CONvergence Panel Notes, Pt. 1
These are my notes about what I found useful and interesting and what thoughts and ideas I had that were sparked from these CONvergence panels*:
Poetry Workshop
Inserting Humor Into Your Writing
Why Writers Should Archive
Poetry Workshop
I am divided on whether I'm glad I went to this or not. There was a certain amount of poem reading and speaking in aphorisms that I didn't find useful. It had some of the same qualities that lead me to find literary fiction (and classes to teach it) tedious. On the other hand, I did produce what I think might become an interesting poem, "The Lover's Key."
Techniques:
* Great spec-fic poems can be made by taking actual science and making it whimsical and wonderful.
* Only hint at a mystery, to allow the reader an aha! moment when they figure it out.
* Take a whimsical metaphor, have it go a little strange/dark, put self or point of poem next to it in an oblique way, and reveal the connection (without over-explaining) in the last couple of lines.
* Give a serious treatment to a silly subject.
* Juxtaposition between ordinary tone and unusual subject matter, or between the everyday world and a strange character or event, also works well for speculative poems.
Remember that poems frequently have a whole large story compressed to a minute or two.
Modern poetry takes a conversational tone, simple, but very tight, with few modifiers.
Recommended reading: A Poet's Workshop and Beyond.
Markets: http://www.sfpoetry.com/links.html#markets
Inserting Humor Into Your Writing
Truth + pain = humor (the "Oh, yeah, I've been there," response). Pain only = tragedy.
Characters can play against type. Consider scary characters with petty concerns.
Don't assume that something's funny because you think it is.
Being funny in person, or telling jokes != writing funny.
Remember that characters can say and do completely unpalatable as long as it's consistent for the character.
Humor is rooted in reversal of expectations.
* Set up a pattern and then break it.
* Have others' expectations of the character be contradicted.
* Have character acting with expectations/beliefs about themselves that aren't objectively true.
Humor is the completion of the scene. For example, it's not when somebody falls down, but when other characters react.
Some self-mocking in otherwise grim writing will provide a light, relieving moment to prevent audiences from needing to mock it themselves.
Don't force the unexpected to try and be funny. Forcing bad.
Never ever make characters laugh at the author's jokes.
If you're thinking, "I've got to make this funny," STOP!
In horror writing, taking a normally cute and humorous thing/event and turning it dark is very effective.
People making fun of each other = good comedy. People humiliating themselves = bad comedy (though popular for some).
Set characters up to deliver funny lines with complete sincerity.
Why Writers Should Archive
This one definitely did its job and persuaded me that writers should archive. In fact, it made me sad that I'm not a well-enough-published writer to have my own archivist as we speak. Because that would be awesome.
Having a creative trust--a will for your creative works--is essential. Make sure that that will mentions that you want your writing papers archived--otherwise odds are they'll just be tossed. Neil Gaiman provides a good boilerplate: http://files.neilgaiman.com/SIMPLEWILL.pdf
Archivist panelists included Lynne Thomas, SF/F archivist at Northern Illinois University, and Meredith Gillies, archivist of children's YA at the U of M.
If you're looking for an archivist, be aware that archivists talk to each other, and one can often refer you to somebody who specializes in whatever it is that you do.
Side note: The original title of "Trouble with Tribbles" was "A Fuzzy Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
Do write in the books that you're doing research out of.
From a practical perspective:
* AV materials are pretty much designed to self-destruct, but archivists know what they're doing with paper, especially rag paper.
* The best storage location is your bedroom closet. It's dark and climate-controlled.
* Don't worry about using archival paper.
* Wrap fragile things in tin foil! (Or parchment paper.) Do *not* put things in plastic bags--that leads to molding and destruction.
"Dark archives" for digital data are super-awesome. They're not connected to anything else. They meta-archive in six servers constantly pinging and checking copies with each other. When one gets bit-rot and the others detect it, they write themselves over onto it. This is such a science fictional set-up. I love it.
