Darlene's Digest

Boskone 46 I had a fabulous time at Boskone 46. Saw a lot of old friends, made some new ones, and participated in wonderful panels. The Westin Hotel had a new Irish pub this year that offered some food options unavailable in past years, and it was greatly appreciated. We celebrated Jane Yolen's birthday, I drooled over an incredible bookcase for sale in the art show, and drank single malts with a fine group of fanatics during a tasting party that made me appreciate being able to walk to my room afterward. My program items started on Friday with "Foreshadowing and How To Do It". Our panel was a mixed bag, which always makes for the most interesting discussions. I learned some tips on why foreshadowing can be a great adjunct to your plot, when you don't bludgeon the reader with it. Immediately after came the "Myths of Fandom" panel, and I was the moderator on that one. It was intriguing, discussing how our mythology, if we ever had one, has changed as th...

Boskone 46 I'll write more later, but I just wanted to say what a great convention this has been. If you've ever thought about attending a regional science fiction convention, consider coming to Boskone 47 in February 2010. Spending time with friends, fans, fellow authors and others connected to the reading world has recharged my batteries!

BOSKONE 46 I'm here at the Westin Waterfront in Boston after a hair-raising and stomach churning flight into New York last night. I'm not a nervous flier, but that was the most turbulent flight I've ever been on--and it was a huge 757. The train ride up here was much calmer, and I'm getting ready for my first panel tonight. Be sure to say hello if you see me. Oh, and my hubby sent me lovely flowers since I'm not home with him on Valentine's Day. What a sweetie!

Image via Wikipedia I Don't Hate You, I Hate Bad Grammar I saw a note today about stopping hate crimes on Facebook. The group mentioned had a tongue-in-cheek name/purpose that might offend some people. I got that. For the record, I just want to say that because I'm a member of "If You Can't Differentiate Between 'Your' and 'You're' You Deserve To Die", it doesn't mean I truly think you deserve to die. For cryin' out loud though, learn the difference! It's a simple fix! You're driving me crazy when you do that, and so are your friends! I'm not always 100% perfect. I still have problems on occasion with "who" and "whom", "might" and "may", "that" and "which", though it seems simple enough. Sometimes I write "towards" rather than "toward", 'cause I'm a Southerner. But I'm trying to get better! I want to be corrected when I make ...

Image via Wikipedia My first year at Boskone I got snowed in. That wasn't so bad. I remember standing on the 15th floor of the Sheraton at the Pru, sipping single malts in a nice, warm hotel room with other refugees, knowing that the attached mall had everything a human being could want (other than a flight home). However, it made me conscious of the risks of February travel in the NE. That's when you're likely to get the heavy, wet snowstorms that shut things down. I plan accordingly now. I pack overnight gear in my carry-on, and make sure that I don't have anything important scheduled the day after I'm supposed to be home. Just in case. This year's weather report looks good though. Cold (by my standards), but no big storms in the forecast. And the cold is tolerable, as long as it's in the pluses and not the minuses. Of course, now that I've blogged about it I've put a curse on it and I'll get snowed in.

Image via Wikipedia Boskone 46 Schedule Here, as promised, is my schedule for Boskone 46. The convention is February 13-15 at the Westin Waterfront in Boston. As you can see, it's a full schedule, but that suits me. Especially when it's too cold to go outside and sight see.[g] My reading on Saturday morning will be from my recently completed manuscript for Sea Change. Friday 6pm Foreshadowing and How to Do It Greer Gilman Alexander Jablokov (M) Darlene Marshall Mary A. Turzillo What works....what doesn't? Besides having mysterious runic poems, intriguing omens, palsied prophets, or other such fantastic expository tricks, how can you pre-set the stage for what is coming next? Is it sometimes better just not to foreshadow? When? Friday 7pm Myths of Fandom Astrid Anderson Bear Edward James Darlene Marshall (M) Margaret Organ-Kean Joe Siclari Fans are slans. All fans want to become pros. No ...