The Journal of Michael Merriam

I am one of the Guests of Honor at Marscon in Minneapolis (https://marscon.org/2024/index.php) this year. The convention starts this Friday, the 8th and runs until Sunday the 10th. I would love to see everyone to help you find me (besides that fact that I will be the large blind man in a loud short with a white cane) here is my schedule for the con!

Fri 5 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Don't Harsh the Squee: Why can’t we seem to just let people like what they like? If Pumpkin Spice everything brings people happiness, who are we to complain? Don’t like Superhero movies? Hate Holiday Music? Fine, but why do people feel the need to sneer and snarl at things other people enjoy?

Fri 7 pm: Ballroom (Ballroom III/IV)
Opening Ceremonies: Thank you for joining us for the 26th annual MarsCon Sci Fi/Fantasy/Gaming Convention! We will open MarsCon with live sketch comedy, welcome and introduce our wonderful Guests of Honor, and learn important stuff that will help you get the most out of MarsCon 2024.

Fri 8 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Spec Fic Spies: A discussion of our favorite science fiction and fantasy spies in media. From Miles Vorkosigan to James Bond, who are some of your favorites? What authors do it well?

Fri 10 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
A Writer’s Conversation: Informal conversation amongst authors.

Sat 10 am: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Weird Western/Steampunk Spy Thrillers and Mysteries: The genre of Steampunk and Weird Westerns would seem to lend themselves to spies and detectives. Let’s talk about some of our favorite media in the genre.

Sat 11 am: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Author GOH Readings: T. Aaron Cisco and Michael Merriam read from their works.
Read from Tierra and Mayhem

Sat 2 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Geeks v Sportsball: Geeks have inherited the world (at least the parts the uber-wealthy oligarchy will allow them to inherit), but there is still lingering tension between the geek community and sports fans. Why are some sports like football hated by the geek community and others like Roller Derby loved? A panel of people who move in both worlds and a curious audience will discuss.

Sat 4 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Discussion with Michael Merriam of his novel, Last Car to Annwn Station, and others (with David Lenander): Michael Merriam is a guest of honor, and this is your chance to discuss his fiction with him. This is a fine story, set in Minneapolis with streetcars.

Sat 5 pm: The Lair (Cardinal Perch)
Spycraft in Star Trek: From Gary Seven to Garek. From the Tal Shiar to the Obsidian Order to Section 31, let's explore the gritty spycraft side of the Star Trek universe.

Sat 9 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Fun & Free Writing Tips (You can actually use)
Character Matrix? Post-It Plotting? 10 second goals? Explore these and other fun writing tips that you can use without buying software or supplies- and share your own...

Sun 3 pm: The Library (Eagle’s Nest)
Superhero Fatigue...Fatigue: The age of Superheroes isn't over-you're just not watching the right stuff. Our panel discusses superhero-centric shows/movies that are interesting, innovative, and sometimes insane.

Sun 4 pm: Ballroom(Ballroom III/IV)
Closing Ceremonies: Say “farewell” to the guests & “thanks” to volunteers. Hear news about next year’s convention plans, pre-register for next year, and wonder why the weekend went so quickly.

Confirmed – I will be the The Loft Literary Center newest book festival Wordplay on May 11th and 12th in Minneapolis. I will be reading with Catherine Lundoff and Queen of Swords Press on Sunday the 12th at 2 pm on the Pop-Up Stage.

I've been attending Convergence since 2002. I've watched it grow and morph, watched it struggle and triumph over those struggles. Watched it become the nearly 7000 member convention it has become. Convergence has been pretty good to me, having me as an invited participant for the last few years and hosting several of my book release parties. I sell twice as many books at Convergence as I do at any other Twin Cities convention.

And now I have to walk away.

It has simply become too much for the blind writer and fan to deal with. Too much noise, too much crowds, too much drunken twenty-somethings. Just…too much.

