Tag Archives: launchpad

Weekend in Review

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Weekend was hectic. Had a photo shoot on Saturday for the Dragon*Con Breast Cancer Research charity calendar (I believe the consensus is to now call the calendar “Volunteer Vixens of Dragon*Con”) at the Mindspace Tea Bar and Lounge. The venue was great. In addition to fabu tea, they also had a gorgeous Japanese garden out back with a koi pond and live bamboo wall. Looking forward to seeing how those pix turned out.

Sunday was the second Dragon*Con all-staff meeting, and we dragged Patrick along to it. fosteronfilm picked up a box of submissions for the Film Festival. Waved and chatted to several folks, and did a bit of pre-convention coordinating. Things are ramping up. And my Daily Dragon staff roster is set . . . I think.

Via the blogosphere (and especially through the efforts of frankwu), the identities of five of my Launchpad classmates has been revealed:

Samantha Henderson (samhenderson)
Michael Livingston
K. Tempest Bradford (ktempest)
Lori Ann White (shaolingrrl)
Frank Wu (frankwu)

So that’s half of us. Can’t wait to find out who the other six will be!

   


Writing Stuff

The postal rate change goes into effect today. Ugh. Have you signed the Stamp Out Postal Rate Hikes petition?

From the website :

Save Small and Independent Publishers

Postal regulators have accepted a proposal from media giant Time Warner that would stifle small and independent publishers in America. The plan unfairly burdens smaller publishers with higher postage rates while locking in special privileges for bigger media companies.

In establishing the U.S. postal system, the nation’s founders wanted to ensure that a diversity of viewpoints were available to “the whole mass of the people.” Time Warner’s rate increase reverses this egalitarian ideal and threatens the marketplace of ideas on which our democracy depends.

Received:
– 40-day form nope from Glimmer Train. Not a surprise.

Reminder:
I’m conducting an online workshop Worldbuilding for Writers: Transporting Readers Beyond the Ordinary.

Register (Deadline, May 27.)

New Words:
– 450 on the Fox Princess novel.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
7,551 / 40,000
(18.9%)

Club 100 for Writers: 3

Launch Pad: I’m going to Laramie, Wyoming, in July!

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I got notice that I’ve been accepted into the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop! It’s a one-week “NASA-funded workshop for established writers held in beautiful high-altitude Laramie, Wyoming. Launch Pad aims to provide a ‘crash course’ for twelve attendees in modern astronomy science through workshops, guest lectures, and observation through the University of Wyoming’s two large telescopes.”

It’s in mid-July, and in addition to NASA covering my room and meals (and tuition), they’re also giving me a travel stipend to cover my roundtrip flight! I’m verily jazzed, although also somewhat anxious. I don’t travel well alone, tending to get lost and thereby flustered. May there be many large signs to point my way.

teflaime is a Wyoming native, and he’s informed me that I should bring cold weather clothes and also that the air is thin, so I should take it easy. Both sage pieces of advice that I will be most diligent about adhering to. Although I don’t think there’ll be that many opportunities to exert myself. I anticipate much sitting, listening, and looking up.

I’m taking my camera and laptop, of course. Hope I’ll have WiFi access . . .

   


Writing Stuff

I checked the Mobicon website and saw that they’ve got their panel schedule up. I’m slotted to do three panels, all on Saturday:

– 10:30AM – Writers for Relief II with Davey Beauchamp in Magnolia 1.
– 4PM – Worldbuilding in Sci-Fi and Fantasy with Davey Beauchamp, Sharon Green, Chris Jackson, Debbora Wiles, & Linda Baker in Magnolia 1 & 2.
– 6PM – Editors: The Other Side of Writing with Davey Beauchamp in Panel Room 5.

I’m especially jazzed about the editors panel; I’ve never been on the talking side of the table for one of those before.

Received:
– Payment from French ‘zine, Faeries, for “Of Two Minds in Lanais.” Hurray!

New Words:
– 1750 on the Fox Princess novel in the last couple days after losing the beginning of the week to that freelance gig. I somehow managed not to fall behind this week, assuming I can crank out 500 words between today and Monday.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
7,100 / 40,000
(17.8%)

I did, however, lose my Club 100 place. Sigh.

Club 100 for Writers: 2