don't need no rocketship

[melannen]

So, the expotition to the National Book Festival. I rode my bike to the local metro station, which was *much* easier to get to than I had been led to believe, even if dreamsquirrel claims that there's a better way. It was the first time I'd been on a bike since mine was stolen a year ago, and while *I* didn't forget, my muscles did. They're very loudly reminding me now, however. Also, according to Richard's Bicycle Book, ed. 1972, I need a new brake cable for my rear brakes. The rear brake doesn't engage at all. Not that this stopped me from riding, but it increased my effective stopping distance to about 50 ft on the level, and on the hill outside my dorm, I was actually still accelerating with the front brake on full. Oh well, it inspired me to be more careful.

Anyway, it was an absolutely beautiful day for it, and it really had been too long, since I lost my biggest motivation for riding last November. But whenever I get back on after awhile without riding, I fall in love with bicycling all over again. It feels like flying. It's the closest one can get to riding a broomstick without magic (and yes, someday I want to try playing Quidditch on bikes). The metro station is undergoing construction, but the metro is the same as ever, and still very fun. I sat in the little tiny seat in the very back of the train, like the bad kids did in elementary school.

I made it to the Mall at about 11:45, way too late for Neil's signing-- although there were still people waiting in line for him, like I had sort of assumed there would be. I spent the next half-hour or so wandering around and acquiring free stuff, which was astounding in both its quality and quantity. They were giving out really nice mesh bags, with the single small defect of being traffic cone orange-- it matches my curtains! And for no particularly logical reason, there was a pavilion set up with tables from every state and U.S. territory. Most of them were at least tangentially related to books. Or at least had brochures from some library in their state along with the tourist info. It was odd. But there was lots of free stuff, some of it rather strange, including the CD I'm listening to right now. I think I made up my metro fare entirely in pencils.

That tent was right next to the SF pavilion, so when I had scavenged to my heart's content and made up for missing the fair this year, I sat down and listened to the last half of Frederick Pohl's talk. Pohl is one of those old masters I just assumed I had read, because I've read all the old masters, but it wasn't till I looked him up on Amazon just now that I figured out what I'd read by him-- Oh Pioneer!, and I'd only got around to that this summer. But I had fallen in love with it. It was great, old-fashioned, unpretentious science fiction. What everybody thinks of as stereotypical SF and is nearly impossible to find, even done badly, and Pohl did it *wonderful*. But Pohl has done so much for SF other than writing-- and he didn't talk about his writing much at all. He talked about being one of those old masters of science fiction. Well, it was a question-and-answer session, so that's what people were asking him about, and he was being remarkably good-natured about people just wanting to grill, as he rephrased it, "someone over ninety years old." Most importantly, I finally have an entirely definitive pronunciation of "Heinlein." It made me really wish I was around back in the days when it was possible to have read every sf story ever published, though. I've read accounts, but hearing him talk about it really brought it to life, the idea that the entire sf community was one cohesive group, with all the same reference points and foundations. 'course, I probably would have felt isolated, but hey.

Toward the end of his time the audience demographic started slowly changing to young, gothy, and far more numerous, but I managed to snag an actual seat for Neil Gaiman's talk. The thing is, Gaiman's talk wasn't an author's talk, because Gaiman isn't so much an author as a pop star. Writers, even the really famous ones, aren't even supposed to be recognized in the street. Neil Gaiman has groupies. The other writers spoke about how they write and working with editors and what goes into their stories. Neil Gaiman talked about the movies he currently has in production and wearing a beard so he'll match how he looks on the television show he hosts and why he likes sushi and how strange it feels to have perfect strangers hand him black socks after he mentions offhand that he needs some.

Neil Gaiman is dreamy.

But we all knew that already. Actually, the absolute best part of his talk wasn't even him, and he almost certainly missed it-- it was the sign language interpreter. Neil read an excerpt from Anansi Boys (hmm, I wonder if there's any physical evidence left of my acting debut, playing Anansi. I think there are still some giant spider legs in the attic.) An excerpt in which the POV character woke up with a horrific hangover and described it in inimitable Neil Gaiman style. So you had Neil stading up there reading this, in his perfect English deadpan, while next to him, this guy is signing sentences like "His eyes felt as if they had been popped out with sporks, deep-fried in week-old french fry grease, and then replaced. Using ten-penny nails," with an expression on his face that says he knows just how goofy he looks doing it, and he's enjoying it as much as you are. Well, maybe you had to be there. I think television is better with subtitles on, too.

