[Writing Post] ConDFW and Entitlement
Rant Warning Ahead:
It’s Wednesday. It’s a short week for me – taking off Friday for a 4-Day weekend (Monday is a Federal Holiday and the city has it off, YAY!) – that just means more stuff in less time. Yay?
CONDFW…
Let’s talk about ConDFW. It’s a small convention, very literary. I <3 this convention. Always have. Always will. I’m hoping they can keep it together. I like the layout of the new hotel. Plenty of places to hang out and gather and talk. The sleeping/party rooms/consuite was a minor hike but not unpleasant. The hallway outside the panel room could get congested but you knew where ALL the panels were because they were on ONE hall. The restaurant course corrected (I’m told) after being (predictably) understaffed on Friday.
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It’s a great convention for meeting up with other writers and recharging creative batteries. In fact, I’m now under a tight deadline because something came up AT THE CONVENTION. We also pre-launched Debris & Detrius to a lovely response. Which leads to the sticking point… Fan Entitlement.
One of the authors was apparently told she failed as a con-goer because she failed to give someone her full attention during a group signing. Um…what? NO. Stop. Halt. Back the Entitlement Truck up. 1) She’s an AUTHOR not a con-goer. She’s there doing a JOB not just hanging out. 2) She’s a HUMAN BEING not a robot. 3) YOU are not the center of the universe, cupcake.
The situation was weird – group signing, no defined system for getting 5-7 people to sign books, so there were crossing paths and people hanging out and like THREE conversations going on at the same time. It was (good) chaos. So if you got your delicate feelings hurt, you have to take some of the responsibility for that. You picked the chaos to approach. And DUDE, by dumping some kind of YOU SUCK on an author struggling to be extroverted when most authors are cave-dwelling introverts? You’ve done a lot more damage than you perceive to have been dumped on you. NOT COOL. ALSO? You may think you’re being all “constructive†but that’s passive-aggressive bull, you don’t know how many POSITIVE comments it takes to undo that kind of damage. ALSO? We are not there for YOU. We’re there for the collective. It’s PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to give Every. Single. Person. 100% of our attention 100% of the time. Deal.
Also consider other aspects of timing – my Saturday Schedule had me on programming at 10 am, Noon, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm. But Rhonda, that gives you an hour to be sparkling and shiny to all the fans of the world. NO. No it doesn’t. At some points in there I had to 1) pee, 2) eat lunch and/or dinner, 3) get into formal wear for Redheads, 4) get OUT of formal wear, and 5) SELL BOOKS. I was “on†and performing – with a personal issue in there that we won’t get into – for almost 11 hours straight that day. At one point I thought I’d HALLUCINATED AN EMAIL because it disappeared into another folder, that’s how scattered I was trying to make everyone happy and be the dazzling professional (stop laughing). So before anyone judges anyone else, take a step back, take a breath, and realize 99% of the time, it’s not about you.
Sorry for the rant, but it has to be said. Now… I have a deadline to meet.
[Pen/Pencil Review] UNI-ball Signo 0.28mm Retractable
Happy post-Convention Monday. I’m actually going to get stuff done (darn it!). This is going to be a mish-mash. One… don’t forget, Tokyo Pen Company in Iowa. Coupon Code RHONDAEUDALY gets you 10% off until the end of the month. I just used it myself for a small collection of stuff (yes, that’s a hedgehog pencil sharpener). Coupon code works AND the order I put in on Friday? It was in my mail box today.
But there’s also a pen from the Black Sampler Collection from JetPens. This is the UNI Signo 0.28mm retractable pen. Yes, you read that correctly… 0.28mm. It’s one of the finest points I’ve used. And this one was a bit surprising to me. Not only is it a modern-looking retractable pen, I was pleasantly surprised by the feel of this point.
The ink is good for so fine a point. You’re going to lose some depth/darkness in an ink tone the finer the point. But this feels thicker and darker than it should. The conical tip means it’s not as scratchy feeling than some needle points.
These pens run just over 5.5″. The mechanism is smooth. The rubber grip is not textured and seems to be only a slight nod to comfort. The barrel is fine but not EXCEPTIONAL, but it’s a cool pen for what it is, which is a good editing or notation pen if you need something easily transportable and super fine.
