Category Archives: Colette Black

Local conventions tend to be, well, small. They may not seem worth the time or even the relatively small amount of cash, but as Clancy pointed out with her post on LTUE, there are a number of good reasons to go.

First, local networking: This is your chance to get to know local authors. Clancy listed a number of writers she’s met at LTUE, most of whom I recognize as Utah natives. I live in Arizona, but I traveled up to Utah to attend a small local convention called Conduit. There, I made it on the list of people to play Magic with Brandon Sanderson. He took pity on me, and the many years since I’d played the game, and helped me out. As I got my butt kicked playing the game mano-a-mano against Brandon, I asked him writing advice that changed my life. I told him where I was with my writing and asked him where I should go next. He pointed me toward David Farland and his workshops, which we’ll talk about in a later post. My point is that I could have never had that opportunity at a large convention. In a small one, the authors aren’t so busy, and they’re more able to be themselves and talk with people on a personal basis. I had a similar experience with James A. Owen at CopperCon last August, having another life-changing conversation that had nothing to do with writing. But wait, everything has to do with writing, because writing is life portrayed through story.

In a local con, you also meet local fans. If you’re a novice, self-published writer, or just getting started in the NY publishing industry, or even if you’re well-known across the world, at a local con you have local fans who take an interest in their home-grown stars. I once had a well-published writer tell me that the local cons are imperative, because the fans there are your home-base, they’re your friends that will give you support when the going gets rough. It’s true, and I’ve met some wonderful people and wonderful friends through local conventions.

Second, Guests: Almost every convention on the planet, no matter how small, brings in an outside talent. As with local authors, the guests are usually more accessible at a local con than at a world-renowned convention. At LepreCon 2011, Elizabeth Bear was their Guest of Honor. I never saw Elizabeth long enough to start up a conversation, but to my surprise, her editor, Beth Meacham of Tor, had come. I sat at a cafe table with Ms. Meacham for a few minutes, and though she had to know I sat with her for the sole purpose of meeting her, she was gracious and kind. We talked about the future of publishing and she explained the options for YA science fiction from an editor’s point of view. When the party she waited for arrived, I thanked her for her time, and made a quick exit. I didn’t pitch, and she didn’t ask about my work, which means I didn’t make a nuisance of myself. If I ever have the privilege of speaking with her again, probably by means of an agent, then I hope she’ll remember me favorably because I didn’t play the part of an annoying wannabe who pinned her down for twenty minutes to talk about my novel.

Third, the money: Local conventions are so much cheaper than the big ones. Conduit is $35 as is LepreCon, compared to the $180 and up that most of the big conventions cost. Also, if you live local, you can choose to drive to the convention and back instead of staying at the hotel, and though their hospitality suites aren’t usually quite as nice as the big conventions, they still have decent enough ones to grab a snack here and there and cut on your food costs.

Fourth, community service: When you go to a local convention, and encourage your friends to attend, you’re supporting your genre within your community. Local fans have a place to go that they can afford, and your genre has a venue from which to publicize. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Here are some upcoming conventions in AZ : Tuscon Festival of Books (related post), March 9-10, Free; LepreCon, May 9-12, $35; Phoenix Comicon (fairly crowded), May 23-26, $40; Coppercon, August 9-11; TusCon, November 9-11, $35

Some outside of AZ that I’ve heard about: CarolinaCon in North Carolina, March 15-17, $20; Conduit in Utah, May 24-26, $35; FenCon in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, October 4-6, $30

For a more comprehensive list of science fiction conventions, go to www.westernsfa.org

(All prices represent the current cost. Some registration costs go up at later dates.)

These are the ones I know about. I’d love to hear about others, especially for other genres.

The Next Big Thing

December 12, 2012

Colette Black

Colette Black Craft & Skills No Comments

I’ve been tagged by the wonderful Marsheila Rockwell to participate in “The Next Big Thing,” a writers chain letter designed to let fellow writers and readers know about the projects we’re working on. At the end of the post are links to more fabulous writers who will tell you next week what they have on their drawing boards.

So, for the questions:

What is the working title of your book?

I finished a rough draft on a novel I’m calling, “Fourteen,” during nanowrimo, plugging in the last 50K over the course of the month. It’s in the editing process, and I’m very excited about the story and the characters. I think I’m in love with my protagonist, though he’s too young for me. (Don’t tell my husband.)

Where did the idea for the book come from?

A very dark place. Much of the idea came from musings about how a person changes from a basically decent individual with high ideals into a crazed tyrant. What has to happen and how long would such a process take? As those thoughts churned, I found myself increasingly intrigued with the very complex villain that formed and the events that would make it possible for a hero to destroy him.

What genre does this fall under?

I’m currently calling it a fantasy, though what kind of fantasy I have yet to determine. It has 1930’s technology, which makes it too far in the past to be considered contemporary, and the world has magic that meshes with the more modern aspects. Some have suggested steampunk, but it doesn’t go there either. I like that it’s a unique meshing of concepts, but finding a subgenre is a challenge yet to be addressed. As always in my works, there will be some romance, and lots of action.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?

