the league of reluctant adults

Rather than give a full update about the AAD con, I'm just going to focus on a few of the more interesting shenanigans. (And with so many Leaguers out and about, you know there are some good ones...though I'll only mention the ones I was involved with, including eating a place that served...Clover Weenies. Pure Beef Pleasure, yo. And yes, that *does* say that "select members of our staff are available for private parties" under there. Feel free to use your sordid imagination any way you like. ) 1) Cupcakes - League friend @Zombie_Joe was awesome enough to show up with some home-made themed cupcakes. Mark Henry and Jaye Wells each got a set...as did I - specifically known as the HornyCorn. (Made with corn and pig candy, no less...pretty much a perfect combination, all the way around. And yes. Horns.) 2) Red Dress Race. Nothing to do with AAD at all, but there is still something surreal to see thousands of people drunkenly staggering around ...

So hey, check it out: I’m going to be the Writer Guest of Honor at Albacon this year, October 21 – 23, 2011. Rah! It’s right here in Albany, NY, which is, like, so close to New York City (on a map) that it’s practically kissing the Upper East Side. What is Albacon, you ask? It’s a local fan-run SF/F convention that celebrates science fiction and fantasy books, flicks and TV. But hey, it’s not just epic fantasy and space opera; it’s urban fantasy and paranormal romance and military SF and horror and almost any sub (and sub-sub) genre in the SF/F field. It celebrates fiction for adults and fiction for teens. There are panels and workshops and vendor booths galore. There are banquets and costumes and (rumor has it) a keynote from yours truly. Albacon is very laid back. It’s a fun, low-pressure sort of convention, run and attended by terrific SF/F fans and authors who love the genre. And hey – there’s a bar. Woot! Programming is being finalized, but I’m crossing m...

It is no coincidence that as I return from the World Fantasy Convention I wanted to talk about more than simply writing. As I see it, getting your book written is only the tip of a Titanic sized iceberg. Here's my helpful breakdown: 1. Write book. 2. Everything else. Yes, your manuscript and the words in it should be the ultimate selling point, but what can you do other than write the best book evah to help yourself get noticed or at least get moved higher up in the slush piles? Go to conventions. (This is the part where you learn to help yourself.) I can not state this strong enough. More things will happen for you over drinks and nachos than by slushing your manuscript to every publishing house on the planet. Why? Because conventions level the playing field for the unpublished writer. Or rather, think of it like this. If you don't go, you're simply up in the bleachers watching the publishing game. below. Or maybe home watching it on Pay Per View. Go to a conve...