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Just Stuff

17/5/2018

1 Comment

 
Good morning, Readers!
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This beautiful image is by deviantart.com user jiajenn. Click the image to see more by them.
I got nothing done yesterday.  Oh well.  I'll try and get more done today.

Also, when did it become Thursday already?  Good grief this week is flying past.

I genuinely have nothing interesting to talk about today.  I streamed last night.  Hellblade is a very triggering game for me, but I'll talk about that more when I do my sassy review of the game.  I am absolutely loving the combat.

But yeah, it was a rough gaming session for me for reasons.  I also died a lot.  A lot.

Other than that, I have no news.  Maybe I'll be able to start whining about having to edit soon.  I mean, Skylark is with the first editor at the publisher, beta reader two has Soldier, and the as yet unnamed manuscript is with beta reader one.

But as of right now, I have nothing to say.

So, you say something.  Had a great day? Bad day? Rant below!  I'm off to try and get myself to do some actual work.

Ciao!
1 Comment

The Plan for the Next Little Bit

16/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Good morning, Readers!
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This awesome image is by deviantart.com user merijeberting. Click the image to see more awesome stuff by them.
Today I shall be doing what I did yesterday - video editing.  I have a whole bunch of Assassin's Creed Origins live streams to pare down into highlight reels.  It's my fault, of course.  I dropped the video editing to concentrate on finishing my two manuscripts.  The result is, of course, that I have nine videos still to edit that should have been edited and uploaded by now.

Then there's the fact that I've finished the game and am currently streaming something else (Hellblade), and so have those highlight reels to edit and upload too.

Long story short, I have a lot of catch-up to be doing.

Once everything is all caught up there, I'll be writing my next book.  I'm undecided if I want to write the next in the Avalon series or the next book in The Great Man series.  We'll see what my brain wants to do when we get there.  My brain always does its own thing.

Speaking of streaming, though, I will be streaming as usual tonight.  The game currently is Hellblade and we're just about to enter Helheim.

That's pretty much all the news I have currently.  I mean, other than workout news, but no one wants to hear about how my shoulder hurts, or how I may have wrecked my foot again... more? More again?  Anyway, I'm done sneaking in my complaints.  I'll let you all get back to work.

​Ciao!
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It Was Wonderful, and May Be My Last

15/5/2018

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Good morning, Readers!
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Imperfect, but mine. Ottawa ComicCon 2018.
Sorry about the absence of a blog post yesterday.  I took the day off to recover from the weekend, and neglected to schedule something to go up.  Sorry!

But I'm here now, and that's what counts, right?

Ahem.

​This weekend just past was Ottawa ComicCon.  I have had a table at ComicCon every year since it started way back in... uh... 2012?  2013?  I think it was 2012.  It's been a bit, and my memory is terrible.  But since it first came to Ottawa.  I've been there.  Some years were great.  Some were not good at all.

This was one of those years that was wonderful.  I had lovely chats with so many of you, I signed a few books, laughed at my incompetence... cringed at myself.

Which reminds me, Anne, I am terribly sorry about my spelling when I signed your book.  My brain was absolutely fried and I couldn't even spell my own name at that point.  If you get another book signed, I promise I'll actually be able to spell.  Maybe.

That signing will haunt me forever.

There were some really awesome costumes.  I didn't take as many pictures of those as I would've liked, but if you want to have a look at the ones I did snap, you can find them on my Facebook page here.

In a surprising twist of events, my art caught a lot of interest.  It sold pretty well.  Usually, people have a look, but pass it over pretty quickly.  This time around, though, people were stopping a lot longer, and I sold more than I was expecting, art-wise.

It's tough trying to sell my art at ComicCon.  My art is original, and doesn't relate to any fandoms, which puts it at a distinct disadvantage at events like these.  It always takes me by surprise when people buy it at ComicCon.

In any case, it was a fantastic weekend.

Not financially, of course.  I barely broke even on the the table... which is usually the case for me.  I don't expect to make millions going to ComicCon, and as long as I break even, I'm doing alright.

But that does bring me to some sad news.

The organisers of the event have upped the prices of artist's tables quite a bit this year.  So much so that, unless I can share a space, I have been utterly priced out.  I cannot afford a table at next year's event.

As a solution, the lovely folks at Renaissance Press offered to get a corner.  That way there could be two tables and thus enough room for us both.  We could share the costs and it would be fantastic.

Unfortunately, they were told that despite charging extra for the privilege of a corner, they could not guarantee that we'd get one.  We'll know in a fortnight or so, according to them.

If we cannot secure that corner, there will not be enough room for us both and, as I cannot afford my own table, I will not be able to be there next year.

I'm really quite upset about it all.  I love being able to have a table at local events, so that I can meet you and chat, and maybe sign a few books, and Ottawa ComicCon has always been fabulous for that.  I'm desperately hoping for that corner unit, so I can be there next year.  But I'm also bracing for disappointment.

