I decided to spend a weekend somewhere besides hunched over my computer, trying to write something that would sell so I went to my first ever Con, Bubonicon, held here in Albuquerque. And here’s what I got to do there:
Yep, that’s right. I got to listen to George RR Martin read me a chapter of his upcoming Winds of War. George had some advice for those of us struggling to write the stories we really want to: “Sometimes your muses f*^% with you.” Good to know.
Besides George, Bubonicon offered lots of other great writers giving out advice. The best was another of my favorites, Daniel Abraham (who also is half of the writing combo of James S.A. Corey).
His series, which began with Leviathan Wakes, is being made into a TV show (I read his fantasy series The Dagger and The Coin, which is awesome) and that was what most of the questions centered around. He said something that is a great reminder of what a crap shoot writing can be. He told the audience “This is random. All of this is random chance. I know lots of great writers who work hard and don’t have that success. It’s just random.”
It’s hard to keep plugging along some days. Other times it’s hard not to. Maybe that’s the meaning of being a writer.
I love that comment – “it’s all random.” So true!
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Looks like you did get some inspitration. I didn’t hear about Bubonicon until I moved away from New Mexico I guess because I never followed SciFi. WOul dhave been fun to check it out.
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Sounds like a terrific con! Good to know the really successful ones–have no “never fail” answers! “Random” indeed.
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I’ve told myself I was going for a couple of years but never made it. It was fun and I got to hear some interesting authors I didn’t know and a couple I really enjoy.
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