working so far.
Currently reading: The King of Elfland’s Daughter, by Lord Dunsany, which is charming and delicate, yet still more imaginative than a lot of fiction these days, and reminds me a lot of the fantasies written by William Morris. I finished American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, which I rather enjoyed. It was a sprawling, weird, beautiful beast of a novel, and had some superb ideas. Perhaps a little rambling in places, but that’s being nitpicky.
Finally for those of you who missed it, and because I can’t help myself, someone said something nice about City of Ruin:
“Newton combines strange and vivid creations with very real and pressing concerns with estimable commitment and passion.” — China Miéville
Which makes me happy.
7 replies on “Events & Recent Reads”
I’m really hoping to get in for the blogging panel on Saturday, it looks interesting. I quite fancy Rob Gee’s working with an audience too. Hoping tp bring our resident anime expert from Un:Bound too.
Looking forward to Alt.Fiction loads too.
Oh now, I SOOOO want book 3! Superhero concept in secondary world fantasy… you are talking my kind of screwed up fantasy! Dare I say (as a grown man in his 30s) squeee!
I liked American Gods but felt it was somehow holding back, as if Gaiman hadn’t reached his peak. I recommend the Graveyard Book because it doesn’t feel like that.
I’m at Eastercon all weekend as I live close by. There’s a rabble of us from Twitter who seem to be planning to heckle Sam Sykes (Shh! Don’t tell him!). I’ll have to look at Alt.Fiction. It’s a bit of a drive but I hear good things about it.
Would love to see that panel about authors and the web. Instead, I’ll just remind you to drop my name a few times through the discussion. Even out of context. Just blurt it out or something.
Adele – the blogging panel will be entertaining. I shall make it so.
Adrian – it’s certainly fun, although trying to steer it more towards Watchmen/Dark Knight Returns, than your classic pulp comic heroes. And Alt.Fiction – yeah, it’s one of the better ones. A good, intense day of lit discussion.
Aidan – people will think I suffer from some kind of A Dribble of Ink Tourette syndrome!
Mark – The more you describe it, the more I gush like some expectant fanboi
I’ll try and drop by Eastercon, depending on cost/time. I like how most writers claim to be found in the bar – it’s an interesting quirk you all keep 🙂
I think superheroes are starting to creep into fantasy more and more. It also helps that several authors also write comics. They’ve arguably been there all along and inspired superheroes eg Hercules, and Jason and the Argonauts was yester-millenia’s Justice league or Avengers.
Curious how fitting superheroes into a world with magic seems more difficult than placing them in the real world though.
“Aidan – people will think I suffer from some kind of A Dribble of Ink Tourette syndrome!”
That’s better than what I suffer from – random flashback images of Aidan’s naked ass.
How I rue the day on facebook when I saw that photo of Aidan in the sea with his pert cheeks on full display.
Nurse! NURSE!