SUPER-CHARGED FROM AMAZING CON!
There I was, chatting with writers, readers, editors spanning the globe: Vancouver, Virginia, Poland, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Thailand…the list goes on! I’m talking, of course, about the very first Amazing Con, brought to you by the terrific folks who write for, edit, and publish Amazing Stories.
What a kick! With the talented and enthusiastic Frank Wu, I got to update con-goers on new developments involving dinosaurs. Plus, like any author, I had a great time reading a soon-to-be-published short story involving…dinosaurs. Then I switched hats to moderate a panel of short-fiction and novel and game writers talking about world-building.
For everyone who thinks virtual events are but a pale imitation of the face-to-face gatherings those in our field prize, I assure you they are not! Despite the time differences, virtual conventions facilitate participation by people around the globe-literally. This includes
- those who don’t have the financial means to transportation and hotel rooms
- those who have physical conditions making such attendance difficult or impossible
- those whose time constraints and/or family situations preclude in-person events
The first Amazing Con was such a success that plans are already afoot for the second one next year. I hope everyone will check out the Amazing kickstarter to keep this esteemed publication going!
FREE ON-LINE SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND
There’s still time to sign up for three fun days watching your favorite SF authors talk, sing, and read their works next weekend. There’s even an art show! Hope you’ll all come hang out with me (virtually) at Amazing Con. Find out more and register here.
Amazing Con is Almost Virtually Upon Us!
I’m super excited to be invited to be a guest star at Amazing Con June 12 – 14! Want to hear me talk about new developments in old dinosaurs? Or how to go about designing a fantasy or science fiction world? Or read a new story before it’s even published?
Come one, come all! Registration is free.
Check out all the Amazing Guest Stars.
WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION 2019
What better time than Halloween weekend for the World Fantasy Convention in LA, with a fantasy noir theme! For me it was a memorable time renewing friendships with writers, editors, agents, and others in our science fiction and fantasy community. Plus, you never know who you will meet for the first time! Here I am with one of the Amazing Stories first readers, Rebecca Partridge. I loved that she had on hand a copy of the issue with my latest story, “Conservation of Mismatched Shoes.”
You can find her con report here.
A WRITER READS REVIEWS
New writers are often advised not to read reviews of their work. The theory goes that reviews are for readers, not for writers who can do nothing whatsoever to make amends for whatever glaring faults the reviewer finds in their work. Worse yet, a few bad reviews–or maybe only one or two–just might dishearten the newbie author to such an extent that they wreak havoc on further creative endeavors.
What this well-meaning advice neglects to address is how a new writer, or even a well-established author with numerous publications to their name, is supposed to resist the siren call of the review. In my own case, for the longest time, I wouldn’t even admit to reading reviews of my work because I thought it showed a character flaw. Over time, I came to see that a great many writers, maybe even most of us, do read published reviews of our work. I suppose we could justify doing so on the grounds that it’s nonsensical for us to be the only ones who have no idea what professional reviewers are saying about our body of work. A lot of us also read Amazon and Good Reads reviews written by readers. Again, it seems to make sense to find out what our fans, no matter how numerous or how sparse, think of our stories.
There’s another reason to read reviews. Writing is, inescapably, a solitary profession for long chunks of time. It can also seem frustratingly like casting one’s work into a black hole from which not a solitary ray of feedback escapes. Who wouldn’t want to hear something?
Besides, there are times when that feedback can be extraordinarily gratifying. Take for example, Rich Horton’s review of the my own story, “Conservation of Mismatched Shoes,” in the July 2019 issue of Locus. It’s his favorite story in the issue! Mark me down as thrilled. Thrilled, I tell you! This isn’t simply a matter of basking in his kind words. My reaction has everything to do with the fact that while writing this one, I really struggled to portray the teenage protagonist and her older brother. Rich Horton deemed it “[a]n honest story, convincingly characterized.”
I intend to keep on reading those reviews!
Come See Me At Balticon!
Hope you can come see me and other talented writers at Balticon this weekend in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Here’s my schedule. Also, I’ll be reading from “Conservation of Mismatched Shoes,” that just appeared in Amazing Stories.
Friday, May 24
6pm – 6:55pm
What are Literary Awards?
Friday May 24
Room 7029
9pm – 9:55pm
Readings: Burke, Cooley, Smith
St. George Room
Saturday, May 25
6pm – 6:55pm
Gender in Genre
Room 8006
Sunday, May 26 Friday
2pm – 2:55pm
Just How Many People Live in Your Fantasy City, Anyway?
Mount Washington Room
Monday, May 27
1pm – 1:55pm
Writing Interactive Fiction
Pride of Baltimore II Room
IN PRINT AGAIN: AN AMAZING STORY!
By which, I am thrilled to announce my debut in issue 3 of the revived Amazing Stories. Kudos to Steve Davidson (the driving force) and Ira Nayman (astute editor) for publishing some fine short stories in the first three new issues of Amazing Stories.
Seeing my story, “Conservation of Mis-Matched Shoes,” in this revitalized magazine feels like an alternate universe. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. You see, the story is about navigating the multiverse. Hope you’ll give it a read!
ROSEMARY CLAIRE SMITH 