The Temp, The Actress and The Writer

Steampunk Tuesday - Interview With Professor Elemental

2012-02-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

One of the sincere pleasures I had last year was attending the first ever Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition. At that wonderful event, I met many fabulous people. But the highlight of the weekend had to be meeting Professor Elemental and seeing him perform. Here we are photographed together with my fellow author J.M. Frey.

For those of you unaware of the most talented Professor Elemental, here's a brief bio:

"Professor Elemental is a steampunk mad professor. His hobbies include adventure, invention, and a good cuppa. Aside from a few of his experiments (best left unmentioned), the Professor first got himself noticed with the track Cup of Brown Joy. The video has notched up over a million views on YouTube.

He takes to the stage and engages the audience at any kind of show – from festivals to fetish nights – and he also loves to work with people on special, bespoke events such as weddings. He's happy to host cabaret or perform solo. Recent events have included The Bizarre Ball, Secret Garden Festival, and the Steampunk World’s Fair."

I am most thrilled to announce to you all that the good Professor agreed to be interviewed by yours truly, and the following is the result. Enjoy!

Professor, you are a true renaissance man. Not only a skilled performer and musician, but also an adventurer, scientist, and boiled dead leaves enthusiast. Where on earth did you acquire so many skills, and why do you think you are so talented?

I think it’s something in the water. Namely a cocktail of mind altering drugs that my father used to sprinkle randomly into our daily cordial. He delighted in seeing which of us might become geniuses or go quite quite mad. So far as I know, I’m the only one who escaped madness- I am not sure about my brothers and sisters, or indeed if I didn’t imagine having them in the first place. I have a photographic memory, but it is a shaky, amateur photography at best.

What made you think, “Hip Hop, well now wouldn’t that be just delightful?”?

It was the only choice available to me. I love hip hop, more than almost anything, it feeds my every waking moment. Plus, it involved a great deal of words and talking and I’m a great fan of both.

What are your musical influences?

Hrmm, Bonzo dog doo dah band, Dizraeli and the small gods, Isaac Hayes, Walter Snicket and the army of broken toys, Tom Caruana, Jon Clark and every single piece of rap music that came out in the 90s.

How do you see your music evolving in the years to come?

I am pushing in some very strange and beautiful directions over the next couple of years- collaborations and solo shows, shows in strange fictional places and songs about things that no one has ever done songs about before.

What is your favourite part about performing?

Peoples. I love meeting people afterwards and having a party with whoever has been watching. That has always been my favourite bit- I’ve never been very good at doing and show and leaving straight afterwards.

I also enjoy being able to ask a crowd to do my bidding- it is amazing what people will do if you ask politely.

Any excellent stories from your tours you’d like to share (oh do say yes!)?

There’s many that I really can’t share as this might be read by children or the infirm. Well, in the last 6 months, I have been upstaged by America’s best gorilla, spanked heartily at a fetish night and ridden a bicycle powered roundabout through San Francisco- my aim is for something unique to happen at every show, and my record is pretty good thus far.

The worst show for me was still the ‘Shoreham by sea food festival’ a few years back however, where I played for free to three old ladies in the rain. (One of whom stopped me mid-verse and asked me to turn up the beats as the vocals were annoying her.)

What part of the world have you enjoyed exploring (either fictional or real or both) the most, and what part would you like to still visit?

I am aiming to do a tour of purely fictional venues before the end of 2012. I have popped into a Conan the barbarian comic (Dark horse comics, issue 12) and am appearing in a few role playing games which is a nice start. I’d like to work my way up to a live concert at the town hall in Oz or at the Queen of hearts royal garden party- but it’s still a way off…

Photo courtesy Lex Machina

You are now being honoured with a comic book about you, could you tell us a little bit how this came to be and what it will be about? Were you concerned they’d get anything wrong about you? What did they get oh so right?

Well, when your face is as handsome as mine, it is of course very difficult to capture it accurately. Even looking directly at it can make one go blind, so all of the artists had to wear special protective goggles when they were sketching me.

To be honest, they have done a fantastic job overall- the adventures are accurate and exciting. And so many secrets are revealed: just what did happen on that arctic expedition, how did I meet Geoffrey and why on earth do I have so many giant robot bees around the house.

Now that you are being immortalised in ink, are there any other goals out there for you, Professor?

YES. We are filming a TV pilot later this year- a sort of cross between Sherlock Holmes, Flight of the Concords and some other things that I don’t really have a frame of reference for. It will be amazing.

Plus there is plenty of new music on the way; you can find it all at www.professorelemental.com

What’s your favourite animal hybrid?

Oh the badgermingo definitely. Lovely plumage and can wrestle a dog to the death.

What is your favourite Steampunk accessory?

My goggles, they allow me to see backwards and also the colour of peoples souls, which can be a great party trick.

And there you go! Thanks so much for joining us!

Thanks so much for having me. Battenburg?

Video for "Cup of Brown Joy" :

And then . . . it was February.

2012-02-06T16:20:00.002-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while. Those of you familiar with my blog may note that this happens on occasion with me, these sudden vanishing acts. You might also likely recall upon my return I tend to post my excuses. So that's what I'm doing right now.

First, I started a very cool and interesting new Temp job with Engineers Without Borders. As such, I spent a full week in Ottawa at their annual general conference. This made it tough to post, but it inspired much fodder for posting anon (it was a truly inspirational week). Then when I returned I thought I might start posting again, but . . .

I got my edits for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY. Both from my editor and copy editor. So that then occupied my time a fair bit.

Now the edits are in, I've got a bit of time, and I promise to post more frequently. At least for the near future.

My plan is to start up fresh with a new Steampunk Tuesday tomorrow.

So until then . . .

Enjoy the latest HUNGER GAMES trailer. I know I did:

A Few Of My Favourite (Genre) Things of 2011

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

As some of you might know, I also contribute to a geektastic website called HardcoreNerdity.com (HcN). Recently I wrote a post of my favourite genre things from 2011, and I thought, hey, why not share it with my blog readers too! And that's what I'm doing. Just FYI, the stuff I talk about in this post has nothing to do with books and writing, it's rather the thoughts of my alter ego as film reviewer and general pop culture consumer :) .

Enjoy!

(the links in the post lead either to film reviews of said movies, most of them by yours truly, or to my Manly Monday column where I spend time admiring the most delightful qualities of certain male actors in genre films - in case you feel like clicking through :) Also, minor spoilers ahead. )

So the year has come to a close, and as usual it was filled with . . . my opinions. What better way, then, to wrap up 2011 than by having me share my favourite genre things from the year. Why did I choose the things I did? Because I felt like it.

Favourite Genre Movies:

The Muppets – arguably my favourite movie of the year. It was laugh out loud funny, the songs for the most part were sincerely catchy, and the pathos hit me right in the emotions, you know? Sure there’s some nostalgia here, and likely some bias – am a fan of both Kermit and Jason Segel – but it also meant that this could have turned out to be one of the most disappointing movies of the year for me. In the end, it not only met my expectations it exceeded them. Most importantly Segel kept true to the essence of what makes The Muppets so special: heart. And I think I needed to see a movie about people/frogs/bears/pigs/ etc being nice to each other this year. A little dose of dreams coming true never goes amiss either. Also, I give brownie points to any film that makes jokes I haven’t heard before. And has an 80s Robot.

XMen: First Class – the movie no one wanted aside from the major studios is up there with my favourite films of the year. Sure there are some frustrating sexist tropes (why oh why must all the female characters at some point be half naked?) but the 60s setting and the two leads, James MacAvoy and Michael Fassbender, combined with some truly creative storytelling and action sequences (hello, best change of perspective ever at the beginning there) elevated the film and brought back our excitement about this franchise. Then word of a Wolverine sequel brought us back down to earth.

Thor – poorly advertised it is a miracle this film did as well as it did. First of all Thor? Not exactly the most popular or empathetic of superhero characters. Second of all, man did those trailers make the movie look cheesy and everything Kat Dennings said, dumb. But the movie itself is awash in charm, from Chris Hemsworth’s amazing ability to make us like the cheeky fellow at the beginning, and believe his not really well written reformation at the end, to Tom Hiddleston’s surprisingly moving performance as a lunatic god, to Kat Dennings not actually being dumb at all but a perfectly timed comedienne, to Kenneth Branagh not afraid to give us pomp and circumstance, this movie really was fun. Sure the storyline on Earth was slight and the emotional resolution seemed to come far too easily and quickly, but did you see Hemsworth without his shirt on? Also: “I need a horse!”

Super 8 – this movie, like all movies this summer, had some serious flaws, but what holds it up above the other movies are the kids. While the monster might have disappointed some, I think the kids and their home made zombie film more than make up for it. Besides, the point of the movie wasn’t the monster, it was how a boy was affected by the death of his mother and how he comes to terms with letting go. Great performances all round from the kids, especially Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning. And some great action sequences too. In a summer where planets are being blown up and world wars were waged, nothing came close to being as terrifyingly terrifying as that train crash. Also that single shot following the kids as they run through the neighbourhood while the army’s equipment goes haywire? Awesome.

Honourable mention goes to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hugo and Mission Impossible IV. I enjoyed them, a lot, and I’m not really sure why they aren’t quite up there on the favs list, all I know is they weren’t the first films I thought of when I started making that list and I gotta trust my gut instinct.

Biggest Surprise Movie of the Year:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It wasn’t a work of art. But I actually had good time watching it (even more impressive considering how I absolutely loathed the second film). Even surprising-er? That the 3D actually worked and added to the fun-ness.

Favourite Newcomers (male):

Michael Fassbender – okay, come on, it’s so been this guy’s year. He’s been in every film and I think only Ryan Gosling beats him out as far as visibility goes. And why not, he’s sexy, he’s talented, and he makes amazing choices. He’s one of the reasons XMEN: FIRST CLASS is as good as it is.

Tom Hiddleston – fans of HcN won’t be surprised by this choice, I’ve developed a wee bit of a fan-girl crush on this lad. But for good reason, his performance as Loki totally blew me away. He really didn’t need to make the character as three dimensional as he did, but we as an audience were grateful. Further, we were also grateful that he didn’t go too artsy fartsy and still had fun just being bad. I am most excited to see him be badder still in THE AVENGERS, which I think will elevate his popularity even more so. On a personal note, the fact that he will be playing Hal (one of my favourite Shakespearean characters aside from maybe his nemesis, Hotspur) in a televised version of the two Henry IVs – well just makes me love him all the more.

Favourite Newcomers (female):

Jessica Chastain- the TREE OF LIFE star made some extremely wise choices this year, starring in one of the more artsy and odd films of the year (guys, there were dinosaurs . . .DINOSAURS), one of the most acclaimed yet unheard of films of the year, TAKE SHELTER, and one of the more popular films based on a massively successful bestseller films of the year, THE HELP. Not only did these films get her seen by everyone, it showed her incredible range. And of course how gorgeous she is.

Elle Fanning – stole every scene she was in in SUPER 8, and though she’d been on the scene a while, she’s suddenly making a splash this year. Plus SUPER 8 was the genre world’s introduction to her, so that works for this list in particular. What makes it all even better is that we’ve seen her older sister not fall prey to the evils of Hollywood and continue to work and make interesting films as she grows up. This bodes well for the talented younger sister. Please, Elle, please, don’t rebel.

I need to mention Elizabeth Olson also, simply because she’s been EVERYWHERE this year and I like to jump on bandwagons and make sure everywhere includes HcN.

Favourite ONCE UPON A TIME (yeah, it’s got me hooked) moment:
When Rumplestiltskin blew up Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother? That was awesome.

Yeah.

Like that.

Favourite GOOD WIFE (yeah, I know it’s not genre, I don’t care) moment:
That part of the show when it starts and then keeps going until the end.

Funniest Line in a Superhero movie:
From THOR: “Good.”

Funniest moment that doubles as “omg omg omg is he going to do it omg omg omg” moment:
Jeremy Renner (swoon) getting ready to jump down that computer shaft thing with a gigantic fan at the bottom with razor sharp blades and a pointy thing at the top to be impaled on in Mission Impossible The Fourth.

Thing I don’t have that I wish I did:
A computer shaft thing with a gigantic fan at the bottom with razor sharp blades and a pointy thing at the top to be impaled on.

Person I don’t have that I wish I did:
Jeremy Renner.

Best Fake Action Sequence:
The motorcycle chase in TINTIN.

Best Real Action Sequence:
The briefcase on the constantly moving up and down garage thing with the cars in Mission Impossible The Fourth.

Best Stunt:
A tie between Mission Impossible’s Dubai tallest tower skyscraper walk, and Transformer’s base jump off of a skyscraper. Whichever, they both work because of skyscrapers.

Performance that elevated an entire movie:
This is a tricky one because I feel most performances this year were what elevated otherwise okay films into the great category, but this one’s got to go to Andy Serkis in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Without his Caesar there wouldn’t have been a movie. Okay granted, yes, the movie is about Caesar so that’s kind of obvious, what I mean is, without an empathetic Caesar, a creature we cared about, worried about, sided with, this movie would have been pretty pointless.

Favourite Saddest Moment:
The end of a beloved series. I must admit that unlike many Harry Potterphiles, part deux this year did not impress me the way it did others. I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t adore it, not like I did Part Un in 2010. Still, I’ve been with this series a long time. First with the books, then with the movies. It’s been a decade. An incredible feat. 8 movies. No re-casting (aside from one actor who died). They stayed very true to the source material. Had some really genuinely funny, touching, impressive moments. And while the last movie wasn’t my favourite, it still was quite well done. Bravo, Harry Potter – and thank you again J.K.

Favourite Trailer that not only totally misrepresented the movie it was promoting, but managed to actually be the total opposite of said movie:
SUCKER PUNCH – okay, so technically this trailer is from 2010, but we didn’t know the truth until 2011.
Trailer: Empowered women kicking butt with awesome action and a sense of humour.
Movie: Dull, cliché ridden, derivative and if it had made any lasting impression whatsoever would have set back the women’s movement decades.

Favourite Tweet:
Seth Macfarlane: “Unfortunately at no point during my workday does anyone ever have cause to shout my name and then toss me a sword.”

Favourite Moment for Adrienne with HcN:
Being complimented on my shirt by Kermit the Frog.

Favourite Moment for Adrienne in General:
That I continued to be totally fabulous for another year.

In Which I Express My Love For Book Covers

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

I have a thing for covers.

I think most people who love books do.

Yes we also know not to judge books by them.

But we also do.

I love covers. I go into bookstores not to check out what the latest releases are about, but what they look like. I go through the stacks not to discover some gem of a book that didn’t make it to table placement, but to discover some gem of a book cover.

And it’s not just the cover. Oh no.

It’s the packaging of the book itself. What is the cover made of, are the words embossed, is there foil? The way the back cover relates to the front, a gorgeous spine. How does each chapter start – is there a swoosh, an ink blot, a geometric pattern? Are there end plates? How are the “parts” divided?

(This may be why I worry about ebooks taking over the world, I love books as art in and of themselves.)

I always check out an author’s new cover when she makes the announcement on her Twitter/Writing Forum/Blog. I frequent websites that analyse covers. I frequent designers’ websites.

This is currently my favourite blog about covers (of the YA variety).

I even designed the cover for a friend.

I love covers.

And I’m trying to figure out why.

A few weeks ago for no particular reason I shared some of my favourite works of art. I revealed I’d studied a fair bit of art history in University, and had a general passion for the subject. So clearly I love visual art. And covers are visual art.

But it’s not just that.

I think why I love covers best is that a cover artist/designer has to be creative but within a strict set of guidelines.

First of all the cover has to be a specific size.

Then a cover has to get across a wealth of information in a very limited space:

- Title
- Author
- Genre
- Tone
- And a little thing called Story

And sometimes a blurb has to find its way on there too.

I love that. I love that within a set of seeming rigid parameters so much originality can result. It’s the same way I feel about movies. Some of the best films happen through problem solving. The shark doesn’t work . . . I guess we’re not showing it then. We have a small budget for a short film about aliens in South Africa? We’ll do it documentary style. That kind of thing.

I’ve always believed that the greatest innovations come out of problem solving. Being given free reign with a bottomless budget gives you The Phantom Menace.

Limitations make you think outside the box. Structure can make the imagination flourish. I have recently become quite interested in writing Shakespearean sonnets because of their rigid form. There is also something so satisfying about managing to surprise within the framework of something expected.

So too is it truly exciting to see a cover that seems wholly new and original but still does exactly what it is supposed to. And it is also wonderful to see covers that pay homage to an old standard.

I also love this box of 100 classic Penguin book cover postcards I got from my publisher as a Christmas present:

I love the evolution of covers, what was popular in one decade and how that changes to the next, especially evident in reissued books.

And I wonder where covers will go now with the need to create covers that are easily identifiable as thumbnails.

It’s all so . . .cool.

Man.

I love covers.

Here are a couple recent YA covers that really struck me. But of course, seeing as I love covers, there are many many more that I adore. This is just a teeny tiny sample:

This book isn't out yet, the cover is courtesy of ThatCoverGirl's website. Love!

Looking forward . . .

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, like many, I took the holidays off from blogging. And then I got some temp work that made it very difficult to blog as well.

And really I can’t guarantee I’ll be back with any regularity for a while. I apologise for that. As someone who likes a good old fashioned schedule, well, I annoy myself with this announcement. Nonetheless I was able to compose three blog posts whilst manning phones at my temp job (I should add that everyone in the office was fully aware of what I was up to and probably quite happy that I was keeping busy as they all seemed guilty I didn’t have much to do). So we at least get blog updates for the rest of the week.

