Reading Slate's article about how a pause can be the most devastating effect in music, I thought about the equivalents in writing.

Sometimes the absence or avoidance of a thing can be more powerful than the description of a thing itself, especially when (avoiding) depicting relationships or past traumatic events. If everyone avoids talking about a thing, or describing it more than glancingly from a tight POV, even when it would come up naturally, that says volumes. It's the elephant in the room. A technique for writing this that 4th Street brought up is to write the scene with all this stuff in, and then just remove it all, without cleaning up the jagged edges or obvious gaping holes.

Driving action and dialog is a huge part of how people are told they should write these days. (No, it hasn't been always--there are styles and fads in the received wisdom of writing, too.) Break that drive deliberately. Having conversation or, in a tight POV, focus on small descriptive details that don't apply directly to the most important part of a scene can really convey a lot of emotional impact. What does a character choose to notice before doing, speaking, or deciding something momentous?

Along the same lines, broad sweeping description or close-up details can do miracles to establish mood. Just use this technique sparingly and avoid wide "establishing shots" at the beginning of your story.

Sub-plot can be the silence in the main story. It can be the dramatic pause or the emotional relief. At the end of the story, a trailing golden thread of sub-plot after an overwhelming climax, especially one that is emotionally wrenching, can leave the reader feeling more satisfied and gently released from the story.

Trail off into silence at the end of the story. Use small, quiet descriptions and details that suggest life and the world in the book goes on. Make the world larger than the story and leave room for it to expand in readers' daydreams.

Before there was knee surgery, and a tiny kitten to take care of, and a tornado--there were conventions. And with conventions come panels, and with panels come panel notes, so that I will hopefully ever remember something useful. I seem to process information through rewriting my own notes, and so this process is something that is good for me. And hopefully a little interesting for some of you!

These are my notes about what I found useful and interesting and what thoughts and ideas I had that were sparked from these 4th Street Fantasy Convention panels:
How to Give & Take Critique
Learning Structure and Pacing
The Stuff Panel (Worldbuilding from History)


( Panel notes )

And once this is done, it's time for the CONvergence panel notes! (Which will be much briefer, I promise.)

So, before CONvergence, I attended the 4th Street Fantasy Convention, which has more intensive panels, and I'm still writing up my notes from that. These are my notes about what I found useful and interesting and what thoughts and ideas I had that were sparked from these panels:
Fantasy and the Family
Embracing Exposition
What is Fan-Fic?
Food, Fashion, and Fornication

( Read more... )

Special thanks for this report go to work for providing me with downtime (and thank goodness for that--I couldn't have come in early if there had been work, as I was busy watching the dishwasher repairperson being reduced to a gibbering wreck by our ancient [and malevolent] dishwasher).

Also, geez, I seem to have come away with a lot more panel notes than last year.

This past weekend I attended the 4th Street Fantasy Convention, and these are my notes about what I found useful and interesting and what thoughts and ideas I had that were sparked from these panels:
* One-night Stand vs. Round Two
* Children's and YA Fantasy: Not Just for Kids


(Thanks to timprov for letting me play with his camera!)

( Read more... )

This past weekend I attended the 4th Street Fantasy Convention, and these are my notes about what I found useful and interesting and what thoughts and ideas I had that were sparked from these panels:
* How to Sound Smart on Panels.
* How Has Fantasy Changed in the Last 20 Years.
* Reasons Things Go Wrong ... In the Crafting of Stories.

MP3s of the (so far) first two days of panels.



General Notes
This is the second year I attended the restarted convention. They moved the hotel this year. The set-up at the new hotel was great (except that the mikes weren't broadcasting from the speakers on the right side of the room), but I didn't see anywhere that it was at a new hotel, and so was rather worried when it didn't turn out to be anywhere near the airport. It was also a worse place to get to on public transportation, so I was delighted to carpool with mischief03.

In general, the panels were good and useful and I have plenty of notes of things to try and remember. A few people commented, in a displeased way, that this year's panels were more writer-oriented than any other 4th Street they could remember and that was Just Plain Wrong. I'm biased--I like a higher percentage of writer- or academia-oriented panels than fan-oriented panels. Talking with other writerfolk, though, I realized that we all generally thought that last year's 4th Street was more writer-oriented than this year's. It's all in the perspective, I guess.

