The newest Tech For Writers episode features an interview with Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine.

:-)

—| EPISODE 2.2 |—

I had some unexpected good news today regarding my podcast.  I’m very excited about it…more details soon!

No, we are not in any real danger from the wildfires out here, but we are certainly surrounded by smoky air - and have been for several days.  Yes, we are weary of it.

Otherwise, things are moving along fine here.  I am eagerly anticipating WorldCon, and still have my fingers crossed for Viable Paradise.

How are all of you?

So today was a critique group meeting.  I always appreciate the comments my fellow writers give me - they have been soooo helpful.

I’m in the swampy middle of Namori right now, and I’m not really happy with how some things are turning out there.  As I teasingly told the group, “You just have to read it with my brain, then it would all make sense.”    Still, while on the one hand it’s a little depressing to hear that this didn’t come through, or that didn’t make sense, or those parts didn’t work, it’s also very encouraging because if you suspected what was wrong - and I did - then having that suspicion confirmed tells you what you need to fix - and what you don’t.  It also help you recognize that what you think is wrong, and what a reader (or other writer/editor) thinks is wrong, might *not* be the same.  Which helps you look for those same problems forward or backward from that point.

Yeah, I’m kind of fond of my group, if you didn’t know that before.

So work on Namori continues.  I am abandoning the short story project, for now.  Well, abandon is too harsh.  I’m setting it aside.  I still think the idea behind it all is a neat one, and I love my opening line, but so far the delivery needs some work…okay, a lot of work. 

In other news, WorldCon plans remain - no word on Viable Paradise as of yet - and I am going to be busting my rear end to get another podcast out.

Hope everyone else is doing well……

Hey, all! Here’s a new update:

1. School was officially over at 3pm yesterday. We’re free for three months!

2. I’m going to WorldCon in August! W00T!  Have I mentioned that? 
3. Announcements for VP acceptees will start posting soon. HOWEVER, there is still time to apply. The deadline isn’t until JUNE 30th! So go –>HERE< -- for the info and APPLY! In the meantime, I’m eagerly anticipating a message in my email!

Ummmm - I’m sure there was something else.  If I think of it, I’ll update this update.  Heh.

How is everyone else?  Submissions? Sales? Break-throughs? 

Last night was a writing night - instead of writing-writing, however, I sat down and outlined from memory the goings-on of the story so far.  I’m going on the assumption that whatever I had forgotten up to this point certainly wouldn’t be sticking in a reader’s mind.  There were a couple of things I think I need to punch more…so notes made.

Then I switched gears and went back to correcting a podcast promo I’ve been working on for someone (details soon).  I actually enjoyed that - so if anyone reading this has a writing related podcast or podcast novel and needs some voice talent, I’d love to audition (and we could swap promos   )

And now, I have more garage sale prep to do and report cards to work on…..

Hey, everyone! How are you all doing?

The quick run-down for me:

1. I’m busy winding up the school year for my boys (for those who may not know, I homeschool my kids).

2. We’re having a garage sale this weekend, so you know, I have that to plan for.

3. Tech For Writers is actually a little over-due for the next episode, so I’ve been making my final script edits to prep for recording.

4. And speaking of podcasts….Kimi Alexandre is launching her podcast novel, Guardians, and I submitted a promo for her Make Me A Promo contest.

5. Writing! I’ve been pounding on a short story that isn’t working, however, comments from my crit group have been a big help. Namori is moving along, if a bit slowly. Which reminds me, I need to add the short story and update the word count for Namori.

6. Waiting waiting waiting to hear whether or not I’ll be attending Viable Paradise this year. For those who don’t know about VP, it’s a one-week writing workshop held at Martha’s Vineyard. Instructors this year are: Elizabeth Bear, Debra Doyle, Steven Gould, James Patrick Kelly, James D. Macdonald, Laura J. Mixon, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, and John Scalzi. They are taking submissions until the end of June, so there’s still time. In other news, I am quite happy because our state tax return came in which gives me the rest of the funds I need for my WorldCon trip in August! Yay!

Sooooo - now it’s your turn!

~PJ~

I hit BayCon for one day - Saturday - and ended up having a great time.  On the way in, I ran into a friend of mine, Helga, who used to be in my crit group before she moved to Nevada.  I couldn’t believe it was her!    So we sat in on a few panels together, met later for dinner, talked a lot, etc.  I also saw a few people I had met at Conjecture.

Tim Powers was the GoH, and he was quite delightful actually.  Scott Sigler was there somewhere, but I didn’t get a chance to see his readings or any of the sessions of which he was a panel member.

Oddly enough, even though I only went to a few panels geared toward writers, I came away with more than I expected.  It was worth the drive down to and back from Santa Clara, and the one-day membership.

I would have loved to have been at BaltiCon this past weekend, and maybe WisCon…even with the outbreak of the Stomach Bug…but since it wasn’t in the budget (both money-wise and time-wise), my little one-day con trip was just right.

We also took the boys to see Indiana Jones 4.

What did you do with your 3-day weekend, or for the non-U.S’ers, the weekend?  

For some people, this time of year means an easing in their schedule.  They begin making plans for what to do, and some may wish they could take a class or two.  But with tuition and gas prices the way they are, that may not be very feasible.

But wait!  There is hope!  I stumbled upon The Online Education Database, which lists 200 free online classes.  But as you begin looking through them, you discover there are a lot more than just those 200.

Take MIT for example.  MIT OpenCourseWare lists 1800 free courses!    What a boon!  Not only can a writer use these courses for research, but MIT also has some interesting writing courses:

21W.730-1  Imagining the Future

21W.730-2  The Creative Spark

21W.731-1  Writing and Experience:  Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace

21W.755  Writing and Reading Short Stories

21W.756  Writing and Reading Poems

If anyone completes any of these courses, please let me know what you liked or disliked about them, etc.

Also, if any of you want to post links to any free courses (writing or otherwise) you know of, have taken, etc., please feel free!  (hehe, sorry, couldn’t help it.    )

Hope everyone is doing well.  I apologize for the lag in posting - I’ve been swamped with writing projects, podcasting projects, networking, computer switching, finishing up the school year, and so on and so on.

Drop me a quick line - say hi - post your progress, sales, submissions, rejections, etc. 

P.S.  Who all is going to WorldCon?  It’s not long now!

Recently I have begun listening to a novel via podcast called Chasing the Bard.  I was…well, let’s get the scoop directly from the website:

Chasing the Bard was born in the imagination of New Zealand author Philippa Ballantine, ignited by her love of both history and Shakespeare which she had studied in university.  Twining these two works with magic and bringing to life the world of the Fey, she was able to explore her own thoughts on what William Shakespeare would have been like as a person and not just as a near mythical figure.  In 2005 DragonMoon Press bought these imagings to the page, and it was nominated the following year for the Sir Julius Vogel Award for fiction. With the imminent release of the sequel Digital Magic in 2008, Philippa decided to assemble a cast of some of the best and brightest in the podosphere to give voice to her characters.

Ms. Ballantine’s presentation of the Fey and their world is so interesting, I was hooked before Chapter One was finished.  I highly recommend this story in either form.
Another book from DragonMoon that was released as a podcast is Tee Morris and Lisa Lee’s Morevi:  The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana.

I will definitely be watching for Ms. Ballantine’s next work, Digital Magic, and DragonMoon Press for more books like these.