Thus . . .

In the past at this time of year I have been inclined to discuss resolutions etc. I realise this is a
staggeringly original idea of mine to do, and it would be absurd from me to divert from such an unusual and delightful path. But I’ve said a fair bit on the subject and I get bored easily . . . and I don’t wanna talk about that stuff right now.

I want to, instead, examine the year ahead. At least, what I know of it so far, on this the fourth day of the year 2012.

It’s a strange year that unfolds before me, and, I’ll be honest, it freaks me out a bit.

I have a novel coming out in the fall. This is kind of a huge deal for me as I haven’t had a novel out since 2009, and I’m new to YA. It’s a totally different world from MG, with different expectations (not better or worse, just different) and a different support system – the blogosphere is kind of insane when it comes to blogging about YA (insane in a good way, like “wicked” used to be when I was cool and stuff . . . wait, I was cool? That can’t be right . . .). I just don’t know what to expect when THE FRIDAY SOCIETY comes out. Sure I’ve had books released before, sure I know the basics, but there is so much unknown around it too.

And the weirdest bit? That’s not happening till the END OF THE YEAR. Like, think about it. Dude, we’ve just STARTED the year now. Months and months are ahead of me, and honestly, my life isn’t really all that planned out. This time last year I was in a show and knew I would also be starring in another one come summer. I had a book to finish writing, a couple anthologies to promote.

But this year . . . it’s this weird blank canvas kind of thing.

And it freaks. Me. Out.

In a good way :) .

See I kind of think it's neat that I don't know what's going to happen. I'm kind of excited to see what will be, and it will be interesting re-reading this post a year from now thinking, "Oh Adrienne from the past, have I got stories for you . . ."

Now of course it’s not like I don’t have some plans. Obviously I'll be starting to promote TFS before its launch. In fact the gears are already turning. I’ve been working on the book trailer since October. By which I mean my director and DoP have been working on post-production since we wrapped in October and I’ve been offering my oh so "helpful" advice every so often.

I imagine there might be some contests and giveaways too.

Of course there will be edits. More just general kind of edits, but then copy edits, and galley edits, and a strong desire to throw up having read the book maybe one too many times.

There will be a cover reveal! And maybe just maybe a delightful story behind how it came to be (I’ve seen a sketch of it btw . . . just so you know).

There is con season which feels like it just wrapped but will be beginning in no short order, especially exciting as this year my good friend Lesley Livingston is one of the guests of honour at Ad Astra this year.

There is writing to do, settling on that next project.

There will be auditions, and hopefully acting work.

There will be temping.

My cat will be adorable and a pest.

But still.

Right now.

Looking forward. . .

It’s like looking at a city far away and knowing that eventually I’ll get there but not yet. I can see the publication date of TFS loom so clearly. I’m hoping that some trees and maybe some nice little towns will suddenly materialise blocking the view to distract me from that goal as I walk along the path towards it. I’d like that because that’s when suddenly you discover you’ve arrived at your destination without realising it.

And whatever pops up, you can be assured, dear blog readers, that I shall share tales of my adventures as we go along.
So yeah.

Freaking.

But it’s kind of fun.

So now, it's your turn! What does the year ahead look like to you right now? What are you hoping for? Etc. Etc. And so forth.

The Most Interesting Nerd In The World

2011-12-15T12:11:00.000-05:00


L to R: Lesley Livingston, Joanna Blackman, Jonathan Llyr, Meghan Campbell, Adrienne Kress

"He can speak Elvish, in Klingon . . ."

So keeping on the video kick . . .

I'm a founding member of a geek website called HardcoreNerdity.com (as is Ms. Lesley Livingston from yesterday's post - I told you, we do everything together it would seem). I'm the film reviewer, I also post news articles, I even have a weekly column called "Manly Monday". It's good times, my friends, good times.

A couple years ago, we decided to make a video advertising the site for an awards show that our fearless leader, Mr. Jonathan Llyr, was presenting at. It's based on those awesome The Most Interesting Man In The World ads, and I think it is truly hilarious. Once more you'll catch a glimpse of me here and there in the background, but it is mostly focused on Jon himself (a former host on the Space network here in Canada), who is, I can assure you, definitely The Most Interesting Nerd In The World (btw, all the photographs of Jon used in this video are real, not photoshopped, he really has met all those people and been on those sets):

Once Every Never - Lesley Livingston

2011-12-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

So regulars to my blog will have read about my friendship with fellow author and actress Lesley Livingston. She is the author of the award winning faerie series, Wondrous Strange, and also the author of the award winning YA time travel book Once Every Never (which is the first in its own series as well).

Needless to say, I rather adore this lady. We have made many a trip to New York together, acted in several shows together. We have been reviewed together. We have been at conventions on panels together. We have even been in books together (Corsets & Clockwork - Steampunk YA anthology). And if I don't see her once a week at least, it feels like we haven't seen each other in years (take the last several weeks, where our lives were such that I think 3 weeks passed - until we finally got to go for lunch yesterday).

Another thing we do together is book trailers, and I happen to be in many of hers. 'Cause you know, I also have helped in the past produce them and they are rather fun to be a part of.

So here we go again, this time it's not quite a book trailer as more like an author interview with Lesley talking about Once Every Never, with shots intercut that represent scenes from the book. In all, I think it looks pretty darn sweet. If I do say so myself. Which I do. Also in the scenes from the book with me are the fantastic Casey Hudecki, Patrick Whalen and Mike Dufays.

But first, a little bit about Once Every Never:

Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker … but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time— literally—maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every … never.

And now, the video!

Steampunk Tuesday - a response to Gawker's post about Bieber's Steampunk music video

2011-12-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

This is a response to Gawker, yes, but also a response to a general sentiment expressed on Twitter etc.

Ehem.

First, this is what Gawker said, when posting Justin Bieber's latest Christmas music video - a Steampunk version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town":

"Musical haircut Justin Bieber has a new Christmas song, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and the video is inexplicably steampunk-themed. Sorry, steampunks: time to get a new quirky aesthetic pastime before it blows up among 14-year-old Beliebers."

There are many things that frustrate me about this statement. So I think I'll share what they are.

First of all there's the "inexplicably" part of the post. And many over the internets have been saying Bieber is just jumping on board the up and coming trend (it's still not there yet, I still have to explain to most people what Steampunk is, I'll let you know when the balance shifts). Maybe he is. He's a very savvy guy. But I don't think the video inexplicably uses Steampunk. Whether or not you like Bieber or his using Steampunk, the fact is, I think the video makes a lot of sense.

What I see in this video is Santa's workshop steampunked out in preparation for Santa coming to town. We tend to think of Santa's workshop as having an oldy-timey feel to it anyway, so why wouldn't it have some amazing magical steampunk fabulousness to make it work?

One could say that they could have been slightly more inventive with the props and set, and that it isn't exactly the most original looking version of Steampunk we've seen. But I think the context of the video works.

Next. "Sorry, steampunks: time to get a new quirky aesthetic pastime before it blows up among 14-year-old Beliebers."

This I find truly condescending, the notion that people who like Steampunk are only doing it to be different, not because they are actually passionate about it. That what's more important to people who like Steampunk is that they are quirky and different, not the Steampunk itself.

From my experience with fellow Steampunkers, it seems to me most of us came to it because there was something special about it that struck a chord with us. In the future I plan on blogging about what that something was for me. But I choose Steampunk for a specific reason, just as I don't choose to be a skater (and why skaters choose to be such and not goths, and why goths choose to be goths etc etc). This means that when something becomes popular I don't suddenly decide I don't like it. I like something because I like it. Not because other people like it.

It's kind of like the whole Harry Potter mass obsession thing. I knew so many people who refused to even read one of the books because they hated anything that was so popular like that. I would always say, "Look, you are free to like and dislike whatever you want. But not liking something because everyone else likes it, is just the same as liking something because everyone else does. You aren't making up your own mind on the subject. You're letting the mob dictate your response."

So I'm the kind of person who loves Harry Potter, but maybe not certain other popular books. I adore the Lord of the Rings movies, but maybe not AVATAR. I like what I like, regardless of what other people think.

So yeah, Justin Bieber made a Steampunk music video, thus making the genre explode for 14 yearolds etc, well, what do I care? I didn't like Steampunk because no one else did. I like Steampunk because I like Steampunk.

Lastly, I take this post to be hinting at the fact that Gawker isn't a fan of the Biebs (if someone that Gawker thought was cool was doing it, I doubt it would have had the headline of Justin Bieber Ruins Entire Nerd Subculture). Personally I don't see what's wrong with Bieber. Sure his music isn't my kind of thing, but it's hardly aimed at someone like me. He seems nice enough and talented enough. I dunno. But let's run with the notion that you, Gawker, don't like Bieber. Well why on earth would you then give him the power to ruin something that gives people so much pleasure? Why make him meaningful to you? On the one hand, you're attempting to diss him by saying when he makes a video he ruins something special, but on the other hand you're uplifting him and giving him the power to destroy. Make him meaningless, that's how you deal with things you don't like.

There's a bigger message though, behind all this. Something I touched upon a few Tuesdays ago where I talked about "The Next Big Thing?". I made a plea to Steampunkers to please not do that snobbish exclusionary thing where the second something gets popular those who were there from the beginning turn their noses up at those just getting involved with Steampunk because it's cool. This is what I said:

But until we do, and if/when we do, I ask all Steampunkers the following favour: let's not judge. Let's not be like the hipsters who pride themselves in getting there first with, you know, everything. Where something becomes uncool the second the layman knows about it. That's not what Steampunk is about. Steampunk is about Steampunk, not about an image. It is the ultimate Rorschach test and can be interpreted to be whatever the individual wants it to be.

So let's not judge, but be welcoming and open. And let's not judge if Steampunk becomes a trend: "Oh that person is only dressing like that because they bought that skirt at Top Shop." Let's be happy to see others having fun with Steampunk, even if for them it is a fleeting thing. Steampunk, ultimately, is about having fun. Playing. Let's not lose sight of that.

And I stand by this sentiment. It clearly is going to become more important in 2012 as Steampunk really makes its way into popular culture. But I stand by this sentiment in general as well, with everything in life: Pursue your dreams because they are your dreams, not someone else's imposed on you. Love things/people you love because you do, not because someone else loved them first (or even more tricky, not because others have told you NOT to).

Be true to yourself.

Because trends come and go, but passion is forever.

Temping Poetry

2011-12-09T17:14:00.001-05:00

Not to be confused with tempting poetry.

So today I had another temp job. This one was in an office tower where my job was to man the phones while everyone else in the office was out of town. I spent the day completely alone, but there was a computer. So I got quite a bit of writing done, and read a little too.

I also wrote some poetry. Now usually my poetry is of the rhyming variety but for some reason today I was inspired to be a little different than usual. There was something so very peculiar being all alone in such a big space with nothing to do . . . and being paid to be there.

So for your reading pleasure. Some Temp Poetry (if anyone can think of any titles, I welcome your input!).

Today I was paid to sit by the phones in an emptyoffice.

Just in case.

There was one call.

I forwarded the message on.

With gratitude: I’ll get back to them on Monday.

The light in here reflects not the time of day

Nor the season.

Only myself in the dark tinted windows.

I never know the truth:

At 11am, it snowed.

Some find their voice on silent mountain tops,

Or hidden in the chaos of a language they don't understand.

They see it in the beauty of a temple,

Or in the aftermath of tragic events.

I find it sitting in a chair,

In an empty office,

Listening to the white noise of a fan.

Once again inspiration found by a stranger in a strangeland.

I tend to write poetry that rhymes.

Today not so much.

The absurdity of my situation puts me in a high school frameof mind.

Rhymes are for babies, and I’m deep when I

Fragment my

Sentences.

Some Painters from the Past

2011-12-08T15:45:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I almost doubled majored in Art History in University. I actually was taking courses to achieve that end, but the schedule in doing a drama degree became overwhelming and I had to give up on the double major dream. This meant I graduated with far more credits than I needed, and that I still have this insane love of visual art and architecture.

I think this for two reasons:

1. While I can sketch and draw okay (I did study it when I was a kid going to art schools), it was never something I was particularly brilliant at and I am aware just how difficult it is to do, and I thoroughly admire people who ARE good at it.

2. There is a tangible quality to Art History as opposed to Theatre History. With the history of theatre you can only read about what happened once, you can't see the plays as they were put on. You can read them, you can see pictures of them, even filmed versions of them. But you don't get to experience them the way audiences at the time got to. It's what makes theatre so unique, it's here and then gone. It's a moment in time. With Art History you get to experience the work as it was experienced by people of the period it was made in. Certainly with architecture it will have degraded over time, ditto I guess paintings and sculpture, but still, you get to see history right in front of you. Understand a culture instantly. With architecture, walk through the same halls as some of your heroes. It's . . . crazy man.

Also some of it is just plain gorgeous.

Anyway today I just thought I'd share three artists I really like. Why? Because I feel like it. Maybe I'll share three more in the future. Why? Because I'll feel like it then too.

So . . .

I'm a huge fan of Toulouse-Lautrec, especially his poster art:

"The Englishman at the Moulin Rouge"

I think we all go through an existential absurdist phase at some point in our lives, but I was always more a Magritte fan than a Dali fan - I find his work odder because that which is represented seems at first less odd. It's the stuff of dreams. And nightmares.


"Not to be Reproduced"


"The Lovers"

"The Dominion of Light"

And finally (for today) like many people, I enjoy me a good Da Vinci. Here are two of my favourites:

cartoon of The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist

"The Virgin of the Rocks" (the one in the National Gallery in London, UK)

Steampunk Tuesday - Cool Steampunk Lego Creations!

2011-12-06T14:45:00.001-05:00

Just a quick one for today, as it's been a rather full one and right now I feel like anything I want to say about Steampunk will require a fair bit of time to write. Yup, I gots some deep stuff to say. Or at least, you know, longwinded stuff.

I saw this post at Flavorwire and thought, well golly, ain't that neat.

Also I thought . . . "You can do that??"

Which tends to be my most common response to Steampunk anythings and also tends to be why I adore it so much. Every time you think you've seen it all . . .

"You can do that???"

Check out Matt Armstrong's ridonkulous Lego Steampunk inventions, they are just fantastic (okay, so the dude does crazy non-Steampunk Lego stuff too . . . this is a man with serious talent my friends)! (view more here):

From the Archives - THE NEW YA

2011-12-05T11:33:00.001-05:00

Over the last week I've been involved in many discussions online about what can and can't be in YA, what the expected next trend is going to be etc etc. And the question always comes about, when did YA first come to be - and how it's actually a very young genre (young as in hasn't been around long, not young as in who it's aimed for). So invariably I wind up linking people to this blog post I wrote in 2009 on the subject of what I called "The New YA".

I then thought, "Hmm . . . maybe it's time to just re-post this blog entry for those not interested in going through the archives."

And . . . here it is:

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

The New YA

YA stands for Young Adult. It is a literary category. It is tricky to quantify, it encompasses many different genres from fantasy to gritty reality. It encompasses many ages.

YA is not MG.

This is the most important thing that people need to realise when buying books for kids/teenagers.

YA is not MG.

MG is middle grade. Middle Grade is typically 8 -12. My books are Middle Grade. The first three Harry Potters are MG. Again, it encompasses many different genres, and while the age range is more specific, there are divisions within it as well. Within Middle Grade you can also have Upper Middle Grade which can be read too by 13 and 14 year olds (that awkward tween stage of literature).

So what is YA then? YA I suppose is anything above that in theory. And yet a YA will rarely have a protagonist younger than 14. Kids like to read up you see.

So what is YA then?

YA is a very new genre. People might argue that, they point to fiction for kids that has been around for forever. They point even to Judy Blume, who remains quite popular. But the new YA isn't that. I'd argue that these days those books you think of when you think of your childhood as being YA are actually Middle Grade. Even if they involved teenagers, these books were primarily read by kids in the tween age range. Once a kid got to high school, if they indeed even kept up with reading, they moved on to adult books. Teenagers don't much want to feel like kids.

I know. I remember that feeling.

I'd argue that the new YA, the YA of the last decade, is the first time YA is being written for YAs.

So what is YA then?

If we suppose that in the past teenagers moved on from what was at the time considered YA to adult books, and that now teenagers are reading actual YA books as actual teenagers, then how can we assume YA ought to remain in some category belonging primarily to middle grade fiction? If they can handle the adult stuff, why then can't YA have adult themes?

The question is asked all the time, "What is acceptable for YA?", "Am I allowed to do this in YA?"

The answer is very straightforward. Anything. Yes.

But remember these two important details. Your main character has to be a teenager. And the plot must have something to do with coming of age.

I'll also add that a faster pace than some adult literature is quite desirable. But then again in adult literature, there are times, dude, when it could also be quite desirable.

Other than that: Anything. Yes.

The new YA respects that teenagers get that the world isn't perfect. That there is sex, drugs, violence and bad language. That bad things happen. But the new YA still for the most part remains a genre of hope. It is rare you will find a YA book ending on a desperate note.

Granted I think this might frighten some adults/parents. Because we look back to our YA reading experiences, back when YA wasn't really YA but MG. We forget the texts we studied in highschool, the adult books we had to analyse, the adult content we were faced with. In our minds, YA still is innocent, because our YA was much more innocent.