( Read more... )

Oh, dear. I'm occasionally randomly squeaking with excitement because I'm about to go to 4th Street. The cats probably think there's a very loud mouse in the house.

bouncebouncebounce

Of course, I'm also a little nervous, because, well, lots of strangers! And lots of acquaintances I really liked but whose names I have trouble remembering, because let's face it, I have serious memory problems when it comes to names (of people, places, movies, and music, mostly--I'm the classic "that movie with that guy who was in that other movie with the girl and the explosion?").


Entertaining side-note: Last night I was really convinced that the actress who played Franklin's love-interest in "Walkabout" on Babylon 5 was the same as the actress who played Frank's wife in Millenium. That's how bad I am at differentiating people. Well, they both have nice curly hair and kind of the same smile....
( pictures )

Boosting the signal! 4th Street Fantasy is a really good, small con for SF/F writers--so far I've attended 4th Street, CONvergence, and Wiscon, and 4th Street was the most useful of the lot for sparking story/technique ideas. My brain fizzed for weeks afterward.

Reposting:
Today is the deadline for registration for Fourth Street Fantasy Convention, though [the webmaster will] probably leave online registration open through Memorial Day and 'til Noon or so on Tuesday. The deadline for room reservations is Tuesday, May 27th.

Fourth Street is a small convention for people who are serious about good fantasy and good books– serious about reading them, serious about writing them, serious about appreciating them in all their various forms. It’s also for people who are serious about having a good time. It’s a weekend of high-quality, high-intensity, mind-stretching fun, focused on books– there’s a single track of programming that is at the heart of it all. When everyone sees the same panels, it leads to fascinating conversations in the consuite, hotel bar, and corridors. Jane Yolen's written a poem about Fourth Street, Neil Gaiman has said nice things about the con in his online journal.

Fourth Street Fantasy Convention was held in the Twin Cities from 1986 through 1995, then went on an extended break. Lydia Nickerson decided to revive the convention so it returned last June and was great fun. Elise Matthesen is chairing the con this year; Steven Brust & Beth Meacham are putting together programming for the convention and lots of other fine folks are working on it. (Me? I'm just the webmaster.)

This year Fourth Street Fantasy Convention will be held on the weekend of June 19th through 21st at the Doubletree Park Place in St. Louis Park, Minnesota which is a suburb near Minneapolis. (Years ago, Fourth Street was held in the same hotel when it was a Sheraton).

Memberships cost $70 in advance-- this membership fee includes a Sunday brunch that should be really nice. We have a membership cap of 250 members; if we have memberships available at the door, they'll cost $100.

We don't have a guest of honor this year, but there are lots of cool professionals in the field who have already registered who will be part of the conversation at the convention including Dana Baird, Steven Brust, Lois McMaster Bujold, Pamela Dean, Marissa Lingen, Beth Meacham, Michael Merriam, Sarah Monette, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Sharyn November, Kathryn Sullivan, Jo Walton, Patricia C. Wrede, and plenty of others.

You can find out more on the convention website and in the LJ community 4th_st_fantasy. If you still have questions or want to volunteer, get in touch with someone on the committee.

Catching up on writing log posts....

01/07/2009 - Wednesday, no work
"Tree of Life" Writing Log

17,681 / 160,000 (11.1%)

New words: 642. Other writingy things take priority over actual writing (past the minimum 500 words) right now, unless I hit flow. Flow trumps everything, including eating and sleeping.
Total words: 17,681
Overused word: food
Gratuitous metaphor: alternating currents
Type of scene: Tidying up the story edges.
Challenge(s): Wondering whether this scene is even necessary.
Which recovery period is it anyways?He staggered to the sink and gulped water from the faucet, and then he opened another meal. He passed out before it was heated. His quarters were dark and the food was cold when he woke again. He ate the food with his fingers because he'd lost the fork in the dimness. Strange, flickering patterns of light filtered in through the patched curtains.
Notes: This is about where I realized that since this really isn't a short story, and really is a novel, I need a second POV to get the length right. I had originally plotted that the ending would include solving a problem on an alien world, but that doesn't really fit with the emotional denouement. I decided I should have one of the people involved in that be the alternate POV. I was thinking whores trying to unionize, but Phil made a persuasive case for that being stupid.
Other writingy stuff:
* Added vamp erotica anth to Aswiebe's Market List.
* Posted writing log.
* penthius freewriting--my own obsession with keeping warm is showing!
* Sent Spec the Halls (http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls.html) prize payments and processed as writing expense (advertising).
* Processed Aswiebe's Market List emails.
* Updated my grammar notes file with participial phrases and notes to novelists trying to get a book through Critters.

