Convention Crazy!

Jumping back into the work schedule brings me to a peculiar topic. Conventions. Musa is having me compile a list of conventions to help its authors share their writing with those of like minds and interests. I've been compiling lists of science fiction, horror, romance, fantasy, and general book conventions for the past couple days with location information and links to event and artist coordinators. The lists are insanely long and I never imagined there were this many conventions every year. Almost every weekend has one and several weekends have multiple gathering's all across the United States.

Despite my lack of knowledge on the number of conventions, I am aware of their power and existence. My first experience with a convention was Youmacon 2007, an anime convention that was in Troy, Michigan. Anime conventions usually cover anime (Japanese cartoons) and manga (Japanese graphic novels.) I've loved manga and graphic novels ever since I was introduced to them in seventh grade. When art and writing meld together you get a unique story telling experience. It may not be literature, or require the depths of your imagination to visualize what is going on, but there is humor there that you can't really get anywhere else. 

I made the helmet and scythe. It took a lot of work, but I had one hell of a time during the con.

Youmacon 2007 was one of the smelliest experiences of my life. It consisted of no AC and lots of nerds with body odor packed tightly together indoors. In spite of the smell there were artist's there who created my favorite animes and mangas. More importantly I got to know people who had the same interests I had and got to explore the culture further. I vowed I would come back and I did from 2010-2012 with friends in tow. Thankfully that experience was much less smelly. Those years the convention was at the Detroit Marriot where AC killed the stink of a couple thousand of people. In 2011 I went as Celty Sturluson (image above.) I was randomly chosen to do a free photo shoot with a bunch of people who wore costumes as a hobby. Costume's are a major part of anime conventions and I chose to take part that year, spending a good day making and putting together the outfit.

It's a zany experience and I have a hard time believing that any other convention could top the craziness factor of anime cons. However, I think in the future I should also start scooping out the lists I'm currently making for the Musa authors. There's professional aspect as a writer and an editor that becons me to attend. I hope I learn something at one of these conventions, but I also hope that it doesn't lack a fun atmosphere. I may not wear a costume, but I wouldn't mind an improptu writer's circle or a panel about online publishing.

I love these gatherings and hope I'll be at one in the near future.

Happy Writings!

P.s. Day three have thoroughly neglected writting. This creativity block is killing me. I will do better on the weekend.

Who Do We Listen To When We Write?

I have had the pleasure of meeting a few different authors this year. I've also had several English and literature teachers in my life. They all have knowledge about how and what to write that they shared with me and, I am sure, many others. The author's methods certainly got them somewhere, and my teachers each taught me different ways to approach what I was writing. Whether that was message, grammar, or plot, they certainly offered me some of the basics of writing.

One author who I interviewed for an upcoming Penumbra issue said to write a page a day. It's something that has stuck with me. I've been gathering notes (a page a day) for my chosen book, so that in January I will be ready for my personal novel writing month with my friend. While helpful in moving in a direction of actually completing something, it's not very inspirational for what to write about.

Inspiration often comes from somewhere else. A hobby you're interested in, a genre of books you read, or in my case graphic novels and comics. I read over 100 different web comics and follow them religiously. I recently started putting together a Pinterest board with some of the better ones.

In the beginning of November I attended Youmacon in Detroit, Michigan. Youmacon is an anime convention held every year the week after Halloween. When I was there I had the lovely chance to meet one of my favorite web comic artists. Michael Terracciano, better known as Mookie, he is the creator of the long running web comic Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. He gave a presentation called, Writing Unique Heroes and Memorable Villains.

I first saw the presentation in 2011 and saw it again this year because I had been so entertained the first time. Mookie has a bit of the theatrical spirit in his bones and does his presentation well, especially when explaining what sort of stories he loves and hates. I can't replicate his tone or the enthusiasm he displayed when acting out various characters on stage. However, his main points were these:

1. Get the girl friend out from behind the wall (AND FOR GODS SAKE PUT SOME CLOTHES ON HER!)

2. Use the intellectual victory when possible (for no other reason than that it is impressive).

3. People have random quirks, so should your characters. Something that makes people care about the characters and how they are doing. It gives a person something to relate to, to find a bit of themselves inside the character you make.

4. Your hero, villain, or bad-ass-bruiser does not need to have the only thing he or she has ever cared about blown up, killed, or destroyed in some other manner for them to take action.

There may have been more, but these are the bits that really sat in my mind. If I go to Youmacon again next year and he is there I will be in the crowd again, watching getting my dose of inspiration and entertainment from a man I truly respect as both a story teller and an artist.

Why Do I Try NaNoWriMo When it Makes Me Feel Guilty?

My good friend posted this on Facebook today:

"Nano update 2170 words done today to bring my total to 6240. Not bad. Very tired though."

I wanted to grind my teeth. For those of you who don't know, This month is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. It's a one month race every November to type 50,000 words and finish a novel length project. Every year I say I'm going to do it, and every year something gets in the way.

This year it was a convention. I attended Youmacon the first few days of November and have made no attempt since to even try moving forward. I had work projects, and had to help my boyfriend move into his new apartment. Life has this funny way of trying to stop you from accomplishing your goals.

I'm flat out jealous at this point. I know I could do it, If you write everyday we're talking about a measly 1,667 words a day. Around two to two and a half pages without spaces. So I've come to the conclusion, I will try to do it this year. However, I'm not doing it with everyone else like I should. I'm moving my NoWriMo to January and writing with a friend.

We figured January was the month for breaking bad habits and starting new ones, that and there were no major pesky holidays like Thanksgiving that could take days out of your time if you have a nuclear family like I do. I have two thanksgivings and several hours worth of travel no matter which way I go to celebrate. January's only holidays would only serve to give us more writing time and no familial obligations. It was the perfect solution to the busy schedule problem.

Still, I'm missing out on the big rush. The feeling of completing my stories along with everyone else. The feeling of a group of people working together to get to that glorious end. The national bit of the equation.

Youmacon did have a panel on NaNoWriMo called 50,000 words. The panel gave me some resources to check out, and I wouldn't have found my writing buddy for January without it, so I don't regret leaving the national stream. I'm just slightly jealous of all of those folks who are going to attain their goal just slightly ahead of me.

To you poor saps attempting the challenge now, I commend you, trudge forth!