So while I was at NerdCon, waiting for the Patrick Rothfuss signing, I got to talking to the people sitting on either side of me. Like you do when waiting over an hour in line. While we were talking the young gentleman, and I'm so sorry I can't for the life of me remember his name, asked me a very strange (in my mind) question about my writing.
He asked, "How do you handle dragons?"
My first response was to shake my head and ask in return, "What do you mean?" I literally didn't understand his question at first.
He tried to explain, what he meant was how are they portrayed in my world. Are they intelligent, dumb beasts, or ferocious killers that hoard gold and steal maidens?
My answer was very simple, "They are just another character. Each one is different, and each one has their own looks, thoughts, and personalities. Just like the human characters."
It never occurred to me that there was a precedent for how to present dragons, that they had to be one way or another.
To me they play as important a role in the story as their human counterparts. And just like humans, some are "bad" and some are "good"- though I try not to have everything so black and white, but for the sake of discussion I'll reference them.
Take Feoras, the dragon you meet in the first book. (And honestly, he will probably always be my favorite) He is what is known as a traditional "western" style dragon. He has four legs, two horns that curve back over his head, and spikes/spines down his back and tail. He is heavily muscled, and his scales are a deep red over his back and body, with a gold cast to his under belly. His wings are proportionate to his body with a reddish color to the membranes.
But it's his personality that is so striking.
He is fiercely loyal and protective of not only Riona, but anyone he perceives as "his". He will go to great lengths to protect those he cares for, and becomes distraught when forced away from Riona. He thinks, he feels, and he has clear opinions on life and events happening. He even tried to name himself! He is clearly in the "good" camp.
As he should be since he's the protagonists bonded dragon!
Yes I suppose there are some "traditional" aspects to dragons that I included. He does have a "thing" for shiny objects, though he doesn't steal.
He is, in his own words:
"I am fierce, strong. I am fire breather, I am sky hunter, and I am magnificent."
Showing posts with label Nerdcon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nerdcon. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Nerdcon: Stories, Thoughts on Attending- WuW
This year I had the opportunity to attend the very first Nerdcon: Stories in Minneapolis, MN. A friend told me about it, and well, it is basically in my back yard! (If your definition of "back yard" is an almost 6 hour drive) So I had to check it out. It was also an excuse for a mini vacation :)
On the website their "mission" statement reads: NerdCon: Stories is here to honor that institution with a diverse gathering of story tellers. Podcasters, novelists, cartoonists, musicians, poets, and more will gather in Minneapolis for an exceptional celebration.
Now, I got super excited. I attended my very first writers conference this past year, which you can read about here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/03/bonus-post.html I loved the experience, and was hoping for a similar one.
Friday was good. I was able to get into the lecture/panel I wanted to, and was able to meet Patrick Rothfuss! I stayed for the opening speeches, as well as waited for Rothfuss in line, and we talked for almost 10 min. He was very nice and happy to talk with a fellow fantasy author!
The lecture/panel I attended was Honing Your Craft: Embettering Your Word-Doing, and it was phenomenal. I came away with some great ideas, and it was great to hear that traditionally published authors have the same struggles that I do!
Some takeaways I had were:
* Plans are great, but be flexible
* Not everything works for everyone all the time
* Try different writing strategies
*block of time (4 hours was the example given)
*sprints
*word wars with writing buddies
*designated writing time/spaces
(And yes, that is Holly Black as the moderator, on the far left, I was able to meet her later and get an autograph, what a lovely woman!)
Sadly, I wasn't feeling well and headed back to my hotel room for a nap after that lecture/panel. It was great having a huge comfy king sized bed to sprawl out on!
Saturday was where I ran into trouble. It seemed that the attendance tripled overnight. I was not able to get into the two lectures/panels that I really wanted to attend due to just stupid long lines. It was very upsetting as I was there to learn and better my craft, and not just "be in the same room as famous authors". Yes I did actually hear someone say that was why they were there. That killed me. I couldn't believe that someone would take up a seat just to say they were there instead of letting someone who wanted to learn have that spot.
Instead of my original lecture/panel, I was able to join my fiancé -Josh- in the lecture he was attending, Once More With Feeling: Storytelling through Song. This was actually a great lecture/panel! It was fun, and much of what they discussed actually applies to novel/short story writing as well as song writing.
