Category: Odyssey


I just got back from TNEO–The Never Ending Odyssey–a one week workshop for Odyssey Writing Workshop alums. As much as I learned from Odyssey, one of the greatest benefits has been the network of talented, supportive writers that become writing family. I learned some new things, reinforced some others, got some validation and some feedback, hung out with 21 others who were just as happy as me talking about writing all week, and came home recharged and ready to write! Yay!

To make it even more awesome, the morning I left, I received word that Daily Science Fiction is buying another of my stories, my 4th sale to DSF. This one is called “Scenes from a Solitary Life” and it’s one of my favorites, so I’m stoked that it’s found a home. More info to come as I get the details. Double yay!

Story Night!

SlamPrintAd-ScreenResIf you live in upper New England, and you like listening to stories, check this out.

On November 2nd, I’ll be joining 19 other writers at LaBelle Winery in Amherst, NH for a night of reading stories by a bonfire, drinking wine (or cider), and eating s’mores. There’s an amazing list of authors and it should be a blast listening to 20 awesome stories!

I’ll be reading “Alone,” a short that I’ve written recently,  It’s a sci-fi character piece about a boy born alone on a world of twins. I’m really proud of this piece, hopefully I’ll do it justice.

So, come hang out if you’re in the area, and say hi! I’d love to meet you.

LaBelle Winery Bonfire Story Slam

It’s been a year since I graduated from Odyssey. Don’t get me wrong—best writing experience ever. I’m not second guessing, not a chance. But, workshops will mess with you. They throw your writing zen seriously out of whack.

You’ll hear, if you’ve been to a workshop or if you ever go, “You’ll have so much in your head. It’ll take you awhile to assimilate it before you’ll see it pay benefits in your writing.” That’s true, and, for me at least, it’s manifested in more than one way.

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Odyssey Writing Workshop blog

Enjoy!

ChiCon

Back from ChiCon (WorldCon). I had a blast. First of all, I love Chicago, it’s such a great city. You can move around downtown and feel reasonably safe and there is no end of things to do. This time around, I didn’t get out too much because of the convention, but I did manage to show a friend Millennium Park and went and got lunch at Gino’s East (Chicago style deep dish pizza. I could live on it.)

As for the convention, wow! First impression: huge! It was in the Hyatt which itself takes up two buildings. The convention pretty much commandeered the bottom five floors. Lots of people, many of them in costumes, all of them happily geeking out on all the writing and sci-fi centered material.

I walked within touching distance of both Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin and managed to stay composed enough not to grab them in a bear hug. I hung out at a party with Kij Johnson and traded jokes with her, the night before she won a Hugo.

The panels were good. There were so many that there was always something interesting. They weren’t quite as educational perhaps as those at ReaderCon, but this convention is geared a little more toward entertainment whereas ReaderCon is perhaps a little more serious, so that wasn’t a huge surprise. There was still some interesting conversations and good material. I took lots of notes.

I got to see two of Neil Gaiman’s short stories acted out on stage which was a real treat. I hung out with a few of my Odyssey classmates who also attended and quite a few other Odyssey alums that I met. And, I participated in a flashmob for Odyssey in front of the line waiting to get into the Hugo awards. We did the Tom Bombadil rap. Here’s a video. I’m the guy you can’t see dancing behind the guy holding up the speaker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRU51PH26y8

All in all a good time. Next up, World Fantasy Con at the beginning of November in Toronto. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Now, back to figuring out this writing and revising thing…

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