It's hard trying to get your name out there as an unknown writer.  And it just got a little bit harder.

I'm disappointed and sad, but fingers crossed!

Hey, maybe one of these days, I'll be invited as a guest (scoff).
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Ottawa ComicCon Tomorrow!

10/5/2018

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Good morning, Readers!
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In news that is coming far too late, Ottawa ComicCon begins tomorrow.  And I will be there!

I will be selling my self-published books.  I don't have any new self-published books.  Happily, though, Renaissance Press will be there with copies of Daughters of Britain for those who want it.  I will happily sign any copies that come my way.

A quick note, Saturday morning is the first day of my kickboxing and self-defence classes.  I cannot miss the first day, so I won't be at ComicCon until probably around 1:30pm on Saturday.  But I will definitely be there the rest of the weekend.

The Amazing Flatmate will be there Saturday morning, so you can ask her about any of my books.  She has them all and will probably be better informed that I am.  Knowing me.
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Here is a handy map of where I'll be in the Artist's Alley.
There are some really awesome guests this year, and I'm looking forward to it.  Mostly, I'm just looking forward to meeting you and chatting.  It's always lovely to meet you and as much as I find crowds taxing, it's more than worth it.

So, hopefully, see you this weekend!

I'm off to edit more videos.  I have 20 highlight reels left to cobble together, since I gave that up to focus on finishing my manuscripts.  I make work for myself.

Ciao!
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It's ALIIIIIIIIIIVE! (Also There is Too Much News)

9/5/2018

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Good morning, Readers!
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I'm at Ottawa ComicCon in two days.  But more on that tomorrow (there's too much news!).  Right now I wanted to talk about the Kickstarter for the We Shall be Monsters anthology.  It's by my current publisher (who kindly published Daughters of Britain last year, and will be publishing Skylark probably next year), and there's a lot of talent attached to this project.

I'm not good at explaining, so I'm just going to copy their Kickstarter info here:
We Shall Be Monsters: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Two Centuries On will feature a broad range of fiction stories, from direct interactions with Shelley's texts to explorations of the stitched, assembled body and narrative experiments in monstrous creations. We Shall Be Monsters is a fiction collection that will feature explorations of disability through Frankenstein, queer and trans identity, ideas of race and colonialism. Shelley’s story provides a space for exploring a multitude of identities through the figure of the sympathetic outsider. Frankenstein’s “monster” is a figure of Otherness, and one that can tell stories of exclusion and social oppression.

About the Editor 
Derek Newman-Stille is a 7-time winner of the Prix Aurora Award, the highest award in Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy. He is currently also editing Over the Rainbow: Folk and Fairy Tales from the Margins (Exile, 2018), and has written for publications like Quill & Quire, Accessing the Future and The Playground of Lost Toys. He has published academic works in works like The Canadian Fantastic in Focus, Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, and Misfit Children: An Inquiry into Childhood Belongings. In his academic life, Derek is a scholar of disability and queer studies, examining how popular media portray oppressed identities. In his role as a critic, writer, and interviewer, Derek seeks to open up discussions about speculative fiction, fantastica, and the imagination.

The Rewards

At the Electric level, you'll receive an ebook copy of the anthology.

At the Monster Itself level, you'll receive a physical copy of the book.

At the Monstrous Renaissance level, in addition to a copy of the anthology, you will receive a selection of Renaissance's complete novels in ebook format. To find out more about the listed books and their authors, please visit https://renaissancebookpress.com/.

The Monstrous Selves level, in addition to having your name listed on the supporters' page and receiving a copy of the book. allows you to submit a picture and Nathan Caro Fréchette will "monsterize" you, turning you into Frankenstein's monster.

At the Raising the Writer level, in addition to having your name on the supporters' page and receiving a copy of the book, you'll be able to participate to an exclusive writing workshop on Google Hangout to explore your inner writer and improve your writing skills.

Stretch Goals  

Audible Monsters: at 4,000 CA$, we will produce an audio version of the book.

A Monstrous Instruction: at 6,000 CA$, we will produce an ebook of Derek Newman-Stille's The Essential Frankenstein 101 Syllabus. We will also record video lectures and discussions with the following experts:
- Scholarly Discussion on Frankenstein by Anya Heise-von der Lippe from Universitat Tubingen;
- Scholarly Discussion on the Universal Studios Frankenstein Films and Queer Identities by Sarah Milner from Trent University
- Scholarly Discussion on Frankenstein and Monstrous Geographies by Erin Vander Wall, George Washington University
- Scholarly Discussion on Frankenstein and 19th Century Horror by Sean Moreland from Ottawa University
- Lecture on Frankenstein, Disability, and Gender by Derek Newman-Stille from Trent University
- Scholarly Discussion on Frankenstein and Colonialism by Ashley Morford
If this stretch goal is reached, we will include a DVD of the full selection of lectures and/or links to streaming versions of the videos to all reward levels

​A Monstrous Display: at 7,000CA$, we will produce digital Frankenstein Art by Derek Newman-Stille and Nathan Caro Fréchette, dramatic readings of sections from Mary Shelley’s 1818 Frankenstein, and a Frankenstein radio play performance. These audio and digital art files will be added as a CD and/or downloadable resource with every reward level
​
Well, what are you still doing here? You should be over on Kickstarter!!
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Does This Sound Good?

