Last nuggets from FenCon

Pardon the episodic nature of my posts, but I have to take breaks because of my carpal tunnel syndrome.

Apparently over time I've helped some people advance their writing. While at FenCon I had one guy tell me that thanks to some insights I gave him on how journalists think and act, he was able to develop a character in a book he just finished. Another fellow said that after taking some advice I once gave on a panel he was able to make his first sale.

I'm also pleasantly surprised that people are buying my books. Zane Melder of Edge Books sold out of "Texas & Other Planets". Selina Rosen said "Music for Four Hands" sold well, at least ten copies. One time I found a guy waiting for me at the entrance of a panel to sign his book, which means he looked up my schedule. I had a number of people come up to me (and my typewriter) in the gallery and ask me to sign their books.

Speaking of my typewriter, many people took my photos, and at least three - FenCon itself, Rie Sheridan Rose, and Charles Tolliver - posted pix on their Facebook pages. My old friend Keith West also posted a photo on his blog. In Rie's case, I put the typewriter in my lap so we could say it was an old school laptop.

The strangest thing was that at least five time people came up to me and started to talk thinking I was Lou Anders - which is pretty goofy, especially if you know what we look like. I told Lou that Sunday afternoon. He suggested I should shave my head and he could grow a goatee.

Well, one more con for this year. I'll be at Contraflow in New Orleans Nov. 4-6.

And then there's Warehouse 13

Sunday morning Bill Ledbetter and I and other Baen-type authors joined Toni Weisskopf in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Bill and I were both published in Jim Baen's Universe. Among the folks there was Sarah Hoyt, who had a story - "Scraps of Fog" - in the same issue that ran "The Witch of Waxahachie, April 2008. I remembered it, too!

I've heard and seen Toni a number of times over the years. It was nice to have a chance to chat and pick her brain. When I returned home and got caught up with my email, I saw that we will be sharing a panel at Contraflow in November.

As in the case Friday and Saturday, I only had one panel that day. Sometimes you get your panels from a con and you wonder what was running through their minds, and then there's times you can tell they really paid attention to your requests. When I saw FenCon put me on the panel for Warehouse 13 ("Don't Touch that Artifact") - and made me moderator - I knew they paid attention to my questionnaire. Thanks, guys!

The panel convened at 11 a.m. Sunday, and I was joined by Rosemary Clement-Moore, Karen Bogen, Aelle Able and Michelle Bardsley. Michael Finn had asked me to also be on the panel, and since there was an extra chair - and he's such a nice guy - and I'm such a nice guy - he joined us.

For the most part were were all Warehouse 13 enthusiasts (there are many weeks it's the only television show I watch) and so we all had a good time and the panel went very well.

Afterwards I set up in the gallery again. People stopped by to get me to sign theirs books, and all three - Fantastic Texas, Texas and Other Planets, and Music for Four Hands - all made an appearance. In the meantime a banged out another story, a flash called "Wet and Wild". People asked me what happened to "The Quantum Gunman" and I told them I gave it to Chris Garcia for Drink Tank 300, so I hope I got it a little more attention. I brought "Wet and Wild" - which was only three pages long - back home with me.

Coincidence

Tuesday night, after I posted here, I emailed Chris Garcia. He replied that he was - at that moment - keyboarding "The Quantum Gunman". He said he plans to use a copy of a typed page as a graphic with the story. He said he still has to figure out how to do that since Drink Tank is printed in a landscape format. Good luck, Chris, this guy is really enthused!

As I have mentioned. I returned to Fencon Saturday in time for my panel on "How to Build a Scientist" at 2 p.m. I was the only non-scientist on the panel, which was helpful in my moderating because I had nothing to contribute - so I could concentrate on moving the panel along. My compatriots were Guest of Honor Gail Carriger, Scientist Guest of Honor Les Johnson, Alexis Glynn Lattner and Scott Padgett. I really don't even understand what any of them do for a living, but as for the moderating - well, the panel was very well received by the audience, and one panelist afterwards complimented me on the job I did.

Bill Ledbetter and I then went out to The Tasty Greek on Belt Line Road and enjoyed some tasty Middle Eastern cuisine. We came back to the Con and I set up in the gallery and, as I mentioned before, typed up "The Quantum Gunman". Bill was nice enough to put me up for the night in his guest bedroom since my original plan for Saturday night accommodations fell through.

Chris Garcia, Drink Tank and the Quantum Gunman

My panel on Friday night was called "The Liar's Panel". Given the late hour and subject, it wasn't a very serious panel, but lots of fun, and everyone - panelists included - enjoyed it.