There were authors pushing the boundaries, Ms. Blume of course, and the odd YA actually meant for YAs, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (you could consider both of them the inspiration and forebears of the new YA), but for the most part the books were much safer than they are now. However. They also weren't truly meant for teenagers. Because teenagers, again may I repeat, were reading adult books.

Because YA is also a very new genre we have to understand that books that in the past were categorised as adult, could quite conceivably have been categorised as YA had the genre existed at the time.

All very complicated, I know.

Why am I saying all this? I guess because I see articles like these and I just shake my head. The article is about a "children's book" called Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan, and asks whether publishers should not take more responsibility for content. Aside from the absurd notion that it is up to publishers to censor what comes out onto the market to preserve one group's idea of morality, what the author of this article neglects to mention is that the book is not MG, is not a "children's book", but is YA. And the author of this article clearly has no concept as to what YA is. Nor do many of those interviewed. This false premise alone is the greatest frustration I have with this article. It means every argument postulated for or against, is discussing the wrong subject. It's like saying, "I read this slice of life book and was shocked to find dragons in it!" when the book you are talking about is clearly a fantasy.

Look, I write MG, I understand that there are certain topics I can't write about, or at least must handle very delicately. This is simply not the same with YA.

I will not pretend that YA with very mature themes are not a harder sell, and much harder for a publisher to market. I also will not pretend that even adult works dealing with certain themes do not get the public's ire raised as well. It is much easier to sell a work about chaste vampires, than one that deals in gritty real world issues. It is naive to say what I have said: Anything. Yes. I really should have added, "But you'd better do it darn well."

But we also have to stop pretending that the literary market is anything like it was when we were kids (and I wasn't a kid that long ago compared to some, and even since then, it has changed considerably).

JK Rowling made kids' books profitable. The MG market exploded with the advent of Harry Potter. She actually changed the face of publishing. This seeped into the YA market, which was already experimenting, and now with Twilight, it is not just a force to be reckoned with, but one of the few genres where sales have gone up in this economic climate.

Go into a bookstore and look at the YA section. It is an incredible thing. So many different styles and genres all shelved side by side. The opportunity to try new things is right there at your fingertips, not isolated from each other like over in the adult section. There is lovely PG rated work to be found, it isn't like it has disappeared, but there is the tougher stuff out there too.

And it's okay. It's good to have choice. I know parents are complaining that they need age banding on books so they understand what it is their kids are reading. But I just don't think that's the answer. A child is not universally ready for something at 12, and then ready for something else at 14. It depends on their upbringing, their reading level, their likes and dislikes. Gasp! On being an individual human being. I could not, and still can't, read/watch horror. Doesn't mean there weren't kids back when I was little reading the Goosebumps series. If we age banded based on my example, no one would be allowed to read horror ever at any age.

The answer, in my mind, is understanding the new YA. And the answer to understanding what it is kids are reading is to read what the kids are reading. To understand that YA for YAs is meant to be read by intelligent discerning minds, by teenagers who are far smarter than a lot of adults give them credit for. Let's not forget that many teenagers are heading off to university by the time they are 17.

You don't want your 12 year old reading YA? There is still MG. There is some amazing MG out there (if I do say so myself). But you need to understand that difference between MG and YA. Because it didn't exist before recently. It's new. YA used to be MG. It isn't anymore.

And again, that's okay.

One final thought: Shakespeare is taught in, I'd venture to guess, almost every highschool in the English speaking world. Shakespeare was a genius. He can express thoughts and feelings in a way that is beyond perfect, you just want to roll his words around in your mouth they are so glorious. However. Shakespeare was also a naughty boy, and his plays are rife with blatant sexual jokes and innuendo. He was also a violent boy, writing about eye gouging, suicide, fights to the death. . .

Your teenagers are reading Shakespeare.

Is all I'm saying . . .

Processed Cheese and a Man Named Fred

2011-11-24T11:19:00.001-05:00

I don't often blog about the third personality in my blog title, that is to say, The Temp. Why? Well I am not consistently temping, and most of the time there isn't much to tell really. It's the usual office work, you know how it is.

But yesterday I had such a surreal experience in the guise of something perfectly normal that I felt I would briefly share.

So.

I was called last minute to help put together some packages for a marketing company's mail out. I went to the mail room and was introduced to Fred, a lovely older gentleman with white hair and glasses, who towards the end of the day announced he'd forgotten to take his arthritis medication. Fred far prefers theatre over movies, doesn't really read books (though his wife loves them), but does enjoy magazines. Has been married three times, and is totally in love now. He hates people who can't own up to their mistakes, and in general dishonesty makes him extremely mad.

I learned all this, you see, after working six hours with him, stuffing test samples of processed cheese into FedEx boxes. You take one package marked "Try Second", put that in the package, then you put in an ice pack, then the second package marked "Try First". Then the package is sealed up and slipped into a box with a survey placed on top. Address labels go on, and then I assume these packages get whisked off across the country.

Yup. That was my day yesterday.

Or to put it another way:

I spent the day yesterday in the mail room stuffing cheese into FedEx boxes with a guy named Fred.

Seriously. How ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN is that?

Fred asked me, "Do you ever get inspired by the temping jobs you do?"

Yes Fred, I do. I certainly do.

From my blog archives: Chasing Trends

2011-11-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

So I have a rather busy day today and thought that instead of skipping posting all together, I'd go through the archives and find a post that I think is still relevant and totally and utterly fabulous, and re-post it today.

I chose CHASING TRENDS because the subject really never gets old. It's a question I see a lot on forums still: "What's the next big trend?" "What are agents looking for now?"

Anyway, here you go, I hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

I have felt for some time now that agents/editors blogging is both a great and slightly unhelpful phenomena. It's great because it removes some of the mystique behind the publishing process, demonstrates, you know, that agents and editors are human beings. These blogs also provide practical information: the art of the good query letter, what that particular agent likes to represent etc. They also offer excellent networking opportunities through the comments sections.

They are less helpful when they confuse authors.

The problem with these blogs is that each agent has a slightly different philosophy on the industry. Each agent has a slightly different set of requirements for his/her query letters. Each agent . . . is different. And authors sometimes can find themselves trying to appeal to every agent in one magical query letter or whathaveyou. This is next to impossible. (I wrote about this idea in more general terms here).

What also makes life more confusing for authors are the posts about current trends. I personally find them very interesting, and love it when agents talk about what's hot and what's not. But unless you just happen to have a completed novel in one of those genres of the hot variety that you've been scared to send out and this news gives you the impetus to do so, I say, enjoy these posts on a "Well now that's quite interesting" level.

Because, seriously? Current trends are pretty darn meaningless.

The thing is - publishing takes a long time. A very long time.

Let's say you have an agent already. Let's say that agent has sold your work. It will still be close to TWO years before the book is on the shelves. And there is simply no predicting what will be popular in two years. Before the DaVinci Code came out, do you think editors were looking for religious conspiracy novels? Ah, no. In fact I would venture to say if such books crossed their desks the response would be along the lines: "Too controversial." Yet suddenly this book strikes it huge and every other book on the shelf looks like some cheap knockoff (yes, even those books knocked off by Brown himself somehow still managed to look like that).

I'm not saying it isn't important to keep up with what's hot in the industry right now. I think being educated is always a smart move.

But instead of freaking out trying to write an epic love story about vampire pirate time travelers, because some agent mentioned it once in passing, try freaking out about writing a really compelling novel. Something that interests you, something where your passion obviously shines through.

My personal experience is a pretty good example of this. Alex was rejected because it was "too old fashioned". In fact when you look at the facts, Alex is definitely not what you would consider trendy. First off it's long. Around twice as long as most novels in its genre. It's also episodic, which is an outdated form of storytelling. These days we prefer our soap opera, what happens next, kind of stories. The protagonist is a girl, and I know that many MG editors are looking for male leads to entice boy readers. The language is complicated, sometimes even archaic. And I use author intrusion, which while very popular in Lemony Snicket, really is not what is desired in novels in general, let alone children's books. In fact I have read articles advising strongly against it. I easily could have decided that, "No, this isn't what people want right now, I'm not going to write it."

Yet . . . I still managed to find people interested enough in spending time with me to edit it and then eventually publish it.

There are so few things we can control as authors. We can't control what an agent/editor likes or dislikes. We can't control the economy. We can't control readers deciding they'd rather watch a movie. But we can control the words on the page. We can write our story, choose our words, play with characters. We can edit a manuscript over and over again until it shines. That, at least, we should feel some power over.

So I say instead of grasping at some trend's tailcoat, let's start our own! It will be brilliant! It will be delightful! It will be the trend to end all trends!

. . . and we shall call it . . . Carl.

Addendum to "Chasing Trends"

HUNGER GAMES trailer

2011-11-17T11:30:00.001-05:00

So the HUNGER GAMES trailer came out this week and I figured why not share it here! After all, I'm a huge fan (lest we forget, I contributed an essay to THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE: YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS ON SUZANNE COLLINS' HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY) and am beyond excited to see this movie.

Thus on the off-chance you haven't seen it yet. . . check it out below. Also, what are your thoughts? Does it live up to expectations? I must admit to getting butterflies watching them enter the arena, and am very pleased with both Lenny Kravitz and a blue haired Stanley Tucci :) .

"Hangman" Reading - by Jason Maghonoy

2011-11-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

For those of you in Toronto, tomorrow night there's a staged reading of my friend (and incredibly talented playwright) Jason Maghanoy's new work "Hangman". I strongly urge you to check it out. His writing is always fresh, funny, clever and poignant, and the cast doing the reading is fantastic: Stuart Hughes, Jeff Irving, Araya Mengesha, Dylan Trowbridge and David Fox! It's also directed by Richard Rose.

So here's the info if you are interested:

HANGMAN
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
8pm
Tarragon Theatre
30 Bridgman Avenue

Steampunk Tuesday - Social Gatherings

2011-11-15T12:36:00.001-05:00

Kenneth Shelley, Ashley Kung, J.M. Frey, Me

A short one for today, but no less fabulous. I realise that the internet is international, but I thought I should share some links for my fellow Canadians who were beginning to get interested in Steampunk.

When I was manning the Steampunk table at FanExpo a lot of people were curious exactly how one met other Steampunk people. What one did with the Steampunk. Granted yes, people make Steampunk things and sell Steampunk things, but there are also social gatherings of Steampunkers that happen on a regular basis. Again, I can only speak to some of the Canadian ones, but if anyone has knowledge of any others in other parts of the world please do share in the comments section below.

Steampunk Canada
Probably the most comprehensive listing for Steampunk activities across Canada.

Toronto Steampunk Society
Specifically for those Steampunkers in Toronto, there are many scheduled events in the city - walks, photoshoots, pub gatherings - and this page is actively updated every day.

Steampunk Ottawa
Similar to the TSS. Only if you, you know, live in Ottawa.

And don't forget about MeetUp.com, where you can search for any events happening in your region, and can totally use the keyword "Steampunk".

THE PATTERN SCARS - by Caitlin Sweet

2011-11-09T11:52:00.000-05:00

So this past Saturday was the launch of a new novel by the amazing author Caitlin Sweet: THE PATTERN SCARS. It was a very exciting event that took place at Bakka-Phoenix Books. And not just because I got to get my fortune read (evidently I must be patient, which is unfortunate. I am so not good at the patient), but this novel of Caitlin's is a long time coming. I've been fortunate to share much of the journey with her. Well not so much "share", as the experience was hers and hers alone to conquer, but to hear tales of over lunch and drinks and be in awe of her perseverance.

If ever any of you have been frustrated trying to get a work published, her story is one that will uplift you. She published two novels back around 2005, and since then had difficulty with this particular novel (both in actualising it and finding it a home). It took her a while to find it a publisher, but she did at the amazing Canadian press ChiZine - a publisher of literary dark SF/Fantasy. Also they have some of the most gorgeous covers in the biz.

So THE PATTERN SCARS has a home now. I have yet to read it, but I am told it is heartbreaking and beautiful and I wouldn't expect anything less.

Congratulations once more, Caitlin, you deserve so much positive karma right now! Your patience has definitely paid off and is truly an inspiration. So maybe I need to listen to my fortune teller a bit more closely . . . :)

About THE PATTERN SCARS:

Nola is born into poverty in Sarsenay City. When her mother realizes that Nola has the gift of Othersight and can foretell the future, she sells her to a brothel seer, who teaches the girl to harness her gift. As she grows up, she embraces her new life, and even finds a small circle of friends. All too soon, her world is again turned upside down when one of them is murdered. When a handsome, young Otherseer from the castle promises to teach her, she eagerly embraces the prospects of luxury beyond what she can imagine and safety from a killer who stalks girls by night. Little does she know that he will soon draw her into a web of murder, treachery, and obsessive desire that will threaten the people and land she holds dear, and that she will soon learn the harshest of lessons: that being able to predict the future has nothing to do with being able to prevent it.

Steampunk Tuesday - The Steampunk Scholar! aka Mike Perschon

2011-11-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

So last week I featured a list of Steampunk books as recommended to us all by the Steampunk Scholar aka Mike Perschon. And today, I am posting an interview he was so kind to do with me. I met the fellow at the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition and even sat on a panel with him. The man's knowledge of Steampunk is impressive. And it ought to be, considering he's doing his PhD on the subject.

But I digress. Here's the interview. Do check it out, I think his answers are just fantastic.

Here's his website: SteampunkScholar.blogspot.com

What got you interested in Steampunk?

I’d heard the term in a few different contexts, but my current interest resulted from choosing a topic for my doctoral dissertation. I was either going to do Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero as dystopic intertext, or steampunk. My Master’s advisor said, “Dystopia’s been done to death, and if you do steampunk, I’ll be your advisor again,” which really decided it, because we have a great working relationship.

You have a very specific definition of it, briefly what is it and how did you come up with it?

I speak about steampunk as an aesthetic that gets applied to other genres. The steampunk aesthetic combines a Industrial Era look or feel (neo-Victorianism) with a postmodern view of the past (retrofuturism) and technology that has the appearance of science, but none of the rigor we see in hard SF (technofantasy). Those three things, applied together, produce the look we call steampunk.

You are currently pursuing your PhD on the subject, what inspired you to do so and what is your end goal?

I was being pragmatic: I wanted to do something fresh, something that didn’t have a wealth of scholarship to compete with. Beyond that, it was a topic I could see myself being interested in for four to six years, which is the estimated length a literary doctoral degree takes to complete. My end goal is really just to get to get the PhD, settle into my work at Grant MacEwan University, and use the four months I get off every year to write fiction and spend the summer with my family.

What would you say is the most controversial topic within the Steampunk community?

The idea that the “punk” in steampunk constitutes a necessary political position, which I take umbrage with: there hasn’t been a hell of a lot of steam in steampunk, so why is it necessary to have punk? That’s not to say I’m opposed to oppositional politics in steampunk, but it’s exclusionary and somewhat pejorative to say that politically-themed writing is steampunk, and everything else is steampulp. Some of the best early steampunk, like Tim Powers’ Anubis Gates, would be steampulp by that rubric.

Does Steampunk hold any kind of "mirror up to nature" and if so, what does that mirror reflect do you think?

I think all texts are mirrors of the world, but steampunk’s mirror allows us to see the world with unexplored frontiers again, to respond to cynicism with romanticism, and engage in playful modes of writing, whether the writer’s agenda is serious or whimsical.

Where do you think Steampunk is heading? What is its future?

I really don’t know. I made some projections a year or so back, and they were largely correct, but I’m hesitant to prognosticate the future of a scene so big as steampunk. As far as the literature goes, my guess is that the future of steampunk is in space. And understand, I’m not saying I think that’s where it should go. It’s just that literary steampunk seems to be asking how to be the next big thing, and since zombies, vampires, fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, pirates, romance, and westerns have all been steampunked, it’s time to go into outer space. Or maybe inner space – given the roots in the nineteenth century, it’s interesting how few steampunk tales deal with Journeys to the Centre, outside Rudy Rucker’s Hollow Earth and a moment in Thomas Pynchon’s Against the Day.

Does it have staying power or is it just a fad?

Both. The hype generated by media exposure will die down, but there’s a dedicated core of people who dig steampunk in various ways who will keep the gears turning long past any mainstream popularity.

If there was only one Steampunk book you would recommend, what would it be and why?

It would really depend on who was asking, since I’ve read enough now to be able to ask a person their tastes, and approximate the best steampunk book to introduce them to the aesthetic. For academic big-heads, I’d say Thomas Pynchon’s Against the Day; for young adults, I’d say Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan; and for people just looking to enjoy themselves, I’d say Gail Carriger’s Soulless.

You've been to many Steampunk cons, what's one of your favourite moments from those events?

I can’t do one, but I’ll give you three: receiving my goggles from Legion Fantastique, a Verne-improv group from San Francisco at my first con, reading from Soulless with Gail Carriger at Steamcon II in Seattle, and having Gary Gianni tell me I look like a young Orson Welles at Steamcon III.

Carriger and the Scholar reading.

What is your favourite personal Steampunk accessory?

I have a gorgeous leather slipcase for a writing pad that was given to me by good friends who accompanied me to some cons. It even underscores the aesthetic: the exterior slipcase has the steampunk look, while the interior is a regular coil-bound notebook. The illusion of steampunk, tucked under my arm. It goes to every con now: it’s the perfect accessory for a guy who calls himself a steampunk scholar.

