Morven Westfield's Live Journal

Writer's Block: Cyber Monday Shopping

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:01:34 GMT

Cyber Monday is the new Black Friday. What gadgets and gizmos are you shopping online for today?

Sponsored by LifeScoop: Bringing You Tips for a Connected Lifestyle.

iPod Touch

Things I am thankful for right now |-(

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:19:22 GMT

I am thankful that I was looking straight ahead and not in my rearview mirror or down at my speedometer.

I am thankful that the speed limit on that section of road was not 65.

I am thankful that I have lived in this area long enough now to know that the whitetails around here usually don't travel alone.

I am thankful that I just had my brakes redone a couple of weeks ago.

I am thankful that I had enough tread left on my tires to come to a screeching halt when I saw deer two and three.

I am thankful that there was no one behind me when I did.

I am thankful that all EIGHT deer made it across the road, just a couple of feet in front of my bumper...

Vampires, Witches, & Geeks News episode

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:21:08 GMT

The next news episode of Vampires, Witches, & Geeks is up at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Topics:
Smoke & Mirrors - The Gothic Magician (Don Deitch) through Oct 31 in Salem, MA
Twilight Tee Shirts
Being Human (BBC TV series)
Valemont
I Kissed A Vampire (web series musical)
New Vampire Fiction -- Gideon Redoak
Paul Huson Interviewed in Witches' Almanac
Marion Weinstein Dies
Audacity 1.3.9.
My News: WitchTalk Interview, Kindle Editions of My Books, Listened to Breaking Dawn and Dead to the World, Witches' Almanac Article

Renaming

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:54:29 GMT

Found a great resource for picking character names, and it's none other than a government entity!

Yes, folks, the Social Security Administration does more than dole out retirement and disability checks. You can get popular names by birth year, starting with 1879! Oooh, ooh! You can even "See how the popularity of a name has changed over time!"

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Just had to share. Now, back to renaming a character in a short story I'm working on.

Real Life 1, Writing 0

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:58:00 GMT

Harrumph. I've been catching up on my writing by using my lunch time at work, which means that I haven't been doing errands and bill paying and...

So now I'm catching up. Or should I say that now LIFE is catching up -- with me!

Ooops. I just remembered I left some wet clothes in the washer.

Well, that was easy :-)

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:58:29 GMT

The interview on Karagan's WitchTalk live podcast was much easier than I expected. Karagan is such a good host, and he had a good group in the chat room who made it a lot of fun.

As I type this, I'm listening to the archive of the show. It's funny listening to it, knowing that I was trying to sit very still because the mute button on my headset doesn't work properly. It was strange listening to Karagan read my bio, knowing it was going across the internet as he spoke. I know some people say that podcasts will never replace radio, but it sure felt the same to me.

So far, it sounds good, though at first Karagan sounded distant. After that, we sounded pretty equal, which is good. Karagan has a great sense of humor, so we joke around a bit, which makes it sound really relaxed.

Look at the time. I think I'm going to have to stop listening now and upload it to my iPod and listen to it on the way to work tomorrow. I'll let you know how it sounds.

The sweet smell of success!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:36:07 GMT

I'm always genuinely happy when writer friends make their break. Friend, former co-worker, and excellent poet Michelle Cameron’s THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS goes on sale today! (www.michelle-cameron.com). It's being published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.

She got an excellent review from Jewish Woman Magazine and a mention in Jewish Week's Art Preview. I think that Jewish Week summed it up best, hitting the points that really excited me about Michelle's book:

"When Michelle Cameron was researching her family history, she came to learn about an ancestor, the 13th century scholar Rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg. Trying to find a way to write about his life, she invented his wife, a pious woman with a streak of rebelliousness. “The Fruit of Her Hands: The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz” (Pocket, September) is a multi-generational novel, set in medieval Europe, as anti-Semitism is rising. Cameron, who moved to Israel with her family when she was a teenager, served in the Israeli Army and now lives in New Jersey."

The celebrations start on Thursday, September 10, at 7 PM. Michelle will be reading and signing in the Park Avenue Borders in New York City.

Thursday, September 10, 7 PM
Park Avenue Barnes & Noble
461 Park Avenue
New York, NY

Pi-Con, Day One

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:07:25 GMT

Drove through an incredible downpour on the way here. It was so bad at one point that I couldn't see the car in front of me. I don't like pulling off the side of a major highway unless I absolutely have to, knowing two people whose cars were hit when they were pulled over, but I had no choice. Numerous cars were doing the same, which made it tricky, trying to pull over without pulling into someone. As I sat there waiting for the rain to slow down, I kept watch out my side view mirrors, looking for someone who looked like they were about to veer into me.

