Context

This weekend I'll be attending Context 24. This will be a laid-back con for me; all I'm committed to is the Broad Universe Reading on Sunday at 1:00. If you're around and you enjoy Lovecraftian detective stories, stop by for a listen.

Booklamp vs. Novelist

I was just reading about a "new" idea in matching readers with books. It's called Booklamp, and the developers describe it as "Pandora for books". (FYI, I'm familiar with Pandora but haven't used it myself.) The idea is, Booklamp takes data from the books you love, analyzes such data as plot, characters, etc., and based on those analyses provides you with some other titles you might enjoy. It's a great idea. That's why Novelist has been doing it for years.

As far as I can tell, the difference between Booklamp and Novelist is that you need a public library card to access Novelist. And since I'm a public librarian, I'm going to plug Novelist right now for those library users who aren't familiar with their libraries' wonderful database collections. If you've got a public library card, visit your library website. You'll probably see a button on the main page that says something like "Premium Resources" or "Databases". For example, on Columbus Metro's Page you'll see it in the dropdown menu under "Reference".

When you click that tab you should see a number of resources. Scroll down until you see Novelist. (Disclaimer: of course not every library webpage is arranged the same way, so the process at your library may be a bit different.) When you click it, you'll probably be prompted to enter your library card number and possibly your pin, so have those handy. Now go to town. If you're lucky enough to accessing Novelist from your library, the friendly librarian there will help you with any questions, but you should be able to navigate it pretty easily.

And if your library doesn't have Novelist, call them up and ask them what the deal is.

Seriously, Novelist is pretty cool. I just used it to discover Algernon Blackwood based on my preference for H.P. Lovecraft. I'll be checking him out soon.

But back to the original topic: Booklamp. Has anyone used it? (I understand it's still in beta.) Anyone used both Booklamp and Novelist and have a preference?

Inboxitis

I'm deep in the grips of inboxitis. That's where I obsessively check my inbox several times a day, holding my breath, waiting to see if I've gotten a response on a submission yet. I never do. Then I experience "the wave", the second-long period of unfulfilled anticipation, mixed with relief that I haven't been rejected yet.

I think I've got it because I'm in a funky transitional phase right now. I have two projects circulating that I haven't heard back on, no upcoming publications, and am in a sketchy place on my new project. I'm antsy. So I hold my breath, check my inbox, and wait.

Anyone else get this?

Thoughts from a first-time slush reader

Working as blog editor for Loconeal Publishing has been a pleasure. I've gotten to talk to some great writers who have shared their insights on the writing process.

Recently, I've also gotten the chance to read through the slush pile for Loconeal's upcoming anthology. I encountered some well-written, thought-provoking work that I can't wait to see in print. I also saw some stories that were almost there. With just a little tweaking, they could have gone from good to great.

Over at the Locoblog I go into detail about some common errors I ran across, and how they can be fixed. Please head on over and check it out.

My Marcon schedule

Once again, I'll be a panelist at Marcon, which is going on this weekend. Here's my schedule:

Friday 5:30pm Are You Bi-Speculative? Science Fiction vs. Fantasy
Saturday 10:00am Broad Universe reading (I'll be reading from my horror novelette, All Hope Lost
Saturday 2:30pm Reading (I'll be reading from my urban fantasy novel Southpaw Junction)
Saturday 7:00pm How to be Edited
Sunday 10:00am Young Adult Sci-fi and Fantasy

See you then.

Vacation reading

Over vacation I read Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon, his most recent book. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in sampling his style who doesn't have the fortitude to wade through Gravity's Rainbow (I haven't tried that one yet; I hear it's a challenge). IV is accessible, fun, and hilarious in the way that only Pynchon can manage. Here's the trailer:



Upon reading more about it online, I discovered that a movie of the book is in the developmental stages. At first the news made me nervous. None of Pynchon's books have been portrayed on film before. Was this going to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster attempt? But three pieces of news set me at ease:

1. The film's director is P.T. Anderson, one of my favorite directors (Magnolia is right at the top of my favorite films list);

2. Pynchon is working closely with Anderson on the script. Considering Pynchon's reluctance to put himself anywhere near a public spotlight, this is big news; and

3. Robert Downey Jr. will likely play the lead.

So now I'm psyched to see this film. I'll have to wait a while, though; Anderson won't start filming until the fall. I also wonder if the film will introduce more casual readers to Pynchon's books, which are generally aimed mostly at the literary fiction set.

Who knows, maybe it'll even inspire me to pick up Gravity's Rainbow.

Motivation

This week has been a trial in motivation. I'm in the first stages of a new project, the sequel to the urban fantasy novel I finished early this year. I've created a mini-outline with new characters who interest me, and a fun adventure story that will take my world in new directions. Now it's simply a matter of sitting down and letting the words flow. Right?

I wish.

This past week I started writing the first draft, with enough character and plot exploration to shine a dim light at least a few pages ahead of me. In past projects, the first week has been a word explosion: fresh territory to explore, a blush of optimism enough to carry me through to the tangles of the early-middle muddle. No worries; once I wrote through the first few pages, the light would shine brighter, showing me new pathways I hadn't seen before I arrived.

But not this project. This time, I found myself floundering through the first scene, unsure in my narration, struggling with sentence structure, unable to break free of my inner editor's strangling grip. What gives?

Allow me to engage in some melodrama. In the film The Neverending Story, Atreyu and his horse must face the Swamps of Sadness, through which he must trudge to reach his destination. If he stops for even a moment and reflects on the sorrow of the place, he will sink into it. He must trudge through, immune to the weight of negativity in his surroundings. While Atreyu makes it, his horse is not so disciplined.

I'm not saying that the writing life is a bog of sorrow, though sometimes it can feel like it. I currently have two projects in limbo: the first book in this series, and a novella I'm waiting to hear back on. I believe I'm struggling in my current work because I've allowed myself to be weighted down by dark uncertainty. I glanced below and behind me, succumbing to the sorrow of the unknown, the fear of rejection. And failing to see the path ahead of me, I began to sink.

But I'm over that now. Seeing the cause of my weak-kneed dawdling, I must now power through it. I will not be consumed by the unforgiving bog of writer's depression. I will fight through with words, sentences, and scenes, until I break through to the far shores of completion and victory.

Fellow writers in the grips of flagging fluency: don't give up. Find the strength to power through your own Swamp of Sadness. I'll meet you on the far shore, and we can stare back and spite the darkness behind us.

Pardon me now, I have a novel to write.