Like Marcy, I don’t really think of my characters in these terms, but to play the male protagonist, Fourteen/Gabrick, I think Kim Jaejoong with strawberry-blond hair (at least for looks. I have no idea how well he acts or speaks English). Jodelle Ferland or someone with similar looks would do well for Mariessa, the female protagonist. For the villain, Beht Han, we’d need an older version of the protagonist, but I don’t have anyone in particular in mind.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of the book?

Fourteen believes becoming the next emperor will grant him unequalled divinity and knowledge, but the choosing is a death sentence from which no one has ever escaped.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

That is yet to be decided. I’ll show it to my agent, the wonderful Cherry Weiner, and then we’ll go from there.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

That’s a tough one. I left and came back to this story numerous times. Research was at least a solid month. The outlining phase was also a month or two, and the writing was probably three months, but that’s hard to say because I had other projects and some editing in there as well. I’d guess, start to finish, about five months, but it’s a guess.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I think it might compare in some ways to Brandon Sanderson’s Mystborn series. It has a hero’s journey, which is common in many fantasy novels, except instead of starting from poor and difficult circumstances our main protagonist comes from an environment of wealth and a puffed-up sense of his own self-importance.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The same ones who inspired me to write as a career are my motivators for putting any of my ideas into print, including this one-my family. It’s too long of a story to share here, but when my website is up and running, www.coletteblack.net, I’ll have the background of my late-in-life writing career on my About Me page. Look for it in the next couple of months.

What else about your book might pique the interest of readers?

Hot guys with years upon years of training in hand-to-hand combat, a buxom babe who’s good with a gun, and a girl with a temper, a lithe body, and an uncanny ability to throw knives. Add to that a world where only the elite own guns, motorcars, or have access to aeroplanes; the poor are relegated to solving conflicts with knives and swords, trying to survive a ruthless caste system; and every living thing leaves behind a stone of some power, whether it be a light in the night, an instant poison, or a prophecy that will change the world.

And now my taggees, in no particular order, whose own entrees (unless otherwise noted by them) will go up on or around 12/19:

1) I met S. James Nelson at WFC 2011 and discovered a great writer and good friend. Author of The Demigod Proving Grounds–a personal favorite, Keep Momma Dead, and winner of David Farland’s short story writing contest, placing his story in the anthology, “Nightingale Songs,” if you haven’t looked at his work, you should. Find him at www.sjamesnelson.com

2) A fellow superstars attendee, fun person to hang around with, and amazing fried-twinkie-eater (alas, we will see this no more), is Kim May. If you scroll down her blog a bit, you can see her testimonial from the Superstars Seminar we attended together. Go to www.ninjakeyboard.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Writing Software from the Technologically Impaired

December 5, 2012

Colette Black

Colette Black Software The Writing Life Writing Tools 2 Comments

Yes, from the technologically impaired, not for the technologically impaired, so I can’t help you with your computer problems. And, I’m not saying that whoever wrote the software was technologically impaired, only the person writing this post. So, if you’re like me, and don’t consider yourself particularly savvy with computers and software, why use a writing program? Because it will make you a better writer.

Here are my experiences with a couple of programs out there:

Snowflake:

This is a great organizational tool that takes you step by step through writing a well-developed novel. It’s also a great help as you try to figure out those synopses. It starts you with a brief paragraph description of your novel then has you expand the book summary into five plot-point paragraphs. That expansion continues until you end up at a page where you write out the key points for individual scenes. It also has a character page with a multitude of questions to help develop your characters’ personalities and quirks. I used the software for about eight months, and though I found it helpful, I felt like I was moving back and forth from one screen to another and it didn’t seem to make my writing much easier than having multiple files in Word. It’s a great outlining tool, so it would serve a lot of writers very well. You can check it out at : http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/info/snowflake_pro/

Scrivener:

I use a pc and had heard about scrivener from mac users for years. When scrivener came out with a pc version I had to try it. There’s a learning curve and I still haven’t figured out how to do maximize the program’s capabilities. But if you buy this, I highly suggest you take the time to go through the tutorial, probably more than once. This, and updated versions, will probably be my writing program for life. I don’t have to go into files or bounce back and forth between screens. My color-coded outline runs along the left side of my screen, including a section for research, characters, places, or anything else I might want. Along the right side of my screen I can choose to see notes related to specific files, including pictures and alternating notes pertaining to my whole novel, or just the chapter I’m working on. My writing screen itself can be split, so I can be writing in one screen, need information from one of my research files, and open up another screen right next to where I’m writing. The only time I have to leave the program is when I go to the internet or books to do research, but when I find what I need, I can place files into my scrivener program and have them on hand for later use. The only drawback so far is that the spell-check/auto-correct doesn’t seem to be as good as Word, and when I’m working without an internet connection I don’t have any type of dictionary or thesaurus. Since I rarely write under those circumstances, and when I do I just put in a triple-x and move on, I don’t find this a difficulty. I highly recommend this program. You can find it for Mac or pc at: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/

