Posts in the "Meeting Authors" Category

• Writers in the Real World

  Meeting Authors

  

  I’ve met many, many, many SF and fantasy writers. I have been going to science fiction events for more than twenty years. I mentioned in a comment on another post earlier this week that I learned a lot about how to interact with fans — and people in general — from watching professional writers at conventions and other author events. It changed who I am in the “real” world. And I want to say up front that all the science fiction and fantasy writers out there who were nice to me in person, even though they didn’t owe me jack, have completely changed my life. Simple social kindness is important; it changes how people feel — not just about the person being nice to them, but about the world.

  In my experience, professional genre writers are, as a class, among the nicest people I’ve ever met. There may be assholes among them, sure, but they are vastly outnumbered by the ones who are kind, smart, and wonderful. I get the sense that the bitching they may do about the crappy vagaries of being a professional writer (and there are some crappy vagaries, to be sure) is outweighed by the gratitude many of them feel for being able to do something they really like every day — whether or not they do it full time. (more…)

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• Jerks, Booze, and Meeting the Cool Kids

  Meeting Authors

  
  This one was a strange topic for me, because though I did have my initial “Oh wow, that’s Vonda McIntyre!” moment at a Clarion West party in `00, the shine passed pretty quickly and suddenly all the authors we were meeting were people, and oh wow, Octavia Butler! And oh, wait, yes, we’re all just a bunch of dorks.

  Maybe it was when I first met David Brin, who was drunk at a WorldCon somewhere, and he told me, “I could SO write you!” that I just kind of stopped being effected by the “famous writer” halo for whatever reason. I am not often starstruck by writers. I’m trying to think of somebody I’d meet right now that would leave me weak-kneed. Joanna Russ, maybe? But even then, it doesn’t last too long. I know too well what happens when you idolize folks.

  It’s happened a lot to me as blogger, believe it or not. When you write a blog called “Brutal Women” people have this idea in their head about the type of person you’re going to be. When folks meet me at cons, they expect me to be more angry, I guess. Or more surly. Or just less goofy. More social? Who knows? It’s like Elizabeth Bear was saying about the authorial construct: at some point you cease to be a real person and you’re just kind of this amalgamation of things that other people expect you to be. (more…)

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• Meeting the Neighbors

  Meeting Authors

  So far, meeting other authors has been totally awesome for me.  Until I started going to conventions in 2009, I don’t think I ever met a real live published author except for my Mom (She’s published some poetry.) and a few people who do cooking classes at Central Market.  I’d been out of the loop, rereading classic sci-fi and occasionally trying out whatever I found at Half Price Books. until I discovered that going to conventions like Armadillocon is a great way to find out about new authors. Plus, it was amazing to me to discover how many authors lived near me.

  That’s how I discovered Chris Roberson’s writing.  Also Matthew Sturges, Sharon Shinn, Patrice Sarath, and Kat Valente, to name a few.  In a way, I’m glad I hadn’t read their work beforehand.  It’s really interesting to read a book when you know how the author talks in real life and then compare the two.  Some people definitely write in a completely different voice.  Others practically echo their typical conversations.  I’m still trying to decide if I like it better when they do or don’t sound the same. (more…)

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• Be Cool

  Meeting Authors

  I both love and hate meeting my idols, not that I’ve met that many of them. The thing is, to be an author is to spend long tracts of time alone in solitary pursuit, living in a rich interior world (or at least we hope so). In my limited experience, I’ve noticed that many authors are introverted – and if not socially inept – then socially awkward. Combine this with the human proclivity as audience to bond intensely with art, and consequently the artist that created that art…well, it’s a sure recipe for stilted conversation.

  Anywho, all the times I’ve met authors whose work I respected – even loved – none of them played out as I thought they would. As fans, we assume that the authors, artists, musicians that we love – because their work touches us in some elemental way – are our friends. And how could they not be? They created this thing that touched us. Surely the mind behind the work and my own must be similar! If only I could talk to her! She would see how like minded we are and be instant friends for life!

  It doesn’t work like that, though, unfortunately. At least not for me. (more…)

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• Shaking hands with the greats

  Meeting Authors

  This is a pretty fun topic. Meeting our heroes. It’s an interesting notion, but I think all of us have run into the situation where we do actually meet one of our heroes, be it in writing or otherwise, and things don’t quite live up to our expectations. We fumble when we meet them. We stammer.