My fellow panelists included Brad Denton - an old acquaintance now by now - Rosemary Clement Moore, Steve Wedel, and moderator Chris Garcia.

I'd never met Chris before - he lives in California - but he seemed like a nice guy, very cheerful, upbeat and friendly. It was afterwards that I made the connection and realized he's the guy who won the Fanzine Hugo this year for "Drink Tank". I told a friend how nice he seemed, and they said "he's still on the high from the Hugo". He also said Chris' Hugo acceptance speech was quite a funny and touching scene.

Now, Saturday evening, as I typed out "The Quantum Gunman" I would lay out each page in succession on the table of the gallery. Some people came along and read it in installments as I banged it out. When it was all laid out, Chris came by and gave it a read. He liked it and asked me what I was planning to do with it.

He is planning a special project for the 300th issue of Drink Tank, called Drink Tank 300, where he will feature 300 different contributors. I told him if he wanted "The Quantum Gunman" for Drink Tank 300, it was all his, and he took it and walked away with a big smile.

I'm happy to help out. Chris said he is planning to get Drink Tank 300 out in October or maybe late November. I'm looking forward to it.

Oh, and while I thought the person who told me about Chris' acceptance speech was exaggerating, Chris confirmed the account himself. I subsequently saw that Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing referred to it as the "greatest Hugo moment in recent history".

"The Quantum Gunman" is the 97th short story I have written.

Back from Fencon

FenCon went very well this year. I'm sure hosting the DeepSouthCon drew a lot of extra people, but the Fen Folks were up to it all. You could tell they were very concerned and diligent to be good hosts.

My schedule was a bit screwy. Since I worked Friday I indicated that I should have no panels before 5 p.m. They followed my wishes, and my first panel was Friday at 10 p.m. I left Mount Pleasant about 5:30 p.m. and got to Dallas in time to spend a couple of hours before the panel visiting with people. After the panel I left to drive back to Mount Pleasant. Because of particular reasons that aren't interesting to the layman, I really wanted to to do the Sunday paper, and when I saw my first panel on Saturday wasn't until 2 p.m., I decided to work Saturday morning and rejoin the convention afterwards.

It got there in time for the 2 p.m. panel, and afterwards caught a late lunch with Bill Ledbetter at the Tasty Greek restaurant on Belt Line Road. When we got back to the convention I set up my typewriter in the gallery and began my little gig again - like I did at ArmadilloCon - where I write a story in public.

I banged out a six page story, "The Quantum Gunman", between 6-8:30 p.m. I also used the typewriter Sunday, and I am now suffering the side effect, because my carpal tunnel syndrome has become inflamed. I have to sign off for now and get a cold pad.

Fencon starts Friday

Fencon in Dallas starts tomorrow. Just to repeat, here are my panels for the weekend:

Friday 10:00 PM Live Oak
This is not the Liar's Panel
Tall tales that may or may not be true. Once the door closes, don't believe anything you hear! Especially the part about the cake. Panelists: L. Antonelli , R. Clement-Moore , B. Denton , S. Wedel , C. Garcia *

Saturday 2:00 PM Addison Lecture Hall
How to Build a Scientist
Need a brainiac scientist for your science fiction story? Most of our panelists are honest-to-pete card-carrying scientists, who will discuss the realities of living a life of science. Find out what drives their research: Grant money? Tenure? Curiosity? Peer pressure? Panelists: G. Carriger , L. Johnson , A. Latner , S. Padget , L. Antonelli *

Sunday 11:00 AM Live Oak
Don't Touch That Artifact!
Warehouse 13 is one of the hottest shows on Syfy. What makes it so engaging? Come listen as our panelists discuss the antics of Myka, Pete, Claudia, Jinxie, and Artie and their efforts to corral the most powerful objects in the world. Panelists: A. Ables , M. Bardsley , K. Bogen , R. Clement-Moore , L. Antonelli *

* denotes Moderator.

The Zombies are loose!

The ebook "Zombiefied! An Anthology of All Things Zombie" By Carol Hightshoe - Published By Sky Warrior Book Publishing - is now available for $3.99 from Smashwords. Here's the description:

Zombie crime fighters, politicians, soldiers, rescuers—but a Zombie prom date or bowler? If you’re looking for Zombies, prepare to be ZOMBIEFIED! Two dozen amazing zombie stories sure to breathe life back into the Undead. If you’re looking for stories that shamble, groan, and eat brains, you’re sure to become ZOMBIEFIED. Stories by Dayton Ward, M.H Bonham, Gary Jonas, David Lee Summers, Carol Hightshoe, Laura Givens, Rie Sheridan Rose, Lou Antonelli, John Lance - And Many More!