Dragon Naturally Speaking:

I like typing and haven’t used this yet, though I hear great things. I’d probably be a lot thinner if I took this hiking instead of sitting on my butt at a keyboard. If you can learn to tell a story this way, or if you prefer telling your stories rather than the slower process of typing, this might be the software for you. Since I don’t actually use it, I’m going to quote my friend, Dale Stinson, on its many uses and advantages:

“Seven years ago, I decided to write a science-fiction novel. One big problem, I never learned to type. When I tried to type something down, the thought evaporated as I was concentrating on the letters on the keyboard. The next day, I bought Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 4. Initial training of the software took over an hour. During the first eight hours of use, dictation accuracy increased from 85% to almost 95%. Two years later, I purchased DNS- 7 Preferred which came bundled with a digital voice recorder. Theoretically, you could dictate into the recorder, plug it into your computer and magically have your dictation transcribed. It was a huge disappointment, I was lucky if I achieved 75% accuracy. BUT, dictating directly to the computer was a vast improvement over version 4. Within the first day of use, I’d achieved 98% accuracy most of the time. Two years ago I upgraded to DNS-10 Preferred. It was literally a quantum leap forward in usability. I regularly achieve 99% + accuracy with a new software.

PROS: Editing has been made easier by having the software read what I’ve written in a computer voice while I follow the written words on the screen. When I hear the voice say something that doesn’t sound right, I can make a correction while it continues reading. It’s very easy to put down a tremendous number of words during a four-hour writing session, speaking stream of consciousness can do that.

CONS: The software never misspells a word, but it often misunderstands a word. For example: Names. There are many names that can be spelled different ways. Kathy and Cathy are an example. I’ve tried using the name I preferred, “Cathy” multiple times on the same page. Sometimes it would come up Cathy other times it would come up Kathy. After correcting by voice two or three times, it continued making the same mistake. The software also tries to guess what you’re trying to say, it’s often wrong.

In seven years, I’ve “written” close to 3 million words using Voice Recognition Technology. Without it, I would’ve never been able to start writing.” You can learn more about it here: http://www.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm

Editing Software:

There are also editing programs available. I’ve tried a few of these, but since I write science fiction and fantasy, usually using a lot of made-up words, I find most of these more tedious than helpful. I’ve heard great things though. If you’re interested, here are a couple off the top of the search engine. Some I’ve tried, others I haven’t:

http://www.autocrit.com/

http://fictionfixer.com/

I’d love to hear your experiences with writing or editing software. What works, what doesn’t, and why?

Opening Your Imagination

November 12, 2012

Colette Black

Colette Black Making Progress as a Writer Successes The Writing Life 4 Comments

Generating ideas is easy, but generating the kinds of ideas that move YOU can be more of a challenge. Most of us have had at least one person tell us an idea and suggest we write it, but that never works because it’s their vision, not yours. So how do you find that idea that’s worth hours and hours of time and effort? Relax, look for it, and don’t let crazy and stupid be a deterrent.

First, relax. Soon after I started writing for publication, I had a panic moment. “What if I’m one of those writers who only has one good idea in them?” Now, even then this was utterly ridiculous, because I’d had quite a few ideas come to me and had even started short stories on a couple of them, but I hadn’t thought of any new ideas for a while, which is exactly where I’m at now. I’ve come to realize that when I’m focused on my current story, my imagination tends to stay close to the projects at hand and I don’t usually generate a lot of new ideas. That’s just the way I work, but I had to quit freaking out so I could figure that out. Relax, if the idea was in you for one story, there are more to come.

Second, look for it. Worried that my imagination-well might run dry, I started looking for ideas. When driving, I paid more attention to my surroundings. On the radio, in the news, even the magazines I picked up in the dentist’s office, I looked for ideas. Reading books, I tried to think of off-the-wall variations on its premise, or some concept in the book, and what kinds of stories would come. Even in talking to friends and family, I would look for thematic elements from our conversations that would lend focus to a story.

Which leads to our third point: don’t let crazy and stupid be a deterrent. I did come up with stories, utterly ridiculous ones. But if I relaxed, played around with them, and let them develop into other ideas or themes, I found myself coming up with some unique and interesting concepts. Did I suddenly start selling to top magazines and agents? No. But I wrote more stories that intrigued me, with characters that had depth, and my writing ability improved. I didn’t have to worry about ideas because when I needed them, they would come. Ideas would pop into my head while driving, in my sleep, and the most embarrassing, in the middle of conversations. “Um, yes, I was listening. What was that again?”

So, how about you? What kinds of activities get your imagination and your best ideas flowing?