  But then again, we’re sometimes surprised. Our heroes might be more gracious than we would have guessed. Or cooler. Or meaner.

  Whatever the case, it’s certainly exciting.

  I’ve had the fortune to meet a handful of my heroes. Fred Saberhagen, bless his soul, came to the World Fantasy convention in Washington D.C. in 2003. It was my first World Fantasy, and he, like many at this particular convention, sat at one of the author tables on mass-autograph night. Fred would have been 73 or so at the time. He seemed healthy, if a bit slight of build, but he was also terribly kind and bright. It was great to shake his hand and talk a bit about his writing.

  Fred was a friend of, and occasionally collaborated with, Roger Zelazny, another of my heroes. I never did get to meet Mr. Zelazny, and I’m sad I didn’t. He was set to come to a convention I was attending—my memory is fuzzy, but I think it was GenCon when it was still being held in Milwaukee—but he took ill and wasn’t able to attend. I loved the Amber novels. I also read Jack of Shadows way back when, and also his Alien Speedway series, which I just found out now by poking around on Goodreads that it was a collaboration of some sort (I’m assuming Zelazny created the world and helped with plotting and editing).

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• Meeting Your Heros

  Meeting Authors

  When I was a kid everyone I knew had posters of rock stars on their walls. Not me. Authors were my rock stars. I met Ray Bradbury once when I randomly walked into BookPeople. He was having a signing. I located a copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes and jumped into the line. Of course, being shy, I did everything wrong. Which means I gaped at him like he was some sort of visiting deity and mumbled something about how much he’d influenced me. (It’s possible I drooled.) He, in turn, looked at me as if I were some sort of maniac. I was mortified and decided then and there that I’d never again approach one of my heros. I was fine worshipping from afar. I never wanted my heros to look at me as Ray Bradbury had. (more…)

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• The Trials of Introversion

  Meeting Authors

  I love meeting my favorite authors, but from a nice, safe remove – like, sitting in the audience of a convention panel, or watching a filmed interview. Better that way for both of us, really. Many introverts retreat into silence when nervous in a social setting. Alas, I am not that kind of introvert. When I’m nervous talking to someone, I blurt out whatever random thoughts enter my head, no matter how idiotic I sound.

  And oh dear lord, the dumbass things that’ve come out of my mouth. It’s a good thing I detest the taste of alcohol, because if this is the stuff I say sober, I don’t even want to know what conversational gems I’d come up with while drunk. I still wince thinking of a few conversations I had during World Fantasy last year. Here’s hoping the authors involved don’t remember me. Ever.

  Of course I do much better at talking intelligently during shared activities, rather than the convention party scene. No doubt that’s why I always get a thrill when I realize a favorite author shares an interest of mine. I’d leap at the chance to skate with C.J. Cherryh, or rock climb with Elizabeth Bear or Kij Johnson. (more…)

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• Will McIntosh on Writers as Heroes

  Guest Post

  Will McIntosh is a Hugo award winner and Nebula finalist whose short stories have appeared in Asimov’s (where he won the 2010 Reader’s Award for short story), Strange Horizons, Science Fiction and Fantasy: Best of the Year, and others.  His debut novel, Soft Apocalypse, based on a 2005 short story that was nominated for both the British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society awards, has just been released by Night Shade.  His story “Followed,” which was published in the anthology The Living Dead, has just been produced as a short film.  A New Yorker transplanted to the rural south, Will is a psychology professor at Georgia Southern University, where he studies Internet dating, and how people’s TV, music, and movie choices are affected by recession and terrorist threat.  In 2008 he became the father of twins.

  Most of my heroes are writers.  Before I started writing I got to meet almost none of them.  One exception was in the 1980s, when I got to meet Stephen King, who made an appearance at Fordham University while I was a Freshman there.  By meeting him I mean I stood in line with three hundred other fans, and when it was my turn I got a book signed and then moved aside for the next fan.  I still remember those one or two minutes very clearly, though.  I remember the woman behind me telling Stephen King that he was like a god to her, and King replied, “That sounds serious.”  He struck me as an extremely gracious, funny guy, and I’d still love to have a beer with him.  (So, yo, Mr. King, if you’re reading this, let’s have a beer some time). (more…)

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