For the last few years, I've struggled more and more at Convergence. Just the logistics of packing and preparing for Convergence is stressful. The line to pick up badges seems to be getting longer and slower every year. The load into the hotel is always hot and sweaty (The con is over July 4th weekend) and the load out takes forever because of the elevator problems. Ask me about the night I climbed 22 flights of stairs. Ask me how faster, younger able bodied people would happily charge forward and cram into the thing before those of us with canes or chairs can even start forward, squeezing us out in their mad dash to get aboard. Tough luck, gimp.

But it's the crowds that finally killed the convention for me.

Crowds are a fact of life at larger conventions, but it's something I struggle to deal with to the point of sometimes getting so overwhelmed that I give up and go up to the room to hide. Now granted, I'm an introvert and at conventions I try to be "on" as much as possible--smiling, chatting, being social--which is exhausting to me. So I dive back into the room to recharge.

But the crowds, oh the crowds.

People at conventions don't pay attention to their surroundings, they’re too busy talking and looking at all the shiny and at Convergence they are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the hallways and it doesn't matter if I'm using the cane, all I'm doing is hitting people who glance at the cane and then move on as I hit some other oblivious con-goer. Any moment I'm in the hallways and trying to get around on my own is fraught with peril -- near-misses, people tripping over the cane, and accidentally body-checking strangers into walls. It is especially bad with small children, who tend to dash one direction while looking the other, often right under my feet. I don't even go into the dealer's room at Convergence. It presents all the same problems as above, now with bonus narrow aisles and displays lying in ambush, waiting for the hapless blind guy to stumble into them. Going into the dealer's room (or art show) without assistance is impossible and with assistance still too difficult to manage.

The final thing the crowds tend to do is "blind" me. I'm already struggling with not being able to see much of anything in a rapidly changing environment, but the noise--especially around the party rooms (which I've learned to avoid)--basically leaves me without my other primary way of telling me what is happening around me. If I can't see clearly, and I can't hear clearly, what chance do I have? I've had to drop out of some things I wanted to do, simply because it became too hard on me in those situations to deal with the environment. There have been several moments where I quite literally froze in place because I lost my bearings and could not navigate my surroundings safely. It is a frustrating thing. It has gotten so bad that the year before last, I froze up in a crowd to the point that I simply couldn't move—couldn't even pull my cellphone and call for help—was trapped by both a crowd induced panic attack and the unending press of humanity. I had pulled my cane in and was standing still as the crowd broke like a wave around me. I finally had to be rescued by one of the roving convention hosts.

I have tried to talk about this stuff at conventions. There was some disability programming a couple of years ago, panels I pushed for about Disability in SF. Sadly, even this was problematic as Convergence put us in a space that was too small and difficult to access for our disabled fans in wheelchairs.

Last year, it was bad enough that I simply couldn't move around on my own. If I had to be on programming or some other event someone had to be with me, helping me as a sighted guide to move around the convention. It's the only convention I attend where I need a sighted guide, and I hate it. Hate the loss of independence. Hate that I have to take someone's time away from the convention because I can't function anymore: hated that if I wasn't being led around the convention from one programming item to the next, I had to retreat to the room because I can't managed to walk around the con on my own. If I was going back this year—if I ever go back—it is obvious I'll need a personal care assistant to help me with Convergence. And I hate that idea as well. I know. I know I'm a blind broken gimp and I shouldn't be so reticent to get the help I need and can legally ask for, but it takes all the enjoyment of the con away.

When it came time to try and get a room for Convergence, I was already thinking this might be my last year. Then came the day of trying to get a room; a day of more stress and frustration as once again the system crashed, some people seemed to have access to a backdoor and then all the room in the main hotel were gone, despite that fact I had done everything right and in a timely manner. It wasn't until this last weekend that we even knew if we could get a room in the hotel. By then, the decision to stop going to Convergence had been made.

I realized this year I was hating the idea of going to any of the 7 to 10 book festivals and conventions I attend every year. Not just Convergence, but all of them. That I just wanted to stay home all year. Hiding. The thought of going to conventions had me wanting to curl up with my confused cat and hide under the bed-covers. After talking it over with several people, I figured out it was just Convergence. I was so stressed at the very idea of dealing with Convergence that it was spoiling all the other conventions for me. Convergence comes at the end of my convention season and having it lurking out there in the horizon makes me anxious and angry and takes all the fun out of the other conventions.