Social Networking 101

2011-11-07T16:52:00.003-05:00

The funny thing is I never considered myself particularly brilliant at computers/Internet. Nor did I ever think I was particularly brilliant at networking - social or not :) . But I have come to realise that simply by virtue of the fact that I am online so darn much, I have acquired a series of skill and a knowledge of "rules" that might be valuable to others to know. Especially fellow authors. I think there are many of us being told by agents or editors etc to get on the social networking bandwagon and yet many of us have no clue where to start, nor really the difference between each form.

Today I'm going to do a very basic explanation of what each social networking platform is, and the "rules" for each said platform. If you have any follow up questions, or wish to contribute your own insights to my own, please do post a comment below. After all, all I've learned about this stuff came from other people helping me out. We gots to look out for each other!

WEBSITE
- a website is a piece of internet real estate. It begins with www and is followed by the name of the site. That name is called a DOMAIN NAME. So www.AdrienneKress.com has the domain name of "AdrienneKress.com"
- variations of this domain name can end in .ca .org .net. These all are different from each other. In theory someone could own AdrienneKress.net and that would be a different website to mine at .com.
- you will have to purchase two things in order to have a website.

You will have to purchase your DOMAIN NAME
You will have to find someone to host your site, ie: someone who will rent the space on the internet to you

Notes: sometimes your domain name is already owned by someone else, so you need to come up with something different. For example, when I got my book deal for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY I wanted to buy FridaySociety.com as a domain. But someone already had it. So instead I bought TheFridaySociety.com. Sometimes if all the name options are taken you can consider buying a .net or .org instead.

- there are many different ways to create a website. There are templates like WORDPRESS. With something like WordPress you don't necessarily need to know the internet code called HTML to design and create your website. But most websites are created using that code. Therefore often most people will pay web designers to design for them since they don't know html.

AUTHOR WEBSITE PURPOSE
A website is your home address. It is a place to post your biographical information, your bibliographical information, News, Frequently Asked Questions, Appearance updates, pictures, fun facts etc. I like to tell people to imagine a kid is assigned a project on researching you and goes to your website to do so. What kind of info do you want that kid to have for his project?

AUTHOR WEBSITE RULES
People don't expect websites to be updated as frequently as any of the other platforms in this list, but you do need to keep it up to date. You want people to return to it of course. You want it to be the ultimate place where people can get accurate information about you. You want it to be easy to navigate, so make sure links are listed obviously. You want people to know that if they click on BIOGRAPHY that's exactly where they will wind up.

It can sometimes seem like a fun idea to have lots of flash or moving things on your site, but you don't want to overwhelm a visitor. You want the site to look good, of course, to have a personality, but the primary objective of a website is to deliver information easily to a visitor. Also music and a flash intro? Most people mute the music and "skip intro". I say, it's not worth the effort to have either.

BLOG
- a blog is an online journal that the public can read.
- Blogs tend to be free and tend to have the Blog website listed as part of the name of the blog. So the domain name of my blog is "ididntchoosethis" with the blog website that hosts my blog as the next bit "blogspot" followed by "com" (all separated by dots of course: www.ididntchoosethis.blogspot.com)
- there are exceptions, sometimes people will have a blog designed for them and therefore they don't need the "blogspot" after their domain name
- in the blogosphere the two most popular blog websites that offer free templates to use are BLOGGER (ie BLOGSPOT) and LIVE JOURNAL.
- the advantage to a blog is that it's free and very very easy to use. When you are behind the scenes in your blog, it is very clearly explained how to post pictures how to post text, how to change the look of the blog. You don't need to know html.

AUTHOR BLOG PURPOSE
- some people use blogs as surrogate websites and it can be a good idea if you are just starting out. The problem with blogs is, unlike a website, people expect blogs to be updated frequently.
- blogs are used to write posts about the business, about the creative process, about events etc.
- I recently was trying to explain to someone what I considered the best kind of blog post, and in the end it came down to: people want to connect with what you are writing. They are looking for a kind of truth, an honesty, be it emotional or professional. Even if in your blog you aren't sharing every nitty gritty thing about you (see blog rules below), you want your readers to trust that you are sincere, that you are sharing something because you want to share something, not because you want people to pay attention to you.
- This leads to the:

AUTHOR BLOG RULES
- unlike websites, blogs take us into "conversation" territory.
- You want to post something that you think will interest people. That they will feel inclined to share as a link on their blog or twitter or something. That they will want to comment on. As I said above I think the best way to do this is to be sincere and honest.
- At the same time, a blog isn't a diary. Sure some people have become famous for venting every little thing, but often these people still do it with wit and charm. It's also a very unique skill to be able to vent and be tolerable at the same time. Most people don't have that skill.
- My point is, choose your words carefully, choose what kind of blogger you want to be. Remember too that anything posted to the net is there forever. Yes, even if you delete it. It can still have been cached.
- as an author I recommend being a professional in your blog. I recommend being the same author you are online as you are in person at official events.
- the blogosphere is a community, and the more your participate on other blogs, the more people will participate on yours. So go to similar blogs, comment in the comments section, offer to exchange links with a blog you think is awesome (I'll link to your blog on mine, you'll like to mine on yours). And don't forget to respond to comments on your own blog.

FACEBOOK
- the King of social networking sites, it only works because everyone is on it.
- it's like a giant mall, where everyone you've ever known is hanging out.
- You get a personal page where you can post pictures, your likes and dislikes. You also have what is called a "Wall" where you can post "status updates", things that you are thinking about, links to interesting cat videos. A place where other people can post the same things, or if they mention you in their updates or notes or tag you in a picture, they appear as well.
- there are so many things to do on Facebook that really the only way to get to know it is to explore it. I tend to find most of my friends use it as an alternate email (you can send private messages), as a way of organising and inviting people to events. And a place to post silly things on their own and their friends' walls.
- speaking of Friends. People will ask to be your friend. When you agree to be someone's friend that means they have access to see your photos and post on your wall and communicate with you.
- a big issue you likely have heard about with Facebook is privacy. There are ways to make your setup more private but it requires you to actively go into your Account and Privacy Settings and change things so not everyone on the planet knows your business. For example, you can set up Facebook so that only your approved "Friends" can see your wall/profile/etc. If anyone who isn't my friend searches for me on Facebook, they get a very basic page with not much information.

AUTHOR FACEBOOK PURPOSE
- I see Facebook as primarily social, a place where I spend time with actual friends (that is to say, people I also see in real life, not just online)
- However there is something called a "Facebook Fan Page" which authors can take advantage of.
- This is a page separate from your normal Facebook page. You set it up to be your professional spot on Facebook. It's a page very similar to your normal page, with a wall and a place to post pictures, and people can write on your wall etc. But it's a place where you can be totally professional. Where people won't stumble on pictures of you on the beach at your cottage. Anyone can access one of these pages, it's public. Here's my Facebook Fan Page.
- instead of asking to be your "Friend" and you having to approve their request, people can simply "Like" your page. They don't need to ask your permission.

AUTHOR FACEBOOK RULES
- pretty similar to blogging rules, be the person on your Facebook Fan Page that you would be at any professional in person engagement.
- update your page frequently with news or just cool things you find . . .cool.
- and make sure to respond to people when they comment. Remember, social networking isn't a lecture, it's a seminar - a back and forth.

TWITTER
- ah the totally confusing concept of Twitter. It seems that until you engage in Twitter you have no idea what its purpose is.
Here's my attempt to explain it:
-Twitter is a website where you sign up for a Twitter account. Like with a blog, your personal Twitter website will have the "twitter" in it. So: www.twitter.com/AdrienneKress
- On Twitter you write little tiny posts, no longer than 140 characters.
- Basically I imagine that the people who came up with Twitter thought: "You know, Status Updates on Facebook are fun, what if there was a social networking site that was ONLY Status Updates??"
- there are some important differences though between Facebook and Twitter:

On Facebook people "friend" you and you have to approve them
On Twitter people "follow" you and unless you "block" them or "report them for spam", your approval isn't required
On Facebook you can set up your private Facebook account to only be viewed by approved friends.
On Twitter anyone can see your tweets if they type in your Twitter address

Do you see what's going on here? Yes. Twitter is more akin to a Facebook Fan Page, then the normal Facebook page.
- this means everything you tweet goes public. Anyone, including your mother, can see your tweets.
- this is important because there have been many many many incidents where authors have said something naughty and have gotten in a great deal of trouble because of it because Twitter is PUBLIC. Even though you can delete tweets, it can often be too late because someone has seen your tweet and maybe taken a screen cap of it or something.
-my point: THINK BEFORE YOU TWEET

- Other Twitter facts:

you can only send private direct messages to someone if you are mutually following each other. This is the ONLY time tweets are private and not public.
Hashtags (#) matter. You might see me, let's say, tweet something like this: "OMG, have you seen these goggles? They are so cool! #Steampunk" - any word that follows a # can be clicked on and then suddenly the Twitter Feed (the place where all the tweets by the people you are following show up) changes to a list of tweets by people using #Steampunk. Anybody else who is interested in the same hashtag can read your tweet. Including people who aren't following you.
if there was any social networking site where "it's a conversation, not a lecture" matters most, it's here. Reply to people. This isn't just a place to show off, it's a place to engage, to have conversations, to make new friends.

AUTHOR TWITTER PURPOSE
- networking, networking, networking
-Some might also say marketing, but see the problem is, people have gotten wise to the "hey everybody buy my book!" technique and can I just say . . . they HATE it. Can you blame them? It's really boring following someone and seeing nothing but self promotion in their feed.
- people want to follow compelling people. They don't want to feel like they are being taken advantage of.
- this means that when you tweet, tweet about your books, sure, but also tweet about the writing process, share a link about a cool new toy you saw or a news article that frustrates you and, like I said above, reply to people.
-engage
- I mentioned hashtags above, well there are a lot of literary conversations that happen on Twitter on a regular basis where if you click on the hashtag you can easily follow. ie: #litchat

- how do you get people to follow you?

follow people: as an author follow bookstores, libraries, authors, agents, editors - you can do a search and type in key words like "author" or "library" to find such types
reply to tweets that interest you, engage in conversation
engage in hashtag chats, I've met so many cool people that way

AUTHOR TWITTER RULES
- think, please please please, think. Think before you Tweet.
- don't just self promote, get involved, get to know people
- have fun. People think Twitter is a chore when they don't know it, but Twitter is probably one of the easiest ways to engage people. It takes but a moment to write a Tweet, less time certainly than writing a blog post (any guesses how many days this one took?).
- share, but don't share everything. Like I've said with all the other posts, be the person you'd be in person at a professional engagement.

MYSPACE
- I'm going to be perfectly honest with you guys about this one. I really feel that right now Myspace is pretty useless for an author, or indeed most people aside from musicians. People abandoned it as a social site when Facebook came along, and the only people who really still use Myspace are musicians because it's extremely easy to upload videos and music to that site. I myself abandoned Myspace when I realised that I wasn't going to miss out on any networking opportunities since most of my fellow authors had already left. Considering how time consuming social networking can be, it's wise to take stock and if you can abandon a platform, do. Because it's one less thing you have to tend.

GOOGLE+
I know very little about Google+. I am not an early adopter. I wait and see what happens with things before I jump on board. I joined Facebook late, Twitter late. I waited to see who would win the war between HD and Bluray. I have no need for the prestige of being one of the pioneers. I want to know if something is worth my time and money after many many people have come to some kind of conclusion.

I get the impression that many people approve of Google+ though like with all these platforms there are privacy concerns. I think it is best for me to now link to friend and fellow author Debbie Ridpath Ohi, a total technophile, who has posted her very positive thoughts about Google+ here.

Steampunk Tuesday - Books!

2011-11-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

So I skipped a week of blogging due to being generally overwhelmed with work etc, but I'm back baby!

And what a perfect day to come back on, it's Steampunk Tuesday! Sweet!

In a previous Steampunk Tuesday we did movies, and I thought it only right to do books this time around. Because books are awesome. And they also help us define further what Steampunk is.

(Because I still maintain, though others disagree [which is cool, man, it's cool] that Steampunk has not exploded onto the scene quite yet. My proof: my need to constantly define what it is.)

At any rate.

I gots a couple lists for you. But I gots to be upfront about them. They aren't created by me. Instead they are by the amazing Steampunk Scholar (interview with him coming soon): Mike Perschon.

If you ever felt that my attempts to define and dig into Steampunk were ever so slightly superficial, please check out his blog of awesome. The guy's doing his PhD on the subject: Steampunk Scholar.

I have mad respect for this guy, and I very much approve of his lists, so it felt a little silly recreating them when I could just give him the credit for them in the first place.

Now he has a top ten list of his favourite Steampunk books (which I'll be posting at the bottom of this post), but I like it when he divides up the categories - simply for educational purposes. If you want something more contemporary, or if you are looking for a classic, they are easier to find in this set of lists.

We begin with his Top Ten New Steampunk (2000 - 2009 <------ yes, this means the list is due for an update, but it's still a pretty great list):

Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
Boilerplate by Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters

I feel a need to add the following mention as this book was listed 5th in our Scholar's Top Ten (as well as his Top Five for 2010) list but was published in 2010 - thus after the above list was created. And that would be Cherie Priest's DREADNOUGHT:

Now we move onto his Top Five Classic Steampunk (1971-1999):

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives by James Blaylock
The Steampunk Trilogy by Paul DiFilippo
The List of 7 by Mark Frost

And in case you are curious, here is the Scholar's Top Ten Steampunk Books:

Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
The Adventures of Langdon St. Ives by James P. Blaylock

Toronto's Roald Dahl Day!

2011-10-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

As those of you who have read my books might have guessed, I'm a wee bit of a Dahl fan. The first third of ALEX was meant to be a bit of an homage to his work (especially the Daughters of the Founding Fathers' Preservation Society). I love his whimsy, I love his dark side, I love his character names. And I adore me some Vermicious Knids (is there a better creature name out there? I think not):

And so I was totally honoured when I was asked to be a guest judge for Toronto's Roald Dahl Day! It's happening this Sunday, and I figured I should maybe post the event info here on the off chance some of yous might be interested.

Here you go! (and I hope to see you there!)

Sun Oct 23; 11-4pm $10 (All Dahl Pass)
The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St West

This year, as the focus of our second annual Roald Dahl Day event, we’re planning a bumper crop of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dahl’s classic novel, James And The Giant Peach.
“The Giant Peach Hunt” will give teams of two or more people a chance to use their wits to win cool prizes as part of a literary scavenger hunt.
Poet David Hickey will launch his new picture book, A Very Short Something (Biblioasis) – a tale about bubble-gum that would make Willy Wonka smile!
“The Giant Peach Bubble Contest” will establish which local Dahl fan can blow the largest bubble after chewing peach flavoured gum.
Director Henry Selick’s stop-motion adaptation of James And The Giant Peach will be presented on a full, cinema-sized screen.

‘What would happen if James discovered the Giant Peach in today’s Toronto?’

We invited writers 8-12 to craft a short story (max 1500 words) based on the scenario of James, a lonely orphan in today’s Toronto, discovering a peach as big as a house filled with human-sized friendly creatures.

An all-star panel of judges - including CBC Radio host and author Kevin Sylvester, authors Kelley Armstrong, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Evan Munday and Vikki Vansickle, Susan Kernohan Director of Young Voices at the Toronto Public Library, Mark Medley, Book Editor at The National Post, and Janet Somerville, English Teacher, Royal St George’s College - will read aloud the top entries and award prizes at this year’s Toronto Roald Dahl Day celebration on Sunday October 23rd., at the Gladstone Hotel.

The grand-prize winner will be published by Book Madam & Associates Magazine, a community hub dedicated to discussing all elements of the publishing industry, sharing stories and leading by example.

Renowned author Kenneth Oppel has prepared a video address to the contestants. At the age of fourteen, Oppel sent a story he wrote to Roald Dahl. Dahl was so impressed he told his own literary agent to get it published. Oppel says that the experience gave him the confidence to think he could have a career as a writer.

Will one of the young scribes in our Roald Dahl Day story contest turn out to be the next Oppel (or even Dahl)? If an orphan and his creature-pals can sail a giant peach across the Atlantic Ocean, anything is possible.

Steampunk Tuesday - The Next Big Thing?

2011-10-18T11:41:00.000-04:00

The UK version of the Huffington Post has an interesting article today about Steampunk and whether it's going to become the next big trend. To quote:

"The look is also starting to influence street fashion. Steampunk clothing typically adds the 'best' looks of the Victorian era - explorers, soldiers, countesses, lords and prostitutes - to today's most relevant street styles: goth, burlesque, the fetishism of the Suicide Girls, the lace and leather of pirates, and the frills and capes of vampires. A few SP elements have already been seen in Top Shop, from spiked clothes to jewellery. Some say it's the inspiration behind the current vogue for men wearing rolled up trousers with loud - or no - socks. The trend also influenced this season's high fashion trends for fetish, glamour and dressing up.

Meanwhile, TV series like the BBC's latest Sherlock Holmes adaptation and US thriller Warehouse 13 owe a debt to steampunk style in their mixing of the 19th and 21st Centuries, as do the later Harry Potter films. There are SP video games, like the highly acclaimed Bioshock, featuring an undersea world of diving bells and crinolined orphan girls. As SP has grown, so too has the service industry around it. So you can now have SP weddings, with mechanical cakes. The trend has even given rise to its own vocabulary in which, for instance, people don't arrive, they "dock" (as in from an airship)."

