Tomorrow afternoon, at 3:30pm PDT, I'll be moderating and participating in the "Forming and Sustaining a Successful Writing or Critique Group" panel at the 2020 SFWA Nebula Conference, which of course, is taking place online.

The panel topic is one that's dear to my heart, both in terms of becoming a better writer and in terms of building writer communities that can support us through this often challenging career:

Writing is often a solitary endeavor–and with the current pandemic, it has become even more so. Writing and critique groups don’t eliminate the aspects of writing that can only be done solo, but a good group can serve as both a social support net as well as providing trusted feedback. Panelists will discuss the factors that go into building a successful group, both online and in-person, and what they’ve learned about keeping one going.

My fellow panelists include A. T. Greenblatt, A.C. Wise, Vylar Kaftan, and Curtis C. Chen, which makes the majority of them finalists for this year's Nebula Awards, the ceremony for which takes place tonight at 5pm PDT. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they are sure to contribute valuable insight to this topic.

If you are an attendee of #Nebulas2020, you can join us at the link below tomorrow. The panel will only be available to attendees of the conference at this time.

https://events.sfwa.org/events/forming-and-sustaining-a-successful-writing-or-critique-group/

I hope to "see" you there!

It's the Nebulas Weekend! Rejoice!

I leave tomorrow for Pittsburgh, and though it'll be raining for the whole conference, I am excited to spend these next five days in the company of my fellow Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Last year, I hit up a bunch of cons to aid in promoting my first book, Wings Unseen, and the Nebulas Weekend was absolutely the most beneficial to me. It's essentially a professional development conference for speculative fiction authors, though the public is welcome to attend as well.

Last year, I just took in all that the Nebulas Weekend had to offer. This year, I'm dipping my toe into programming--not paneling yet, but I'll be available for consulting on what I've learned this past year, and over my several years of fiction writing and critiquing, and for the Mass Autograph Session that closes the weekend. You can access my list of events here: (CLICK ME!)

The quick overview is that I'll be holding Office Hours twice during the conference:

• Thursday, May 17th, 4-5 pm
• Friday, May 18th, 12-1 pm

During those sessions, I'll be available for any conference attendee to drop in for advice on my areas of expertise:

• Organizing book readings/tour
• Organizing in-person critique groups
• Submitting fiction and novels

And one area of expertise I forgot to add to my description...

• Blogging about food, drink, and travel, which I do primarily at the Gourmez.

Please drop by! I'm sure it'll be a little lonely in there...actually, I'm not so sure! Because the Nebulas Weekend is great networking for writers, no matter whether at a session or over the hotel bar.

I will also take part in the Mass Autographing Session for the first time, as this is the first time I have a novel available for signing.

I believe that image has all the info you may want on the Mass Autographing Session. Wings Unseen should be fully stocked in the onsite bookstore, though you can bring already purchased books-- so feel free to bring a copy of Dark Luminous Wings or Through A Scanner Farkly as well, the two anthologies that published my short stories last year.

I'll be ready and waiting to sign a copy for you. This session is open to the public, and it's a great opportunity to hobnob with a huge number of SFWA authors in one place.

Off I go to finish my last bit of packing! Will I see you there?

It's award nomination season among science fiction and fantasy writers! As is the custom, I'm offering a list of my short stories and novel publications from 2017 that are eligible for nomination--yes, that includes nearly all my 2017 publications. Qualifying isn't that difficult. ;)

If you are a member of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America professional guild, then you may nominate works until February 15, 2018 for the Nebula Awards. Here's how to vote. If you attended WorldCon 75 and/or registered as a supporting or attending member of WorldCons 76 or 77 by January 1, 2018, keep your eyes on this page, as nominations are bound to open soon and will likely run through March. WorldCon awards the Hugos every year.

I'm planning to attend both conferences, and gosh, it'd be awfully sweet to have an extra special reason to go. ;) But seriously, the Nebula Weekend is a fantastic professional conference for speculative fiction writers, and well worth your time and money--and you do not need to be a member of SFWA or even a writer to attend. I have never been to WorldCon before, but I am hoping to get on paneling or in a reading session for this one, and I think it'll be great fun.

Thank you for considering my 2017 published works for nomination!

Here they are:

For the Best Novel category for the Nebulas or the Hugos and/or the Andre Norton Award (Best YA Novel, which appears on the Nebula ballot) #

Wings Unseen #

Wings Unseen is a YA classic epic fantasy told with modern sensibilities. To fight an invisible foe, three young adults must first fight through their own expectations, beliefs, and shattered dreams to save their shared world. For full information and accolades, head to its page at Meerkat Press.

For the Best Short Story Category for the Nebulas and/or the Hugos #

"Treasure" #

"Treasure" appears in the Dark Luminous Wings anthology from Pole to Pole Publishing, published October 2017. It's a fantasy fable that features a thief thrust into a culture very different from her own, so different she has a difficult time believing such a culture is real.... and is under threat of a flying sea monster and the lure of a rock pillar that manifests jewels. More info here.

"Garbage" #

“Garbage” is a humorous sci-fi tale about crazy old ladies, immature teenagers, and aliens with an unusual appetite. It has a fair bit to say about what it means to be native and how that shifts over time and with new waves of immigration. “Garbage” appeared in Through A Scanner Farkly: The 2017 Fark Fiction Anthology, which was published in July 2017. More info here.

"Holiday Invasion Trilogy" #

I've barely had to the chance to tell folks this flash fiction series even exists since its publication in the Holiday Hell issue of Black Heart Magazine. Exist it does, and I'm proud of these one-shot explorations of what a holiday invasion might mean in three very different situations: a morning full of death and poinsettia, a Thankgiving dinner of new dishes and newly embodied relations, and the chaos of Christmas day for one very anxious, superpowered mom. More info here.

Finally,

"What Scattered in the Wind" #

This piece of horror flash fiction, done in a poetic prose style, tells of a woman struggling with her biggest regret in life and sentenced to forever re-remember it. It appears in the August 2017 chapbook collection, Little Letters on the Skin, from Cleave: Bay Area Writers and the Liminal Center. More info here.

Best of luck to all the authors out there with eligible work for 2017! May the best of our work get on those ballots.