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 ...

Image via Wikipedia BOSKONE 46 I've got my preliminary schedule for Boskone 46, February 13-15 in Boston. I'll post it next week, but the convention organizers suggested we add links at our sites. So here it is: Boskone 46 If you've never been to a regional SF convention, this is an excellent entry level event. Enough people and programs to keep it interesting and involving, not so large that you get lost in the crowd. There will be panels, programs, parties, an art show and sales, booksellers, autograph sessions, special events and more. I hope I'll see some of you there!

Image via Wikipedia Is it just me? I picked up a novel with an attractive cover and an intriguing premise. I started reading it last night, but after about 20 pages I put it on the shelf to return to the library. There was so much "head hopping" I lost interest in the heroine and her problems. I try hard when I'm writing not to switch point of view in a scene unless I believe it's absolutely necessary, and even then I try to mark it in some way to show a scene shift. Lately though I've been dismayed at the number of novels I'm reading where an author jumps back and forth in the same scene, disrupting the flow of the narrative. And let's face it, most of the authors doing this are not Nora Roberts. It takes a lot of skill to be able to do this seamlessly. I believe novice writers would do well to read Dame Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles . Heck, any intelligent reader would benefit from reading the Lymond Chronicles , but the reason a writer s...

Saw another German review today. Google Translator still has a ways to go before it's completely accurate, but at least I can figure out whether the reader liked it or not. Oh, and the review today said she liked it. Even the possum scenes.[g]

Image by //amy// via Flickr Once again, our country has experienced a change of administrations with a smooth transfer of power and responsibilities. We don't think about that much, but it's a historic part of what makes this country so great. I'm proud to be an American.

Today was a good writing day for Castaway Dreams. I thought I'd be writing the shipwreck scene, but I'm not quite there yet. Here's a snippet of today's effort: “There. Your task until suppertime, Miss Farnham, is to go through your wardrobe and find those garments that are most practical. Look for items that can be fastened with a minimum of effort on both our parts!” “Oh dear. I imagine this means I will not be dressing for supper.” “If it involves me, no, you will not. Stay in your clothes, Miss Farnham until I return to undress you.” His words hung in the air between them, and Alexander felt heat rise up his neck. “Certainly, Doctor Murray,” Miss Farnham said, her face as bland as blanc-mange.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife I've always been an "easy crier", someone who tears up over minor things. I'm so bad I get choked up over Hallmark card ads and dogfood commercials. Today I read an interesting column by film critic Roger Ebert about "elevation", studies of how our vagus nerve comes into play in emotional moments and why certain things trigger this response. It was especially timely, because I experienced this elevation response yesterday while watching the news coverage of the US Airways plane in the Hudson. Captain Sullenberger demonstrated the qualities that define true heroism--competence, coolheadedness, putting others before self (he walked the plane twice before being the last person to leave). In addition, the ferry boat crew members demonstrated their own coolness and competence, putting into action the training they'd received for just such an emergency. Someone asked me once if I cry over my own scenes. "Definitely....

It's always something... The dog's annoyed with me. I noticed the sunlight coming in through my office window was hitting directly on the rug, so I pulled the blinds. Yofi got up from her bed, sat on the rug and stared at me accusingly. There was no longer sunlight on her bed. So because I always do what my dog tells me to do, I got up, adjusted the blinds, and put the sunlight back. Diva dachshund or oriental rug? Dachshund wins. This round. Oh, and she's doing much better. Yofi's walking more easily. Today we went around the block and she only stumbled once. A little fading on the rug's a small price to pay for a happy puppy.

Image via Wikipedia I'm looking at the rain falling (cold front coming through) and thinking I'll make lamb and barley stew for supper. I'm also looking at the work I did yesterday on Castaway Dreams and thinking, "Hey! That's not half bad!" I need moments like that. Too often I'm typing away at the keyboard and thinking, "Crap. crap. crap. crap...." but then I'll write a phrase or come up with a description for the hero's eyes and think, "Hey! That's not half bad!" And that's what keeps me going. That, and lamb stew on a cold and bleak day.

Image via Wikipedia WE'RE NUMBER 1! All together now: "It's Great To Be A Florida Gator! Go Gators!"

First things first--thank you to all of you who asked about Yofi. She is doing better, though some days are easier than others. At least she's walking again, and that's a huge relief. Second, I've just booked my flight for Boskone 46 . As usual, I'm flying into NYC to visit with my son and then taking the Acela up to Boston. I've become quite fond of train travel since I started making this trip some three years back. I hope I'll see some of you there, and as always, I hope I don't get snowed in. The best part about traveling to Boston/NYC in February is having a return ticket that says "Florida". In the meantime, work continues on Castaway Dreams. Here's the last paragraph I typed this morning, a conversation between the H&H. He was a secondary character in my as yet unpublished Sea Change , and I wanted to give him his own opportunity to shine: “I have not had many dealings with young ladies, Miss Farnham. I can tell you that all...

Happy New Year! It's been a hectic couple of weeks, which is why I haven't posted more. Both my sons were home for the first time in over a year, so I was off my usual writing schedule--but for a good reason. It was great having the entire family together again. The other reason I've been busy has been less fun, but the prognosis is encouraging. Our 11 year old dachshund, Yofi, had an episode involving compression of the disks in her neck, which left her unable to walk without falling down. After some intensive treatment with steroids at the vet hospital we resumed acupuncture treatments for her. She's doing substantially better now, but I can still see signs of deterioration. However, veterinary acupuncture has helped in the past, so we're optimistic. Whew! In the meantime, I'm still researching my next book, working title Castaway Dreams, and writing notes on the novel. The characters are beginning to take shape in my mind and I typed the magic words ...

I Love Google! Yesterday I talked at another blog about Googling myself, and mentioned that I have Google set up to give me a daily digest of mentions of my books. Today's digest included a listing from a library in Estonia showing the circulation record for Salakaubavedaja pruut, aka Smuggler's Bride. I don't get nearly enough email from fans in Estonia, but it's good to see they're reading my books.

Image via Wikipedia Jenny Graman Meyer Bookwormed me, so I'll play along--to a point. I'm afraid I'm not going to pass this meme along to five other people because friends have gently told me in the past they wish they wouldn't get these little nudges. However, if you're reading this and you want to play along, feel free to copy the rules and credit me. The Rules are: 1) Open the closest book- not a favorite or most intellectual book- but the book closest at the moment, to page 56 2) Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following 3) tag five innocents [or more] 4) do the same for your manuscript I'm going to go first to my manuscript, Sea Change . Here's what's on page 56: "He’s a bright fellow and enough time with us may change his loyalties.” “You know best, Captain. As I said, it’s good for the men to have a surgeon aboard. Knowing he saved Henry’s life will help the men accept him as part of the crew.” ...

Why Writing Is Good For You, Body and Soul I've mentioned elsewhere that my treadmill finally broke down after 20+ years of excellent service. I'm anxious to get another, but haven't found a model I like that will fit through the doorways of my house. Seriously. So in the meantime, I do it the old fashioned way. I take a two mile brisk walk around out neighborhood each day. I carry weights while I'm walking, to increase the benefit, burn more calories and help tone and strengthen my arms. I started with 2.5 lb. wrist weights, then increased to carrying a five pound weight one mile with a 2.5 lb. weight on the other hand, then switching off at the one mile mark. I also carry a small notebook and a pen because as I mentioned in a previous post, rhythmic walking frees up my imagination. Today I was so caught up in thinking about my WIP, working title Castaway Dreams, that I was within sight of my house before I realized I was still carrying the heavy weight in my ri...