I'll be on several panels at Norwescon 33 this weekend. I'll be sitting in on several panels, plus doing a couple writer's critiques. In my spare time, I hope to attend a few talks by Vernor Vinge, Cory Doctorow, and John Cramer.
Norwescon is "the Northwest’s Premiere Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention; Norwescon is one of the largest regional Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions in the United States. While maintaining a primarily literary focus, Norwescon is large enough to provide a venue for many of the other aspects of Science Fiction and Fantasy and the interests of its fans such as anime, costuming, art, gaming, and much, much more."
My schedule will be thus:
Friday, Noon, Evergreen 2
Build a Better Adventure
What makes a good adventure? One that players can't wait to continue; that they spend their off-time thinking about and planning for until they play again? Join our gaming panelists in a discussion of how to design better adventures Erik Mona (M), Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, James Jacobs
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1 PM writing critique
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3 PM Friday, Evergreen 2
What is D&D?
D&D has been through a number of editions, each of which has changed the rules and the core setting around it. In the past few years, games like Pathfinder, Castles and Crusades, and Swords & Wizardry have emerged from the OGL to offer their take on traditional, D&D fantasy gaming. What is the core of D&D; and what allows it to remain so popular despite the rise of digital games? Wolfgang Baur (M), Jason Bulmahn, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Pramas
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Saturday 11 AM, Cascade 8
Forgotten Realms: Past, Present, Future
Since 1987, this campaign setting has grown and developed, generating over two hundred novels, dozens of computer RPGs, and a host of adventures and gaming supplements. Join our distinguished group of gaming professionals as they discuss the Forgotten Realms and their parts in developing it. Jeff Grubb (M), Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell
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1 PM Saturday, Evergreen 3 & 4 Autograph Session #2
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2 PM writer's critique
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3 PM Interview with Vernor Vinge Saturday, 3 p.m. Evergreen 2
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4 PM Saturday, John Cramer talks on, "Quantum Entanglement, Nonlocality, and Back-In-Time Messages" in Evergreen 2
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5 PM Saturday, Cascade 3 Reading: Bruce Cordell Key of Stars, Book 3 of the Abolethic Sovereignty, FR, D&D, Rated: PG Bruce R. Cordell
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7 PM Saturday, Cascade 9
What Is It With Lovecraft?
The Cthulhu Mythos has its filthy fingerprints all over Pathfinder, 4E D&D, and yes, even Call of Cthulhu RPGs, not to mention dozens of board and video games. What's the appeal? Is it just designers and GMs who love Cthulhu? And just how ruthless do you need to be to run a lone-survivor adventure, anyway? Lessons from the fringes of sanity.. Wolfgang Baur (M), Bruce R. Cordell, James Jacobs, Mike Mearls
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Book Reading
When an author gets a chance to read his or her book aloud to the public, it’s a wonderful yet frightening feeling.
It's wonderful because an author is always excited for opportunities to create greater awareness for his or her fabulous creations.
It's frightening because the author immediately begins to wonder if he or she is up to the task of "acting out" the parts of different characters in the selection. They wonder if they should just go for neutral voice, or if they should try to impart accent, attitude, and pitch changes between characters. If done correctly, doing the later really adds a lot of depth to the reading. If done poorly . . . well, who really wants to sit through a poorly executed southern accent the author thought might be just the thing for the villain? Maybe you do, but I don’t want to be the reader realizing I’ve entered fail-land.
I usually try for some sort of compromise in-between.
Tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to hear Richard Baker and Erin Evans read from their respective novels (Avenger and God Catcher) at the University Bookstore at 7 pm in Seattle (4326 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105). If you show up, as I plan to, you can find out where along the spectrum of acting and reading Rich and Erin decided to come down. I'm hoping acting!
As it turns out, I’ll also be giving a reading tomorrow from Key of Stars (Abolethic Sovereignty Book 3) at Wizards, but this one won’t be public until the recording is turned into a free audible file that will eventually be available for download on the Wizards web site. Once it’s up, you’ll learn how I decided to play the voices of a scribe, a wintry eladrin, and an archfey called the Lord of Bats.
If you’re very lucky (or unlucky), perhaps you’ll get to hear me trot out my southern accent when I read all the Lord of Bats’ parts.
