Darlene's Digest

It's almost time for MidAmeriCon II, the World Science Fiction Convention . I'll be moderating two panels this year and I'm looking forward to a lively program: Writing Erotica Wednesday 16:00 - 17:00, 2208 (Kansas City Convention Center) Erotica might be said to be created to stimulate or sexually arouse the reader or viewer. We ask what the difference is between erotica and pornography, what the place of erotica is within the sf community and its works. We might share the odd tip as to what makes good -- or bad -- erotica. Adult Content. Not for Children. Rachael Acks, Christie Meierz , Belinda McBride, Jeffe Kennedy, Darlene Marshall (M) The "One True Love" Narrative Trap in Young Adult Fiction...and How to Smash It! Saturday 10:00 - 11:00, 2503A (Kansas City Convention Center) True love in YA fiction has been a mainstay of the genre, but life is rarely that simple, especially for teens...even fictional teens! Why do we fall into this trap? Authors share thei...

I'm back from travels to the UK and Ireland, pleased with myself once again for keeping a travel journal (Moleskine with Rhodia paper, written with a fountain pen, of course.) This journal entry will be about the first part of the trip before Loncon3, the World Science Fiction Convention. I'll write about Worldcon as a separate entry. Two things I've learned from travel over the years is to stay awake until normal bedtime hours, as much as possible, and the more I walk, the more I can eat without worrying about fitting into my clothes at the end. When we arrived in Dublin I went for a long walk around our hotel, orienting myself to the area. I was immediately struck by one of the hallmarks of Dublin, the colorful doors on the Georgian-era flats. One tour leader later said there were two theories about this: One was that when King George died in the 18th c., all the English painted their doors black in mourning and the Irish were told to to the same. Not surprisingly, the I...

I was walking back to my hotel today, and without realizing where I was I managed to walk up to the National Library of Ireland. I think my brain is wired to take me to libraries automatically. I didn't have the opportunity to spend as much time as I would have liked (a month would have been nice), but as is my custom, I got a shot of myself in front of the library. This time it was a selfie, so you only see the library sign in the background, but I was there.

I have my final schedule for Loncon3 , the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention in London, UK. You can read my con bio here , and I'm looking forward to jetting across the pond and seeing old friends, as well as meeting new ones. There's a nifty app to help you schedule your time at Loncon, and you can download it in iPhone or Android formats.   Where there's an (M) next to my name, I'm the moderator for that item.  I'll also be doing a reading from either The Pirate's Secret Baby or the WIP [Mattie's Book]. Don't forget, The Pirate's Secret Baby , along with all my previous novels, can be purchased from Amazon Kindle UK, as well as at NOOK, Kobo and other ebook dealers. Paper editions are available in the US. I'll be out and about at the con as a fan as well as a programme participant. If you see me, please come up to me and say "Hi!" Worldcon is no place to be shy, we're there to see friends and fans! Teen Romance Friday...

This was my first visit to San Antonio, since I'd had to miss LoneStarCon 2 in 1997, but it was worth the wait. While everyone was complaining about the 100F temperatures, my response was, "Ahhhh...dry heat!" When you live in North Florida, almost anyplace is a better place to be in August. Most of my time was spent at the convention, and I enjoyed it immensely. After picking up my program participant materials and checking my schedule, I tracked down the crew for the Hugo Award Ceremonies and the Green Room, both areas where I'd volunteered. I added rehearsals and Green Room shifts to my schedule, then dropped off books at Old Earth Books in the Dealers Room. They've always given me table space and sold my novels for me at con, which makes my life much easier. For those who've never been to the World SF Convention, it's important to note that unlike other major SF & Fantasy events (Dragon*Con, SDCC), Worldcon runs entirely on volunteer help, from ...

Here's my Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention) program schedule. In addition to these panels, I'm working in the Green Room (look for me on the early morning shift) and will once again be the Voice of the Ghoddess at the Hugo Awards Ceremony, as well as working the after-Hugos party. Whew!  In addition to my program appearances, signed copies of  Castaway Dreams  will be available in the Dealers Room at Old Earth Books. Support your indie bookseller and get some great vacation reading.  Castaway Dreams  is a finalist for the Aspen Gold Reader's Choice Award, sponsored by the Heart of Denver Romance Writers of America. The winners will be announced in September. Also,  Castaway Dreams  and  Sea Change  are now available in Kobo editions. They've long been available from all the other major vendors in all formats. (The (M) means I'm moderating those panels.) The Future of the Small Press Friday 13:00 - 14:00 Gary K....

Yep. Only five months after missing my self-imposed deadline, I've finished the first draft of novel #7. It's a great feeling, knowing I've got a book I can work with. Oh sure, there's still oodles to be done. Just an hour after I typed "The End" I jumped out of my chair at lunch, ran back to the computer, and changed the wording of the last sentence. Now I'm going to clean it up. I'll go back through it and where I have brackets like this : [describe dress], [supper menu], [THIS MAKES NO D*MN SENSE AT ALL!!!] I'll fill in the blanks. Or make it make sense. Then I'll let it sit for a week while I attend LoneStarCon3 , the World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Some time away from the book will allow me to look at it with a fresh eye and catch mistakes before I send it to my beta readers. When it's finally as clean and shiny as I can make it, I'll send it to my publisher, who'll let me know when it will be rele...