Anyway, yeah, not so much with the deep content as with the cult of personality stuff. Except the person saying that everytime he reads Neil's work, he swears off trying to write ever again, because it's just *too good*, and Neil replying, well, you just do it, there's nothing special about being that good, you just do it and don't worry about it and sometimes it happens, and he's as mystified as anyone. Which I can sort of believe. Sometimes.

Anyway, he finished and went off to sign more books, because everybody wants his signature, and about three-quarters of the audience left with him, and dreamsquirrel found me, and Lois McMaster Bujold came on. And I've never read anything of hers-- she's one of those writers who's so loved that her stuff never comes up secondhand or closeout, so I never get my hands on it since I rarely make it to the library these days. But I know there's a contingent on my flist who adores her, and I have read enough of their fic and meta that I really wanted to read her sometime. Now I want to read her even more. Maybe I'll try to make my way to the library tomorrow. That would be astounding, me making it out of my room both days of a weekend.

She made everyone who hadn't read her books raise their hands and said this session was especially for us and don't give away any spoilers. Awwww. And she had this really elaborate silver necklace on that nearly hypnotized me, and she reminded me a little bit of Linda Williams. And she talked a lot about her process for writing and the way she builds her worlds and characters. I don't know if I'll be able to do that sort of exploratory writing she decribes, where you just take a path and see where it leads you, but I was glad to hear a real author talk about working on theme and structure without shame, because I love doing that but I always get terribly self-conscious about it because of how much we made fun of it in English class. And she made several references which were obliquely approving of fanfiction, so I need feel no guilt in spending part of this evening re-reading Time Shall Not Mend. And she talked a lot about her own influences; apparently the triumvirate I've noticed of Sayers, Heyer, and Bujold (fan of one, fan of all three) has a basis in reality. And she claims that a startling majority of sf writers of a certain age are MfU fans. Well, I read the fic, does that count? Too bad the show is completely inaccessible to young folk like me. And she makes an exception for buying Discworld books just like I do.

Actually, it's interesting that all three of the writers who talked about where they get the elements they use in their books mentioned that they don't do specific research, they're just omnivorous learners and use what they learn. For me, the omnivorous learning is a starting point, but I don't even let a plot develop very far until I've done the specific research, because half the time it will show me a completely new and brilliant place for the story to go. Of course, I *also* get bogged down in the research half the time and never actually start writing, but that's because I'm an omnivorous learner and once I'm in a library I'm not going to do anything to take time away from reading. And there's also the fact that none of them are really hard sf writers; it would have been interesting to hear Pohl address the issue. And the fact that Neil was not completely accurate when he said that, come to think of it, because I've read him talking about researching jails and coin tricks for American Gods. But I also had the tendril of a thought that sf really is about *speculation*, and trying to read everything else anyone has ever thought about your topic will only mire your own imagination. Except that I've had the opposite experience, that the more I research the more crystal-sharp my imagination gets, and the more expansive the story.

Bujold also talked about how every author seems to get their start as a kid mimicking their favorite writer of the moment. I've run across that idea a lot. And I never did that. I wrote Trek fanfic, but only after I'd read enough of the novels to see that as a genre of its own, with a lot of variety, not as mimicry. While my earliest stories-- heck, all my stories-- have been to some extent deliberate take-offs on subgenres, they've been attempts to remedy what I saw as lacking in books I was reading, not attempts to copy what I liked. The Cashy stories, which I have outlines for going back ten years now, were an attempts at YA fantasy where a) there was no icky and uneccessary romantic subplot; b) the heroine came from a perfectly happy home and had no angst or trauma in her past; c) we got to see the actual, humdrum day-to-day life of a wizard's training, and not just the exciting plotty parts (this was before I found Juniper and way, way before Harry Potter) and d) set in a world whose fairy tales were true, but whose fairy tales were based on logic and compassion rather than mystic formulas, because they were present and real and not bits of distorted folklore. So what's wrong with me that I never went through an adolescent copycat stage? Does this mean I'll never be a real writer? WAH!

You may have noticed that I going on a bit long here. I was actually taking notes during the talks. q: Somewhere around this point, actually, dreamsquirrel noticed that I was taking notes in my own private script which nobody on the entire planet can read. And I was incautious and actually told him that my necreavit icon is in that script, so he has a key now and could learn to transliterate it. And he could sneak into my dorm room and steal my notebooks and read all the bizarre and inarticulate ramblings I write in it during class when my teachers think I'm taking notes. And then he could tell me what they say, since I can't read it either. Write it fluidly, read it at a sound-out-every-phoneme-then-guess level. But since there's no standard spelling, that's probably as good as it gets. And I remember what I write in it anyway.