So the question is . . . is the article right?

Is Steampunk about to explode onto the scene?

I think . . . quite possibly. I have definitely seen an influence on the fashion world. My latest Steampunk outfit was purchased almost in its entirety at FOREVER 21 (including accessories). And as the article points out, there are more movies and games than ever that have its flavour. And while I still tend to have to explain what Steampunk is before I can explain what my new book is about, I am definitely finding more people are answering "yes" to the question, "Do you know what Steampunk is?"

And I think that is the best way of testing when Steampunk hits trend level. The second the majority of people answer yes to that question, then we know we've hit the big time.

But until we do, and if/when we do, I ask all Steampunkers the following favour: let's not judge. Let's not be like the hipsters who pride themselves in getting there first with, you know, everything. Where something becomes uncool the second the layman knows about it. That's not what Steampunk is about. Steampunk is about Steampunk, not about an image. It is the ultimate Rorschach test and can be interpreted to be whatever the individual wants it to be.

For the most part Steampunkers are super supportive of each other, but I know that I personally have encountered people who have told me my costume needed work etc. And you know what? That made me sad, because I liked my costume (still do). I was proud that I put it together, and thought I looked good in it. It might not be what that particular individual considered Steampunk enough, but we all have our own particular way into the genre. Mine isn't even through costuming in the first place, it's through writing. Let's support our attempts, because making the attempt in the first place is what matters most.

So let's not judge, but be welcoming and open. And let's not judge if Steampunk becomes a trend: "Oh that person is only dressing like that because they bought that skirt at Top Shop." Let's be happy to see others having fun with Steampunk, even if for them it is a fleeting thing. Steampunk, ultimately, is about having fun. Playing. Let's not lose sight of that.

And once more . . . huzzah Steampunk!

Inkygirl - Debbie Ridpath Ohi

2011-10-12T14:42:00.000-04:00

I met Debbie Ridpath Ohi a couple years ago. She is a fellow Toronto children's book author (and illustrator - so she one ups me on that score . . . I shake my fist and cry out: "Ohi!!!!!!"), and one of the founding members of a Toronto based children's book author group . . . social gathering club . . . I don't know what you'd call it. Well I know what we all call it. We call it: TorKidLit. And it recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary!

For the past two years we have gathered once a month at various pubs around the city (they never know what hits them) and chat about what we're working on, on the joys and frustrations of being an author, and also just about life stuff. But it goes beyond that. We also go to each others' book launches, do writing retreats, and share good news about each other on the interwebs. It's in general a brilliant supportive group.

So that's how I know Debbie.

I also know her through twitter, where she is known as InkyElbows. If you are a writer and on Twitter, her feed is a must follow. Daily she posts extremely helpful links about the publishing world, and writing in general. She's on the ball, my friends, on the ball.

She also has a website called InkyGirl, and this is what I would recommend to all of you today to check out. Aside from her wonderfully witty comics which you simply must read, she is insightful, generous in posting about others' achievements, and a total technophile. She is the first to try out the latest tech stuff out there, one of the first people I knew to get an iPad, one of the first to join Google+ and she lets you know her thoughts on it all.

Also she has her first children's book illustration project out next year with Simon & Schuster called I'M BORED, which you all must purchase the moment it hits the shelves.

So here's a link to her website: InkyGirl.com (from which you can then find her personal website, blog and all manner of goodness).

And here's a picture of the two of us. And vegetables.

Steampunk Tuesday - Movies

2011-10-11T12:49:00.001-04:00

Often in an attempt to explain what Steampunk is I cite movies. There's something about Steampunk that's hard to describe, but once you see it you just get it.

I thought then it might make sense to share a list of films that are Steampunk, or have Steampunk qualities. Now as to the quality of the films themselves, well that I will leave up to the individual (if anyone wants to add further suggestions in the comments section, they would be more than welcome!):

THE WILD WILD WEST

This film tends to be my first citation, because even if not everyone has seen it, most people know about this movie. After all it was a Will Smith vehicle and got quite the marketing campaign in the day. And a giant mechanical spider.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

Not as universally well known, but still generally easy to cite. I always recommend the books over the film (though, note, they are not meant for kids).

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009 version)

This one isn't fully Steampunk but is flavoured with it. And it was extremely popular. And the sequel is out this winter.

THE PRESTIGE

That Christopher Nolan movie before he directed BATMAN about dueling magicians. Heck it's even got Tesla in it (the go to guy for Steampunk inventors).

THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN

That wacky Terry Gilliam. Love him or hate him, the movie's got that Steampunk flair. And lots of other . . . stuff . . .

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

This movie brings the first three of Lemony Snicket's novels together quite well, with gorgeous cinematography, and inspired whimsy. Not really set in the past, but not really set now, it still has that Steampunk flavour.

ANY OF THOSE DISNEY MOVIES MADE IN THE 60s/70s SET IN THE EDWARDIAN PERIOD

I'm talking the likes of 20000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, DR. DOLITTLE, SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, even MARY POPPINS.

(And let's not forget the more recent animated Disney films: TREASURE PLANET and ATLANTIS.)

BIOSHOCK INFINITE

This is actually a video game coming out in 2012, but I saw the trailer for this while E3 was on, and I just think it's so totally gorgeous and so totally perfectly Steampunk that, well, check it out:

Upcoming:

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

HUGO (based on the novel THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET)

Singer/Songwriter Liz Jaremyn

2011-10-07T15:08:00.000-04:00

So you might have noticed I didn't post for the last two days. It was a matter of priorities see, I really really had to get my edits done, and so I had a bit of tunnel vision.

But I am now out in the light! And I thought, instead of doing a roundup of links today, that I would pretend it was Wednesday and share with you all yet some more amazing talent.

Today, it's Liz Jaremyn.

Liz Jaremyn.

Now. Fair warning, I've known Liz since we were 11 years old, so I might be a little biased. But I say only a little because I've been to arts schools all my life, I've known many incredible artists of all kinds, from visual arts to dancing to acting. And I definitely have known many amazing singer songwriters. And despite that all, Liz is still absolutely one of the tops in my estimation.

Me and Liz after she came to see my show last winter.

First off the girl's got talent. Her lyrics are sincere, deep and wacky. Her voice is beautiful and just hits you in the gut. And she's got rockin' guitar skillz, man! No. Seriously, she does.

Second of all, the girl's got soul. She's one of the kindest, most caring, most open and truly hilarious people I know (she's part of this small group of gals who make me laugh more than anybody out there). Like most of us, she's gone through a lot in her life, but unlike many, she has not become bitter or jaded. She lifts you up just to be near her. And I truly believe her music does the same.

Here is her Facebook page. Please "like" her. (I'd rather you "love" her, or "adore" her, but Facebook is limited in this way).

And here's one of her songs:

Steampunk Tuesday - Cool Stuff

2011-10-04T12:23:00.000-04:00

With Steampunk being such an aesthetic movement, you will find plenty of artisans creating some truly wonderful Steampunk stuff available for purchase.

I thought I'd share with you a few of my personal current favourites!

Let's start off with this super awesome prints from CollageOrama. I own four of these, and you can see them in the photos of my apartment back on our first Steampunk Tuesday post. They're printed on old dictionary pages etc, and look as good in person as online.

Next. I might be one of the only people left on the planet who doesn't have a smart phone. Yet. I really want to get one. And when I do get one. . . Well, this guy's Steampunk iPhone case would be pretty sweet. His whole catalogue over at VictorianSteampunk (Etsy) a.k.a. "Victorian Steam Austin" (in Google) a.k.a "Victorian Steam Calculation Engine Co." (Store) of inventory is pretty impressive in general:

Probably most famous for the dresses (and models) on the covers of Steampunk goddess Gail Carriger's PARASOL PROTECTORATE series, Engima Fashions offers some fantastic Gothic inspired Steampunk clothing:

Looking for shoes? The question is more like: When are we NOT looking for shoes . . . Fluevog isn't just a Steampunk footwear shop, but they have so much that is Steampunk-esque they might want to consider a Steampunk advertising campaign someday. LOVE this store.

Last but not least we have my amazing friend Katie Lintern who designs Steampunk jewelry. For those of you who are new to my blog, I shall post pics now of the amazing necklaces she made for me. Check out her etsy, here.

This is one necklace, but it's reversible! Cool huh??


And the other necklace. Love how delicate and elegant this one is.

And that's it for now! A small sampling, but I shall share others later on. Always leave 'em wanting more though, right?

On a totally unrelated yet related note, preparations are well under way for the filming of my book trailer for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY. It's looking like it's going to be super cool, and I will keep you all posted with behind the scenes info and pics.

Why I Write For Children

2011-10-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

Back in 2009, just before I launched my second novel TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE, I did a guest blogpost over at the then agent, now author, always delightful Nathan Bransford's blog. It was on why I write for children. Seeing as I often get asked that question, it seemed to make sense that I take some time and answer it at length.

I'd like to repost it here because a) still wrapping up edits so I figure stealing from myself is a smart choice, and b) I still feel extremely passionate about this subject.

So here you go!

As a writer of middle grade novels, I probably get this question most often: “Why do you write for children?” Actually that’s probably the second most common question I get. The first most common question is, “So are you the next JK Rowling?” which I could never find an appropriate answer to until I just started replying, “Yes.” At any rate. This second most common question of why I write for children has always been a very interesting one to me, and one which I would like to discuss now.

First I would like to discuss the nature of the question. Often it comes out of a genuine curiosity – why do I like that particular genre, kind of like “Why do you write mysteries, western, literary” etc. But it can also come from a place of total confusion where truly the question is, “Why do you write for children instead of adults?”

It is a question that supposes that in an ideal world, an author’s first choice would obviously be to write for adults, because those are the “real” books. I mean, let’s face it, there is a stigma attached with writing books that aren’t for adults. There is also a stigma attached to writing genre fiction (SF/Fantasy) or romance books. In general, it is widely known that there are certain genres out there that don’t, for whatever reason, earn the same respect as commercial or literary fiction. This can be best demonstrated, I think, in a recent round table for The New Yorker, where in their attempt to discuss and praise a YA novel, the members of the round table manage to insult an entire genre with sweeping generalizations and total misinformation, calling the genre “facile” and “boring”.

Why it is that otherwise seemingly intelligent people are so determined to put down entire genres altogether boggles my mind. I truly don’t know why anyone of reasonable intelligence would make such generalizations. The whole point in having a thoughtful mind is understanding that there are good and bad elements to most everything, that making generalizations is the complete opposite of thoughtful logical analysis.

At any rate, because of these prejudices, I often do get the question.

And this is my answer:

I don’t write for children.

Yes, I am incredibly fortunate that one of the side effects of my writing is that I get to meet with some of the most amazing kids out there. That I get to be a source of inspiration to children around the world (which is still a little overwhelming for me). No author could ask for more. But in all honesty, I write in a genre that I happen to really love.

So what I’m doing, actually, is not so much writing for children as writing what I enjoy.

The question then becomes: What do I enjoy about children’s books?

Well.

I have never once had to explain to a child why it is possible for my story to have tall ships and laptops in the same universe. Why there is an Extremely Ginormous Octopus having conversations with people in a world where the rest of the animals behave as typical animals and no one blinks an eye. But I have had adults balk at those elements. And I have explained these odd juxtapositions simply as typical elements of “Magical Realism” (because that is truly my genre). Children are so much more willing just to sit back and enjoy the story, instinctively understanding that not everything has to have an explanation and that, in fact, sometimes a lack of explanation makes the story that much more fun.

I love the whimsy in children’s books. I love the saturated emotions, the dealing with real issues without overcomplicating them and over thinking them. I love how dark children’s books can be, how the stakes can often be life and death. And yet despite these elements I love how unsentimental children’s books are (contrary to popular belief of some writers who think children’s books must be morality tales, all sugary sweet; kids for the most part don’t put up with that nonsense). Children’s books don’t have time to revel in their self-importance. Kids are a tough audience and they’ll turn their backs if the story is less than stellar.

I love the humour in many children’s books I’ve read, the originality, the freedom. And I love the writing. Yes, you read right. I love a well-written children’s book. Because the actual writing in a children’s book can – surprise! – actually be good. The fact that a phrase comes across as simple, or straightforward, does not mean it doesn’t take a great deal of effort and talent to turn that phrase. Some children’s book authors can capture an exact moment, an exact feeling, in such a lovely straightforward way – but in an entirely original way as well.

Children’s books are also some of the last instances of the survival of an oral tradition. We rarely read books aloud anymore, nor sit around the fire and have someone tell a good old yarn. We read to ourselves, isolated in our own little world. But children’s books get read aloud. Parents read them to their kids, teachers to their students. For this reason many children’s book authors have great fun playing with language, with interesting words that are fun to say. There is a real love of language in children’s books.

In general there is a certain level of passion and excitement in the world of children’s books. It is a world that is, above all, interested in entertaining. I am not saying that kidlit authors aren’t interested in educating as well, but if the book isn’t entertaining you are going to lose your audience really fast and so lose out on any educating opportunities. The focus is so clearly on the audience and not on the author.

Finally there is also one rather grown-up pleasure for me as a kidlit writer: in the children’s book community, the authors, publishers etc, are just so wonderfully supportive of each other, so excited about what they do. It’s a community of warmth and generosity where, for once, the word “community” doesn’t have to stretch itself out of shape to be an apt description.

All of this is why I love children’s books.

Except that the books I read aren’t “children’s books”; they are “Adrienne likes this stuff books”. They are books meant for whoever enjoys them. I so often also get emails from adults who tell me they enjoy my work “even though they are meant for children”. Well, no. You enjoyed it, it diverted you, it was therefore meant for you.

The same can be said of any genre that one unexpectedly enjoys. We have to categorise things for practicality’s sake, but truly, every book is unique, every book has its own pros and cons. And that’s a wonderful thing. It might make life easier to put everything in its place, less messy, but, to me at least, doing so makes things a lot less interesting.

And a lot less fun.

Friday Links

2011-09-30T14:48:00.001-04:00

First of all, I love this:

It's brilliant and magical and also just a little scary. Also it's 100% accurate.

It's also wonderfully realised. Here is the full image on which it was based. And here is a link to the artist's Deviant Art page, with some of his other quality images:

And more fabulous artists being fabulous: check out these reimagined covers from classic novels.

In the book world:

Here is a really great interview with a teen blogger about what he reads, his thoughts on ebooks and more. Once more we have a perfect example that teens are rather intelligent people, something that unfortunately I feel folks need to be reminded of now and then.

Here's a sneak peak at what children's books are coming up Spring 2012.

Some interesting stats on the buying habits of ebook readers.

In movie news we have some new portraits of the cast of THE AVENGERS. Though of course my favourite, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, is missing. Bad guys always get a raw deal . . .

We also have some moody WUTHERING HEIGHTS photos. This is looking very interesting and features a cast of unknowns which also bodes well in my opinion.

Last but not least . . . this:

Creating Characters

2011-09-29T10:46:00.001-04:00

Last week Jimbo G left the following series of questions in the comments section:

When you start writing a novel, do you create biographies for each character? With the intent of helping you keep them straight and understand their thoughts/reasoning/actions? If not, how do you keep these things straight?

It's a good series of questions. So I thought I'd answer.

I do not write biographies. But that's just a matter of semantics. I do come up with biographies, but I don't write them down for some reason. I just keep them in my head. They tend to be general, as I enjoy discovering my characters as I write them, but I usually know their name, their age, their appearance, and basic life story up until that point.

I would recommend writing bios down if that helps you keep track of things. What's even more fun is scouring the net for images of people who might look like your characters etc. I think the only danger in writing biographies for characters is that you can wind up spending so much time creating every little detail about a character that you don't actually write the story they are in. In general, world building and all that background work, while important, can also become a crutch. And like I said above, there is fun to be had in discovering the character as your write. Putting her into situations, having her interact with others, and seeing how she grows as a "person".

Another concern is that you as an author might feel obligated to share every little quality about your character in the story since you spent so much time fleshing things out. Remember to use only the details that matter, not every single thing because you think they're neat.

But as far as thoughts/reasoning/actions go . . . that's a very intuitive thing for me. It might come from my passion for logic. The question isn't how someone reacts, but why they react as they do. For me there isn't much struggle knowing how a character would react, because once I have that character formed in my mind, well there's only one way she would.

That's the way I recommend you look at it. It's not about keeping a list of pre-chosen behaviours straight. It's understanding why the character is who she is in the first place. A person doesn't react because they have an imposed list of traits, a person has a list of traits because of who they are. This isn't D & D where you choose to have a certain level of power vs magic etc. This is "My character grew up in a land full of magic where people therefore didn't have to do manual labour. This means he is fantastic at casting spells, but whenever he has to physically do something, he's weak." If a character has spent her life being outspoken, she won't appreciate it when the judge tells her to be quiet. If a character has spent her life following the rules, she'll shut up right away.

It's all about playing pretend, and ultimately that's where I always go. I'm an actor, and as a child I was an active make-believer. I have spent my whole life creating characters and the act of doing so has become quite second nature. Try to get yourself into the headspace of your character. Pretend to be him. Even in writing dialogue, say it out loud and with a funny accent if you want. No one's watching :) .

Play pretend.

I hope this helps somewhat, do let me know if you (or any of the rest of my readers) have any follow up questions or any other questions in general! Thanks so much for this one!