Fortunately, I didn't see that, but I did see idiots driving through this horrendous rainstorm without their lights on! The way I could tell that there was something in the road was because I could see a very dark shape behind or in front of a car that had its lights on. Maybe they were just too distracted by the storm to remember to put their lights on?

I just played Rock Band for the first time and got 100% on Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" and 92% on Aerosmith's "Train Kept a Rollin'." Don't get too impressed; I wasn't doing anything difficult like drums. I was singing.

Right now I'm sitting in the hall of the hotel, taking advantage of the free WiFi, trying to stay awake for a 1:00 panel. Inanna Arthen is here, too, sitting in a chair to my left. We get lots of people stopping and commenting on our laptops. (She and I are both have netbooks.)

Fortunately I don't have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll be able to sleep in a bit.

What was I thinking?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:12:33 GMT

Next weekend is going to be totally packed with Mary Shelley events. I still have some things to prepare for the event (like what I'm going to read, gulp!) and this weekend would be perfect for it... Except for the fact that I have a totally jam-packed weekend at Pi-Con!

When I first signed up for Pi-Con and the panels, I didn't know we'd be doing Mary Shelley the following weekend. I think I would have gone anyway, though I think I would have gone lighter on the panels ;-) Pi-Con is a relatively new convention (this is its fourth year), but it's a really interesting con. It's got a variety of different panels that you don't see at other events (costume-making, LARP writing, how to write a graphic novel, Gender in SF/F/H Fiction, Steampunk Parts and Crafts, and so on) and the atmosphere is vibrant and friendly. Pi-Con is "An Event for Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks" being held this year in Enfield, CT, not far from where they usually hold it in Springfield, MA.

I'll be moderating and participating in a number of panels. Here are the ones I'll be participating in or leading:

Sat 1:00 pm – Not All Vampires Sparkle
Sat 7:00 pm – Autograph session
Sat 8:00 pm – Tech Tools for Writers (Moderator)

Sun 10:00 am – Podcasting 101 (Moderator)
Sun 11:00 am – Podcasting Demo (Moderator)
Sun 1:00 pm – Reading

Pi-Con (August 21-23, 2009)
Held at
Crowne Plaza Hotel
ENFIELD-SPRINGFIELD
1 Bright Meadow Blvd.
Enfield, CT 06082
Tel: 860.741.2211

My dates with Frankie

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:12:16 GMT

I'm a member of Broad Universe, an international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. There are a lot of us in New England, so when someone suggested having local events to celebrate the 212th anniversary of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, we were able to pull together a quick whirlwind tour.

We're going to be discussing Mary Shelley, her novel Frankenstein, and how the themes of that novel are found in our own work. It's almost like being in school again -- studying the text, looking at cheat sheets, and wondering what I'm going to write for my paper ;-)

Here's our schedule. At this time I'm scheduled to go to every single event. Yes, every single event. One of these days I have to learn to say no to things! ;-) It should be fun, though.

(You can see this entire list and even links to some nice posters for the events at www.morvenwestfield.com/signings.shtml )

Mary Shelley's Birthday Celebration
(August 27-30, 2009)

Join New England women writers from the international organization, Broad Universe, as they honor the 212th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s birth. Learn about the amazing life and work of a woman whose vision reached far ahead of her time. Hear the truth about the original “mad scientist” and his creation.

Thursday, August 27th, 6:30 - 8:00
Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main Street, Southbridge, MA 01550
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy author Trisha J. Wooldridge

Saturday, August 29th, 10:00 AM to noon
Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St, Nashua, NH 03060-3475
Vampire fiction writer Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Saturday, August 29th, 2:00 to 4:00
Toadstool Books, Lorden Plaza, Milford, NH 03055
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Justine Graykin and Julie Andrews

Sunday, August 30th, noon - 2:00 at
Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Sunday, August 30th, 4:00 - 6:00 at
Back Pages Books, 289 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Vampire fiction writers Inanna Arthen and Morven Westfield, past Nebula Award nominee Jennifer Pelland, and SF/Fantasy authors Elaine Isaak, Phoebe Wray, Trisha J. Wooldridge and Julie Andrews

Necon, Day Two

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:05:41 GMT

As with most conventions I've attended this year, numbers are down at Necon. There are a few friends that aren't here and a few fellow writers who I enjoy listening to on panels or during hall conversations. Still, it's been a good convention so far because I've been able to have longer conversations with some of my friends and acquaintances who are here.