8/5/2018

4 Comments

 
Good morning, Readers!
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This gorgeous image is by deviantart.com user Ellysiumn. Click the image to see more of their incredible work.
Yesterday was weirdly productive. I cobbled together a highlight reel of one of my Assassin's Creed Origins streams and posted it.  There'll be another one today hopefully.  We'll see.  I have to catch up on all the streams.  There are twenty-four.  TWENTY-FOUR.

That achieved, I turned my mind to trying to create a blurb for Skylark.  I'm really not good at writing blurbs, but I threw something together.

I don't like it.  It needs work.  I'm stressed out of my mind about it.

So what better way to destroy my already fragile ego than to post it here and ask for criticism.  I really need help.  So, here is what I have.  I welcome any and all suggestions for improvement.
​Earth, 2404 ad.
 
Much of Canada has been annexed by an invading alien force known as the daemon.  Born into this world, in a Vancouver ghetto on the edge of daemon territory, Bennejin Skye is adopted into the United Space Corps and becomes the commander of the highly successful, if somewhat maverick, Infiltration Team 6.
 
When the outermost interstellar Way Station suddenly ceases communications with Earth, Commander Skye and Team 6 are sent to investigate.  They discover a new alien threat; the insectoid Ragnar, who move through space, consuming resources like a virus.
 
Humanity and daemon-kind must unite in the fight to protect Earth, or they will both be devoured.  However, there are those within the United Council who believe this threat is daemon, and will go to any length to rid Earth of her newest inhabitants.
 
Overpowered within the United Council, Commander Skye and Infiltration Team 6 must turn rogue to save the alliance, or Earth, and all who call it home, are doomed.
So... good?  Terrible?  Sounds interesting?  Would you read the book with this on the back?

​HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

​Ahem.
4 Comments

But What's the Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeme?!

7/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Good morning, Readers!
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This piece is by one of my favourite deviantart.com artist wlop. Click the image to go see more of their stuff.
I think I've mentioned before that there is one question often asked at pitching sessions that I absolutely loathe. It's not really what I want to talk about today.  What I want to talk about is the whole "incel" nonsense, but every time I turn my mind to it, I get filled with blinding, heart-crushing rage.

So I'm not going to talk about it.

Yet.

Instead, I'm going to vent about that stupid question.  An actual conversation:

"So what is your book actually about?"

"Well, it's about an orphan who becomes a maverick commander of one of the best infiltration teams–"

"No, no.  What is your book actually about?  What is the theme?"

And there it is.  The most irritating pitch question I keep hearing over and over.  It is a useless question, to my mind.  There are several reasons why this is such a shitty question to be asked.  The most prevailing is this:

Who am I to dictate what readers walk away from my book with?  Different aspects of any story will resonate differently with different people.  In the case of Skylark, some people may walk away from that book pondering the strength of love and it's capacity to cross all boundaries, even death.  Or they might question the nature of heroism, and what it means, how it is achieved, and who is deserving of such a mantle.  Perhaps they will turn their minds to the destructive nature of blind prejudice.  How the fuck am I supposed to know what readers will latch onto?  How am I to know which aspect of the story will get the most traction with the largest body of readers?

Obviously, I can't know.

And I don't believe it's my job to dictate to readers what to take away from any of my stories.

I honestly could not tell you what the 'theme' is for any book I've written.  I think about Human and I haven't a clue.  Monsters can be good? I don't fucking know.

Part of the reason for this is that I don't write with a particular theme in mind.  My goal is to tell a great story.  That's it.

I honestly believe that forcing a theme onto a story is the surest way to stifle that story, smother it in the effort of giving it life.  It's too rigid.  It forces characters to behave in unnatural or counter-intuitive ways.  The story fails, because it's squished, stretched, torn, bruised and mashed in service to a theme.  I believe it should be the other way around.  Everything, everything should service the story (and by story, I mean your characters' journey).

Theme, to me, is something that happens by accident.  At least, it has to me so far.  Look, I get it.  We all want deeper meaning to the things we love and consume.  Perhaps we all imagine our favourite writers as being more clever than they actually are.

But I'm not here to tell you how to read my books, or what in which book is actually important and what each details mean.  That for you, dear reader.  You're welcome to latch onto whatever part of my book that captures you, and run with it.  Don't let me, or a publisher, or a book critic tell you that you're wrong.  No on can dictate what a story means to you and why.

That's not my place.

My place is to tell the best story I can.

So?  What's the theme of [insert story here]?

Whatever resonates with you.
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    S.M. Carrière, a Celtic Studies enthusiast, writes fiction.  And this blog.

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