Let’s see the numbers…
1. How does it work? – 1 – it works well. The ink dries quickly – especially being such a fine point, but it doesn’t feel that fine and has a solid barrel..
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The length is typical for a retractable pen. The barrel is slightly rubberized. But there are no real ergonomics.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a plastic retractable pen. It’s all plastic. The retraction plunger is kind of cool.
4. Overall Design – 1 It’s a decent design for a plastic retractable pen. The ink is decent and dark for a 0.28mm, it’s a smooth decent line. The mechanism works well. It does what it’s supposed to do.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – For a retractable gel pen, the price is…MEH… it’s $2.50, but it’s a 0.28, so that’s not all that common. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s not the most expensive.
That’s 4 bronze pencils out of 5.
[Write the Story][Writing Blog] ConDFW and Drama Story
Or something like that (I wrote a draft of this yesterday). I’m busy trying to nail some stuff down for ConDFW in JUST TWO DAYS! Ack! There’s a new anthology appearing and a Redheads sketch to polish up. Cats to herd. Ducks to row. That sort of thing.
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My schedule is light for Friday, just a reading and a panel. Then Saturday… wow, Saturday. I have even hour panels from 10 am to 8 pm (except 6 pm) – including Redheads and a Road Show. So if I appear to be a bit frazzled or seem to blow past you without acknowledging you – it’s probably because I’m rushing to the restroom or to find some food. It’s not you, it’s me. PROMISE. But Sunday I have just one 11 am panel.
But it’s going to be awesome. I look forward to ConDFW every year. I know they’ve struggled a few years. I hope we keep it going. So come out and join us.
Until I see you there – and so I keep up the momentum – here’s this week’s “Write the Story” exercise:
Prompt: Drama In and Out of the Lab
Words: microbiologist, telephone, hidden, bystander, trench, inside, international, shoe, heights, persuade
Story:
“Is creating a hidden trench just inside the lab’s entrance really a good idea?” I asked, easing back toward the cluttered lab tables.
“You won’t let me drop anyone from the heights of the building.”
I sighed. “Dr. Boulder, we’ve been through this. I don’t like the idea of a bystander getting hurt by shoe salesmen going splat on the sidewalk.”
“Humph.” Dr. Boulder reset the holographic projector that disguised the trench and set a bridge. Boulder returned to tinkering with another project. And I went to answer the telephone.
This was my life now. I could’ve been a rich, corporate microbiologist doing research to make Twinkies actually survive a nuclear winter, but no. I let my graduate advisor persuade me to be…here. Boulder was an internationally renowned scientist. It was a great honor to work with one of the greatest minds of the world.
Except he was bat crap crazy. My job was to provide the net – avoid the traps, and keep us both alive.
A startled scream and a meaty thunk followed by a plaintive “JOANIE” dragged my attention back to the crumpled form of a paranoid scientist. He forgot the ejector panel. I grabbed the trauma kit. Just another day in the lab.
Writeen: 1/12/17
[Pen/Pencil Review] Sakura Ballsign Knock Gel Pen – 0.4 mm – 5 Color Set
Here we go. Pen review day. Woo hoo! I’m getting stuff done on schedule again! Let’s hope I can maintain! This is a multi-pack of Sakura Ballsign retractable gel pens in the 0.4mm tip.
These are an interesting line of pen. These are slimline retractable gel pens but with a bow at the grip to make the grip diameter wider and easier to handle. The grip part of the barrel is tinted the ink color, but the rest of the barrel is transparent. The ink is smooth and rich in a long refill that makes the barrel seem to have an inner color match lining, but it’s actually the ink barrel with a lining.
The plunger to the pen does have a color match lining with a slight ridge to the end cap. The retraction mechanism is solid. The clip is small but seems strong. I don’t foresee the clip snapping off unless you fiddle with it for an extensive amount of time. The pen runs just over 5.25†long both retracted and point extended.
