Reread complete! For now...

This blog was possible because I had previously read the entirety of The Wheel of Time and could use my foreknowledge when I examined the writing techniques employed. Since I have not read A Memory of Light even once, the blog will go on hiatus for a few months while I let the final book percolate in my mind before filling in the posts on the last book.

However, I’ll have one more post before I take a break, which is a lengthy set of predictions for A Memory of Light based on the work posted here.

In the meantime, I offer a quick review of my objectives with this blog project, and some advice to writers.

First, I wanted to reread The Wheel of Time, and I did, enjoying it thoroughly yet again, and it only took me twelve months, twice as long as expected yet comfortably within the allotted time, with almost 24 hours to spare before I acquire my copy of A Memory of Light.

Second, I wanted to learn from Robert Jordan’s writing, and I did, leaving myself some 200 Writing Lessons, which I will consolidate at some not too distant date, for both my use and yours.

Third, I wanted to establish writing habits. The 50 page review format gave enough material to fill 700-1100 words per post, and I was able to post slightly more than every 2^nd night over an entire year. A handful of posts took 3 hours to write, the quickest were 800 words per hour. Aiming to write every day is critical. Most of my writing was before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m., often up until 2 to 3 a.m. In total I wrote approximately 200 000 words, a nice chunk of a typical Wheel of Time novel. Without having to do the reading, study, and analysis, I feel confident project Woolly Coelodont can proceed at a decent pace as I attempt to write a full novel of my own this spring.

Fourth, I wanted a last chance to theorize about the final book of the series. That post should be up tomorrow.

Lastly, I created a permanent tool for fans of Robert Jordan’s work, and for budding writers like myself. Creating something unique is rewarding. I hope you will find what I made here fun and useful.

Thanks to Tamyrlin at Theoryland for a plug or two and driving some traffic to the blog. I decided that the tool would be most rewarding and useful for readers if it was scholarly, had no ads, and aimed to be direct and to the point, focusing on theme and writing over plot, influences and humour. I apologize if it’s dry by times, but that was an intentional attempt to fill a new niche.

Let me know what you thought!

Writing Lessons:

Set realistic daily writing goals. Accomplish them.

Can*Con 2012

I took a few days off from posting to attend Can*Con 2012, a science-fiction convention in Ottawa, Ontario with a heavy lean towards producing works of science-fiction (and speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.). Since this is a writing blog, I’ll give you some details on what you can get out of conventions as a writer.

This convention is well worth attending! I can only tell my part, but with three rooms booked with panel after panel all day, I can at best see a third of the Convention. What a third it was!

Can*Con gathered some 200 fans, writers, editors, artists, scientists, and media folk involved with or interested in science-fiction. In attending, you not only get to rub shoulders with veterans of the field, they will happily give you advice, encouragement and guidance related to various panel topics.

Conventions often involve writer’s workshops, which are great, though there were sadly none this year. However, a pitch session in which writers have 5 minutes to present their novel projects to a panel and receive feedback on how to perfect their pitch was my personal highlight of the weekend. The editors at ChiZine and the wonderfully direct and helpful Violette Malan made up the panel. I wish I’d had a completed or near-completed project to pitch instead of the short story idea I had to whip out from the back of my brain, but the experience was still insightful and confidence-building. I’ll be ready next year.

Through a variety of panels I learned there are several times more markets to sell short fiction and novels than I had previously known. Fans and writers are very eager to share what they know, and there is a real community feeling that everyone wants everyone else to succeed as much as they want to succeed themselves. Not all markets pay, but many of those still have material you can read online for free.  Reading from each of these teaches you what that particular set of editors looks for in a story, which matters, because the main reason editors buy or publish stories is that they like them, and what they like varies from editor to editor. So does the allowed story length! In the order they were mentioned to me over the weekend, consider ‘reading’ or submitting stories to: Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Pseudopod, Escape Artist, Podcastle, EscapePod, AE SCIFI, Ideomancer, Clarke’s World, Lightspeed, Nightmare, Strange Horizons, Tor, Drabblecast, Starship Sofa, Asimov’s, Analog, Fantasy And Science-Fiction Magazine, Abyss & Apex, OnSpec, Angry Robot, Science Fiction World (China!), ChiZine, Imaginarium, and the many anthologies published by individual authors and small presses such as Tesseracts, or new release Blood and Water, many of which are advertised on Ralan or Duotrope. Phew!

Panels on the business end of writing were fascinating. Consistent advice is that you should learn about contracts, dollars and cents, tax codes, agencies, differences between countries, creator’s rights; in effect, the entire business of writing and publishing, since one way or the other it will affect you somehow. Several resources recommended and panned by those who’ve tried them.

On a panel about self-publishing, the irrepressible Melissa Yuan-Innes reminded me why I always had a yearning for self-publishing in my heart, and vigourous assent from sci-fi humorist Ira Nayman, Gaelic  fantasy writer S.M. Carriere, and comic book self-publisher Tara Tallen reinforced the feeling.

Doing this year-long (formerly 6 months) analysis of the Wheel of Time, I can’t help analyzing any writing I read, or in this case hear, as several writers read fascinating excerpts of their books. Some have strong dialogue, some have spot-on humour, some pull you gently along. Noting the presence or absence of several of the techniques I’ve identified in this blog was rewarding. Not that there is anything wrong with each of these particular writer’s works, I’m just happy that my brain seems trained to do this analysis on its own, picking out spots I would have substituted a word, reinforced the theme, or simply appreciated the perfection of a well-crafted paragraph.

It’s also immense fun meeting people whose dreams mirror yours so well, you can easily fall into meaningful conversation with someone you met moments ago. Can’t help smiling when you talk with Pam, Derek, Paul, Violette, Tim, Jean-Louis, Hayden, Kate, Sonia, Liz, Ira, Emily, Becky, Brett, Brian, and a host of others on panels, in the audience, or behind the scenes.

In summary, conventions are opportunities to learn more about your craft, make contacts for future publication, make friends who share your goals, gain confidence, and be inspired. If you have a local writing convention, attend it. If you can make it to Ottawa next September for Can*Con and the 33^rd Canadian science fiction convention with the Aurora Awards, do it. It promises to be an even better experience for writers.

Writing Lessons: Ask questions. Listen well to the answers.

Writing exercise

I tried to take some of what I've been writing about and apply it. Wasn't able to do much else what with the stream of visitors and other events as you'll see below. Enjoy! Regular posting resumes tomorrow.

West the wind blew, raising lazy dust devils and swirls of grit, carrying sand across trackless barren miles of dry landscape. Funneled between rough stony spires and jumbles of rock that had been piled in heaps during the Breaking and since laid undisturbed, the wind gasped as it struggled to rise the slopes of the all but impassable Spine of the World. Into Jangai Pass the wind beat weakly against a cliff face carved into a serpent twirling about a staff, supposedly a symbol of healing from the Age of Legends.  Further on, ancient stone piers clung to a mountainside, the ocean they served long since dried away along with all other evidence of moisture, as though the land itself had been thoroughly wrung.

The last wheeze of wind lifted a flap of the sweat tent, briefly troubling tent’s lone occupant. Sweat and dim light offered no comfort, his affliction had the whole camp in a furor. Wise Ones were hardly ever patient, less so than ever for this.  The mighty Great Lord of the Dark had a man-cold.