Got a phone call from dire_epiphany yesterday, a frantic plea for assistance. Apparently the printers of the Dragon*Con program book et al. bumped up their deadline, and they wanted all of the documents (guest bios, performer write-ups, etc.) today. She was expected to have 100+ pages of text edited and ready to go in like, negative time.
So, Matthew and I were enlisted in the great editorial marathon to help get everything spell- and grammar-checked, and consistently formatted. Actually, I like editing. I thought it was fun. dire_epiphany still did the lion’s share (and we’re talking gigantic, mammoth-eating cave lion here, not the little bitty modern-day lions). I hope she was able to get some sleep last night . . .
But it really sunk home that Dragon*Con is right around the corner. Eep.
Writing Stuff:
Received yesterday:
-An email from Ann Crispin asking if I’d do a little talk on the business of submitting short stories during her Dragon*Con beginner’s workshop. 1. I’m totally stoked she asked me. 2. I’m also totally terrified. Did I mention I’ve got an acute phobia of public speaking? I’m going to do it, but I’m waiting until I don’t get the shakes when I think about it to reply to her email
.– A request to synopsize another novelette for Scrybe Press. Going to work on that today.
– Checklist form reject from Highlights with “It is not suited to our present needs” checked. Probably just as well. Highlights buys all rights, and while they pay well for them, they don’t pay as well as Cricket, who just buys first print and non-exclusive reprint rights. ‘Course Cricket passed on this one. But after further consideration, I don’t think I’m happy with the idea of parting with “all rights” to anything of mine. It also might be time to trunk this folk tale. But, on an amusing note, there were some checklist items that one normally doesn’t see on genre forms. My favorite was “We do not publish material that requires or encourages a reader to mark on the pages”
.– Two more critiques of “Caught Between” (including yours, canadiansuzanne, thanks!) Still seems to be going over reasonably well. Coolness.
“Did I mention I’ve got an acute phobia of public speaking?”
Me too! I think if I actually had something prepared and totally memorized, I *might* be able to do it. But, of course, I keep procrastinating about preparing a presentation. 😉 You’ll have to let us know how this goes for you.
~Maggie
Yeah, I’m better when I over-prepare too. But I get so stressed contemplating such events, I inevitably procrastinate and end up under-prepared. Vicious, vicious catch-22! Eep.
Stupid phobic brain.
You know, you did just fine at Fantasm. I’m sure you’ll do great at Dragon. At least you don’t have to get up in front of hundreds of people and introduce famous people.
Thank heavens I have someone to do that for me.
I think I’m getting better at not panicking during panels, but lecture-mode is totally different. Glah. Well, if you hear that the Daily Dragon director passed out on Friday during the con, you’ll know why . . .
Commentary on the Comment section. Well, duh 😉
That’s great you and your hubbie were able to help out. I used to work as a tech writer and remember how mind-numbing editing could be. But at least you’re enjoying the docs.
Re: presentation.
Wow! You’ll do fine. Don’t forget to breath and picture everyone in their underwear. Or diapers if they’re that young 😉 Or speedos if they’re that cute (and over the legal age) 😉
Joel
waywriter.blogspot.com
Re: Commentary on the Comment section. Well, duh 😉
“Don’t forget to breath and picture everyone in their underwear“
Breathe. Check. Err, well, in theory. Unfortunately, the underwear/diapers/speedos/thong trick doesn’t work with my. My brain totally freezes up and it’s usually all I can do to keep my vocal chords from locking up. Engaging my imagination during a public speaking situation just isn’t a possibility. I wish it were!
Re: Commentary on the Comment section. Well, duh 😉
The key to public speaking is to relax and let what you know shine through. The idea behing invisioning people undressed is to get over the fear of standing in front of people you don’t know.
It is the same idea behind telling a joke at the start. The key point to that is if you can get them to laught with you then it is easier to relate to them.
All you have to do is remind yourself that the people in the writers workshop are basicly the same person you were a few years ago. You now have the information that you wanted a few years ago. All you have to do is share that information with people just like you that want the same information.
You will be great, so no passing out. 🙂
Don’t we usually have more time with the Program Books? What the heck happened or is it just a SNAFU?
The program book (the big one with the bios) not the pocket program book (which is still being worked on).
Basicly the printer moved the deadline up a week, which ment all the stuff that had to go into the program book had to be done and edited a week soonner than we thought.
Gotcha –
I knew on both there is usually more time – was the dealine switch because of the guantity of big books needed to be printed, or something else in and of itself?
Just one of those things at the last minute that takes you off guard really.
I am not sure what the reason was. It will go in our “Things that need to be fixed” notes to follow up after the con.
Hey I am trying to avoid being in those notes this year
Yeah, what said.
Eugie,
You will do fine in the workshop. I remember you spoke very well when we were on that pannel together in the writers track. Wow Dragon is really just around the corner. That reminds me. I need to call in to be off that Friday.
Teresa
It is really soon! And thanks for the nod of confidence! I’m getting to the point of being okay on panels. But I’m still freaked at the idea of doing a solo. Eeep.