* Yes, CONvergence does have panels. It's not just a big room party progressive. Honest.
Poetry Workshop
Inserting Humor Into Your Writing
Why Writers Should Archive
Poetry Workshop
I am divided on whether I'm glad I went to this or not. There was a certain amount of poem reading and speaking in aphorisms that I didn't find useful. It had some of the same qualities that lead me to find literary fiction (and classes to teach it) tedious. On the other hand, I did produce what I think might become an interesting poem, "The Lover's Key."
Techniques:
* Great spec-fic poems can be made by taking actual science and making it whimsical and wonderful.
* Only hint at a mystery, to allow the reader an aha! moment when they figure it out.
* Take a whimsical metaphor, have it go a little strange/dark, put self or point of poem next to it in an oblique way, and reveal the connection (without over-explaining) in the last couple of lines.
* Give a serious treatment to a silly subject.
* Juxtaposition between ordinary tone and unusual subject matter, or between the everyday world and a strange character or event, also works well for speculative poems.
Remember that poems frequently have a whole large story compressed to a minute or two.
Modern poetry takes a conversational tone, simple, but very tight, with few modifiers.
Recommended reading: A Poet's Workshop and Beyond.
Markets: http://www.sfpoetry.com/links.html#markets
Inserting Humor Into Your Writing
Truth + pain = humor (the "Oh, yeah, I've been there," response). Pain only = tragedy.
Characters can play against type. Consider scary characters with petty concerns.
Don't assume that something's funny because you think it is.
Being funny in person, or telling jokes != writing funny.
Remember that characters can say and do completely unpalatable as long as it's consistent for the character.
Humor is rooted in reversal of expectations.
* Set up a pattern and then break it.
* Have others' expectations of the character be contradicted.
* Have character acting with expectations/beliefs about themselves that aren't objectively true.
Humor is the completion of the scene. For example, it's not when somebody falls down, but when other characters react.
Some self-mocking in otherwise grim writing will provide a light, relieving moment to prevent audiences from needing to mock it themselves.
Don't force the unexpected to try and be funny. Forcing bad.
Never ever make characters laugh at the author's jokes.
If you're thinking, "I've got to make this funny," STOP!
In horror writing, taking a normally cute and humorous thing/event and turning it dark is very effective.
People making fun of each other = good comedy. People humiliating themselves = bad comedy (though popular for some).
Set characters up to deliver funny lines with complete sincerity.
Why Writers Should Archive
This one definitely did its job and persuaded me that writers should archive. In fact, it made me sad that I'm not a well-enough-published writer to have my own archivist as we speak. Because that would be awesome.
Having a creative trust--a will for your creative works--is essential. Make sure that that will mentions that you want your writing papers archived--otherwise odds are they'll just be tossed. Neil Gaiman provides a good boilerplate: http://files.neilgaiman.com/SIMPLEWILL.pdf
Archivist panelists included Lynne Thomas, SF/F archivist at Northern Illinois University, and Meredith Gillies, archivist of children's YA at the U of M.
If you're looking for an archivist, be aware that archivists talk to each other, and one can often refer you to somebody who specializes in whatever it is that you do.
Side note: The original title of "Trouble with Tribbles" was "A Fuzzy Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
Do write in the books that you're doing research out of.
From a practical perspective:
* AV materials are pretty much designed to self-destruct, but archivists know what they're doing with paper, especially rag paper.
* The best storage location is your bedroom closet. It's dark and climate-controlled.
* Don't worry about using archival paper.
* Wrap fragile things in tin foil! (Or parchment paper.) Do *not* put things in plastic bags--that leads to molding and destruction.
"Dark archives" for digital data are super-awesome. They're not connected to anything else. They meta-archive in six servers constantly pinging and checking copies with each other. When one gets bit-rot and the others detect it, they write themselves over onto it. This is such a science fictional set-up. I love it.
* Yes, CONvergence does have panels. It's not just a big room party progressive. Honest.