Hey, I'm on a panel (How to run a small Con) at Wastelands II, Age of Iron, along with Sarah Parker, John Parker and Satima Flavell. Come along and hear what we have to say about the actual running of a con.
Wastelands II, Age of Iron is on 18-19 October at the Good Earth Hotel, Adelaide Terrace, Perth. The programme is up here .
Monday, October 06, 2008
Sunday, October 05, 2008
KSP Mini Con 2008
I've been meaning to blog about this ever since it finished but life got in the way - not to mention exhaustion. This co-convening of conventions is hard work. Still better late than never.
It was a great day despite the cruelty of the weather makers who turned on cold, heavy rain and fierce winds. Despite this we had a good turn up to listen to - and participate in - a range of panels on writerly subjects. Well you'd expect that since it was at a writers' centre - Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre to be precise.
This was the home of Katharine Susannah Prichard. It's perched near the top of Greenmount on the Darling Scarp which overlooks the coastal plain surrounding most of Perth. Greenmount is as pretty as its name sounds. We used to go up to Old York Road (where KSP is situated) as children to visit relatives who had a huge block where they grew flowers to sell. I remember a field of daffodils and a shaded patch of violets. This was only a couple of houses along from where Katharine herself lived and wrote.
A small Con like this gives a chance for writers (as opposed to mostly fans) to get together. We had a large number of local writers turn up, as panellists, to read or to simply meet up with people with similar interests and that many were only leaving as we were locking up indicates they were having a good time. I certainly did. I was asked a number of times if we intend to run another convention - also an indication that people enjoyed themselves. The answer? Well the Mini Con certainly seems to fill a niche so ... Sorry, you'll have to wait and see. We'll let you know when we've all recovered.
By the way if anyone came across this before it was finished you can blame my kitten. He jumped on my hand last night just as I was clicking on Save As Draft and I didn't realise that he had pushed the cursor to Publish Post until I opened the blog this morning.
It was a great day despite the cruelty of the weather makers who turned on cold, heavy rain and fierce winds. Despite this we had a good turn up to listen to - and participate in - a range of panels on writerly subjects. Well you'd expect that since it was at a writers' centre - Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre to be precise.
This was the home of Katharine Susannah Prichard. It's perched near the top of Greenmount on the Darling Scarp which overlooks the coastal plain surrounding most of Perth. Greenmount is as pretty as its name sounds. We used to go up to Old York Road (where KSP is situated) as children to visit relatives who had a huge block where they grew flowers to sell. I remember a field of daffodils and a shaded patch of violets. This was only a couple of houses along from where Katharine herself lived and wrote.
A small Con like this gives a chance for writers (as opposed to mostly fans) to get together. We had a large number of local writers turn up, as panellists, to read or to simply meet up with people with similar interests and that many were only leaving as we were locking up indicates they were having a good time. I certainly did. I was asked a number of times if we intend to run another convention - also an indication that people enjoyed themselves. The answer? Well the Mini Con certainly seems to fill a niche so ... Sorry, you'll have to wait and see. We'll let you know when we've all recovered.
By the way if anyone came across this before it was finished you can blame my kitten. He jumped on my hand last night just as I was clicking on Save As Draft and I didn't realise that he had pushed the cursor to Publish Post until I opened the blog this morning.
Of Spring and Other Things.
As usual Spring is working its usual magic - make that pain. As anyone who knows me can tell you I suffer badly from hay fever. The trouble is it looks so lovely outside - and it's warm and sunny. Unfortunately about half an hour outside is as much as I can take. So the garden is suffering from the explosion of weed growth that always comes at this time of year while I race out pull, out the the most obvious offenders and race back in again.
Still at least I can look at my garden from inside the house - and it is really pretty. Rampaging nasturtiums everywhere, some glorious clusters of Dutch irises - a mix of white through soft mauves and blues to royal blue and purple, a bed of crimson and scarlet poppies and the first roses. One sad thing is the decline in bird numbers. Usually by now there are flocks of New Holland honeyeaters, singing honeyeaters and others sharing the space with the resident wattle birds but not this year. Our new back fence neighbours have stripped their yard of everything except one tree and while I know they had to take drastic action (the previous owners had let it become over-grown to the point of being impenetrable) it means the birds which have taken advantage of the food sources and nesting sites for years have nowhere to go and the bird bath which is usually in great demand is hardly used.
To more pleasant subjects and they are the ever increasing number of publications my fellow Clarionites are achieving. There are so many now that I can't list every one every time. How's that for a bunch of high achievers? As we discussed at the KSP Mini Con a couple of weeks ago Clarions can have unpredictable effects and some attendees, I'm told, never write again. Obviously not what's happening to this group. I've linked to all those of us who have blogs so please drop in on them sometimes and find out what they are doing.
Still at least I can look at my garden from inside the house - and it is really pretty. Rampaging nasturtiums everywhere, some glorious clusters of Dutch irises - a mix of white through soft mauves and blues to royal blue and purple, a bed of crimson and scarlet poppies and the first roses. One sad thing is the decline in bird numbers. Usually by now there are flocks of New Holland honeyeaters, singing honeyeaters and others sharing the space with the resident wattle birds but not this year. Our new back fence neighbours have stripped their yard of everything except one tree and while I know they had to take drastic action (the previous owners had let it become over-grown to the point of being impenetrable) it means the birds which have taken advantage of the food sources and nesting sites for years have nowhere to go and the bird bath which is usually in great demand is hardly used.