The line is thin, obviously, it’s a 0.4mm – which I like – with a conical tip. The colors are rich and dark for such a thin line and these are the “classic†colors – red, orange, green, blue, and black. They do come in specialty inks – like metallic, but I like to start classic. It works well on regular paper as well as the homemade journal paper I’m also currently using. It’s comfortable in the hand even without much in the terms of ergonomics. I foresee it working for quite a while.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent. The retraction mechanism is solid. The tip and line are smooth and solid.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – This is no frills plastic retractable pen. The grip is slightly wider than the barrel but that’s all the nod to ergonomics it has. The barrel is slim, which might not appeal to some.
3. Material – 1 It’s a no frills plastic retractable pen, but it’s solidly built and cool looking plastic retractable pen.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a cool looking, well-writing pen. With such a fine point, it’s sometimes difficult to get a solid line. This does very well. The clip, though small, is sturdy, and the mechanism solid.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s a touch on the expensive side. These run $2.70 each – or $13.50 for 5 (no discount for multiples) and only available through an outlet like JetPens. They do come in a variety of colors and multipacks.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Conventions] ConDFW Schedule
My ConDFW Schedule starting next Friday, February 10, 2017
Rhonda Eudaly
Friday
READING
Friday, 5pm: Rhonda Eudaly, Patricia Burroughs
PROGRAMMING 2
Friday, 6pm: How Many Last Jedis Are There?
Panelists: Tracy S. Morris (M), Mark Finn, Rhonda Eudaly, Michael Ashleigh Finn, T. M. Hunter, Bradley
H. Sinor
We all know the title of the upcoming Star Wars VIII film to be “The Last Jediâ€. However, Jedi seem to grow like weeds in the novels – Order 66 got a lot of them, but there were always those few who hid on Coruscant, or Dagobah, or on a ship sent out of the galaxy, or…you get the drift. It’s time to speculate and debate on the Star Wars Universe. Try not to wreck the room with lightsabers.
Saturday
MAIN PROGRAMMING
Saturday, 10am: Unlikely Sources of Inspiration
Panelists: A. Lee Martinez (M), Gloria Oliver, Lillian Stewart Carl, Rhonda Eudaly, Patricia Burroughs,
William Ledbetter
In this day and age of the Internet and wide exposure to many cultures, there are plenty of strange and unlikely sources to inspire you to write, draw, costume or even perform. From anime to webcomics to taking bus trips to strange locations, the human condition can express itself in many ways. Our panelists relate some of the more unlikely ways they get inspiration.
MAIN PROGRAMMING
Saturday, 12pm: The Best Books Nobody Ever Heard Of
Panelists: Patricia Burroughs (M), Carole Nelson Douglas, Rhonda Eudaly, A. Lee Martinez, Dantzel
Cherry, Paul Black
The primary rule of this panel is this: NO SELF PROMOTION. Bring examples, and audience participation is welcome as well! Be prepared to be grilled ruthlessly on why you like the book, of course! Bring paper and pen so you can take notes, and hopefully you’ll find some great reads.
AUTOGRAPHS
Saturday, 2pm: Rhonda Eudaly, Patricia Burroughs, Michelle Muenzler, Beth Teliho
PROGRAMMING 4
Saturday, 4pm: Redheads of the Apocalypse
Panelists: Rhonda Eudaly, Julia S. Mandala, Linda Donahue, Dusty Rainbolt, Mark Finn
The always entertaining Four Redheads of the Apocalypse talk about their latest publication, as well as many other topics!
PROGRAMMING 3
Saturday, 8pm: Yard Dog Road Show!
Panelists: Christopher Donahue, Linda Donahue, Rhonda Eudaly, Melanie Fletcher, K. Hutson, William
Ledbetter, Julia Mandala, Tracy Morris, Ethan Nahte, Gloria Oliver, Teresa Patterson, Dusty Rainbolt, Rie
Sheridan Rose, Bradley Sinor, Sue Sinor, Mel White
The fantastic authors of the Yard Dog Press put on their always entertaining Road Show! Make sure not to miss this.
Sunday
PROGRAMMING 3
Sunday, 11am: What Tickles Your Funny Bone?
Panelists: Melanie Fletcher (M), Rhonda Eudaly, Paul Black, K. B. Bogen, Tracy S. Morris
From simple fart jokes to more esoteric strangeness such as Dirk Gently, humor is always subjective. Thus, let’s find out what our panelists think is funny, and see if the audience agrees! Of course, vice versa also applies.
