Philippa Ballantine - Author

Award-winning Author of fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk

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Bursting the bubble of genre

I am writing this from the dying moment of the San Francisco Writers Conference. A conference that I was unsure if I would enjoy.

Yet as you must have noticed, I love conventions. Heck, I am here in America promoting three books coming out in one year, and I have booked myself to attend cons with something that might be called wild abandon.

However those are science fiction conventions. I am comfortable with ‘my people’. We speak the same language (even if I am not fluent in Klingon). I know what to expect; people in the corridor in costumes, filking, panels on not only books, but movies.

This was different. A new step. The San Francisco Writers Conference is an event for writers.

Yes, these too should be my people. However I have been burned in the past by writers in different genres. Writers groups and writers association who were not exactly welcoming to a fantasy writer.

This conference has made me realise I need to get over that. Maybe it is that times have changed, maybe I was just unlucky. Whatever it was I have had a turn around.

I will keep going to my science fiction cons, but now I will be totally open to the larger circle of writing conventions. I want to attend more.

If you have money to invest in your writing career (and if you have money why would you not invest in something you want to make your profession) – find yourself a good writing convention. You will get a bunch of different things out of this kind of conference.

  • You will spend time with not only other writers, but also with other folks you are far less likely to see at a con; agents, publicists, and publishers.
  • You get in-depth panels on the craft of writing.
  • You learn about the business of publishing, from people who are in it. (And now conferences are including panels on self and epublishing)
  • Networking with these people- not just writers.
  • Getting a new perspective on writing from people outside the genre. Yes you can learn from them too!

Lastly, I got to meet some fantastic people that got my creative mind whirling. I met everyone from a fellow kiwi RVing around the States, to the Shaolin Grand Master. Not a Grand Master the Grand Master. I thought that was pretty damn awesome.

Sometimes to get ourselves to the next level, we have to step outside our comfort zone- and when we do, often what we find can be pretty amazing.

It pays to get out of our genre bubble. Let’s do it more often.

San Francisco, here we come

I love San Franciso. There, I said it. It reminds me of Wellington- a hilly city with a magnificent harbour, and a propensity for earthquakes. Also the vibe is the same; laid back, metropolitan, and of course, excellent dining.

So I will be glad to head back there in February. Tee Morris and I will be at the San Francisco Writers Conference. I’ll be doing a panel on fantasy with Gabrielle Harbowy and Katharine Kerr on Saturday morning, and then the three of us will be teaching a class on writing science fiction, fantasy and horror in the post conference sessions.

This conference is packed full of events with authors, agents and publishers- many of which I will be going to myself. If you’re in the area, give this event serious consideration. Check out the website and get in quick- the main conference is nearly sold out!

And on Saturday 19th February, I will be at Borderlands Books reading from the as yet not released Spectyr, and signing books. After wards we’ll probably find a local pub and kick back. So I hope some of you can make it out. Borderlands is a great store, and my favourite place to shop in San Francisco.

Here’s the press release for the post and pre conference

2011 San Francisco Writers Conference Offers PRE and POST Event Classes!
Major Presenters will teach in-depth, low-cost writing sessions on February 17 & 21, 2011.

San Francisco, CA—1/31/11— The 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference will take place this February 18-20 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. The prestigious event is where writers learn not only to improve their writing, but how to publish and promote their work. This year, in addition to the main conference, there will be classes on hot topics for writers both before and after the main event. Teachers include literary agents Donald Maass, Katharine Sands and Michael Larsen; bestselling authors Robert Dugoni, Sheldon Seigel, Katharine Kerr, Adair Lara; and many others. The classes are in-depth and low-cost…and open to all writers. For more information go to www.SFWriters.org.

PRE-CONFERENCE Pitch Workshop with Katharine Sands on February 17th

If your manuscript or book proposal is polished and ready to get into the hands of agents and editors, but you’re not sure how to do it successfully, then plan on taking PERFECT YOUR PITCH by New York literary agent Katharine Sands.  Katharine is coming to San Francisco to teach this workshop, Thursday, February 17, 2011 from 6-9 p.m.  Three hours to learn the secrets of successful pitching from the author of the book by the same name.  Katharine is one of the most popular faculty members at writers’ conferences around the country.  For more details, check the website, www.sfwriters.org. The cost is $149.

POST-CONFERENCE Intensive Workshops on Monday, February 21st

The Monday after the conference is always President’s Day holiday. SFWC organizers are encouraging attendees to consider adding an extra day onto their weekend, but in fact any writer can take one of the following intensive half-day or full-day workshops. Taught by experts in their fields, writers will learn from the best in small classes with lots of personal attention.  Below is a list of the classes. More detailed information can be found at www.sfwriters.org:

Full Day Classes Feb. 21st  (9 am to noon, no host lunch, 2 – 5 pm)   $297 for either class

1.      Social Media for Authors with social media gurus Tee Morris and Linda Lee
By the end of this nuts and bolts workshop, authors will know how to effectively use Twitter, Facebook, mySpace and Linked-In. Learn how to create a website and blog and how to podcast your writing.  (You’ll also know how to select which of these tools is right for you.)  A must have for writers in today’s online world.

