This weekend I will be returning to the biggest science fiction and fantasy convention in Central Ohio, Marcon and sitting on some very exciting panels. I have spent the week preparing for them and connecting with the other readers, writers and fans joining me up on stage. I cannot wait to see how much controversy we can stir up and hear what the audience has to say about one of my favorite genres of all time....Young Adult fiction!!! Yay. I am doing three different panels, one on Twilight: Breaking Dawn, one on Hunger Games and one general panel on Science Fiction and Fantasy YA. This is also great timing as I just chose my area of focus for my MFA and guess what, it's YA. LOL. Yes, I love this stuff.
Let me go back for a moment and talk a little bit about Marcon, because this convention in particular makes me very happy. It was one of the first, science fiction and fantasy conventions I ever attended. Prior to this, I would never have been caught dead at one of these things. At the time I didn't even consider myself a fan of SF. But like so many people I was quick to lump all types of speculative fiction into one large category. What I learned was that this writing community offers incredible wisdom, knowledge, intelligent and sometimes irrational debate and lots of great, lifelong friendships. I also discovered something that I haven't found at any of the other conventions offering writing workshops, at an SF and fantasy convention you come as you are, and are rarely judged for that. So if you want to walk down the hall like a storm trooper or a half naked blue alien like avatar, you go right ahead and do it!
Anyway, this year's theme for the convention is Alternative Histories with Guest of Honor Harry Turtledove. You can learn more about the con by visiting the site www.marcon.org. If you're in the area consider getting a one day or weekend pass. And chances are, if I'm not in a panel I'm in the bar!
New Contest Alert! COFW Ignite the Flame!
So sorry to share this so late in the game. Total fail on my part, but for all you aspiring romance authors the Central Ohio Fiction Writers (a local chapter of the Romance Writers of America) is holding their annual contest for unpublished and aspiring writers. It's a great opportunity to get your work in front of an editor or agent (as they read all of the finalist submissions as guest judges) and get some helpful feedback on your work. It's relatively cheap, fun, and what author doesn't like a little affirmation that they don't completely suck?
Guest judges include:
For more details check out the following website: http://www.cofw.org/contest.html Oh and did I mention the original deadline was extended to May 31st! So keep your laptop close while you're lounging at those family barbecues and polish up your entry! There's still time to submit and you do not have to be a COFW member to do so!
Guest judges include:
- Laura Bradford: Young Adult (Agent at Bradford Literary Agency)
- Deb Werksman: Historical Romance (Editor at Sourcebooks)
- Charles Griesman: Category-Length Contemporary (Editor at Harlequin)
- Marlene Stringer: Suspense Romance (Agent at Stringer Literary Agency LLC)
- Susannah Taylor: Single Title (Agent at Richard Henshaw Group)
- Leis Pederson: Paranormal Romance (Editor at Berkley Publishing Group)
- Lindsey Faber: Erotic Romance (Editor at Samhain Publishing)
For more details check out the following website: http://www.cofw.org/contest.html Oh and did I mention the original deadline was extended to May 31st! So keep your laptop close while you're lounging at those family barbecues and polish up your entry! There's still time to submit and you do not have to be a COFW member to do so!
Grad School Here I Come!!!
OMG, how did I not post this on my blog?? Sorry my fun loving wanna be writer friends for the unnecessary delay. The great news is true. I was accepted into the MFA Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University! Yay! I start this June with my first residency and have been working frantically to get everything in order for the trip to PA and going back to school for the first time in seven years (even if it is a low-residency program). Between financial aid, registration, preparing for the writing critique groups and reading our official program wide book choice (Chosen by Jim Butcher), things have been very busy.
Of course now that I'm in the program I'm crazy nervous! How did I get into this program? What if my writing isn't really good enough? I sometimes feel like this is all just some crazy fluke and my dream of grad school and being a published writer is just that, a crazy dream. Then I remind myself that I was born to tell stories (good or not) and that I can't for the life of me imagine doing anything else with my time.
So yay for grad school. I hope you continue to hang in there with me as I continue this journey for the next three years! And if you have a dream (writing related or not) that you go out there and you find a way to pursue it.
Of course now that I'm in the program I'm crazy nervous! How did I get into this program? What if my writing isn't really good enough? I sometimes feel like this is all just some crazy fluke and my dream of grad school and being a published writer is just that, a crazy dream. Then I remind myself that I was born to tell stories (good or not) and that I can't for the life of me imagine doing anything else with my time.
So yay for grad school. I hope you continue to hang in there with me as I continue this journey for the next three years! And if you have a dream (writing related or not) that you go out there and you find a way to pursue it.
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