A part of me hates to stop attending, especially this year. The theme is Urban Fantasy, which seems a slam-dunk for me as an author. I am a freakin' Urban Fantasy Author fer-cryin'-out-loud. I have two new books I haven't tried to sell at Convergence. Scott Lynch, one of the Guests of Honor, is my friend and another GoH, Emma Bull, is someone I like quite a bit. It has always been my best convention for sales. To walk away from such a great marketing opportunity seems silly.

And I don't have anything personally against Convergence. It is the convention it is, and thousands of people seem to enjoy being squeezed into the hotel with thousands of other con-goers. For many people, this is their favorite event of the year. Their vacation. The biggest bestest badest party ever.

Bless them. Bless them all.

But I just can't. I can't even.

Just the thought of Convergence makes me exhausted.

So it is time to stop.

And now I feel nothing but relief.

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Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18

Navigating the World of Small Press Publishing - 8:30-9:30PM - Veranda 7/8 (K)


SATURDAY, APRIL 19

Local References in Urban Fantasy - 11:30AM-12:30PM - Veranda 7/8 (K)

Reading - 3:30-4:30PM - Veranda 1/2

Signing - 5:00-5:30PM - Ballroom Foyer

This appears to be my schedule at CoreCon V, May 3-5, 2013at the Days Inn of Moorhead. As always, things are subject to last minute change.

Friday

Opening Ceremonies – 3:00 pm –Woods Room.

Artemis Panel – 5:00 pm - Woods Room.
A demo of the Artemis bridge simulator. I will be on the crew. Rumor is Joseph Scrimshaw will be our Captain.

Reading and Signing – 7:00 pm – Courtneys Room.
Just what the title says. I will read from my works and sell some books.

Saturday

Works of Michael Merriam – 5:00 pm – Woods Room.
This is my Q&A session.

Spoken Word Panel – 6:00 pm – Woods Room.
Joseph Scrimshaw and I will be giving a small performance, discussing spoken word and storytelling performing, and taking questions from the audience.

Sunday

Advice for Writers – 2:00 pm – Woods Room.
I suspect this will be something akin to a Writing/Publishing 101 panel with some Q&A.

Closing Ceremonies – 3:00pm – Woods Room.

Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there.
 

Now that it is up on the website and all official and stuff, I am pleased as can be to announce that I have been invited to be Author Guest of Honor at CoreCon V.



CoreCon is a science fiction, fantasy, horror and anime convention in Fargo-Moorhead and it looks like a bundle of fun. Other Guest of Honor include Patricia Tallman, best known as Lyta Alexander from Babylon 5; the always charming and funny Joseph Scrimshaw; and SF/fantasy/comic book artist and illustrator Terence Brown II.

While I am cheerfully looking forward meeting as many people in Fargo-Moorhead fandom as possible, I'd love it if some familiar faces were there as well. Registration is currently a mere $35. They are still taking room requests, so you could totally drive up and stay at the hotel all weekend.

I am thrilled. And honored. And a little freaked out because this is my first Guest of Honor invitation and I have no idea what to expect. But mostly I'm thrilled.

I hope to see some of you at the convention. Come up and say hello. I'm pretty easy to spot, being a 6' 2" blind man wielding a 56" white cane.

Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there.

This is my schedule for Convergence, subject to last minute change.

Thursday, July 5

11:30pm - Escaping the Slush Pile - Bloomington Room - A panel of experienced slush readers will take the first five pages of manuscripts submitted by audience members, and identify the point at which they would stop reading, if any, and why. Panelists: Adam Whitlatch, Michael Merriam, Scott Lynch, Jennie Goloboy, Patrick Tomlinson

Friday, July 6

11:00am - Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Michael Merriam and Dana Baird Signing - Autograph Table - Bryan Thomas Schmidt, author of "The Worker Prince," will be available to sign his work. Dana has just released "Broken Legacy." Michael's newest release is "Sky Tinted Waters." Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Dana Baird, Michael Merriam