01/09/2009 - Friday, full work
* Read WritersDigest newsletter

01/10/2009 - Saturday, half work + birthday parties that took up the rest of my time.
* Basic but useful post about re-querying an agent: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,a1d28158-be0b-4f49-bc80-65e2f4ee5d99.aspx
* Added some agents-to-investigate from litagentguide, a most useful blog for those hunting an agent.
* Added market.

01/11/2009 - Sunday, full work + a nap because I was exhausted after going to sleep at weekend hours and waking up at workday hours.
* Registered for Fourth Street Fantasy Convention. Last year's was an excellent learning and growing and connecting experience. Price's gone up, but it's totally worth it, since that includes brunch and Cory Doctorow as the GoH, both of which I like.

"Tree of Life" Writing Log

7,168 / 80,000 (9.0%)

Words: 778
Total words: 7,168
Overused word: pod
Gratuitous word: permeated
Type of scene: Yes, he's still getting the damned tour. No, this could not have been a short story. Ever.
Challenge(s): Trying to describe caverns and tunnels without being a) repetitious, or b) ridiculous.
Which taste sensation is it anyways?

The wrapping crinkled as he peeled it back. Ration bars never looked appetizing, but he'd stomached enough of them over the length of his military career that it wouldn't be a problem. He took a bite and chewed.

Cherry, he thought at first. An overwhelming artificial cherry flavor filled his mouth. He couldn't pin down the strange, musky undertone. He chewed, remembering other meals. On the watery world of Vin's Harbor, he'd once--. He stopped chewing. "Fish?" he asked, around a full mouthful. He swallowed the bite, wishing for some water to swish the fading taste of cherry out of his mouth. The unpleasant aftertaste it left behind, he identified more quickly. "Onion."

Notes: Random guy is having his leg amputated and causing some strong emotional reaction in a minor character? Really? Dear subconscious, are you sure you know what you're doing? Just because I liked the blind cave fish and the stone pagodas doesn't mean you should get all crazy.
Other writingy stuff:
* read Writing-World newsletter - had a good article, "How to Read 'How to Write' Books." I really wish they'd provide static links to their articles.
* read WritersMarket newsletter
* penthius freewriting about where to find high ground in the apocalypse

These writing and literature panels I've been going to over the last few weeks have made me all jittery about my own writing. I mean, writing should be all complicated and intense and deep and meaningful. How dare I think I can even attempt that? I'm just telling stories.

...don't worry, I won't let it faze me, not really. I'm plenty mule-headed enough to keep writing.

06/28/2008 - Saturday. Had good intentions, but then there were friends and socializing and....
* penthius freewriting, "Seer Wife," a high-potential character idea.

06/27/2008 - Friday, half work at NgithOwl
"Tree of Life" Writing Log

4,938 / 80,000 (6.2%)

Words: 272
Total words: 4,938
Overused phrase: guide line
Gratuitous word: pinwheeled
Type of scene: in transit
Challenge(s): Mostly, getting started. Overcoming that panicky feeling I get when I haven't worked on a project in a while and I come back to it.
Which use of religion informing action is it anyways?He closed his eyes and released the guide line, turning his hands palm-up. His momentum kept him drifting forward. He saw a left-hand choice and a right-hand choice, so he knew there was a third, unseen branching. He prayed for guidance, and opened his eyes.

Notes: I only wrote for about 1/2 an hour and had a fair amount of trouble getting started, but I'm pleased by the use of I made of his religion. That's one of the character insights I pulled out of 4th Street. I mean, yeah, duh! I just hadn't thought about it.
Other writingy stuff:
* penthius freewriting, "The Persuader," a dark fairytale sketch.
* Read 2 FundsforWriters, 2 FFWSmallMarkets, AbsoluteWrite, WritersDigest, WritersWeekly, 2 Critters newsletters
* Processed the first Critters crit in of chapter 14 of Vicesteed.