It's wonderful because an author is always excited for opportunities to create greater awareness for his or her fabulous creations.
It's frightening because the author immediately begins to wonder if he or she is up to the task of "acting out" the parts of different characters in the selection. They wonder if they should just go for neutral voice, or if they should try to impart accent, attitude, and pitch changes between characters. If done correctly, doing the later really adds a lot of depth to the reading. If done poorly . . . well, who really wants to sit through a poorly executed southern accent the author thought might be just the thing for the villain? Maybe you do, but I don’t want to be the reader realizing I’ve entered fail-land.
I usually try for some sort of compromise in-between.
Tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to hear Richard Baker and Erin Evans read from their respective novels (Avenger and God Catcher) at the University Bookstore at 7 pm in Seattle (4326 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105). If you show up, as I plan to, you can find out where along the spectrum of acting and reading Rich and Erin decided to come down. I'm hoping acting!
As it turns out, I’ll also be giving a reading tomorrow from Key of Stars (Abolethic Sovereignty Book 3) at Wizards, but this one won’t be public until the recording is turned into a free audible file that will eventually be available for download on the Wizards web site. Once it’s up, you’ll learn how I decided to play the voices of a scribe, a wintry eladrin, and an archfey called the Lord of Bats.
If you’re very lucky (or unlucky), perhaps you’ll get to hear me trot out my southern accent when I read all the Lord of Bats’ parts.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Be Part of Something Positive
People would rather be part of something they perceive to be succeeding as opposed to something they think is failing. True on many levels.
However, as was pointed out on my Facebook status when I posted the above sentiment, people enjoy rooting for the underdog. As TC says, "There's a strong attraction to the underdog in the American psyche."
But I'd argue that in the long run, people still want to stand with the winners. If an underdog consistently fails to overcome its underdog status and become a winner, it loses credibility. Eventually, people move on. Or, they stick with their one-time underdog that has made the transformation.
In addition, strong enough trust in a principle or cause can trump the perceived negativity in being associated with a minority opinion, business, or what have you. Which is probably why I support several causes and opinions that have only minority following in the USA.
Except . . . these causes/principles I support, while unpopular to a majority of americans, happen to be held by people I respect far more than a mass of people I don't know. Which means that I'm still part of something I perceive as successful; I'm not an outlier in my own self-selected peer group of belief.
Anyway, this is all a very longwinded way of saying: don't be negative. If you're negative all the time, people will eventually begin keeping their distance. If you own a small business, talk about your successes, not your anxieties and challenges in keeping revenue coming through the door. If you tweet or update your Facebook status a lot, keep the content generally positive or humorous.
This way, when you actually do have some sad news or melancholy thoughts to relate, your friends, followers, or customers will sit up and take note. When you have actual constructive criticism to offer, people will take you seriously. When your small business needs that tiny one-time pop, you'll get results. And so on.
However, as was pointed out on my Facebook status when I posted the above sentiment, people enjoy rooting for the underdog. As TC says, "There's a strong attraction to the underdog in the American psyche."
But I'd argue that in the long run, people still want to stand with the winners. If an underdog consistently fails to overcome its underdog status and become a winner, it loses credibility. Eventually, people move on. Or, they stick with their one-time underdog that has made the transformation.
In addition, strong enough trust in a principle or cause can trump the perceived negativity in being associated with a minority opinion, business, or what have you. Which is probably why I support several causes and opinions that have only minority following in the USA.
Except . . . these causes/principles I support, while unpopular to a majority of americans, happen to be held by people I respect far more than a mass of people I don't know. Which means that I'm still part of something I perceive as successful; I'm not an outlier in my own self-selected peer group of belief.
Anyway, this is all a very longwinded way of saying: don't be negative. If you're negative all the time, people will eventually begin keeping their distance. If you own a small business, talk about your successes, not your anxieties and challenges in keeping revenue coming through the door. If you tweet or update your Facebook status a lot, keep the content generally positive or humorous.