So, where was I? Oh yes, drinking from a half-empty bottle of flat Pitch Black Mountain Dew and babbling incessantly on a caffeine buzz. I think I'm going to post this bit now and fill in the ending by editing, since my clipboard is very small. Just a sec--

okay. After Bujold finished, Patricia Wrede came on. She gave what was probably a standard spiel about how she got into writing and made her first sales, most of which wasn't new to me considering I've been fangirling her for over ten years now. After that was more question-and-answer. They were mostly about her newest book, the sorcery-and-cecelia sequel, which I haven't read. Although she did basically admit that the original novel was a roleplay transcript. I actually had a question for her-- I've been wondering for ages whether Cecy and Kate live in the same continuity as Kim and Mairelon-- but since I hadn't read The Grand Tour I chickened out on asking. And I'd only read Sorcery and Cecelia in an illegal 'net transcription Valerie put up before it was back in print.

The people asking her questions were all so *young*. Younger than me. It felt very odd, especially after the demographics with Pohl and Bujold. And she answered a lot of questions about young people wanting to become writers. She repeated her one piece of advice for anyone who wants to be a writer-- write every day, whether you feel like it or not.

I don't feel like it. I'm going to bed. q: Maybe more tomorrow.

Okay, here's more. She said no more Lyra-- sigh. Not that I've even read all the ones that are already out, but I like her grown-up fiction and she hardly writes any anymore. Certainly rather that that evil Star Wars prequel novelizations, anyway. And she didn't mention Mairelon at all, even though I've heard rumors of another sequel there, too, but I guess she's too busy working on the next Kate and Cecy book. And she talked a lot about the Enchanted Forest Chronicles and how they came to be.

Interestingly, she mentioned how whenever she gives a talk, some grown-up asks her about how hard it was to come up with a "strong female heroine" like Cimorene, which she's never understood, because Cimorene isn't a strong female character, she's just a realistic woman. And kids never ask that question, because they haven't yet been taught that strong females are odd. Actually, I'd spent several years wondering if it was difficult for her to write Cimorene the strong spunky heroine becoming nothing more than the wife-and-mother-shoved-in-the-background that Bujold had been complaining about. But then I'd read my ancient copy of Talking to Dragons and realized that Cimorene had started as wife and mother, and the rest of her character had developed naturally from that, which is probably why I liked her so much. Because I'll take an earth mother type over a rogue warriorette any day. Also the reason I like Tehanu so much more than The Other Wind even though it seems like the consensus is the opposite.

So that was Patricia Wrede's talk. Next up was somebody neither dreamsquirrel nor I had heard of, despite the fact that she'd supposedly won multiple Hugos and Nebulas, so we packed up and wandered around the Mall for awhile. You know, I am a sf nerd, but I do read other things fairly frequently, so why was it that *all* the even halfway cool authors were at the SF tent? Answer: Because sf authors are just cooler people in general.

So it was only about 3:30 and I'd mentioned that I wouldn't mind looking at the new Museum of the American Indian, so we set off in search of it, in absolutely the wrong direction, of course. But we found it eventually sometime after 4:00, and the line outside was longer that the one for Neil's signings, which I found suprising, since it had been open several months and it was close to closing time. But I guess I've rarely been to the Smithsonian on weekends anyway. I'd had no desire to actually go in, but I"d heard so much about the landscaping and architecture that I wanted to look at the building. And the fountain was cool, if a little creepy and rather dead-looking. It did make me think of Native Americans, if Gashra's evil volcano base in The Ancient One counts as Native American. And the building itself did *vaguely* resemble a mesa or something along those lines, but it also loomed over me and leered in a rather unfriendly way.

Yes, I anthropomorphize architecture.

By this time my shoulders were getting rather sore, because I'd really over-packed. It was too warm for the cloak, but I'd hauled along in my Gryffindor backpack a half-cloak fleece, two full meals, two textbooks, Cryptonomicon in hardback and Good Omens neither of which actually got signed, a half-gallon of water, a hat, and my notebook. Plus my orange bag full of free stuff. And some emergency bike tools. Of that, what actually got used was the notebook, one stick of beef jerky, and a granola bar which dreamsquirrel ate. I learned to admire overpacking from Mom back when a box of crayons was essential gear for a night out. Oh well, it was good for me.

So we got on the metro at L'enfant plaza, I got lost at the station because I usually use Archives, and came home. The hills were much steeper going uphill on the way back.

So. Listen very carefully, because you will never hear me say this again, but something good did come out of Bush's education initiative.

Comments

[aelkiss.livejournal.com]

Somewhere around here, dreamsquirrel noticed that I was taking notes in my own private script which nobody on the entire planet can read. And I was incautious and actually told him that my necreavit icon is in that script, so he has a key now and could learn to transliterate it. And he could sneak into my dorm room and steal my notebooks and read all the bizarre and inarticulate ramblings I write in it during class when my teachers think I'm taking notes. And then he could tell me what it says, since I can't read it either.