FALLING UNDER - Danielle Younge-Ullman

2011-09-28T11:43:00.000-04:00

May I present to you the most wonderful novel FALLING UNDER by my most wonderful friend Danielle Younge-Ullman.

She recently re-released it as an ebook and I highly recommend everyone go out there and buy a copy (though I should warn my younger followers that it is an adult book with sexual content). This book is simply fantastic, well written, full of pathos and truly hilarious moments. It's also one of the few books I've read that uses the second person perspective (ie: "You wake up and discover . . ."). It also is written first person as well, in case you aren't sure if you'd like to read an entire book in second, but I gots to say, she does it so well you might wonder why all books aren't written like that.

I loved this book so much when it initially came out that when Danielle told me she was going to release the ebook version herself and she wanted to create a new cover, I immediately offered to design it for her. Now the actual art on the cover? So not me. I wish it was, I have always wanted to be good at the visual arts. Alas, I am not. The artist for the cover is Louisa McFarlane.

I did the rest, which is basically turning a gorgeous painting into a gorgeous cover.

And . . . here it is:

Here is the synopsis:

After growing up as the only child of bitterly divorced parents, Mara Foster has finally gained independence and is embarking on a promising career as an artist. But despite her success, she is fragile. Burdened by a host of fears and anxieties, she finds it difficult even to leave the house on most days. When Mara meets Hugo, the walls she has built around herself begin to crumble, and as she struggles to find a breakthrough both in her art and in life, she must come to terms with her own dark secrets in order to get a second chance at happiness.

Written in spare, crisp prose and marked by wry humor, Falling Under is a gripping contemporary tale of human weakness, friendship, and hard-earned redemption.

Here are some reviews:

"Fierce, erotic and absolutely fearless. Falling Under is edgy as a razor blade and unlike anything you've read before." - NYT Bestselling author Caroline Leavitt, for Dame Magazine

“Falling Under is a wild ride; Danielle Younge-Ullman writes about human connections and with thrilling energy, honesty and fury.” —Ellen Sussman, bestselling author of French Lessons

"An astonishing debut novel reminiscent of Janet Fitch's White Oleander. Younge-Ullman has a talent for turning the shadows of life into a thing of beauty, almost poetry."—Curled Up With A Good Book

"Sleek, erotic, wry and poignant." —Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel

“Hard-hitting and explosive, with a raw energy that left me breathless.”—GoodHousekeeping.com

Steampunk Tuesday - Videos

2011-09-27T10:56:00.001-04:00

Apologies for my lack of posting Friday and Monday, I'm approaching the finish line of my edits and they are rather taking over my life. This does tend to happen. So this week my posts will be short and sweet. But I still hope of interest to you all!

Today I am posting a couple of videos that I think are perfect for a Steampunk Tuesday. All Steampunk, and all rather informative.

The first is a trailer for a new show called VINTAGE TOMORROWS. While, yes, it's nice to advertise it because it looks like it'll be an awesome show, it is also a wonderful short taste of what the heck Steampunk us.

The next is video footage from London 1903, which is just so fascinating to watch. There is so little actual footage from that time, and when you think of it, our visual experience of that period tends to be recreations in period films. This ain't no recreation baby:

The last is the video I made (with much much help from the fantastic Nadine Bell) on the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition that happened back this spring. Many of you have likely already seen it as I posted it back when the CNSE happened, but again, I think it's a nice summary of all the fun that can be had with Steampunk:

Potent Quotables

2011-09-22T12:19:00.000-04:00

For no particular reason aside from the fact that I felt like it, I am sharing with you a list of some of my favourite quotes either for their hilarity or insightful-ness or just plain absurdity. I'd love to hear from you guys what yours are too, please leave them in the comments section below!

My life philosophies:

"Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint." - film version of Mansfield Park

"Never give up! Never surrender!" - Galaxy Quest

"Just keep swimming." - Finding Nemo

A bit of wit and fabulosity:

"It is not good for one's morals to see bad acting." - The Picture of Dorian Gray

"Everyone has a heart, except some people." - All About Eve

"You're maudlin and full of self pity. You're magnificent." - All About Eve

"You have exquisite taste!"
"My taste is superb, my EYES are exquisite!" - Bullets Over Broadway

"I hope we never die!"
"So do I!"
"You think there's any chance of it?" - The Lion In Winter

"Well what family doesn't have its ups and downs?" - The Lion In Winter

"Oh God, but I do love being king!" - The Lion In Winter

Humour and Absurdity:

"I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine. And he shall be my Squishy." - Finding Nemo

"Curse you Aqua Scum!!" - Finding Nemo

"Squirrel!" - UP

"I was hiding under your porch because I love you." - UP

"There'll be no butter in Hell!" - Cold Comfort Farm

"A pox on your outlandish feminine antics!" - Love's Sacrifice

Some Shakespeare:

"'Seems' madam? Nay, it is. I know not 'seems'." - Hamlet

"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." - Macbeth

"I live with bread like you, feel want, taste grief, need friends. Subjected thus, how can you say to me I am a King?" - Richard II

"I know you all." - Henry IV, Part I

A pair of favourite tweets:

Unfortunately at no point during my workday does anyone ever have cause to shout my name and then toss me a sword. - Seth Macfarlane

I am beginning to suspect that I am not in the Green Hornet movie. - John Cho

Riot A.C.T

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am not just a writer. Hence the title of my blog. I also have that other acting side to me, and as such I have had the great pleasure of meeting some extremely talented people in the theatre/film community.

Todd Campbell and Kevin Robinson

One such group is Riot A.C.T, a stunt team here in Toronto. I am good friends with several of the members, and, even more importantly, totally respect the heck out of their talent. They are imaginative, clever and fearless. If you ever need a stunt crew, may I recommend them. If you ever just want to go and hang out with some awesome people, I also recommend them.

Simon Fon

Here's the little blurb they use to describe themselves:

We are an “Action Creation Team” who take professional work from conception to creation and finally completion. Our areas of expertise range from stunts, blade work to unarmed styles, firearms, aerial flying, film making/editing, equipment rentals, advisement and assessment.

Whether it be independent, or professional film. Live show or motion capture. The team is structured so that it is at the helm of it’s own projects, while simultaneously working with sources outside of the group to create what a client needs for their particular project.

When you need your story told through action let RIOT A.C.T. bring your images to life.

Casey Hudecki and Simon Fon

Here is a quick example of what they do. This is my good friend Casey Hudecki kicking butt (if you want to see more of Riot A.C.T.'s work, check out their YouTube channel):

Steampunk Tuesday - Archetypal Costumes!

2011-09-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

So last week I shared with you my Steampunked apartment. One of the things I shared was a poster with common Steampunk archetypes on it. A commenter asked if I could show closeups of each one, and I said sure! I then thought to myself, "What if I show each one, and then a real representation of each??" And I was like, "Dude, that's awesome."

So that's what I'm doing this week. Most of the people in these images are people I know from the Steampunk community. Also the pics of the poster are a bit fuzzy because . . . well no matter what I did to make them not so much, I couldn't, and I have many things to do today and I couldn't spend too much time making it perfect.

I should also add that the poster is courtesy of Florian Liedtke and is part of his online Steampunk role playing game: Machina Obscura.

And now! The archetypes!

Rapper Professor Elemental and Me

Author J.M. Frey and DJ Th'Elf

(I'm expanding this to Mad Scientist because Chemist is awfully specific)

Toronto Steampunk Society's Amanda Stock and Dr. Holocaust

Todd Clark and Ashley Kung

Lloyd Penny and a lovely young lady I don't know.


Adam Smith (Steampunk Canada) and Amanda Stock (again) (The Toronto Steampunk Society).

There are also some other archetypes that I feel are missing from the poster. Two of which I would like to include:

The Lady and Gentleman:

Kenneth Shelley and Ashley Kung

Just love this picture of Edith Chartier.

And the Intellectual:

The Steampunk Scholar Mike Perschon and lady of Steampunk Canada Lee Ann Farruga

Writing as Problem Solving

2011-09-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

I often get asked what inspires me to write. Where I get my ideas. And it’s a reasonable question, onethat often I can only answer with, “I don’t know” and “I write about stuff Ilike”. Not very satisfying answersto be sure.

Being creative is thisstrange beast. Being inspired evenmore so.

But here's the thing.

Writing can, yes, at times seem almost mystical, and sometimes in thoserare bouts of inspiration there can be a moment where you as the author arevery, “Woah, how did that happen?” But nine times out of ten? Writing is deeply practical.

It’s all about problem solving: “Okay, so this character needs to get to there, but he’s over here. Do I write out his entire journey Lord of the Rings style, or instead saysomething like – 'Three days later . . .'?” or “Shoot, I already used a flock ofbirds metaphor, I guess I can’t use this one . . .” or “Anyone know another word for“salacious”?”

And this is something that has always fascinated me about the writing process, thatsomething that can be such a creative and personal experience can also be sopragmatic.

We have an image of an author struggling over just the rightwords to express just the right thought. And yes, authors do struggle over that. But more often than not they are simply reading a paragraphback and realizing: “Shoot, I used the word “quite” three times here. I guess I need to replace two of them.” It’s not because of how “quite” affectsthe artistic integrity of the work. It’s because it sounds stupid to repeat the same word so many times inone paragraph. Or maybe the author reads asection of her book and realizes the jump from one paragraph to the next is alittle jarring. So she adds a “but” or a “though” or a “so”, and with one word, she's made the jumpseem seamless.

Writing, editing, putting a novel together? I compare it to math. And I am quite fond of math. I love how you have to rearrange thenumbers, add this, subtract that, multiply another thing, and if you do it allin the right order, you come out with the answer. It’s such a sense of accomplishment. And smug satisfaction.

And writing works an awful lot like that too.

Take yesterday, for example. I went to a fellow authorfriend’s place and we edited together. We wound up spending around an hour trying to solve a plot point in hermanuscript. The solution: subtract one of the major charactersout of the story and suddenly everything fit together. Once we figured that out, we both feltenergized, and I know she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders, a weightshe’d been carrying around all week.

Here's another more detailed example, courtesy of the edits I am currently doing for THE FRIDAY SOCIETY:

My editor pointed out that one chapter I’d written had Character Adoing something that seemed like it would make much more sense for Character Bto do. After reading over thechapter a few times, I realised she was right. So. What todo?

This is what I did:

I cut the chapter and pasted it into a new file so I had iteasy to access. I decided I wouldput the scene into the next chapter where both Character A and Character B weretogether. The good news was Icould keep much of the middle bit of the original chapter. The bad news, I had to change thebeginning and end so that the task made sense within the new chapter.

I also had to change the perspective. It had originally been Character A’s,and now it was Character B’s, and they are different people who react to thingsdifferently.

So I spent a lot of time copying sentences and paragraphsfrom the original chapter and pasting them into the Character B chapter in theappropriate spots. And at the sametime I also had to write new bits so that it all made sense.

Eventually though, I managed to knit both scenes together.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Remember, I’d just cut out an entire chapter. My book switches between three pointsof view (POV) because I have three main characters. In removing the original Character A chapter, I now had arhythm problem. Because thatchapter sat between two chapters devoted to Character B’s POV. In removing the Character A chapter Inow had two Character B chapters back to back, and that messes up the rhythm ofmy novel.

So.

I had to go back a chapter and find a scene that I could movebetween the two Character B chapters. It had to take place in the right part of the story so as not to mess upthe timeline, and it had to be a scene that could stand on its own without that which went before it.

And I managed to find such a scene. Itwas a scene that involved Character C.

I then moved it between the two Character B chapters, andta-da! My math problem was solved,and indeed I think the book was stronger for it.

Of course, then I had to re-number all the chapters, whichis quite literal math.

So you see, sometimes it isn’t about taking long walksseeking out inspiration, or agonizing over sentences and the perfectdescription of the setting sun. Sometimes it’s just about problem solving. And copy and paste.

Seriously, where would we be without the copy and pastefeature?

Friday Links

2011-09-16T11:31:00.000-04:00

As the title says, and as we've done in the past. Today's the day I shall post some links that I found interesting around the net this week.

For those of us who enjoy books for more than just their words:

- THAT COVER GIRL analyses the good, the bad, and the ugly of book covers, usually mostly YA. She also interviews designers and has a delightful sense of humour.

- need decorating help? Here are some posters made of the text of your favourite books. Or maybe instead you'd like inspiration from the libraries of the rich and famous.

In the world of Children's publishing we have learned that adult author Phillipa Gregory will be penning a Young Adult work.

Emma Thompson (yes, that Emma Thompson) will be writing a new Peter Rabbit tale.

And we have two new imprints starting up: the one and only LeVar Burton from Star Trek, but more appropriately in this case, Reading Rainbow, is starting a digital line called RRKidz. And Sarah Odedina is starting Hot Key Books, a publishing company that will be part of the Bonnier Group.

And in general industry news, we've got the good and some not so good.

Over at HardcoreNerdity.com - the genre website I also work for - we have some interesting geek news: JJ Abrams is for sure directing the next STAR TREK film (like there was any doubt), Harrison Ford mentions the possiblity of a fifth Indy movie and William Shatner insists that Star Wars is a derivative of Star Trek (ooh, get the boxing gloves ready . . . )

Last but not least, this:

And thus Adrienne Kress finishes up her first week back blogging and introduces a new routine that is all kinds of awesome (so long as she actually manages to keep it up)! Thank you to all my readers, old and new, for checking it out. Let's see what next week brings shall we. . .

Have a happy weekend everyone!

A Small Thought on Speaking in Public

2011-09-15T11:17:00.002-04:00

So my plan for Thursdays is a little hazy. Ideally I'd love to answer any questions you guys might have on this day. Questions about writing, acting, and the industries that surround said subjects. Questions too maybe about movies (since I LOVE movies) and my favourite colour. I dunno. But if you have a question, please feel free to ask it in any of the comments sections! I really love answering questions. Conversations in general make me a happy bunny.

But since this is our first Thursday with the new blog setup, I don't have any said questions yet. So I just had to kind of come up with something I thought was kind of interesting but not too long winded (long winded is saved for Mondays ;) ).

And finally lying in bed last night, I came up with a little bit of advice. It is something about which I'd been discussing with a fellow author Tuesday night at Rob's event (see Wednesday's post below). It was about being an author and talking in front of people (something Rob did very well).

Now I've already written extensively about speaking in front of a crowd. You can find the posts on said subject on the sidebar under the heading:

MY THREE PART (PLUS ONE) SERIES - TIPS ON READING ALOUD

But I figure it never hurts to repeat this one very simple bit of advice. I know that it has helped me so much, and it's something that when I share it with others they're all like, "Hey! I hadn't thought of it like that."

And that's this:

When you are speaking in front of a crowd of people, it isn't about you, but them. What I mean is this: so often we are nervous about what we are going to say and how we are going to say it. Even more, we feel like we shouldn't be there in the first place, like no one wants to hear us. But the fact is, people have come out to see you. Why? Because they like you. They want to hear what you have to say. And if you get all "Gee shucks" or "I'm not worthy" or "This is stupid" in front of them, you are insulting them. You are saying that their decision in wanting to see you and hear from you is a bad one. That they have bad taste. And you don't want to do that.

Respect your audience. Realise that for whatever reason they made a choice to see you and now you have to honour that choice. You are not speaking so that you can be the centre of attention, but rather so that you can entertain and educate the people who went out of their way to come see you. It's all about their experience not yours.

And I find that the second you turn it around and make the presentation about others and not yourself, you relax. You open up. You care.

So that's my tiny bit of advice in regards to speaking in public. Like I said, I have tons more in those articles in the side bar. But I think if we can all keep in mind, "It's not about me, it's about them", that's a very good place to start.

Robert J. Wiersema's WALK LIKE A MAN

2011-09-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

So on Wednesdays I thought it would be nice to share with you all some of what some of my friends are up to and just how awesome they are! And the timing couldn't be more perfect, as last night I attended what was being dubbed a "conversation" between author Robert J Wiersema and Book Madam Julie Wilson on his latest book, WALK LIKE A MAN.

(why is conversation in quotation marks? Dunno, just felt right.)

Wonder twin water bottle powers activate!

I know! Beautiful right??

And it was held at the absolutely gorgeous Ben McNally Books.

It was a very entertaining evening, Julie and Rob are friends and their easy banter was fun. And I felt I learned a lot too. About Rob, Julie and Bruce Springsteen. If the latter name causes some confusion, let me post the synopsis of the book . . . now:

A frank, funny, and inventive blend of biography, music criticism, and memoir told in thirteen tracks.

As he enters his sixties, Bruce Springsteen remains a paragon of all that is cool in the world of rock. He's a genuine voice of the people, the bastard child of Woody Guthrie and James Brown, and an elder statesman who has inspired generations of bands. He's won twenty Grammy Awards, an Oscar, two Golden Globes, and is a member of two Halls of Fame.

There are dozens of books about Springsteen. What's left to say? Nothing objective, perhaps. But when it comes to music, objectivity is highly overrated. Robert Wiersema has been a Springsteen fan since he was a teenager, following tours to see multiple shows in a row, watching set lists develop in real time via the Internet, ordering bootlegs from shady vendors in Italy. His attachment is deeper than fandom, though: he's grown up with Springsteen's songs as the soundtrack to his life, beginning with his youth in rural British Columbia and continuing on through dreams of escape, falling in love, and becoming a father.