This way, when you actually do have some sad news or melancholy thoughts to relate, your friends, followers, or customers will sit up and take note. When you have actual constructive criticism to offer, people will take you seriously. When your small business needs that tiny one-time pop, you'll get results. And so on.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Ebook wars
I love to read, and as I was recently surprised to find out, I love to read ebooks on my phone; the fit is just right. Which means, I love ebooks. As an author of a few novels, with hopefully many more on the horizon, I'm interested in seeing my novels come out in this format. However, all is not rosy in the world of ebook publishing.
It seems that Amazon, in its bid to sew up the industry, may be doing things that harm the author's ability to get paid a reasonable sum for writing (and an author's publisher, too). My being an author aside, this also means that in the medium- and long-term, these activities could impact the number and quality of books I get to read.
An excerpt from Charles Stross's recent blog on the topic:
Read the entire blog here. Looks like I have another reason to hope Apple's bookstore gets off the ground!
-http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/01/amazon-macmillan-an-outsiders.html
It seems that Amazon, in its bid to sew up the industry, may be doing things that harm the author's ability to get paid a reasonable sum for writing (and an author's publisher, too). My being an author aside, this also means that in the medium- and long-term, these activities could impact the number and quality of books I get to read.
An excerpt from Charles Stross's recent blog on the topic:
Last Friday, Amazon.com unilaterally pulled most or all of Macmillan's books from their online store. (You can still find them via afilliates or second-hand stores, but Amazon themselves won't sell them to you. Note that this only affects me via my Merchant Princes books — published by Tor, a Macmillan subsidiary — in the US Amazon store. My Ace titles are safe ... for now.)
Read the entire blog here. Looks like I have another reason to hope Apple's bookstore gets off the ground!
-http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/01/amazon-macmillan-an-outsiders.html
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Realms of the Dead
I've got a story in the latest FR anthology, Realms of the Dead, called "Wandering Stones."
Product Description
Get spooked by Faerûn’s most chilling ghost stories!
The millennia-old history of Faerûn is haunted with ghosts, vampires, zombies, and all other manner of gruesome undead. This anthology of all new stories is filled with the twelve most terrifying and lethal of these tales. From ancient lich kings to freshly turned ghouls; from disembodied hands to unholy, decaying angels, the dead in the Forgotten Realms® rarely rest in peace.
Realms of the Dead is an anthology of all new stories about the undead from The New York Times best-selling authors R.A. Salvatore, Richard Baker, Philip Athans, and Lisa Smedman; Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood; fan favorites Richard Lee Byers, Bruce R. Cordell, Rosemary Jones, Erik Scott de Bie, and Jaleigh Johnson; and talented newcomers Erin M. Evans and Christopher Rowe.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
SETI Dreams
Last night I dreamed I was beginning a novel. Which is not far from the truth; I'm slated to begin outlining one on Dec 26th (and I'm supposed to be finishing the 2nd draft of another one right this moment . . .)
But in my dream, I was apparently writing a novel featuring SETI (the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). I was sitting in a coffee shop, my tablet computer in front of me (hmm, must have been a glimpse into the future where I own a tablet computer). I was reworking the first line. It went something like,
"Drake first listened for alien signals in 1960. Little did he know that SETI was far older."
Hmm, I wonder where that story is going? Someday, maybe we'll see.
But in my dream, I was apparently writing a novel featuring SETI (the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence). I was sitting in a coffee shop, my tablet computer in front of me (hmm, must have been a glimpse into the future where I own a tablet computer). I was reworking the first line. It went something like,
"Drake first listened for alien signals in 1960. Little did he know that SETI was far older."
Hmm, I wonder where that story is going? Someday, maybe we'll see.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rarely has a vegetarian enjoyed so grand a repast on "T-day" as we enjoyed this night. Thanks Teri and Matt!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Crap, my Domain Hosting Service is offline
All my handy URLS, like cityoftorment.com, brucecordell.com, and so on, are currently dead in the water. What's up, MyDomain.com???
Sea Change
Market research shows Apple enjoyed 48% of the US PC industry's retail revenue last month. If this keeps up, Mac user's (like me) will soon find themselves swimming in the same virus/worm/exploit-to-own sea as their Windows fellows have so long endured.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Goodbye Digg
I'm removing Digg from my feed reader; it serves as home to too many climate deniers more concerned about being right than the possibility that overpopulation is gradually pushing our ecosystem to brink (in more ways than warming).
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