We're at a small convention center instead of the main campus and my major complaint is that the coffee is way too weak. Of course, I have to balance that against the fact that I'm able to get free WiFi

Interview with Cornelia Amiri

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:48:35 GMT

Before driving away to Readercon, I managed to post another podcast episode at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Vampiric fey! Give it a listen. I'll be posting her readings after I return from Readercon.

At Readercon this weekend

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:37:02 GMT

The last couple of years Readercon has added an extra night - Thursday night - free of charge, to anyone who shows up. Once again, though, I couldn't get everything done in time Thursday at the day job to make it in time. I had hoped to leave early from work today, but once again, things kept me busy. And then there was the accident on 128 (or whatever they want to call it -- is it Rte 95 at that point? Rte 93? Rte 3? Rte 3.1415926?) which delayed me an hour.

Still, I arrived safely, without getting lost, so I'm not complaining. I had loaded my iPod with the audio version of the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, which I've actually already read, but that I wanted to hear again so I'd have the story in my mind as I watched the second season of True Blood. Producer Alan Ball has said that the series won't follow the books directly, and I'm fine with that. I just think it's fun to see what he's changed. Listening to the book made the traffic jam less irritiating, but it was sstill pretty irritating, especially since I drive a standard transmission and had to keep shifting and clutching.

I'm having a quick glass of wine with hubby and then I'm calling it a night so I can get up bright and early tomorrow to get in before the first session at 10.

On Sunday at noon I'll be reading with Broad Universe in the Vermont conference room. If you're at the con, stop in and listen. I think there are 10 of us doing short excerpts from our work. It's always interesting to hear such a diverse selection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

True blood, truly fangtastic

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:02:10 GMT

Great season opener. I'm not going to spoil it, but I've just got to say it had a good mixture of horror and humor, along with the romance.

Kung Fu star dies

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:25:11 GMT

Yes, yes, I know that actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s "Kung Fu" TV series is rolling over in the morgue seeing the heading of this post because he had an impressive and far-ranging career without that series, but it's from that series that I know of him.

That series, in which he played Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest, had a big impact on pop culture, if I remember correctly. Suddenly things from Asia were interesting and the spiritual aspect of martial arts became unveiled.

But more than that, it influenced many young men (and women, I'm sure) to follow a disciplined path, and one such person became the basis for my non-vampire character Evan in The Old Power Returns. At one point (no pun intended), the vampire Frederick taunts Evan, calling him "Kung Fu man," a direct allusion to Carradine's character.

We'll miss you, David.

Saturday at WisCon

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:15:37 GMT

I just posted my blog from Saturday at morvenwestfield.blogspot.com/

In it I have brief comments on the following panels:

"So You Want to be Published"
"Book View Cafe: A New Venture in Online Publishing"
"Treatment of Aging in Science Fiction"
"Witches and Wizards: Gender and Power in Portrayals of Magic"

Writer's Block: Call Me

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:36:25 GMT

Do you still use a landline at home, or do you rely completely on your cell phone?

View 502 Answers

I still have a landline. If we lose electricity, and my cell phone's not charged, I still have communication.

Another reason for keeping a landline is for phone interviews. I have a podcast (www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com) and do interviews either using Skype or over the phone. Cell phones generally don't have the best quality sound, though I'm sure that depends on the phone and the carrier. Still, I've had the best results when the interviewer has a landline, wired phone (not a cordless).

Post-trip malaise

Sun, 31 May 2009 20:40:56 GMT

I seem to have caught a cold on the flight home. I have a sore throat, sore sinuses, earache, and just feel blah. I cough all night and thank my lucky stars that I have a guest room I can crawl to and not keep DH awake.

Still, I had to get a podcast out, and I did, raspy voice and all. It's at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:54:28 GMT

The days flow together so much that I have to constantly remind myself what day it is. Sunday, Today is Sunday. Tomorrow I fly home.