[Writer Post][Write the Story] A Combined Post
So, yeah, everything’s off a day – so to kinda get everything back on track, I’m going to talk a little bit about ConDFW being next weekend and then post a story. If you’re in the area, you gotta come out to North Fort Worth. There’a new anthology doing a sneak peek with the publisher, editor, and several authors in attendance.
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My word counts have suffered this week, but I promised I’d post some of these writing exercises which run about 200 words.
Prompt: A Family Mystery Uncovered
Words: Sunday, secret, wallpaper, swap, sister, curiosity, island, notebook, marathon, demandA Family Mystery Uncovered
Sister Helen tried hard to concentrate on the homily as was demanded during mass, but that Sunday she struggled. After a marathon research session, the previous day, her curiosity wouldn’t be quenched.
Her convent sat on a beautiful island – nearly a paradise on Earth – but she knew it held secrets within its walls. Just the extent of those secrets remained to be determined.
Not that Helen could talk. She had her own ghosts she’d left behind when she took her vows and her new name. All the sisters did. But now she wondered if the swap was as good a deal as it seemed, not that she regret her decision one bit. The convent and the order had saved her.The question began with a loose edge of wallpaper in her room. She’d peeled back the layer to reveal words and symbols written on the plaster. Now her notebook overflowed with arcane sigils and geometry and question after question. Her restless sleep punctuated by magical dreams of Templar Knights and religious mystism.
She didn’t know what it all meant to her family of God, but one thing she did know…
DAN BROWN GOT IT ALL WRONG.
Written 1/6/17
[Pen/Pencil Review] Faber-Castell Grip Plus Ball Pen
NOTE: This is a day late because I’ve been hitting the blog pretty hard lately…
A few weeks ago a good friend (Hi, Tim!) texted me about his plan to start bullet journaling and asking me for a pen recommendation. Whoa. That took a minute to sink in – and was hugely flattering.
Then we had the breakdown – fountain, gel, fiber tip, or ball point? He specified ballpoint that would work well on good journal paper. Though there are many great ballpoint pens out there, my recommendation was the Faber-Castell Grip Plus Ball. It’s one of my newest acquisitions from Christmas and a good pen.
The Faber-Castell Grip Plus Ball point pen comes with a 1.0 mm (M) blue ink. The barrel is refillable. The pen is about 5.25†long (retracted and extended) with a plastic barrel with a strong plastic clip and metal accents on the push plunger and conical tip. The black rubber grip has a triangular “feel†with ribbed sections that fit comfortably at the typical grip pressure points for an ergonomic, non-slip grip.
The ink is rich and smooth. There’s no skipping, glopping or smearing on either plain paper or journal paper. I would put it up again the Pilot Dr. Grip any day – though the grip is slightly less “squishyâ€. The prices are comparable as well.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works well. The ink flows well with minimal smearing. The retraction mechanism is solid.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This is a pen designed for ergonomics. The grip is designed to prevent fatigue and delivers with the ribbed areas hitting pressure points. The barrel is long enough for comfort and balanced well.
3. Material – 1.0 – For a plastic barrel pen, it’s pretty well-made. It doesn’t feel cheap. The ink is rich, fluid and has minimal smearing. The metal accents
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It’s a good design. I’m not going to knock it for having a bright metal clip on an otherwise black pen. But it does what it says – it’s comfortable, it has good ink, and it is suitable for long-term writing5.
Price Point – 0.5 – Considering this is Faber-Castell, the price is still pretty good. The Faber-Castell Grip Plus Ball is $9 but has metal accents. It’s comparable to Pilot’s Dr. Grip which runs about $10.
[Personal] A rare speaking out post
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.†― Edmund Burke
I don’t talk much about politics or religion in public in general. However, things change. In the past I’ve let some labels apply to me. No longer, especially in charged time where the Bat Crap Crazy extremists have appropriated those groups/labels. I have never supported those who call those they don’t agree with names – like Repugnicans/Repugnants or called the First Family “Obummer” or “Moochelle” (that one hurt a lot as a larger woman), nor am I fond of “Cheeto in Chief”. We can do better than name calling.