Walk Like a Man is the liner notes for a mix tape, a blend of biography, music criticism, and memoir. Like the best mix tapes, it balances joy and sorrow, laughter seasoning the dark-night-of-the-soul questions that haunt us all. Wiersema's book is the story of a man becoming a man (despite getting a little lost along the way), and of Springsteen's songs and life that have accompanied him on his journey.

Rob is an excellent writer, wonderful reviewer (which is an art that I think has been on the wane of late), and all round lovely chap. So yes, please do check out his book, it's a fascinating way to tell a story, and it really really works.

In conclusion:

Yay Rob!

Steampunk Tuesday!

2011-09-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the very first of my new exciting weekly feature:

STEAMPUNK TUESDAYS! *echo, echo, echo* - as my OAC Calculus teacher would say, no seriously, he did. Only it would be with stuff like, "Today we are starting TRIGONOMETRY! Echo, echo, echo!"

(for those of you going, "Wait? What? What's Steampunk?" - click here)

Since it's my first of these things, I thought I'd share with you my thrilling personal relationship with Steampunk. What do I mean by that? Well, I thought I'd share with you all some of my attempts to Steampunk out my new apartment. Now it doesn't look anything like this apartment, but, it's got it's own special Steampunk flavour to it I think.

So enjoy!


The corner of my living room. The trunk is my coffee table, upon which rests a couple seasons of DEADWOOD which I'm working my way through right now. The red walls are me pretending the space is a two story Victorian library. And now let's check out the mantelpiece.

Here's the mantelpiece. We have, as all mantelpieces have, a pirate nutcracker, we also have some useful jars to put things in that came from my grandparents. An Underwood typewriter. And some prints on the wall that I purchased from CollageOrama on etsy. Last but not least we have a Clobe. Which is a clock with a globe like exterior. Obviously. This J.M. Frey pointed out to me on a shopping spree at Value Village. Let's have a closer look at the Clobe shall we . . .

Clobe.

Now we move onto my office:

This is a poster of several Steampunk character archetypes hanging on my back wall. It was a present to me from the Difference Engineers, a trio of lovely ladies who curated a Steampunk museum exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre for which I was interviewed. When I went to the opening of the exhibit, I saw this poster and couldn't stop gushing about it. So when the exhibit was taken down, they most generously gave the poster to me. I adore it. Aside from the quality artwork, it's also printed on vinyl. Here's a closeup . . .

Closeup.

Last but not least I present to you the one object I have that is actually from the period that Steampunk is associated with. This is a theatre chair from the Meaford Opera House, the theatre at my cottage. It was built turn of the century and this is one of the original chairs. They renovated several years ago, and to raise funds patrons could purchase parts of the theatre that were being replaced. My parents bought this one. So technically they are loaning it to me. These chairs are gorgeous, but horribly uncomfortable, so it's a good thing they were replaced and that I can now use one as decoration. See the wire on the underside? That is for where gentlemen would store their top hats. No lie.

So there you go! My apartment so far. I still have some more plans for more Steampunk goodness, and when I actualise them I will for sure keep you posted.

And now, as promised from yesterday, here is also something else that involves me, but also a bunch of my Steampunk friends. I was at FanExpo, manning the Steampunk table, and SPACE (the Canadian version of SYFY) came over and interviewed us for InnerSPACE.

If you aren't that familiar with the general Steampunk aesthetic, this is a lovely brief encounter for you, where you get to see some killer costumes and props.

So, here's that segment, and here I am!

And there you have it! Our first ever Steampunk Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed it! Do share your thoughts below.

Summer Recap and a Super Awesome Plan!

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

I’m baaaaaack!

Yes, I might have made a decision this summer, and thedecision might have been to take a break from blogging. Which is what I did. And I’m glad I did. I’ve recharged my batteries, and comeup with what I consider to be a truly brilliant plan, at least for a littlewhile until I realize actualizing said plan is totally unfeasible.

Still, I did miss you guys, and it’s nice to be back in theblogosphere! What's new? And how you doin'?

So.

My plan.

I am going to create a blogging schedule that I hopefullywill stick with for a while. Thatschedule is as follows:

Monday: one of my usual insightful, witty and thoughtprovoking essay style blog entries.

Tuesday: your weekly Steampunk fix

Wednesday: sharing a bit of what my insanely talented friendsin many different fields are doing that you ought to check out

Thursday: Adrienne’s Tips. On what? Noidea. But they will be mightyuseful. (I was also thinking that this could be where I could answer yourquestions on stuff, but of course I’ll need the questions from you guys, soplease feel free to post them in the comments section)

Friday: roundup of links of note.

So, that’s my plan! Pretty straightforward, not nearly as complex as my world domination onewhich is going quite nicely I should add, but delightful all the same.

And, as such, and seeing as it’s Monday . . .

________________________________________________

I thought I’d catch everyone up on what I’d been up to thissummer. Because, you know, stuffhappened and stuff.

The first thing you should know is I celebrated my birthdayand it was awesome. Awesomestmoment? I was in rehearsals for aFringe show, and after rehearsal we were all going to go hang out to celebrate. Well I went into the washroom to changeout of my costume and upon reappearing the cast started singing and presentedme with some Red Velvet cupcakes made by one of the cast members. I swear, I wish every time I came outof the washroom I was so greeted. Though . . . what would I do with so many cupcakes . . .

And that’s the other thing, I performed in a show this yearat the Toronto Fringe Festival. Itwas called SWOON! (the exclamation mark makes it extra swoontastic), and was agreat success. It won Patron’sPick for the Factory Mainspace (which means it was the most popular show inthat venue) as well as Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Ensemble andOutstanding Production. The castwas wonderful, and we really got along well. So well that we make a point of still getting together enmasse as much as possible (I can tell you, this doesn’t happen with everyshow). And we had T-Shirts made!:

And here is the cast/director/stage manager of SWOON!

This summer I also managed to get in a reading at theGravenhurst Library which was tons of fun (thank you again so much for the hospitality, you guys rocked!) and which also meant that I got tohang out at my aunt’s cottage with my family and stuff.

My friend Katie got married, and I was one of herbridesmaids. In fact all fourbridesmaids and bride have known each other since grade 8. So that was just a little bit special.


L to R - Gillian, Liz, Katie, Me, Ana

Here we are in Grade 8

Speaking of bridesmaids, it was alsoan amazing summer for movies, including a certain comedy starring an ensemblecast of women that managed to break down so many barriers to the point wheremen were going to see it on their own, not just because they were going with agirl. Of course the big comic bookmovies happened also, and were pretty darn good. I’ve reviewed almost all of them over atHardcoreNerdity.com: THOR, X-MEN:FIRST CLASS (my fav of the superhero films), CAPTAIN AMERICAN and the one dudin my estimation, GREEN LANTERN. And we had the surprise hits of the summer: SUPER 8 (not so much a surprise, it was assumed it would dogood business, but the film itself in its nostalgic throwback was trulymagical) and RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (surprisingly good, and asurprising box office hit).

I did a lot of reading this summer,and made a conscious choice to take a break from anything genre. So I finally read BARNEY’S VERSION,which is the kind of book that makes you realize you have so much further to goas an author. It also makes youask yourself, “How the heck did he write this?” Also read one of the SHOPAHOLIC books at my aunt’s cottagewhich took as much time to read as the ARCHIE comics I was also reading. Some Jane Austen: NORTHANGER ABBEY (which had very littleplot wise – and yes, I get it was a parody of Gothic literature, but still, youcan’t sustain a book on an idea alone) and MANSFIELD PARK (to be honest, Icouldn’t finish this one and I could see why it took them so long to make aquality film of it. But the movieversion was augmented with letters by Jane Austen to her sister etc, soyeah). Both these booksdemonstrated to me just how wonderful her more popular works are, and why hermore popular works are more popular. Sometimes there’s a reason.

I got my ears pierced for the first time too. Yeah. I'm totally bad-a**. I put holes through my ears, take that society!

The summer ended with FanExpo, whichis the Canadian Comic Con. In thepast I’ve attended as a member of HardcoreNerdity, but this year I was there asan author guest. I have to thankAdam Smith and the Toronto Steampunk Society for inviting me as one of theirown. I got to sit on twopanels: Steampunk 101 and a panelabout Steampunk lit. Both werestanding room only, and so much fun was had with my fellow extraordinarilytalented panelists (especially the Lit one – for some reason we all had a greatchemistry together: J.M. Frey, EdGreenwood and Rob St-Martin).

I also sold out of books and gave awaysome lovely buttons based on the cover design.

Here are some pictures of me with a giant bike. I really liked the bike:

Adam Smith, Me, Lee Ann Farruga

Here I am with fellow author J.M. Frey:

And here is an interview I did withYouTube personality, Shakespearean actress, and delightful friend, CecilyJenkins:

I also did a tiny interview for InnerSPACE for the SPACE channel - Canada's version of SyFy - but as it is about Steampunk I'll share that with you tomorrow - here's a pic of it though, to keep you in suspense:

Don't I just look so full of wide-eyed wonder!

With the start of fall comes theToronto International Film Festival and our city is now buzzing with celebs andfans and all that goodness. Oncemore I participated in Bask-It-Style’s media day. Bask-It-Style is a swag bag that is sent to celebs’ hotelrooms, and the organisers, JSquared, host one day as a media event to show off what the celebs willbe getting. This time Irepresented THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE. Here I am (it's a bit fuzzy, but note the Mockingjay pin??? I got that at FanExpo, I was SO excited to get one!):

And here I am between two TorontoArgonauts (uh, that would be Toronto's football team . . .). I wish I could take themeverywhere with me, they make me feel so petite and delicate. Note how they are wearing my book buttons! (apologies for the brightness of the pic . . .):

And . . . that was last week, and wenow come to this week. Whatadventures await this writer/actress? Who knows! Edits on THEFRIDAY SOCIETY, to be sure (got those a couple weeks ago), Halloween as well(yay!), but there are likely to be surprises around the corner. I look forward to them!

That’s all for now! Come back tomorrow for your first ofmany Steampunk Tuesday Fixes!

Also Atticus says hi:

BEA 2011 Report

2011-06-02T11:00:00.029-04:00

So it's taken some time - as I've been moving house and all - but I'm feeling relatively settled in my new digs which means I have some time to share my extremely full week in NY for the Book Expo of America, along with the Backspace Writers' Conference.

It all began on a Sunday . . .

The delightful Lesley Livingston and I flew into NY Sunday morning and parted ways to get settled in our various residences. I was staying with my friend Penny, her husband Drew and their little adorable one year old, Annabel. Coincidentally, our mutual friend Courtney and her husband Aaron, and their one year old Grant were in the city at the same time, so we all had a lovely lunch together and then went to Central Park to hang out:

An oddly blue picture of (from L to R) - Courtney, Aaron, Penny and Drew - in front: Grant, Annabel.

Grant being helpful.

The day was in general quite park oriented. Lesley and I met up again and wandered through it as well, then parted ways for dinner, only to meet up again at The Algonquin (famed for it's literary history - and very pretty). There were some very interesting characters there, all having seen a performance of some kind in the other room. I wish I could have taken pictures of these people, but it would have been rude I think. But here's a picture of me and Lesley:

The next day Lesley was meeting with her agent and various editors, so I had to come up with something to do in the morning before meeting up with her in the afternoon. Thus I did my usual one museum per visit visit. This time the Museum of Natural History. I went straight for the dinosaurs. I love dinosaurs:

I don't recall what these guys are called, but I thought they were both cute and creepy and so I took a picture.

But there was more than just dinosaurs there:

The elephants in the Hall of African Mammals.

A big tree.

The famous blue whale which really is as amazing as people say it is.

When I was done I met up with Lesley to explore the Highline - an old elevated train track that has been converted into a park/artscape thing. It's fantastic. And Lesley, who wanted to visit it for research, got a lot of new ideas from checking it out. If you are in NY, I highly recommend you go, especially as the second part of it opens this month I believe.

Pics:

So this was a sign explaining about a particular art piece. It's hard to describe, but it's a two dimensional illusion of a three dimensional billboard frame. Uh . . . this is what it really looks like:

I know. It looks like a normal billboard frame. But it isn't. It's flat. Anyway . . .

LOVE these lounge chairs.

Just liked the colour contrast here, and the grumpy bird.

The Highline from below.

The Highline passed through and under many buildings, these were some really cool windows inside one of these underpasses.

I like this building.

They have this cool bit with windows where you can overlook the street below. Thus I am overlooking the street below.

And Lesley . . .

And some total strangers. A cool image of them and their reflections.

Me and Lesley inside this really cool restaurant we went to after the Highline.

Me taking a picture of myself.

That evening I joined my friend John Buxton (we both studied acting at LAMDA in the UK) to watch a staged reading of several ten minute plays written by Kentucky convicts currently incarcerated. They were really interesting, though my favourites were the ones that has nothing to do with prison, that reminded you that these men had had lives before they were in jail. Some of the writing was very strong, and next year they are sending a playwright to be a writer in residence. Kind of amazing really.

Then we went to the restaurant that John works at, Maialino, for an AMAZING dinner. Here we are in our matching shirts:

Tuesday was my day of meetings. Well just one, but it was a doosy. I met my insanely wonderful editor, Nancy Conescu, for the first time in person. My agent, Jessica Regel, and I met at the agency (totally awesome, but I'll describe it anon), and took a cab to meet Nancy for lunch (so yummy, I had Eggs Benedict and we all had dessert crepes for . . . dessert).

The first thing you need to know about Nancy is that she's adorable. Best smile ever. She's also uber enthusiastic and I was very delighted to learn that she loved THE FRIDAY SOCIETY. Remember, I sold the book on proposal and she helped me make the first 20K super awesome before she pitched it to the rest of the house. But she hadn't read the full manuscript until I finished it in April.

The thing is, almost two months had passed since then and though she and I had had several delightful back and forths on other subjects (mostly steampunk), she hadn't said a word about TFS, and I started to worry that she had something she wanted to tell me in person. Well she did. But it wasn't, "Uh, no, let's try writing this over again" but rather, "I loved it!"

Thank goodness.

After lunch we parted ways with Jessica, and Nancy took me to the Dial/Penguin offices. Let me tell you, I'm not sure how long you have to be in this biz before going to a publisher's offices isn't super awesomely cool, but I'm clearly not there yet. I LOVED the Penguin offices. So much creativity on the walls, in people's cubicles and Nancy has a totally fantastic office. If I had an office I totally would have gone to town on it like she did:

The view from her window.

And of course, a pic of me and Nancy (for some reason super yellow, not sure what was up with my camera and its colour choices that week . . .):

She introduced me to the Publisher and President of Dial, Lauri Hornik, who was delightful and so sweet (she gave me a couple board books to give to Annabel). And I also met her assistant, Andrew (who I think I'll be calling Lily from now on. Long story).

Eventually it was time to go, so I made my way up to the Hudson Hotel to meet Lesley on the rooftop patio. We had a nice little chillaxing before it was time for her to fly home:

That evening was party night. I went to the JVNLA agency party at their awesome agency. Let me tell you, it looks exactly what you think an agency should look like. Bright and painted white, on the first floor of a red brick building. Bookshelves stuffed with books EVERYWHERE. Up walls of course but over doorways, under furniture . . . everywhere. They also have a really big garden (for NY) and that's where I spent most of the party, getting to know fellow author clients including the very personable Jack Tomas and his wife Mary Beth:

Me, Jack, Jessica, Mary Beth.

Then Jessica and I, and some of the other ladies from the agency, Elizabeth Evans, Tara Hart and Laura Biagi, went party hopping. We went to the Housing Works party which was packed. My picture of it kind of sucked:

. . . so I stole this from online - the bottom corner says "Ryan Muir" so that's to whom I'm giving the credit:

We moved onto another party (don't remember where). The highlight of this party was having a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. Yes. You read that correctly. No idea why I did it, but it tasted surprisingly good. Jessica found this article on the subject the other day, so if you are curious about this strange new phenomenon you can read about it here.

Then it was time to go back to Penny's.

So I did.

Wednesday I indulged in some touristy stuff, and fan girl stuff. Yes. I went to see HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING starring Harry Potter himself: Daniel Radcliffe. The lad acquitted himself very well, and who knew he could dance like that! It was a kind of crazy experience however, as there were a few school groups up in the balcony and when he first appeared on stage the cheering was so loud it was just a wall of sound. Still, a fun afternoon.

Then I rambled through the ramble, and enjoyed Shakespeare's garden . . .

This is Shakespeare, but the statue is at the top of the Mall not in the garden. Still, it felt appropriate to post it here.

A sun dial in Shakespeare's garden.

Me in the garden. Wearing a hat.

. . . until it was time to meet up with my picture book artist/author friend Peter Brown and his ginormous posse for dinner.

Thursday was my day to actually visit BEA itself. I love BEA just as I love publishers' offices. It's big, it's noisy, and there are free books and stuff. I met with Tim Ditlow in the morning which was such a delight. Tim is the Brilliance Audio publisher I met last year at the Audie Awards. Well, actually, it's more like we went to the awards together. Here we are last year:

We got along great last year and made sure to meet up this visit again. We had a lovely chat at the Brilliance booth and then eventually we parted ways.

