Polaris, and After

[handful_ofdust]

General observation, without specifics (because specifics draw dicks, like shit draws flies): I step away for a minute or two, and do things improve? Do they, hell. All over the 'Net, people continue to act like dicks to each other, get called on it, call other people out for calling them on it and act like dicks while doing so, ad infinitum. Sometimes I wonder why any of us bother to talk to each other at all.

Ah, fandom. I'd say "never fucking change", except--well; I guess you already have. Thank God almighty, however, I no longer much care.

Anyhoo. Polaris was fun, if exhausting. We parked Cal at my sister-in-law's, where he apparently had a tonne of fun, and Steve and I did Saturday in style, moving pretty constantly from panel to panel. Things I liked included the crazy surprise of seeing my own face blown up twice life-size on an official guest poster, parked somewhere between genuine stars like Matt Frewer and Michael Hogan in an endless rogues' gallery wall-spread. I was moderator more often than I might have asked to be, but almost every audience I dealt with was large, vocal, enthusiastic and intelligent, while my fellow panelists were universally fun rather than jaded. The hotel was beautiful and fairly easily navigable, with an attached mall full of cheap, plentiful food alternatives, and free parking. Not to mention that the signing table was run by Chapters, who had actually ordered copies of both my books! Heaven.

Stuff I didn't like quite as much included having to do my reading while parked next door to the Vid Suite, with some anime blasting at full volume through the wall--but overall, whatever other annoyances cropped up were both small and forgettable. I'd gladly do it again next year.

Best of all, of course, was seeing old friends/meeting new ones. And my most useful conversation was with David Nickle, who wanted to know how Book of Tongues was doing. When I told him I'd just cracked 80,000 words yet was (maybe) only halfway through the book, he gently suggested I should probably tell my publisher, and start thinking about ways to compact the rest of the action. "It's a lot harder to cut 40,000 words out of something later on than it is to cut 10,000 words out of it now," he said, which I heartily agree with.

So...yeah. That's thing next. But for now: Sleep. I feel like my eyes are trying to vacate my head by force.

Comments

[its-art.livejournal.com]

Hi, just thought I'd drop in. It's Clare, we met on a few panels at Polaris... Oh, there I go, revealing my secret identity. This Livejournal was for the fan fiction/art I did prior to having all my free time devoured by the comic, which I didn't do under my real name. Oh well. I think everyone knows anyway and are just too polite to tell me.

Polaris was definitely fun from my perspective. I do have some issues with a few bits of physical arrangement. I know this was a different locale for them so I'm forgiving. Still, I think my strangest-- and more irksome-- con experience ever is being on an art panel held in a squash court, while people are actually playing squash not ten feet away.

I greatly enjoyed the panels I did with you. While I enjoyed all of my panels, the Female Superheroes and Gay Superheroes panels went particularly well in my mind. I'm glad I didn't realize how many of my panels were filled with author guests. I was very nervous about Polaris, being as it was my first time out with my work. I think I would have been an absolute nutbar if I had known how many times I'd be conversing with legitimately published writers. Then, if you ask my family, they'll tell you I was an absolute nutbar anyway.

I'm fairly certain I will be back next year. In fact, it was demanded of me by one of the other attendees, so that I can show everyone how the comic has grown over the year. It is probably fitting, given I got serious about working on it after speaking with Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens about it at Polaris 22.

I hope you enjoy the comic and I hope to see you again next year.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

The squash-court panel story beats my Vid suite reading hands down! So sorry you had to deal with that. But yes, a good time was had by all, and meeting you was definitely part of that, for me.;)

I've read The Other Kind #1 once thus far, and am ruminating on it. I will say that I love your main character, Grace(land), as well as her sad life and creepy job. I'm also very interested to see exactly how you many to tie together the various disparate influences and traditions you seem to be dealing with (or, indeed, if you'll turn out to be actually doing what I think you're doing at all, in the final analysis). One way or the other, I'm definitely hooked.

And yes: Hope to see you next year, too!

[agincourtgirl.livejournal.com]

Yay for Polaris even though fandom is still...fandom....and YAY for Book of Tongues advice & progress as well!

Will actually get to read what you sent me this week, as life here gains rhythm - less than a month to the much-desired op and Oxfam is a lot of fun.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Excellent, on both counts. I hope you enjoy part one, and hope (perhaps foolishly) that I'll soon have part two to send you. And yay for impending op!

Oxfam? Tell me more.