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Winter-ish Updatery

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I guess winter is here, right? The Christmas lights are up, the leaves are falling from the trees, and the 90mph Santa Anas are setting the hills on fire…

You may have noticed my banner has changed (the first wave of some website changes to come). A new Ink Gorilla lurks in the banner, regarding visitors with a chary eye. The new banner is courtesy my amazing friend Galen Dara, who captured ole IG perfectly. Galen, he’s amazing. Thank you. Galen also drew another ape from a story of mine for her 30 Characters challenge, which I love. There are some other wonderful characters in her feed, so go check them out.

I’m still going full ahead on the novel, though some days it’s more like 1/4 impulse and the next day Warp 5. I’ve (mostly) grown used to the fact that this is the way that novels are made, or the way this novel is made, or that it’s the way I’m making this novel.

Anyway, the novel and I have come to an understanding of sorts. We try not to kill each other.

Finding the balance between long form writing and short-form writing is another skill I’m trying to learn. So far this mostly means I’ve just scribbled down notes and daydreamed short story ideas on my bike rides, but I’m about ready to put pen to paper as it were and crank a few out. Anyone have any pro tips on not losing momentum on the novel while I do that?

But speaking of short stories, my story “The Parting Glass” debuted yesterday at Lightspeed Magazine (if you follow me on Twitter & Facebook & Google+, you no doubt noticed!). The story won’t go live on the website until December 20, but you can order the ebook now if you just can’t wait (I couldn’t). I’m pleased to share the TOC with Vylar Kaftan, Pat Cadigan, and some guy named Arthur C. Clarke. I’m sure Mr. Clarke is as thrilled as I am. (There’s also a nifty non-fic piece by astrophysicist Alan Smale on doomsday asteroids pummeling the earth–one of my favorite subjects–that wraps up the issue. Alan, if I’d known you were a fellow asteroid freak, I might’ve gone fanboy on you at HallCon in Reno…)

I’ve also got a profile of Chris Miller, the director of DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots at Lightspeed’s sister publication, Fantasy Magazine, this month too! It goes live on the site December 5th, but the ebook is available now.

And to relax after reading all of that, my new Booze Nerd post at The Functional Nerds should be just the thing. I detail “The Widow’s Kiss,” a rich, autumn-y drink that’s the perfect compliment to a warm fire on those chilly nights.

Speaking of booze, this weekend, I’m taking a class in how to make your own cocktail bitters. As I type these words, I’m bouncing up and down in my chair–I’m so stoked. As I understand it, you get to gather your own herbs and so forth from the gardens on-site, and then you make your own unique blend of bitters that you can take home! (Special thanks to my lovely wife, Hungry Passport, for scoping that out!)

For this, and all of the good things that have come my way this fall, I am unreasonably excited.

And also very grateful.

 

 

Reflections on World Horror Convention 2011

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A couple of weekends ago, I attended the 2011 World Horror Convention in Austin, Texas.  Despite my intentions to write it up immediately, I found myself in the thick of a busy workweek and post-con exhaustion (as well as some other writing projects I’ll announce soon). But better late than never!

I’d never been to WHC so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I primarily went to see old friends and do some more Rigor Amortis promotion (thanks, Edge). But I had a fantastic time. I had planned to write up the panels and discuss in detail all the things I did while there, but in the process I came away with two realizations about my writing that I wanted to talk about instead:

1) I’m more of a horror writer than I thought.

I used to be much more into reading horror when I was younger. I cut my teeth on short stories by Stephen King (especially Night Shift, which I re-read many times.) I devoured books by King, Wilson, and even Koontz. I loved the creepy thrills of Alien, The Shining, and the gore fests of Friday the Thirteenth and Nightmare on Elm Street. Oh, and Jaws. That giant shark has haunted my dreams ever since.

As a writer, I have mostly been interested in fantasy, though as I get older, my stories are becoming darker and darker. Maybe it’s all the stuff I see going wrong with the world. With my zombie story in Rigor Amortis getting some attention, I’ve found myself wondering if maybe I haven’t strayed as far from the horror path as I’d thought. Even the novel I’m beginning to work on is as much horror as fantasy.

And that leads me to the second realization.

2) I’m ready to start my first novel.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Every beginning writer hears they should cut their teeth on short stories. I believe this. I’ve lived it. I’ve had success. I’m not ready to quit writing shorts, but I feel it’s time to face that novel and conquer it. (I’m not the only one to have decided this recently.)

Several serendipitous conversations at WHC only strengthed my resolve, and so I’ve decided to make a novel my “summer project.” I may even tie that into the Clarion West write-a-thon coming up. Stay tuned.

So thanks to the organizers and attendees of WHC 2011. I had a blast, and I look forward to the next one!

Special thanks to my WHC posse, too: Lauren, Lucas, John, Galen, Erika, Jaym, Steve, Bear, Sandra, Robert, Andrew, Molly, Jesse, Orrin, and Selena.