Attended two panels in the morning, one on getting published, the other on Book View Cafe. Yes, just about every con I attend has a panel on being published, but it's interesting to hear different viewpoints and to keep an eye on industry changes. Besides, occasionally you hear something phrased just a little differently that makes a point so much more poignant. For example, we all know that a cover letter for a submission should be professional, interesting, and without grammatical error because it represents you and your writing ability. One panelist, though, phrased it in a way that really drives home how important it is. She said, "It sets up an expectation in the editor's mind." In other words, if your cover letter is only mediocre, but the editor decides to read a page of your submission anyway, the editor starts reading with the bias that the writing is probably going to be mediocre, too.

Book View Cafe: Very interesting project by some very talented women. I'll let the site speak for itself: http://www.bookviewcafe.com/ I registered while attending the panel. (Don't you just love free WiFi?)

Speaking of talented women, I met catherineldf, who I had interviewed for Vampires, Witches, and Geeks. She and her partner are absolutely wonderful (darn, I forgot to congratulate them in person on their upcoming nuptuals) , of course (I expected no less). One of their friends, S. N. Arly, is going to be on the panel I'm moderating on Monday morning and it was nice to meet her ahead of time.

Took a turn at the broaduniverse table, where I met author Larrissa Niec, who was also volunteering at the table. We had a lot of people stopping by between panels. WisCon has this wonderful schedule where there's usually a 15-minute break between panels. It gives you time to go to the toilet or make a quick stop at a vendor or information table.

I attended two more panels Saturday evening: Treatment of Aging in Science Fiction and Witches and Wizards, both quite interesting and well attended. The Witches and Wizards one, which focused on how the two are portrayed differently in fiction (at least in the past) ran from 10:30 until 11:45 but was interesting enough to keep me awake.

After that, I visited the party floor and flitted from room to room, sometimes seeing people I knew and other times striking up conversations with panelists who had impressed me or absolute strangers. I felt more at ease than I did last year, my first year at the convention. WisCon has a panel for first-time attendees, but I missed it both years. Maybe next year I can make it ;-)

Well, an evening of events awaits and I just realized that I forgot to eat. That meal replacement bar I had as backup won't last for long, I'm sure, so I think I'd better get changed and try to stop somewhere on the way. I could get something at the hotel here, but I'm not really that hungry. Hmmm. Maybe I'll wait and then see what shows up at tonight's parties.

Live from WisCon...

Fri, 22 May 2009 20:26:45 GMT

I thought I'd have plenty of time to blog in the evening, but last night I got busy sorting out things I'd need for today's events and today I've spent the time getting ready for this evening's events :-)

For lunch I wandered down State St and got a Gyro from Parthenon Gyros, It was excellent, but HUGE! Now I'm ready for a nap ;-) BUT, nap I can't because I've got plenty to do to prepare for tonight's opening cermonies (I'm participating in a skit) and the Broad Universe reading at 10:30 pm. After that, I'll be ready to crash, I'm sure.

New episode of Vampires, Witches, & Geeks

Sun, 17 May 2009 18:42:05 GMT

Tate Hallaway Reads from Dead if I Do
• May 17th, 2009

Author Tate Hallaway reads from her latest novel, Dead if I Do, which came out in May 2009. You think you had problems when your parents met your fiance? Think again as you enjoy this reading from Tate’s latest.

Listen to the episode at www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

Visit Tates’s web site at www.TateHallaway.com

Palm calendar import problem SOLVED (sort of)

Sun, 17 May 2009 14:56:59 GMT

Okay, so I have tons to do and what did I spend most of yesterday on? Trying to resolve a calendar import problem.

Short story: I wanted to import my Palm desktop calendar into Yahoo so that I could try using Yahoo as my calendar.

I'm using v4.1.4 of Palm Desktop. In the Calendar view, if you choose Export, you can save as either:

Calendar Archive (*.dba)
Datebook Archive (*.dba)

I chose the first one, not realizing there were two, or maybe I just thought the first one was the one I should use. It created the .DBA file successfully, but when I tried to import it into Yahoo, I got the following error message:

Yahoo! Calendar Problem (Code 0)

I searched the internet to see if anyone else had the same problem and there were plenty of people who did, but I couldn't find a solution that worked for me.

Somehow yesterday I noticed that there was that second export choice, Datebook Archive. I tried it and it works, sort of.

When I imported the correct .dba file, I got ALL events, including old repeating events that had ended. That might not sound bad, but I've been using Palm Desktop since I got my first Palm Pilot back in something like 1997 or 1998. Having all my old repeating events show up in my Yahoo calendar made it totally unusable.