3:30pm - Geek Partnership Society Writing Contest Ceremony - Vista Suite - Past winners of the annual GPS Writing Contests read from their winning work. This year’s winners are announced. Panelists: George Richard, Hilary Moon Murphy (I’m not officially on the panel, but I am judging this contest, so I will be there)

5:00pm - Minn-Spec Meeting - Cabana 201 - Come and learn about the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers, a 280+ member-strong organization. Panelists: Michael Merriam (mod), Hilary Moon Murphy, Tyler Tork

8:30pm - Diversity in Steampunk - Atrium 4 - Does all steampunk have to be Victorian England? Certainly not! And it isn’t. Join a discussion of race, gender, class, and religion in this diverse genre. Hosted by the Red Ribbon Society (a.k.a Steam Century). Panelists: Alexandra Howes, Sarah McDole, Michael Merriam, Amy Williams-Scott, Kevin Borchers

10:00pm - So You've Sold a Novel: Now What Happens? - Atrium 7 - Congratulations --you sold your novel. Now comes the hard part: rewrites, editorial comments, cover art, marketing, promotions, and making sense of the royalty statement. Come ask established novelists questions about what happens after the sale. Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Michael Merriam, Doug Hulick, Kelly McCullough, Dana Baird

Saturday, July 7

12:30pm - Is Urban Fantasy just Romance for Geeks? - Atrium 7 - Of course it isn't. Discuss the breadth of work that fits into this popular sub-genre. Panelists: Lyda Morehouse, James Turnbull, Michael Merriam, Paul Cornell, Brandy Snyder

5:00pm - SF Writing Groups: The 2012 Scene – Room 2201 - This annual (since 1986) get-together of the Minnesota Imaginative Fiction Writers’ Alliance lets speculative fiction groups link with authors who are looking for a critique group. Panelists: Eric Heideman

Sunday, July 8
11:00am - Michael Merriam Reading - Cabana 201 - The author of "Last Car to Annwn Station" reads from his newest release, "The Curious Case of the Jeweled Alicorn." Panelists: Michael Merriam

Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there.

The steampunk spy-thriller novella is delivered to the publisher, so there is a big load off my mind. Dark Water Blues, has been rewritten and resubmitted to my editor, so another project down. I've been working on rewrites of Dead Brew and finishing the first draft of my still untitled contemporary coming of age novella (can you tell I've fallen in love with the novella length work?). Plans are still afoot to try my hand a screenwriting.

I've also started finalizing and lining up my programming at various conventions for 2012, and I'm looking at doing a few out-of-state readings and signings later this year. Website updates are in the works.

Over on a message board I frequent, we've been talking about Plot vs. Story vs. Characterization, though it is not the epic battle royale it sounds from that description. No one is being bashed over the head with adverbs and tossed out with a form rejection stapled to their foreheads or anything like that.

I've found it interesting watching the folks who only write short fiction and the folks who are writing novels discuss their different perspectives concerning plot. The general consensus is that in short fiction a single plot is preferable, while longer works such as novels, novellas, feature scripts, and long plays, should (and frankly, these days are expected to) have subplots. Of course I could point out examples of short stories with two or even three plots running, and I can point to successful novels that only have the main plot and nothing else, the general consensus stated about does seem to be the norm.

In genre fiction (SF/F/H/M/W/R/Thr and others) plot tends to be the emphasis, with characters and setting next in importance, while in what critics call contemporary, literary, or mainstream fiction, character and story tends to rule over plot. This is also a generalization, and of course some "genre" writers focus more on characterization or world-building, while I've seen some lovely plots in post-modern contemporary novels.

From a personal perspective as a writer, I like to write deep characterization first, plot and sub-plot second (grown from the character's desires and conflicts), and deal with world-building very little, hence I tend to write contemporary and urban fantasy with a smattering of magical realism and steampunk/supernatural westerns/supernatural Victoriana where I can use a "real world" setting and short hand the world-building.