06/26/2008 - Thursday, half work at NgithOwl, but then I came home and fell asleep on the kitchen floor instead of writing
* Read newsletters: FFWSmallMarkets - got some market ideas for CSA-based nonfic articles; FundsforWriters; Critters; and WritersWeekly.
* Processed Ballista's personal rejection of "Demons of Disease" - enjoyed it, but aren't taking it.
* Processed Vulgata's personal rejection of "Passings" - useful critical feedback on how to take this wisp of a story and maybe put some meat on its bones. Not sure if it's worth it. Pondering.
* Processed Clarkesworld's personal rejection of "Road of Dreams" - harsh but fair criticism.
* Processed Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show's form rejection of "Waiting" (reprint).
* Processed Misfits Writing Contest not-win of "The Haunts of Hill Crossing" - announcement of winners.
Yes, I've been letting my submissions get backlogged. Now to get out the 16 stories and 1 novel that have "submit" or "submit reprint" as their status. Eep.
* Processed mischief03's crit of Vicesteed ch. 11-12.

06/25/2008 - Wednesday, half work at IDS
At "work":
* Wrangled new lj friends from 4th Street Fantasy con.
* Wrote up a significant portion of my notes from 4th Street.
Home:
* Tried to organize a bit for CONvergence.
* Penthius freewriting, high-potential "Buttermilk Pancakes, Side of Prophecy"
* Finished writing up notes from 4th Street. That took a lot longer than I was expecting, but just going over them made my brain start fizzing again, a bit.

06/24/2008 - Tuesday, half work at NgithOwl
* Penthius freewriting, a neat character setup that could go any number of ways.
* Posted writing log.
* Did three more critiques for Critters. Finished! Hooray! I have once again pulled up my critique ratio just in time to get my manuscript out as scheduled. And most of the stories were enjoyable to read, which was a nice bonus.

Warning: Huge write-up ahead!

Last weekend I went to the 4th Street Fantasy convention (http://www.4thstreetfantasy.com/). As part of my attempt to level up as a SFF writer, I'd decided that this was the year I should make a point of going to conventions, either writing conventions or fantasy and science fiction conventions. Finding one that was both made me happy.

I couldn't justify getting a hotel room. I live in Minneapolis. My budget is already cranky about the hotel room I'm sharing with others for CONvergence. So I used the light rail and my bike. That's when I discovered that my poor old bike's fender means it doesn't go at all easily into the designated bike rack on the light rail. I feel a bit lucky that I didn't die biking home in the dark along city streets at 1 AM. I am in favor of me not dying. I came home every night, though quite late; it still felt as if I'd been gone for a week by the end of the convention.

Lesson #1: 4th Street Fantasy Convention distorts space and time.

( The panels were both useful and shiny. )

Wait--that was only a weekend? It really felt more like a full week, and now I need the weekend to relax a bit and catch up on everything. There were good panels, and the panels had chewy bits that will inform future writing and inspired at least one new story (Mayans! ball games! water wars! sports news! human sacrifice!). I had a lot of good conversations with a lot of strangers. My brain is still faintly fizzing.

Lots more later.

First I need to work the day job, get through 5 critiques by Tuesday night so that the next chapters of Vicesteed will go out in the critique queue, and catch up on at least some of what happened while I was being trepanned.

• 23:41 Survived Day 2 of convention. Feels like it's been a week instead of a day an a half--in a good way. #
• 08:26 Happy today's the last day of convention. It's been great, but "Agh! Strangers!" #
• 08:26 Even if they're my kind of strangers. #
• 08:26 Or my kind of strange. #
• 23:08 That was a weekend convention? It felt like about a week. And my brain is *still* fizzing! #
• 23:08 Can I have my weekend to catch up now? Wait, no--work. *&^#$(*@*&! #

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• 00:51 Survived Day 1 of 4th Street Fantasy Convention, despite feeling like an impostor. Also survived biking home at almost 1 AM. #

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• 23:09 Agh! Light rail is going to be shut down during part of the time I was planning on using it to get to the convention! Darn apartment complex #
• 10:09 Woke up with a, "Squee! Convention's today!" #

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• 06:53 Two very young squirrels are pouncing and frolicking in the back yard. ::slain by cute:: #
• 14:36 Worked, mailed off photos, renewed ID, deposited check, at home found men in alley sternly warning me of danger of being robbed in alley. #
• 14:37 Charlaine Harris' "From Dead to Worse" a creditable addition to the series, which reminds me a lot of Robin McKinley's "Sunshine." #
• 16:49 It's strangely appropriate that I'm printing all my materials for the 4th Street Fantasy convention on the back of old redmarked manuscripts #
• 23:09 Agh! Light rail is going to be shut down during part of the time I was planning on using it to get to the convention! Darn apartment complex #

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