I tried this:

1. Made a copy of my Palm Desktop user file.
2. In Palm Desktop, used the purge feature to get rid of any dates more than 1 month old.
3. Exported as a Datebook Archive (second export choice).
4. In Yahoo, I erased my Yahoo calendar (great feature, but as they say, use with caution).
5. I imported the new, smaller file.

That worked so that now I have all my current events in Yahoo, but not the history. Since the history is important to me, I'll still keep my Palm Desktop. Maybe I'll try exporting Yahoo data and importing it into Palm. Still not an opmtimal solution, but I'm getting there.

Getting ready for WisCon

Sat, 16 May 2009 15:40:59 GMT

I haven't even begun the hard part -- packing -- but I think I've got the other prep well underway. I'm going to be moderating a panel on "Tech Tools for Writers" and I've finished my notes for that. Of course, I'll be tweaking them up until the actual morning of the panel, but at least I completed the first draft.

I've got to hand it to the WisCon programming committee. They have really good communication with their moderators. They tell you who your co-panelists are, give you their email addresses, and actually suggest that you introduce yourself before the event. They have great tips and reminders on the moderating process. Some of it I knew instinctively, some I picked up from moderating prior panelists, but some was new and welcome information. I feel really prepared this time ;-D (Knock on wood!)

This is my second time at WisCon. I know a lot more people than I did last year, so it should be a lot of fun. I also know what events I like and which ones I can sit out. I won't be staying at the main hotel, which is different. I'll also be arriving earlier than I did last year, so I'll have more time to get into the spirit of things.

Well, I've got plenty of errands to do today. I suppose I should get to them. It's not like I can just say, "I'll do them next weekend."

Podcasts

Sun, 03 May 2009 21:59:34 GMT

I've been busy recording interviews and readings from fellow vampire authors for my "Vampires, Witches, and Geeks" podcast.

Here's what I've been working on the last couple of months:

VWnG012 Interview with Author Catherine Lundoff
• March 4th, 2009

In this episode, accomplished author and editor Catherine Lundoff, whose collection, Night’s Kiss: Lesbian Erotica, has just been released by Lethe Press, talks with me about her vampire stories.

VWnG013 News and Updates
• April 4th, 2009

News items on Dark Shadows, True Blood fan podcast, and Angel star Andy Hallett. Contest results. Geek talk. Past & upcoming events. Info on upcoming episodes. Recorded April 4, 2009.

VWnG014 Interview with Author Gail Z. Martin
• April 19th, 2009

Gail Z. Martin is the author of The Summoner, The Blood King and Dark Haven in The Chronicles of The Necromancer series. Book Four, Dark Lady’s Chosen, makes its international debut in early 2010.

Gail Z Martin Reads from Dark Haven
• May 2nd, 2009

Author Gail Z Martin reads from her latest novel, Dark Haven, which came out in February 2009.

----
"Vampires, Witches, and Geeks" is available through iTunes, PodcastAlley.com, your favorite podcatcher, or directly from www.vampireswitchesandgeeks.com

WisCon Update

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:54:42 GMT

WisCon 33, Madison, WI
http://www.wiscon.info/
Weekend of May 22-25, 2009

"The first and foremost feminist science fiction convention in the world," WisCon is an amazing convention in beautiful Madison, WI.

I'll be participating in the Broad Universe rapid-fire reading, where eleven members read from their work, an assortment of fantasy, science fiction, and horror and I'll be leading a panel called "Tech Tools for Writers" (see description below).

If you're at the convention, stop in. Here are the details, including room info.

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Fri 10:30 - 11:59PM Assembly
Nancy Moore, J. Kathleen Cheney, Tina Connolly, Lori Devoti, Moondancer Drake, Gwynne Garfinkle, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Kathryn Sullivan, Katherine Mankiller, Morven Westfield, Phoebe Wray

Tech Tools for Writers (moderator)
Mon 8:30 - 9:59AM Senate A
Morven Westfield, Kelly Jones, S. N. Arly, Caroline Stevermer, Alex Wilson

Are you still writing out your manuscripts long–hand, or are you one of those fearless warriors who's using the latest and greatest mind–mapping tool? For some of us, only index cards will do for the outlining phase, whereas others swear by spreadsheets. In this panel, writers will discuss some of the tools they use to maximize the time they have for writing.

The SignOut
Mon 11:30AM - 1:00PM Capitol/Wisconsin
Authors sit around at tables and sign books and chat with readers. Lots of fun because there are so many of us. Great chance to say goodbye before we all hop on planes or jump in cars and go home.