To more pleasant subjects and they are the ever increasing number of publications my fellow Clarionites are achieving. There are so many now that I can't list every one every time. How's that for a bunch of high achievers? As we discussed at the KSP Mini Con a couple of weeks ago Clarions can have unpredictable effects and some attendees, I'm told, never write again. Obviously not what's happening to this group. I've linked to all those of us who have blogs so please drop in on them sometimes and find out what they are doing.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Wastelands II, Age of Iron
From the organisers:
Wastelands II, Age of Iron is a two day convention focusing on the
futures of yesterday, and the glories of tomorrows that never were.
There will be two streams over two days, including workshops, panels,
and presentations. Discounts for people dressed in theme.
Wastelands is on the Saturday, October 18,
and Friday the 19th 2008 at the Good Earth Hotel in Perth, WA.
We need YOU to help us make this convention great! Here's the current programme:
http://cheshire.iinet.net.au/WL2/Wasteland2Prog.html
We want YOU to be on those panels! Do you see something you like?
Do you see something you feel confident you can speak on to a few close friends?
Do you see something you want to research and then discuss?
Please click on the links and let us know!
We're looking for people to talk on a wide range of topics.
If you have an idea you think would be of interest, please email Chesh on cheshirenoir at g mail dot com
If you want to help out, but don't know what you can do, then please email Calli on callisto at g mail dot com
Age of Iron is coming fast, and it's going to be great!
Wastelands II, Age of Iron is a two day convention focusing on the
futures of yesterday, and the glories of tomorrows that never were.
There will be two streams over two days, including workshops, panels,
and presentations. Discounts for people dressed in theme.
Wastelands is on the Saturday, October 18,
and Friday the 19th 2008 at the Good Earth Hotel in Perth, WA.
We need YOU to help us make this convention great! Here's the current programme:
http://cheshire.iinet.net.au/WL2/Wasteland2Prog.html
We want YOU to be on those panels! Do you see something you like?
Do you see something you feel confident you can speak on to a few close friends?
Do you see something you want to research and then discuss?
Please click on the links and let us know!
We're looking for people to talk on a wide range of topics.
If you have an idea you think would be of interest, please email Chesh on cheshirenoir at g mail dot com
If you want to help out, but don't know what you can do, then please email Calli on callisto at g mail dot com
Age of Iron is coming fast, and it's going to be great!
KSP Mini Con - final programme
The programme for the KSP Mini Con to be held this Sunday, September 21, at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre, 11 Old York Rd, Greenmount, has been released.
10.00 am Panel "How to Handle Rejections":
Adrian Bedford, Russell Farr, Simon Haynes and Bevan McGuiness
followed by
Readings from
Sonia Helbig and Helen Venn
11.00 am Panel "Clarions; gains and losses":
Lee Battersby, Lyn Battersby, Carol Ryles, Helen Venn and Jessica Vivien
followed by
Readings from
Jo Mills and Elaine Kemp
12.00 noon Panel "What's Hot and What's Not - trends in Speculative Fiction":
Elaine Kemp, Alisa Krasnostein, Ian Nichols and Grant Stone
followed by
Readings from
Juliet Marillier and Ian Nichols
1.00 pm Panel "Lies, Damned Lies and Research":
Dave Luckett, Hal Colebatch, Satima Flavell and Juliet Marillier
followed by
Readings from
Hal Colebatch and Dave Luckett
2.00 pm Panel "Hooks and Sinkers - writing a killer first line"
Adrian Bedford, Stephen Dedman, Russell Farr and Bevan McGuiness
followed by
Readings from
Adrian Bedford and Stephen Dedman
3.00 pm Panel "Steampunk"
Toby Coulstock; John Parker; Carol Ryles and Grant Stone
followed by
Readings from
Deb Ratcliffe and Carol Ryles
4.00 pm Panel "How to get out of the Slushpile":
Lyn Battersby, Janet Blagg, Stephen Dedman; Alisa Krasnostein; Tehani Wessely
followed by
Q&A and wind-up.
Gold coin entry, Hot dog and fruit lunch $5 with complimentary entry into
prize draw for book parcels with each lunch voucher. Tea and coffee will be available
all day for a silver coin donation per cup.
As well booksellers, Fantastic Planet, will be there along with local authors.
You don't want to miss this. See you there.
Gold coin entry, Hot dog and fruit lunch $5 with complimentary entry into
prize draw for book parcels with each lunch voucher. Tea and coffee will be available
all day for a silver coin donation per cup.
As well booksellers, Fantastic Planet, will be there along with local authors.
You don't want to miss this. See you there.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Finally a New Premier for Western Australia
So it's finally been announced. Heading a coalition consisting of the Liberals, Nationals and Independents is Liberal leader, Colin Barnett. Let us hope that he realises that a vote against Labor was certainly not a vote for the Liberal Party either. He's there by the grace of the Nationals and Independents, all of whom have apparently reserved the right to vote against issues they feel they or their party do not support.
We are in for interesting times, I suspect.
We are in for interesting times, I suspect.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
What an Amazing Series of Coincidences!
So Vladimir Putin was on hand when a tiger at a rare animal breeding centre "threatened" a group of television journalists. The reports say the animal escaped its harness, which implies a relatively safe tiger used to walking on a leash which also implies a fairly docile beast as tigers go. The valiant Vladimir stepped in and shot it with a tranquiliser gun he just happened to be carrying , because of course a high ranking member of the Russian government surrounded by a coterie of armed security and the centre's staff would absolutely need to have his own tranquiliser gun. And by sheer good fortune this all took place in front of a television camera crew so we can see just how heroic the man is.
Just as well it's not fiction because such a series of coincidences would mean no editor would publish it.
Just as well it's not fiction because such a series of coincidences would mean no editor would publish it.
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