I'm off this week to attend Chicon 7 , the World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago. I'm moderating a panel on Friday at noon: Beyond the First Two Pages We’ve all heard how important it is to hook a reader’s attention quickly. But let’s say you’ve already done that. Your story’s opening dramatic, ingenious, and free of typos. Your first two pages have been polished to near oblivion. Now what? Darlene Marshall (M), Pat Rothfuss, John Berlyne, Nick Mamatas, Carol Berg There will also be signed copies of Castaway Dreams available in the Dealers Room, at Old Earth Books. Beyond that, I'm looking forward to attending program items, checking out the Art Show, meeting with friends and, of course, watching the Hugo Awards. If you spot me at Chicon 7, be sure to say hi!

WORLDCON 2011 or "HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION" Nearly 4,000 SF fans and pros from around the world gathered in Reno, Nevada this week for Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction convention.  It was a blast.  I had five days of hanging out with some of the best writers and most amazing fans in the world.  I worked in Program Operations at the con, and enjoyed that as well.  Much of our work was dealing with crises involving program items--panelists who don't show up, communications breakdowns regarding room set-ups--and I again appreciated just how many volunteer hours go into making a Worldcon happen.  I was also on the program at Worldcon.  My first panel was on Thursday afternoon: "Tall Tales vs. History in Pirate Research".  What a great discussion! The room was full of fans and my fellow panelists were Tim Powers (On Stranger Tides), Carrie Vaughn of "Kitty the werewolf" fame, A.C. Crispin, who wrote Jack Sparrow's backstory for Dis...

My Renovation (Worldcon 2011) Schedule I've received my schedule, and they've got me on panels with some heavy hitters, including GoH Tim Powers.  If I wasn't a highly professional author you'd be hearing my fangirl squeeing all over the place!  Where there's an (M) next to my name, I'm moderating that panel.  You can still buy memberships to Renovation, August 17 in Reno, Nevada.  Kudos to the Renovation Program staff for putting together such a great line-up of talent across the programming spectrum. Thu 16:00 - 17:00, Arrrggh! Tall Tales versus History in Pirate Research Pirate fiction is a popular sub-genre. While grounded in history, research about pirates can be tricky. Records are erratic and often exaggerated. What are some of the more reliable resources? And what about when the truth about pirates is stranger than its fiction? Carrie Vaughn (M), Darlene Marshall, Tim Powers, John G. Hemry, A. C....

Here's a recap of what's been happening in my life these past weeks: I returned only mildly jetlagged from an amazing trip to Australia.  Did the usual tourist things with my husband, but didn't see nearly enough of the country.  This was my second trip and it was wonderful to revisit.  I don't know when I'll return, but I'd love to go back again. My panels at Aussiecon4 (World SF Convention) in Melbourne went quite well.  I was tapped to be moderator on both of them.  The first one was "Girl meets boy meets dragon: Romance in fantasy".  The other panelists were Tracey O’Hara, Fiona McIntosh and Nicole R. Murphy and part of the fun of attending a Worldcon outside North America is meeting writers who I might not otherwise get to spend time talking to.  This was a lively group to have discussing romance and fantasy, and the program item was well attended.  Plus, I have some new books on my "To Be Read" list, thanks to the other panelists. ...

Image by Alexandre Lemieux via Flickr Revised and Final (I think) Worldcon Schedule Here's my updated schedule. In addition, I have some commitments on Sunday prior to and during the Hugo ceremonies, but otherwise I hope to see many of you in Montreal! Friday, 3:30 p.m. Anatomy for Writers, Heroes and Tavern Brawlers. Darlene Marshall, Jetse de Vries, Sean McMullen, Kristen Britain Moderator: Sean McMullen Description: Author, karate instructor, fencer and first aid officer Sean McMullen provides a tour of how the human body can and cannot be damaged. Want to know where a hero can be punched without any effect? Worried about his vascular dilation? Curious about the real-life version of Mr Spock's nerve pinch? Not sure whether a really long sword fight is three hours or seven seconds? Wondering why readers are laughing because your hero has microsecond reactions? Come along and find out in complete safety Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Ebooks from draft to final product Anne Harris, D...

Image by selkie30 via Flickr My Worldcon 2009 Schedule I now have my preliminary schedule for Anticipation , the World SF Convention in Montreal, Canada: Researching Your World Description: A discussion of research techniques and pitfalls for writers; what are your best sources and how do you know whether information on the internet is accurate? Sat 5:00 PM All Participants: Aliette de Bodard, Darlene Marshall, Erick R. Buchanan, Hal Duncan, Mindy Klasky Ebooks from draft to final product Description: The process of writing an ebook from the idea to selling it to publication and marketing to collecting those royalty checks. Sat 10:00 AM All Participants: Anne Harris, Darlene Marshall, Kathryn Sullivan, Traci N. Castleberry I hope to see many of you at Worldcon!

Image by Alexandre Lemieux via Flickr Worldcon Bound Made our reservations last night for flying to Montreal, so it looks like we'll be at Anticipation (Worldcon) barring hurricanes and airline hassles. I hope I'll be seeing some of you there!

Image via Wikipedia My Worldcon Schedule I'll be at Denvention3, the World Science Fiction Convention, in Denver from August 6-10. Here's my list of panels: Survival Tips for the Beginning Writer--Wed., 4:00 p.m. How do eBooks change writing - an eBook writing primer--Thur., 11:30 a.m. Arrrrrrgh! The Pirate Panel--Thur., 2:30 p.m. Swashbucklers in Space -- Thur., 5:30 p.m. SF fans who write in other genres--Fri., 10:00 a.m. And I'll be working at the Hugos Saturday night. Whew! Looks like a full schedule, but I hope I'll see some of you there. Leave me a note on the "voodoo board" (If you don't know what that is, you will when you get there) and say "Hi!"