Aelle's Labyrinth

FenCon VI was filled with wonderful people, information and good times this year. I got a chance to talk to Candy Havens, Rosemary Clement-Moore, J. Kathleen Cheney and many others. My writer's group, Future Classics, was well-represented with Bill Ledbetter, Melanie Fletcher, Gloria Oliver, Laura Seaborne, Delilah Peeler and Michelle Muenzler all present and networking up a storm. It was such a delight to hang out a bit with so many different people. Lois McMaster Bujold was such a wonderful guest of honor. Love her books and now I just adore her. NTSFW was also well-represented. I saw Shawn, Alley, Trish, and Crystalwizard, but missed a few in all the shuffle. Thanks for the pix, Alley.

Hats off to the FenCon staff. The Con just keeps getting better and better.

Aelle Ables

Its so unnerving when you discover that for several weeks you've made the same mistakes in your manuscripts again and again. Your critique group starts to get tired of telling you about it and you are embarrassed because you haven't learned. Not that I haven't tried to figure it out, but it just hasn't stuck yet. I just hate that. And I've done it. Hells Bells!

Aelle

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Regards,
Aelle Ables

Hummmm, after all this time I've discovered that I CAN write every day. I CAN sit in the chair and work, even on days when I'm not enthused. I keep hearing that pros write every day and I understand that if you have to make the house payment, you write. But how about those of us who no longer have to bring in the cash. I make a little money at writing, but not enough to pay the bills, but I don't need to. So it has been a real issue for me. But this week I HAVE written every day. I just finished 15 pages (almost 3000 words) that is chapter 8 of my book, The Dragonwood Box. It's gaining momentum now, rushing into danger. It took awhile to get them moving, but once they left the island, they ran headlong into all kinds of trouble. But the lesson here is, you can write every day. You don't have to be motivated or you muse doesn't have to be tapping you on the shoulder. Just sit down and do it.

Aelle

My crit group beat me up a bit last night. I tried to hurry along and sent 3 chapter I wrote over the past week to them. I'm going to have to work on writing faster and BETTER. Looked like I forgot everything I know about soaking my prose in emotion and explaining everything down to the nth degree. Now I'm going to have to face revisions from hell today. Wish I'd just done it right the first time.

Johnny Depp showed up at ComicCon with Tim Burton to promote Alice in Wonderland coming out next year. You have to see Johnny's picture in the orange wig as the Mad Hatter. It looks nothing like him. Movie should be great. It has a kind of Harry Potter look and feel to the special effects.

Well, Candy is doing it again. She's come up with a new class, not Fast Draft, but something else. It starts tomorrow on her yahoo group so go sign up. Candace Havens just won Mentor of the Year at the D.C. RWA Convention. WOOT! Congrats.

Sounds like Rosemary Clement-Moore is still up in the ozone about her win of the 2009 RITA in YA. She certainly deserved it.

Today I wrote the middle/end of chapter 6 and all of chapter 7. They are both first draft, but I'll clean them up tomorrow. I've got to write faster if I want to finish my YA by the end of the year. So I'm pushing for two chapters a week until it's done. Lots of 'butt in chair' time coming up.

Just got the news that Arlington, Texas, author Rosemary Clement-Moore won the RITA award for the YA category at RWA National Conference this weekend in Washington, DC!!

Way to go Rosemary!!!!

It has been so long since I saw the last HP movie (2007) that I wanted this one bad. Didn't go to the midnight show, don't like yawning through the middle. But I went to the first showing on Wednesday. Nothing like popcorn for breakfast. This was the darkest movie yet. Draco Malfoy finally got to step out and do some bad things at Hogwarts. Emma Watson has grown into such a beautiful young woman. They need to hurry up on the last two movies, though, because the kids are getting a bit old for their roles. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley was just hilarious!

Well, chapter 6 is calling.

I'd decided to sleep in a bit this morning, sending my husband off to work with a grunt and a wave from under the covers. My respite was short-lived. People showed up this morning at 8:05 a.m. to work on the house. I wasn't even up yet. So much for sleeping late. Working on chapter 6 today. Karawyn has to get off on her journey, no more lolling around the castle. And later I'm going to go see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Woot! What a wonderful week I'm having.

I was just notified that I am one of the winners of the NTSFW short story contest. The contest is for their anthology, 28th Dimension - Tales from the Texas Zone. Woot! Congrats to the other winners!

I've been doing a lot of writing recently. My young adult book plot has changed, though, several times so I'm back on chapter 5. The plot bug ate my first plot--too big, too bulky. I had very grandiose ideas for it, but it was coming out like a string of short stories instead of a book. So now I've gone with a straight heroic journey plot that I'm enjoying much more. Karawyn and Lenore are the twins and Ziadora is the evil sorceress. I'm practicing my evil laugh.