2.      Self-Publishing Bootcamp with Carla King, Alan Rinzler, Joel Friedlander, Karen Leland and many more
Listen up, soldiers!  Today is the best time ever to be a writer. With eBooks and self-publishing options never before available to get your book in front of a reading audience, you need to understand the whys, whats and hows of self-publishing. Taught by the creator of the Self-Publishing Bootcamp and featuring a host of other teachers in design, publicity, editing, printing, eBooks and more.

Half-Day AM Classes Feb. 21st  (9 am to noon)…any class is $149

AM1   MICRO-TENSION: The Secret of the Best Sellers
with acclaimed Literary Agent Donald Maass
AM2   Writing Mysteries, Suspense and Thrillers
With best-selling mystery and thriller authors Bob Dugoni and Sheldon Siegel
AM3   Writing Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror
With best selling author Katharine Kerr, associate publisher Gabrielle Harbowy and           rising star fantasy author Phillipa Ballantine
AM4   Writing Romance and Women’s Fiction
With literary agent Christine Witthohn and romance author Elizabeth Jennings

Half-Day Classes Feb. 21st  (2 pm to 5 pm)…any class is $149

PM1    How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal
With the man who wrote How to Write a Book Proposal, literary agent Michael Larsen      and legendary independent editor Alan Rinzler
PM2    Making Your Memoir Bigger Than The Story of Your Life
With writing teacher and memoirist Adair Lara
PM3    How make money in the Hot Young Adult Market
With award-winning children’s book author Douglas Rees and Simon Pulse Editor            Annette Pollert

Another option for writers to build their writing career is the new San Francisco Writers University.  This new project from the non-profit San Francisco Writers Conference launched in November 2010.  According to SFWU Dean Laurie McLean, “In less than a month 150 members joined for free to download free and $10 audio classes, learn from each other in discussion forums and blogs, have their work critiqued by fellow writers, connect via emails, find experts to help them or list themselves as experts. SFWU is like Facebook and Linked-In specifically for writers, with classes, live events and lots of social media tools.”  Writers are encouraged to check it out at www.SFWritersU.com. Michael Larsen had a dream of creating a space where all types of writers at every stage of their writing journey could join together in a writer community and learn their craft in an affordable, simple, worldwide manner. McLean added, “We believe you’ll soon be asking yourself how you did without this resource before!  Join us.  We’d love to have you participate and make SFWU your home for writing!”

Two tiny tidbits

Already 2011 has begun with a bang.

First off- Geist’s trailer (which Tee Morris produced) won Best Overall Adult at Parajunkee’s View.

I am so delighted with this as Tee (and me to a certain extent) put such a lot of work into it. If I can wax lyrical about book trailers for a second. I like them to be like movie trailers. I don’t like to have to read a whole slew of text, and I think in this case a voice over worked really well. Wait until you see what Tee has planned for Phoenix Rising!

Speaking of… my other bit of cool news. Phoenix Rising has been sold to a publisher in Russia! So that is the fourth country it will be available in; Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Russia. I am so excited, and can’t wait to see what they do for covers and titles.

But Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is Ministerstvo Osobaya nahodok according to Google translate. If there are any Russian speakers out there that know different, sing out.

So long and thanks for all the fish 2010

Every writer/podcaster needs cat supervisionSeldom has a year been so much of a roller coaster. At various times in the past twelve months I have felt like I am on a bronco that is alternatively trying to buck me off and lick my face.

I made some professional and personal jumps this year that I would never have imagined making, but in a lot of ways 2010 was the year I have been waiting for. On a personal level I packed up my stuff and have made a commitment to America of at least six months…maybe more. This included selling my beloved convertible, moving my even more beloved cats to another hemisphere and quitting the day job that has sustained me since 1997.

Professionally, it has been more awesome. Podcasting wise I made good progress on Digital Magic (now only 2 episodes shy of finishing), got invited as a regular guest on Litopia After Dark, and mostly kept up with Erotica a la Carte. However I confess while my love of podcasting is still as large as it ever was my available time to spend on it has gone down.

This has been necessitated by the leap in my writing career. In late October Geist was released- my first book with a New York publishing house. So I had to support that as best I could with a marketing plan that didn’t involve me digging myself a financial hole. So I hit the blog circuit, worked on a book trailer for Geist with Tee Morris, corralled some friends into working on a podcast anthology, and increased the number of cons I went to.

If that had been the pinnacle of my writing year, that would have been amazing, but 2010 was also the year I signed not one, but contracts for another four books. In April Tee Morris and I signed off on Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel and its sequel Of Cogs and Corsets. Then in November I signed another two book contract with Ace for two more books after Geist and Spectyr. Then Tee and I got the news that the Ministry books will be getting releases in three countries; Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

This is so beyond what my hopes were that I feel like I dare not look at it too closely least it blow away in the wind.