My key takeaways were:
*Collaboration:
*feedback can be tough
*go in with an open mind
*Writing Strategies:
*give your back-brain time to roam-boring tasks keep your fore-brain busy while allowing your back-brain to process
*"Thanks for the crippling freedom!"- constraints can be your friend!
Once again, thanks to the same issue as above, I was unable to attend the final lecture/panel I wanted to. I chose to stay in the same auditorium and wait for But It's Just a Story: The Moral Responsibility of the Storyteller. Only after he walked in did I realize that Patrick Rothfuss was the moderator! (It was pretty awesome.)This turned out to be one of the best discussions I have ever been a part of or witnessed. Rothfuss kept the panel and audience on track, and made some excellent points on the responsibility (or possibly lack thereof) that authors have when writing images and scenes that could influence the reader. Both positively and negatively.
This lecture/panel actually got me thinking, in a good way, about my own work, and I will probably write a blog post, or two part-er, on it in the near future. :)
My key takeaways were:
*As a writer we are entertainers, and are concerned first and foremost with "write(ing) something that is engaging"- Patrick Rothfuss.
*The law of unintended consequences
*Writers should be "thinking as a reader and not just as a writer"- Nalo Hopkinson
*Reading is a process of recognition."- Lev Grossman
*Ethics demands hard answers, fiction does not
These lectures/panels were fantastic, and I am glad that I wound up in ones that I otherwise wouldn't have as they were valuable.
That said, I do have a few bones to pick. The "Con" did not live up to my expectations. I think part of it was I went into this with high expectations, as well as Nerdcon "issues".
The first was mentioned above. I am sorry, but I found that extremely disrespectful of my time and money, as well as the panelists.
The second: there was absolutely no representation of the "indie" movements. Either in music or publishing (That I saw- please someone correct me if I am wrong, but moving on with the assumption that I am correct...)
Nerdcon was here to celebrate stories, in all the forms that they come it. Why didn't Indie's get a spotlight as well? Every author there was traditionally published. There wasn't even a mention of independent authors and self publishing. And yet, it is a HUGE movement in the book (and other forms of storytelling) community. I was really disappointed about this. I felt like this would have been the No. 1 place to have Indie information, and there was a whole lot of NOTHING. Not even a section where Indie's could bring their books to showcase.
The third: NaNoWriMo said that they were going to have a "presence" at the convention....that amounted to one person. Now, I guess that does count, and she did a fantastic job. I am not meaning this as a jab at her, or the organization (as I love the organization-I participate, and donate $ every year to it). Again, I felt let down. They even had a vendor room at the Con! I was hoping they would have a table filled with NaNo swag, helpful tips, and goodies for the attendees, but alas I was mistaken.
The fourth and final: While the lectures/panels were great, I felt there wasn't enough meat for someone like me. I was looking for something more. Maybe a workshop, or more lectures geared towards writers for their craft. Everything felt impersonal (on the whole-there were a few exceptions such as the last lecture/panel I attended) and generic to a "con".
Overall I would rate the experience a 6 out of 10. I think the Con itself didn't really know what it was, or quite where it is headed. My bottom line, the entire weekend cost (for two people-not including food/fuel) about $800. If I were to attend next year, there would have to be major changes regarding the above for me to consider it. It felt more like a giant meet up for Green Brothers fans, YA readers, and not really a place for writers. I am glad that I went, the experience was worthwhile. But next year? Probably not.
On the website their "mission" statement reads: NerdCon: Stories is here to honor that institution with a diverse gathering of story tellers. Podcasters, novelists, cartoonists, musicians, poets, and more will gather in Minneapolis for an exceptional celebration.
Now, I got super excited. I attended my very first writers conference this past year, which you can read about here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/03/bonus-post.html I loved the experience, and was hoping for a similar one.
Friday was good. I was able to get into the lecture/panel I wanted to, and was able to meet Patrick Rothfuss! I stayed for the opening speeches, as well as waited for Rothfuss in line, and we talked for almost 10 min. He was very nice and happy to talk with a fellow fantasy author!
The lecture/panel I attended was Honing Your Craft: Embettering Your Word-Doing, and it was phenomenal. I came away with some great ideas, and it was great to hear that traditionally published authors have the same struggles that I do!
Some takeaways I had were:
* Plans are great, but be flexible
* Not everything works for everyone all the time
* Try different writing strategies
*block of time (4 hours was the example given)
*sprints
*word wars with writing buddies
*designated writing time/spaces
(And yes, that is Holly Black as the moderator, on the far left, I was able to meet her later and get an autograph, what a lovely woman!)