Hi All,
I'll be at ConDFW all week-end. I've got panels on killing off your heroes and how to write villains along with a reading - all on Saturday. Rachel Caine and I are reading at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. Maybe Rachel will let me read first. If she goes first, everyone might get up and leave after she reads. Looks like a fun convention. And it looks like everyone in my entire critique group, Future Classics, will be guest authors! Jim Butcher will be there and I've got his latest book to get signed. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Aelle

I've finally come to write about FenCon. The Jay Lake writer's workshop provided the ground work for the rest of the con. Jay is unconventional, long-haired, outspoken and brilliant. He gave us a lot of insight into giving critiques, publishing and anthologies from his bottomless pit of knowledge. And he's funny!

All the panels were thought provoking. Some were silly while others took on topics head-on. There was a good mix of information and just plain fun. The folks of FenCon held it all together very well. It seemed to be very well planned and executed. Three cheers for the FenCon Staff! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

I did a reading and had 5 people in the audience. I felt that was pretty good at lunchtime. I read "The Potion Maker". I felt that I contributed to the panels I was on. In fact, Caroline Spector commented on my moderating one panels saying "You were well-prepared and you did your homework. Good job!" Woot!

I have to admit that I was more than a bit nervous, but it all worked out fine. I met Pat Elrod and found that she is a real hoot! I missed Bev Hale, though, which I'm truly sorry about. She's so kind and funny that I make an effort to run into her at the cons.

Anyway, if you didn't make it to FenCon V, you should really go next year. It was memorable this year and only gets better.

Aelle

Hi All,

I'm a guest author at FenCon this year! Woot! If you are there,
please stop by my reading at 12:00 noon Saturday in the Pecan Room. I
also have a panel about critiquing at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and another at
10:00 a.m. Sunday. Please stop by and say 'hello'.

Hope to see you there.

Aelle Ables

I had a great time at Conestoga, although I'm still tired from the drive. Had dinner with Bev Hale and group. Met another writer from my home town. Got to see Pixies Gone Wild dance like the moon was full. Missed lunch with Gordan Van Gelder and my writer's group, but lived through my first reading. All in all, a great Con.

Aelle

Well, I'm off to Conestoga for the week-end. Hope this trip is as productive as SoonerCon. I feel like I made some headway there and hope to do the same this week-end. But most of all, I'm gonna have fun.

Aelle Ables

I'm going to miss ApolloCon this week-end! I hate that. I'm one of the victims of the tomato problem in Texas. Salmonella is very, very bad. I got sick last Saturday and still feel shaky and weak. Not sure I could make the drive down from Dallas to Houston even if I tried. So I'm going to stay home and work on my book. I was really looking forward to hearing Martha Wells speak again. I'm looking for a good writer's workshop if anyone knows one. I need a little inspiration and I find being around other creative people helps. I tried to get into Patricia Burrows novel writing class this summer, but it was canceled. Guess I'll take it this Fall. So Conestoga 12 is my next venture into Writerdom. Cya there.

Aelle

I sent out a story to RoF yesterday. Seemed strange to go to the post office since I've been sending things out, including MZB Swords and Sorceress #23, through email. I've got stamps, so all I really need is a scale to be able to figure out how much the postage cost will be myself without going to the post office. I'm not a fan. The line is always long, the people kinda vanilla. I've got another story that I need to send out, but haven't decided where yet. It's a true story about a snake and the golf course. So I've got to find a market.

I graduated from my Long Ridge Writer's Group course. Finished at last! It was pretty good, giving you all the basics for magazine writing, but it was slow going. Glad it's done. I really don't like writing to a certain length or on a specific subject. I like to just "go with the flow".

Aelle

I met quite a few people at SoonerCon, more than I really expected. Bev Hale is outspoken and funny and full of joy. Martha Wells is friendly and knowledegable and in possession of a crafty wit. I met Yard Dog Press people everywhere and they all seem to be about as crazy as Selina Rosen herself. Had dinner with a bunch of peeps at Kona Ranch - the company was better than the steaks (which were excellent). I enjoyed the panels, they were informative and to the point, for the most part, although one about alpha males/females turned into a discussion of John Ringo's gay cat. So many people attended the parties and I think I talked to them all. Leonard Bishop celebrated 20 years working the cons with a bash featuring some very smooth old bourbon. FenCon had a good party. Can't wait til October to see all those peeps again. Loved the con, loved the people!

Aelle

I had a great time at ConDFW yesterday. The panels were informative and fun. The Yard Dog Roadshow was a real hoot. I met the editor of Flashing Swords and was introduced to a bunch of authors: Rie Sheridan, Beverly Hale, Sue Sinor, Selina Rosen, Glen Sixbury, Julia Mandala, and Linda Donahue. In addition, I hung out with my writer's group, some of whom you may have heard like Melanie Fletcher, Gloria Oliver, Jerry Davis and William (Bill) Ledbetter. Oh, I forgot Martha Wells. They were all so nice and funny. My people knew their people so we all gabbed in the halls and at the parties. Can't wait for today!

Aelle