Hey all!
For anyone attending Norwescon (the Pacific Northwest’s Premier Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention — says so right there on the web page), I hope to see you there! Norwescon runs from March 24-27 in SeaTac, WA. I’ll be a panelist for the second year running! I had the time of my life doing panels last year, so naturally I was chomping at the bit to do it again.
Hell, I’m even a moderator for three panels this time! (Oh god oh god what have I done?)
My schedule, for those interested (“M” is for moderator):
Thu 10:00 PM-11:00 PM – Cascade 5&6
Invasion From Space
Oh, sure; it sounds easy, but there’s a reason authors writing about space invasion almost always take the defender. Join our panel as they examine what it takes to take a world.
Greg Hallock (M), Elliott Kay, Jason Vanhee
Fri 8:00 PM-9:00 PM – Cascade 10
Young Fans & the Military
This is for the young men and women who wonder if their lives should include some time in uniform. Come ask your questions and our panelists will answer them, as straight as they can.
Elliott Kay (M), Alicia Faires, Jennifer Brozek
Fri 9:00 PM-10:00 PM – Cascade 9
Writing Sex: The Elements of Slash
Most of us have read slash and loved it, but how exactly does it work? What are the nuts and bolts of writing a good sex scene? This panel will examine a few pieces to see how writers create their effects, with an eye toward the basic questions. How explicit should you be? What does “explicit” mean, anyway? Is it about how much metaphor you use? How many body parts you describe and how? Several writers will talk about this scariest of writing tasks.
Berlynn Wohl (M), Elliott Kay, BelladonnaQ, Rachael Sabotini
Special Note: I was on this panel last year. I am still deeply disturbed by some of the things I learned. It was ridiculously, unbelievably fun.
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM – Evergreen 3&4
Violence, Sex, & the YA Audience
Join our panelists as they discuss the boundaries of young adult fantasy and how to maintain a compelling story while still hitting the target audience.
Kristi Charish (M), Elliott Kay, Aibhinn, Frog Jones
Sat 3:00 PM-4:00 PM – Cascade 5&6
Space Cadet Military Training
Military training has often been included in SF stories. How realistic is it? What different kinds of training are there, and why?
Elliott Kay (M), Kevin Mathews, Daniel P. Lynge, Mike Brennan
Sun 3:00 PM-4:00 PM – Cascade 12
Level Up Your Self-Publishing Skills
How do you find a good editor or cover artist? What’s your pricing strategy? Does free work? What are the best keywords to use? How do you get reviews? This panel discusses the best practices for putting out a professional product and the current strategies for finding success.
Elliott Kay (M), K. M. Alexander, Matt Youngmark, Ryan Macklin, Annie Bellet
Also, if you’re going to Emerald City Comic Con, I’m on a panel on Thursday evening with some awesome people about the Business of Writing. Come check us out!
DEAD MAN’S DEBT UPDATE: Book three in the Poor Man’s Fight series is almost here! It’s all about the cover art now, and that’s projected to be done sometime next week. The book will almost certainly be released on Amazon as an ebook a day or two after I have it in hand, with other formats to follow.
Interior formatting for the paperback is finished, so the paperback option will happen quickly. The contract with Audible is signed and the manuscript is in their hands; I can’t speak to their schedule, but they seem to move pretty quick — and Life In Shadows in Audio will be available March 15, with pre-orders available now!!
Can’t wait to know what happens in Dead Man’s Debt? Well, I’ll tell you this much:
* It’s two years after Rich Man’s War and the war still rages!
* Tanner Malone commits even more appalling acts of heroism in the public eye!
* Gunnery Sergeant Janeka rampages!
* Casey swears a lot!
* Breathtaking heroines are totally not interested in dating the hero!
* Shady shenanigans on all sides!
* Somebody dies!
* Fighting! Face-punching! Nonsense lasers!
* Tanner visits new worlds — and commits blasphemy on all of them!
Hang in there, folks! It’ll be out before I run out of exclamation points!
Y’know, Tanner’s a genuinely nice guy. If he eventually gets discouraged by the lack of women willing to date him and joins Gamergate, we’re gonna have to have words.
Also, one reading of “Somebody dies!” is that only one single person dies. I have a feeling that’s not true, but I do find it amusing to contemplate a mil-sf story where only one person dies.
Actually, never mind. David Drake already did that with his story in Gordon R Dickson’s Harriers setting. I’m pretty sure no one died, come to think of it.
Ugh. The last thing I want to think about is Gamergate surviving into the 23rd Century.
Or into tomorrow, really. 🙂
But yeah. You’ve got me. It’s multiple somebodies. False advertising here at its best!
Sweet!! Dead Man’s Debt is going to have my brand new favorite type of laser! Nonsense lasers!! The more the …
…Nonsensicalier.
Don’t forget to watch Invader Zim and Mars Attacks in preparation for yourInvasion From Space panel.
-rehcra
A lot of teasing, but projected release date? March7th?
Cant wait!
Definitely not the 7th, but soon. Again, I’m waiting on a couple of things that are outside of my control, but I have complete faith in the diligence of the people handling it. I’m hoping it will be sometime this week, but no fair coming at me with the pitchforks and torches if it takes a little longer than that, okay?
Please?
My hand is twitching toward the pitchfork even as I write (my wife said no to burning torches, something about the curtains, women!).
Only one thought goes through my mind, “FEED ME, I’M HUNGRY”.
I’ll mentally peg it’s availability as the 15th, if it comes sooner great, if it comes later, there is always the mob.
What if they are small pitchforks…like cocktail weiner pitchforks…with the weiner attached?
Nice thought, some people only see the mob, you see the opportunity for for a bonfire with hot dogs (little ones) and (I assume) marshmallows.
Can’t wait for Norwescon. My book will be on sale this year in the dealer room and that both excites and scares the crud out of me. Congrats on your new book!
Congrats to you! That’s awesome! Will you have an author table, or have you been told it’ll be on a vendor table? Either way, I’ll keep an eye out.
I’m on an indie book table, vendor table. Thanks for asking.
PLEASE FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY AN UNHOLY LET IT BE THIS WEEK ILL PAY DOUBLE!
I’ll put it out as soon as it’s ready. That’s why I’m not giving a release date. I don’t want to say “two weeks” or “March 15th” or whatever, ’cause if everything comes together on Wednesday the 10th, I’m gonna put it out for release that very day. That’s why I’m not giving updates, either. Honest to God, nobody wants this book out more than I do. 🙂
I’ll only give you 2 more months, after that I am going to stop checking every day to see if it’s out. Even fans have to know when to put their foot down!
ElliottKayfan: Pew! Pew….. Pew.
Otherfan: what are you doing?
ElliottKayfan: Making laser noises.
Otherfan: Actually lasers are light and don’t make noise.
ElliottKayfan:… uhmmm… Pew pew Bang clank vroom gurgle Pew!
Otherfan: That’s even worse! Lasers don’t make noise!
ElliottKayfan: Nonsense Lasers do. Clank clank clink click KaBoooom!!!
Thanks for the update! I will be keeping my eye on the kindle for Rich Man’s War. Please get Tanner a girlfriend, he needs some love in his life. So long as you didn’t kill the Gunny all shall be good, we need our bad ass to keep the troops in order while Tanner is off saving the day.
Do you know if these panels be recorded (put on YouTube) or streamed (twitch)?Because I would love to listen to what you guys have to say on these topics even though I can’t go to this convention.