Actually, you just confirmed that necreavit icon was written in that script after I asked.. you did offer up by yourself that it was just a phonemic transcription of English, which is really much more of a help - even without having necreavit I could do a frequency analysis and try to figure it out. So long as it doesn't have a lot of weird ligatures like Devanagari or related scripts it should be relatively straightforward.. I hadn't thought about sneaking into your room and stealing your notebooks, but now I'm tempted.. ;-)

[necreavit.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It'd be possible with work, but a straightforward frequency analysis assumes that the frequency of letters appearing has something to do with the frequency of sounds in the language. You'd have several complications with that, the most important of which being you'd need a sample in which the majority of the words didn't have misspellings, which might be a problem, judging from the times *I've* tried to transcribe my writing in it. q-: Nothing exactly like ligatures, but . . . wait, I'm doing security by obscurity, why am I telling you this?

Actually, if you stole my notebooks it would just be a matter of thumbing through them until you found a place that was obviously just me bored and writing the letters in order, after which it would be pretty simple to figure it out.

[aelkiss.livejournal.com]

but . . . wait, I'm doing security by obscurity, why am I telling you this?

Actually, if you stole my notebooks it would just be a matter of thumbing through them until you found a place that was obviously just me bored and writing the letters in order, after which it would be pretty simple to figure it out.

It almost sounds like you want me to steal them and find out all of your deepest darkest most curious and incoherent mispeeled secrets..

[melannen.livejournal.com]

But you wouldn't be finding them, you'd be finding bits of Stargate/Star Wars crossover fic and Dick Cheney as an alien invader and the sex lives of Cambrian ctenophores and the climactic fluctuations that lead to an ice age and things like that.

My deepest darkest most incoherent secrets have better security than *that*. the script is just intended to delay a spy just long enough for me to make a getaway, not hide things for all time.

[siegeofangels.livejournal.com]

Followed you here from officialgaiman; I was at the Bookfest too. SO with you on the Wrede-talk and wishing I had asked a question. I bought The Grand Tour while I was at the fair and read it all day. The time period in which it's set is quite specifically right after Napoleon was exiled, which is the same time as Mairelon is set, and of course they mention the Royal College, but nothing jumped out at me, like any names or anything, so I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll have to write her.

Where have you heard rumors of another Mairelon book?

[melannen.livejournal.com]

I just came from reading your account! Do you mind if I friend you? Because, Mairelon and Doonesbury and knapping and many other cool things.

I was just trying to remember, and find it again, and I *can't*. I was trying to write a Mairelon fic a few months ago, which was what got me wondering about Cecelia, and seached all over the web, and I could swear I saw something about it, in an interview or something. But it was very vague and probably actually referring to the second Cecy sequel. But I can still hope.

[siegeofangels.livejournal.com]

Of course not, go ahead! *friends you back* I wonder how many other people in the Washington, DC area have been teaching themselves knapping recently. Well, when the Apocalypse comes, we'll be ready, right?

I'd love for there to be more Mairelon . . . but I guess as long as the Cecy stuff keeps selling, we'll have that. I really prefer Kim & Mairelon--I keep forgetting if it's James/Cecily and Thomas/Kate or James/Kate and Thomas/Cecily, and who's a wizard and who's not, and it's all terribly confusing.

[puzzledance.livejournal.com]

she had this really elaborate silver necklace on that nearly hypnotized me

Hello... just wandering through. I complimented Lois McMaster Bujold on her necklace when she signed a couple of books for me. She asked me if I wanted to know the story of her necklace, so of course I said yes. She said that the necklace holds all her (Hugo and Nebula) nomination pins -- I think 13 in total!

Next up was somebody neither dreamsquirrel nor I had heard of, despite the fact that she'd supposedly won multiple Hugos and Nebulas

I loved Connie Willis' Doomsday Book, although I had a hard time getting into it. It's really long, and somewhat depressing, but still excellent, definitely worth reading. I also enjoyed her short story collection Impossible Things very much.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's even cooler than I thought it was! Thanks for dropping in to tell me.

[ciaan]

I also came here through officialgaiman (see what you get when you post like that?) and was going to recommend Connie Willis to you.

And, incidentally, the National Museum of the American Indian only opened on September 21st, not months ago.

[frey-at-last.livejournal.com]

Patricia Wrede! Good times!

Did Connie Willis *points up* write "To Say Nothing of the Dog"? I read that in middle school, and it was great; very funny. I've been trying to get my hands on it again to see if it was as good as I remembered...