Sadly, I wasn't feeling well and headed back to my hotel room for a nap after that lecture/panel. It was great having a huge comfy king sized bed to sprawl out on!
Saturday was where I ran into trouble. It seemed that the attendance tripled overnight. I was not able to get into the two lectures/panels that I really wanted to attend due to just stupid long lines. It was very upsetting as I was there to learn and better my craft, and not just "be in the same room as famous authors". Yes I did actually hear someone say that was why they were there. That killed me. I couldn't believe that someone would take up a seat just to say they were there instead of letting someone who wanted to learn have that spot.
Instead of my original lecture/panel, I was able to join my fiancé -Josh- in the lecture he was attending, Once More With Feeling: Storytelling through Song. This was actually a great lecture/panel! It was fun, and much of what they discussed actually applies to novel/short story writing as well as song writing.
My key takeaways were:
*Collaboration:
*feedback can be tough
*go in with an open mind
*Writing Strategies:
*give your back-brain time to roam-boring tasks keep your fore-brain busy while allowing your back-brain to process
*"Thanks for the crippling freedom!"- constraints can be your friend!
Once again, thanks to the same issue as above, I was unable to attend the final lecture/panel I wanted to. I chose to stay in the same auditorium and wait for But It's Just a Story: The Moral Responsibility of the Storyteller. Only after he walked in did I realize that Patrick Rothfuss was the moderator! (It was pretty awesome.)This turned out to be one of the best discussions I have ever been a part of or witnessed. Rothfuss kept the panel and audience on track, and made some excellent points on the responsibility (or possibly lack thereof) that authors have when writing images and scenes that could influence the reader. Both positively and negatively.
This lecture/panel actually got me thinking, in a good way, about my own work, and I will probably write a blog post, or two part-er, on it in the near future. :)
My key takeaways were:
*As a writer we are entertainers, and are concerned first and foremost with "write(ing) something that is engaging"- Patrick Rothfuss.
*The law of unintended consequences
*Writers should be "thinking as a reader and not just as a writer"- Nalo Hopkinson
*Reading is a process of recognition."- Lev Grossman
*Ethics demands hard answers, fiction does not
These lectures/panels were fantastic, and I am glad that I wound up in ones that I otherwise wouldn't have as they were valuable.
That said, I do have a few bones to pick. The "Con" did not live up to my expectations. I think part of it was I went into this with high expectations, as well as Nerdcon "issues".
The first was mentioned above. I am sorry, but I found that extremely disrespectful of my time and money, as well as the panelists.
The second: there was absolutely no representation of the "indie" movements. Either in music or publishing (That I saw- please someone correct me if I am wrong, but moving on with the assumption that I am correct...)
Nerdcon was here to celebrate stories, in all the forms that they come it. Why didn't Indie's get a spotlight as well? Every author there was traditionally published. There wasn't even a mention of independent authors and self publishing. And yet, it is a HUGE movement in the book (and other forms of storytelling) community. I was really disappointed about this. I felt like this would have been the No. 1 place to have Indie information, and there was a whole lot of NOTHING. Not even a section where Indie's could bring their books to showcase.
The third: NaNoWriMo said that they were going to have a "presence" at the convention....that amounted to one person. Now, I guess that does count, and she did a fantastic job. I am not meaning this as a jab at her, or the organization (as I love the organization-I participate, and donate $ every year to it). Again, I felt let down. They even had a vendor room at the Con! I was hoping they would have a table filled with NaNo swag, helpful tips, and goodies for the attendees, but alas I was mistaken.
The fourth and final: While the lectures/panels were great, I felt there wasn't enough meat for someone like me. I was looking for something more. Maybe a workshop, or more lectures geared towards writers for their craft. Everything felt impersonal (on the whole-there were a few exceptions such as the last lecture/panel I attended) and generic to a "con".
Overall I would rate the experience a 6 out of 10. I think the Con itself didn't really know what it was, or quite where it is headed. My bottom line, the entire weekend cost (for two people-not including food/fuel) about $800. If I were to attend next year, there would have to be major changes regarding the above for me to consider it. It felt more like a giant meet up for Green Brothers fans, YA readers, and not really a place for writers. I am glad that I went, the experience was worthwhile. But next year? Probably not.
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