HOWEVER… though I know why some people voted the way they did: Supreme Court appointees, promises of economic recovery, etc. I *hope* they didn’t see this coming. I think the “hope” was The Candidate being controlled by Party (which isn’t perfect by a long shot). BUT…now we’re seeing what he is capable of and it’s not pretty. I’ve grown up believing in Christian principles and Biblical teachings. I stand by “love your neighbor as yourself” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” as FUNDAMENTAL Truth. I’ve not seen that lately. That’s not okay.
Nor is the blatant hypocrisy. I watched while there were shouts of “Executive Overreach” in the last eight years. I didn’t agree with a lot of what Obama did, but where are the shouts now? These harmful executive orders aren’t bringing out the same outrage by the same people. And make no mistake, they are harmful in both short and long-terms, we saw one this weekend. Our country was founded on immigrants and refugees – that needs to continue. Does the mean our system isn’t flawed? No. It needs work and thoughtful overhaul – AS DOES OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. You can’t just disband something or build a wall or detain legal travelers JUST BECAUSE. That’s not how things work.
I’ve grown up respecting the Office of the President. I still do. It’s an awesome responsibility. I do not respect the current occupant because he’s ALREADY broken the Oath of Office. He sees only the power but not the responsibility. I cannot support the actions he’s taken. Trying to silence people who disagree with you is never an answer – though I figure my friends list will be lighter after this .
I stand with the scientists and workers who are working to keep truth in the hands of the people – we have a better shot at this than in the regimes being mentioned because we have the internet. We have ways of connecting that weren’t ever available before. I’ve followed all the “Alt” accounts. I’ve not been a “write/call your congressman” person. That will likely change. If scientists and academics do run for office in the next cycle, I will do my part – as I have done my adult life.
I will not be a good person who does nothing.
[Writer Post] Processes
Or…why I probably can never meet Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Jose Molina…
Okay, so writing is a moderately occupation – just you, the voices in your head, the clicking of the keyboard, and/or the scratching of a pen. Hopefully leading to a big ole pile of words that don’t necessarily suck. Throughout the years many people have made money off telling young writers HOW YOU should write, WHEN YOU should write, for HOW LONG YOU should write, and if you Just Follow These Rules you will be PUBLISHED (AKA rich, thin, and the person of your choice will love you!).
To that I say, POPPYCOCK! Pure, unadulterated HOCKUM. Or… BULL CRAP (it’s a family blog).
So what do I have to say about PROCESS? What makes a good process? Do you produce words? Do they create a beginning, middle, and end at some point? Congratulations! You have a process. Your process is YOUR PROCESS. If it works for you, it’s a good process. Yay, you! (Yes, this year is all about the small, every day successes. Some days that’s all we can hope for.)
And guess what? Your process? It’s probably like someone else’s process – because even though details may shift in shipping, no one is original. If you can’t write unless you have exactly six red Skittles and a shot of tequila before you write, that’s pretty specific, but there may be whole writers groups out there who have do the same thing (just maybe with green Skittles and rum). For the record, SO NOT my process.
My process isn’t elaborate. It’s not weird. It’s not even unique. In fact if you listen to this episode of Children of Tendu — you’ll hear 90% of my process. Because it’s (seriously) almost identical to Javier Grillo-Marxuach. The advice on taking advice from other writers or writing books? Jose Molina echoes most of my advice (which was taken from yet someone else) which is “take what rings true to you and discard the rest”. But Jose’s process is one I know many writers also follow – and guess what? We all get along. We all write. We all get the job done.
Which is why I should probably never meet these gentlemen in person. Because I would, very likely, be the world’s biggest, gooberiest (shut up it’s a word) fan girl on the entire planet. Seriously, I’d embarrass myself and I’m a grown, professional woman (shut up! I am, too!)
So. No matter where you are in your writing life – embrace your process. Revel in it when you find like-minded writers, no matter what the genre or style. NEVER, ever let anyone tell you your process is wrong. Likewise, NEVER, ever tell anyone THEIR process is wrong. There’s no right way to do this. There’s no wrong way to do this – as long as you’re doing this. That’s the only key. If you’re a writer – write. Period. Full Stop.
Now…back to work.