I wandered the hall and ran into Peter Brown again. He was signing posters of his latest book, so I got one for me and one for Annabel, and a picture of us and the giant cutout of his main character:

Then we too parted ways (there were many ways parted that week) and collected some cool books:

- Both of the Maggie Stiefvater ARCS: Forever and The Scorpio Races
- The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr for my parents who love these kind cerebral (pun intended) books.
- Pride/Prejudice by Ann Herendeen for my author friend J.M. Frey that I think is right up her alley.
- A children's board book about creatures under the sea that I gave to Annabel and can't recall the name.
- Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea
- And an ARC of Great House by Nicole Krauss

Then I left to meet another LAMDA alumn for lunch - Louis Buitendag who is also a children's book author. We chatted, then explored the Barnes & Noble at Union Square. Then . . . you got it! We parted ways.

That evening was the KidLit party organised by editor Cheryl Klein. I was a bit late as I had dinner with Penny and Drew first, but I showed up in time to meet . . . Peter Brown. Again. Met a lot of lovely people, including a manager of that very Barnes & Noble I had visited that afternoon :) . Then Peter and his posse and I went for dinner. Except I'd already eaten, so I had dessert.

Then . . . it was Friday.

Friday was the day I was attending the Backspace Writers' Conference as a panelist. I had one panel first thing in the morning (9am) about YA that I sat on with A.S. King, Barb Ferrer and Jonathan Maberry. As usual the panel went by way too fast, and discussion continued in the lobby area with some of the attendees. Then I became an attendee myself, watching several very interesting panels before getting so exhausted I needed a break. So I wandered up to Bryant Park and just sat for an hour:

I returned for the keynote by Jonathan Maberry, followed by the signing and cocktail party. This is me and author A.S. King:

This is me, A.S. King and Sarah J. Henry. We are imitating those see/hear/speak no evil monkeys. Obviously.

It was so amazing getting to meet people I only knew from online. Despite how much the internet rocks, there's nothing quite like actually being in the company of other humans :). In all it was much fun and very educational.

That night Penny's and my other mutual friend, Carrie, came from Boston to stay with Penny and Drew for the long weekend. So we had a nice quiet evening, and then the next morning the three gals went to a button shop. As one does:

Then it was time for a lovely brunch where Drew and Annabel joined us, followed by a walk up the East River.

Then it was time for me to go home. And collapse. (and then pack my entire apartment to move in two days)

Some pics with Annabel:

Mom and daughter.

An auntie and Annabel (an auntie of the friend variety in case there was any confusion).

Two aunties and an Annabel.

And thus you have the story of BEA 2011. I hope you enjoyed it :) .

At BEA this week!

2011-05-23T11:11:00.003-04:00

BEA stands for the Book Expo of America and it takes place in NY (or at least has for the last several years). It's a great time, fun publishing parties, free books, lots of authors etc. I'm going this year to meet my editor Nancy Conescu in person for the first time, and to re-connect with some other awesome publishing folk (including my AMAZING agent Jessica Regel). I'm also sitting on a panel at the end of the week at the Backspace Writers Conference.

Also I have a lot of friends in NY and I just love the city in general.

As always I'll post a re-cap upon my return, but until I do . . . let's walk down memory lane . . . my recaps from previous years . . .

BEA 2010
BEA 2009
BEA 2007

TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE shortlisted for the Red Cedar!

2011-05-20T12:36:00.004-04:00

I was seriously delighted a few years ago to learn that ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN had been nominated for the Red Cedar Award out in BC. For those of you who don't know the Red Cedar is, here's a brief description:

The Red Cedar is British Columbia’s Young Reader’s Choice book award. Every year, thousands of children between grades 4 and 7 from across the province are invited to read books from the nominated lists of non-fiction and fiction titles and vote for their favourite.

Well I am very very excited to announce that TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE got shortlisted for the 2011/2012 award this time!

It's such a cool award, and I am an uber fan of any award voted on by the actual readers, ie the kids.

So thank you so much to the Red Cedar committee and of course to BC and the awesome that is Western Canada. It's an honour.

:)

Here's a full list of nominees:

Red Cedar Fiction 2012 Nominees

The Dread Crew by Kate Inglis
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
Rex Zero: The Great Pretender by Tim Wynne-Jones
Walking Backward by Catherine Austin
After the Fire by Becky Citra
Faerie Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
The Ship of Lost Souls by Rachelle Delaney
The Giant Slayer by Iain Lawrence
Zoobreak by Gordon Korman
Dear Canada: A Desperate Road to Freedom Karleen Bradford
Timothy and the Dragon's Gate by Adrienne Kress
The Prince of Neither Here nor There by Sean Cullen

Red Cedar Information Award 2012 Nominees

Charlie: a Home Child’s Life in Canada by Beryl Young
Learn to Speak Music by John Crossingham
The Insecto-files by Helaine Becker
Big Train: the Legendary Ironman of Sport by Lionel Conacher. Richard Brignal
Fighting for Gold by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Pharaohs and Foot Soldiers by Kristin Butcher
Animal Aha! Thrilling Discoveries in Wildlife Science by Diane Swanson
It’s a Snap! George Eastman’s First Photograph. Monica Kulling.
Whispers from the Ghettos by Kathy Kacer & Sharon Mckay
Hoaxed: Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science by The Editors of YES Magazine
How to Build Your Own Country by Valerie Wyatt.
100% Pure Fake by Lyn Thomas
Out of this World: The Amazing Search for an Alien Earth by Jacob Berkowitz
You Are Weird: Your Body’s Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions by Diane Swanson
Kaboom! Explosions of all Kinds by Gillian Richardson

Climbing into a Bookshelf in Four Easy Steps

2011-05-18T12:27:00.003-04:00

Because my life isn't just acting and writing . . .

I'm moving at the end of the month to my very first home that I actually own (well, condo), and the packing has sort of taken over everything. Fortunately I have a very savvy cat that keeps me entertained.

(the boxes you see him in are FrogBoxes - a company that rents out reusable boxes for moving, really cool)

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

My Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition Video is finally up!

2011-05-13T13:05:00.007-04:00

Yup! I know y'all have been waiting for it, and finally it's here! Thanks to the amazing Nadine Bell and MakeGoWork who helped me edit the thing together, I now have a lovely 5 minute video of some of what made the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition so totally awesome!

So, here below is my report on the con, my very first attempt to produce and direct a segment like this. I got some pretty cool interviews with the likes of Meinert Hansen - concept/design artist for such films as the 300, Spiderwick Chronicles, Stranger Than Fiction and Silent Hill; musician Genevieve Young from Psyche Corporation; and the gang from Mental Floss Sideshow, who gives us a lovely exclusive performance. And of course many others (including some of Professor Elemental‘s fabulous show).

Check it out!

A couple cool "me" things . . .

2011-05-06T11:01:00.005-04:00

Like the title suggests . . . here's a couple cool things about me that I've discovered recently.

First - Kirkus reviewed CORSETS & CLOCKWORK, and my story "The Clockwork Corset" got a nice special mention along with two other stories (yay!):

"The best stories are those that most closely adhere a fairly traditional definition of steampunk in manners, machinery and punk spirit, like Frewin Jones’ weirdly wonderful “The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe,” with its half-mer cannibal heroine and a plucky boy who might be true love or just a snack; Adrienne Kress’ “The Clockwork Corset,” high romance with a spunky cross-dressing heroine; and Kiersten White’s excellent closing tale, “Tick, Tick, Boom,” whose narrator is a machinist and noble’s daughter who falls for an anarchist."

Next - Nathan, the French publisher of ALEX is re-releasing it as a mass market paperback. And they are doing it with a brand spanking new really fantastic cover.

Here is the cover:

Here is the artwork on its own (click on it to see it in larger detail - Giggles the cat makes me laugh out loud - lol, as it were):

And here are a couple sketches of the cover as a work in progress:

The latter images I discovered just by accident on the artist's blog: Le Grand Vrac! Check it out, he's got some amazing illustrations and images in general up.

Lastly - the Canadian Steampunk Exhibition has been getting some decent press around the net. I'm still working on putting my video together (or rather my awesome editor friend is working on the rough cut right now), but in the meantime check out these links covering the event (I'm even mentioned in the Torontoist!) - SPACE (Canada's SyFy channel), Studio 12 News - the event is covered at the 7:50 mark.

Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition Report

2011-05-02T22:22:00.010-04:00

So the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition was this past weekend and it was bloody brilliant! I had such a great time, meeting some really cool new people, and sitting on some truly awesome panels.

My favourite panel of course would have to be the one where I did a reading from THE FRIDAY SOCIETY. It was the first time I'd ever shared the book with anyone aside from my editor and agent, and I am very happy to report that the audience seemed to enjoy it. They laughed at the right spots, and came up to me after to compliment me on the writing, saying they couldn't wait to read the whole thing. If only 2012 wasn't so darn far away! The reading was moderated by the fab Liana K who asked some really cool questions, and there was a lot of audience participation and we had some pretty sweet conversations going. Thank you so much to all who came to listen to me, it meant a lot.

But my other panels were nothing to sniff at either. I learned a lot from my fellow panelists on both of them: Kenneth Shelley, J. M. Frey, Mike Perschon and Alexandra Gerlach. We each had our own interests in Steampunk, from writing fiction to costuming, to Mr. Perschon doing, you know, his PhD on the subject. Really really cool.

What was also cool? Well everything. Professor Elemental's brilliant rap performance in the evening ("When I say Earl Grey you say Lovely!"), I've never raised the roof with my pinky finger before. Meeting a host of very talented people who I'll be featuring in a video I'm editing together on the con - stay tuned. Seeing all the awesome wares for sale, and just chillaxing in the green room with delightful funny and brilliant people.

Special thanks go to Adam Smith, Liana K, and Lee Ann Farruga for organising the event. It ran like a well oiled machine - maybe something with lots of moving clockwork parts maybe - and this was the very first CNSE ever. Well done! Here's hoping for many many more!

My photographs are few and far between as I was also filming a lot of the con. Said final video will go up once it's actually edited together. And of course the con had so much going on and so many different parts to it, that I just couldn't be all places.

With that said, here are the few pictures I DID take.

First of all . . . me.

Here are my two outfits I wore that day. Hardly as spectacular as some that were present, but I think they were still pretty cool. Day wear and evening wear, augmented with my amazing Steampunk jewelry which I shared in a post below:

This is Professor Elemental and his performance (Kenneth Shelley is milking the audience for more applause):

This is author J.M. Frey and me photographed with the good professor:

A Steampunk Captain Kirk:

Me and the amazing concept/design artist (he worked on 300, Spiderwick Chronicles, Stranger Than Fiction etc) Meinert Hansen:

How amazing is he? Well see this picture I took of Kenneth Shelley and Ashley Regimbal-Kung?

In twenty minutes, sitting on that couch that we were photographed on together, laptop in lap . . . Mr. Hansen turned it into this:

I know. Seriously amazing right??

Last but not least . . . a mouse wearing chainmail and holding a dagger:

A More Concise Definition of Steampunk

2011-04-29T11:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I attempted to concisely define what Steampunk was in my post Steampunk Goodness. My friend Katie (who designed my jewelry in said post) said it was a very excellent definition, but that she knew of an even more concise one. She sent it to me. I agreed.

Thus:

Steampunk Goodness

2011-04-28T10:52:00.013-04:00

Steampunk.

Steampunk?

While more and more the word is making its way into popular vernacular, I realise that not everyone automatically knows what the heck it means. For example, when I say my debut YA The Friday Society (Dial, 2012), is a Steampunk Charlie's Angels without the Charlie. . . I imagine there are people out there going, "Charlie's Angels without the Charlie, sounds neat . . . but, uh, what the heck is Steampunk?"

Now, I might do a longer "history of" or "long winded definition of" later, but right now, since I have other stuff to talk about, I thought I'd do a very short definition here.

Steampunk is: contemporary science fiction set in a Victorian/Edwardian world.

Kind of like Jules Verne or H.G. Wells - except that Steampunk is a modern style. Modern authors writing as if they were back in the olden days. Verne and Wells were writing science fiction back in that period itself. So. Movies: think WILD WILD WEST, or THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, or, to a certain extent, the most recent SHERLOCK HOLMES. Books: LEVIATHAN (Scott Westerfeld), THE HUNCHBACK ASSIGNMENTS (Arthur Slade), and SOULLESS (Gail Carriger). Basically ask yourself, "If I was living in Victorian times, and I was capable of creating, say, a machine that could fly to the moon, what tools from that period would I use to get there?" So . . . steam, for one thing, clockwork pieces, winches and wires and pulleys oh my!

Here's an amusing Steampunk image (if anyone knows the name of artist, please let me know):

See - a carriage powered by steam and clockwork pieces, with Victorian gentlemen hunting a tiny rabbit with science fiction like weaponry.

There is more to the genre than just the science fiction, though it is the core of it. There's a lot about reflecting current society, discussing class structure . . . and of course . . . there are the pretty pretty costumes.

Because Steampunk has evolved from not just a literary movement but into also an aesthetic movement.

Which brings me to my first thing:

I'm doing a Steampunk con this weekend, the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition, and to augment my costumes (pictures to be posted post con) I decided I wanted some gorgeous jewelry to go with them.

I got into writing Steampunk just in the last couple years. A very good friend of mine, Katie, who I grew up with, went to arts schools with (she was a dance major, I was a drama major) was in New Zealand for a few years and coincidental also got into Steampunk . . . into making Steampunk jewelry that is.

When she came back we were amazed to discover our parallel attraction to Steampunk. And we agreed to an exchange. I'd give her a copy of TIMOTHY, and she'd make me a necklace (I, uh, loved two of them so much that I just bought the second one :) ).

Here's me wearing them - so you get a sense of their proportions - along with some closeups of them. Aren't they amazing??? (one of them is reversible!)

If you do indeed think they are amazing, here's her etsy page. Here's her email as well: tempusluna AT gmail.com Please check her out.

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On the second Steampunk note, as I already said, I'll be at the Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition this weekend. I'll be attending just as any other fan on Friday night, watching performances and checking out the artists' stalls. But Saturday is when I'm doing panels and such. If you do plan on coming, please come up and say hi. I'm a nice person, and "hi" is just such a lovely word.

Here's my schedule:

CANADIAN NATIONAL STEAMPUNK EXHIBITION
Saturday April 30, 2011
Toronto, Canada

12 Noon: Roundtable Guest Autograph Session, Melville

Step right up! Step right up! Get your memorabilia 10-in-1 experience right here! Yes ladies and gentlemen, you will see the finest talent the CNSE has to offer, in one place, at one time, and ready to sign autographs! Merchandise will also be available for sale.

Participants: Professor Elemental, Maureen Jennings, Adrienne Kress, and more!

3pm: Steampunk Young Adult Fiction with Adrienne Kress

The author of Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, and a contributor to Corsets and Clockwork, will share her thoughts on writing steampunk for younger readers. Plus, she will preview her upcoming new steampunk series, The Friday Society. Moderated by: Liana K

4pm: How I got into Steampunk, Beaufort West

By accident or by design? Hear how established pros in costuming and literature found their way into the theme of steam.

Panelists: Alexandra Gerlach, Adrienne Kress, J. M. Frey, Kenneth Shelley

6pm: Steampunk Literature, Beaufort West

What's good, what's not; what's required reading and what are some hidden gems you may have missed. Our panel of experts shares its reading lists from the varied perspectives of an academic, a reviewer, and a writer in the genre!

Panelists: Mike Perschon, Nancy Overbury, Adrienne Kress

The Temp, The Actress and The Writer

Steampunk Tuesday - Interview With Professor Elemental

And then . . . it was February.

A Few Of My Favourite (Genre) Things of 2011

In Which I Express My Love For Book Covers

Looking forward . . .

The Most Interesting Nerd In The World

Once Every Never - Lesley Livingston

Steampunk Tuesday - a response to Gawker's post about Bieber's Steampunk music video

Temping Poetry

Some Painters from the Past

Steampunk Tuesday - Cool Steampunk Lego Creations!

From the Archives - THE NEW YA

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

The New YA

Processed Cheese and a Man Named Fred

From my blog archives: Chasing Trends

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

HUNGER GAMES trailer

"Hangman" Reading - by Jason Maghonoy

Steampunk Tuesday - Social Gatherings

THE PATTERN SCARS - by Caitlin Sweet

Steampunk Tuesday - The Steampunk Scholar! aka Mike Perschon

Social Networking 101

Steampunk Tuesday - Books!

Toronto's Roald Dahl Day!

Sun Oct 23; 11-4pm $10 (All Dahl Pass) The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St West

‘What would happen if James discovered the Giant Peach in today’s Toronto?’

Steampunk Tuesday - The Next Big Thing?

Inkygirl - Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Steampunk Tuesday - Movies

Singer/Songwriter Liz Jaremyn

Steampunk Tuesday - Cool Stuff

Why I Write For Children

Friday Links

Creating Characters

FALLING UNDER - Danielle Younge-Ullman

Steampunk Tuesday - Videos

Potent Quotables

Riot A.C.T

Steampunk Tuesday - Archetypal Costumes!

Writing as Problem Solving

Friday Links

A Small Thought on Speaking in Public

Robert J. Wiersema's WALK LIKE A MAN

Steampunk Tuesday!

Summer Recap and a Super Awesome Plan!

BEA 2011 Report

At BEA this week!

TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE shortlisted for the Red Cedar!

Climbing into a Bookshelf in Four Easy Steps

My Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition Video is finally up!

A couple cool "me" things . . .

Canadian National Steampunk Exhibition Report

A More Concise Definition of Steampunk

Steampunk Goodness

Sun Oct 23; 11-4pm $10 (All Dahl Pass)
The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St West