I attended for the first time, both Balticon and WorldCon. I utterly enjoyed Balticon…WorldCon was a bit more problematic for me- though I was grateful to get a chance to read, and be on a couple of panels there.

It’s been a year of change, but also a year of growth.

Now looking forward to 2011, I feel even more invigorated. Still, for accountability’s sake, let me break it down.

Writing work

Late April will be the release of Phoenix Rising, and late June the release of Spectyr. Both projects I love and enjoy doing. In between there I have to write Of Cogs and Corsets (the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel) with Tee and Wrayth (the third book of the Order). Once those are delivered I will have only the fourth book for Ace to do- though I do hope for more Ministry books. This of course, depends on the reception they get.

My plans for a YA title are thus on the backburner at least until the last half of the year, but I do plan to take some time to go back and rework Weather Child to where it is ready to submit to publishers.

Indie work

Chasing the Bard and Digital Magic will be available in various eformats.

Conventions

I have a long list of places I want to get to, but there are several first in my mind.

Balticon- as the New Media Guest of Honor. This is my very first foray into GoH territory and I am really excited.

Steampunk WorldFair- premiering Phoenix Rising there. Oh so much tea and fun.

WorldCon in Reno. Hey, it’s WorldCon, and this time I’ll be ready for it.

Podcasting

Erotica a la carte will spin on. I am enjoying practising two forms that I sometimes struggle with; erotica and short stories. Digital Magic will finish in January, and I have no real plans to podcast a novel for a bit- I need a break! Chronicles of the Order should finish in February, just in time for Phoenix Rising podcast to start. This will also be a series of short stories. Finally there is a writing podcast Tee and I will be working on. Episode zero should drop in January and it’ll give you an idea of format. It’ll be fun, but also be a peek inside a writer’s life, collaboration, as well as the cultural divide between America and New Zealand.

So there- that’s it. Life behind and ahead in a nutshell. Thanks for all your support dear readers. Everyone who has reviewed, supported, told a friend, or sent me a kindly email. You can’t really know how much it has all meant to me.

I hope we all have a successful and enjoyable year. Giddy up 2011!

Fine Day for a review

It’s Christmas Eve, and just as you are contemplating cooking your fruit pudding to go with brandy custard tomorrow- someone you admire sends you a review. Someone you didn’t ask to. Someone you never imagine knew you existed.

Felicia Day is one awesome powerhouse of a woman, and beloved in the circles I travel in for her work in Buffy, Dollhouse, Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, and the Guild, her own webseries that she wrote, produced and starred in.

I particularly love her approach to life. She’s working both indie and traditional routes in her chosen field. A method that I am working on myself. Also, I have heard from people that have met her she’s a sweet, kind, person.

So to find she gave Geist 4 stars on Goodreads.com made my Christmas.

I love when a book makes me ponder before marking which shelf to place it on. This is definitely a fantasy novel, but with a strong urban fantasy attitude, some steampunk/paranormal thrown in and just enough romance to keep me rooting for the characters…. they were all distinct and Sorcha, the main female character, was tough but BELIEVABLE, she never tried to hard to be competent: she just WAS. Everyone’s personality was well balanced against each other, and I definitely rooted for them to succeed!

There may be a lot of great reviews coming in for Geist, but this one I will remember.

She also said she can’t wait for the next book. If I need any further inspiration to keep going on the third books, Wrayth- this is it.

And it’s full of WIN to be on your vaginal-fantasy book shelf!!!!!

Music to watch words by

If there is one talent I wish I had above all others, it is the ability to play a musical intstrument. But, much like my attempts at ballet, I knew when to quit.

So I enjoy listening instead, and my tastes are pretty diverse ranging from celtic to hip hop, Sinatra to Nine Inch Nails. My main requirement for music however is something to write to.

I can do a number of things while watching TV, but I need something to evoke moods and let my brain roam free when writing- yet not distract me from my own process. For this purpose I have found instrumentals the best at setting a mood.

So when I got a chance to listen to Alex White’s soundtrack for the Gearheart: Maiden Flight of the Avenger I wanted great things to set those sparks free. And I was not disappointed.

Alex is a multi-talented guy, who works with words, images and music. He’s the creator behind the wonderful podcast the Gearheart, and he’s making things happen for himself. I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

Now onto the music. This could easily be a big movie soundtrack. With stirring epics sounds, horns, bells. Pursued by Flame is something I will put on when I am writing a chase scene, combining action and menace in the same score. Tale of the Tome begins with the sweet sounds you might hear from a child’s music box, but sails upwards into something exquisitely beautiful. My favourite track however would be Once More, the Curtain Rises. At times military, at times epic, at times almost Celtic, I know that I will be listening to this track over and over while writing the second book of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

Alex White has created something stirring and beautiful. Something that doesn’t need words to convey deep and wonderous emotion.

This soundtrack is one any writer would be moved by- and what’s more it’s a steal for a paltry $6.99. Go have a listen and then pick it up. It’s not that you will be supporting an indie producer – it’s that you will be getting a great work of music.