I think that in short fiction everything, from paragraph to punctuation, has to advance the story in some way, either moving the plot or developing the characters, hopefully while deepening the sense of scene and place. I think you have more room to digress and get away with long descriptions in novels, though it should be used sparingly.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Home from Convergence. Convergence fell the weekend after 4th Street Fantasy Convention this year, leaving me a little exhausted. Despite that, I had a great time at both conventions, though they are almost exact opposites in tone.

4th Street is small and intimate, and it was great to spend a lot of time in conversations with friends old and new. I walk away from 4th Street happy, pleased at the chance to catch up and renew friendships. There was (as is almost always the case) deep discussion about writing and reading and fantasy. There was a strong showing from MinnSpec writers, especially those of use who are early in our careers.

I moderated a panel, “It’s a Secret to Everyone” which had a lively and engaged crowd. I felt like I barely kept control of the panel, and I struggled to make sure everyone in the audience got their questions and comments in, working as I was with one malfunctioning eye. I was also on the “Novelty, Complexity, and Mass Appeal” panel. I thought this panel went really well, with all the panelist and audience bring up some great ideas.

Convergence, on the other hand, is a monster. 5000 or so attendees this year. It’s four days long, which is almost one day too many for me (the more so coming off 4th Street). I was on a lot of programming items and was drafted into a panel as well. Still, I had a good time. There was plenty of hanging out with friends, a nice venture out to dinner, and most of my programming went well enough. Seanan McGuire tried to kill me with humor a couple of times, and I got a little overwhelmed by all the (fantastic!) academic conversation on another panel. My reading was well attended, and we recorded it. We also recorded the MinnSpec group reading. I gave away lots of postcards for my two eBooks.

I might come back and talk about these conventions some more as my brain comes back online and I catch up on my rest. I’m still processing lots of stuff from both, and considering what conventions I plan to attend next year.

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Last Car to Annwn Station is available in ebook format at Carina Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon U.S., and Amazon U.K. and in audio format at Audible.

Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep. Available in ebook format at Carina Press, Amazon, B&N, and in audio format at Audible.

Michael’s Schedule

eBooks - Books & Publishers: 12:30pm – Friday July 1st – Atrium 7
The realities of the new eBook market. What do authors want, what do publishers want and is there a way for all of them to get it?
Panelists: Anya Bast, Richard Ristow, Michael Merriam, David Wilbanks, Michael Zecca.

Signing: 2:00pm – Friday July 1st
I’ll be signing books and postcards with Dana Baird.

Ask a Writer: 3:30p m– Friday July 1st -- Bloomington Room.
Always wanted to know how a novel is born? How does a writer structure their day? Is it all glittering parties and intelligent company? Come ask a panel of working writers anything.
Panelists: Dana Baird, Anya Bast, Kelly McCullough, Seanan McGuire, Michael Merriam, David Wilbanks.

MinnSpec Meeting: 5:00pm – Friday July 1st -- Cabana 118 / Krushenko’s.
Come and learns about the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers, a 280+ member strong organization.
Panelists: Michael Merriam and other MinnSpec members.

Into the Woods: Creating Fairy Tales: 9:30am – Saturday July 2nd – Bloomington Room.
How do we create modern fairy tales and myths? How do we tap into the primal emotions of fairy tales in a modern era?
Panelists: Lisa Blauersouth, Michael Levy, Michael Merriam, Catherynne Valente, MontiLee Stormer, Kristin Livdahl.

Happy Writers and Fast Writers: 12:30 pm – Saturday July 2nd – Bloomington Room.
There are any number of writers who talk about the agony of writing, both in terms of how long it takes them and how miserable it makes them. But that's not the only side of the story. A lot of writers love what they do -- that's why they do it.
Panelists: Anya Bast, Kelly McCullough, Michael Merriam, Seanan McGuire, David Wilbanks, David Walbridge.

Michael Merriam Reading: 5:00pm – Saturday July 2nd – Vista Suites / Lit Lounge
Michael Merriam, author of Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep and The Horror at Cold Springs, reads from his new novel, Last Car to Annwn Station.
Panelists: Michael Merriam.

MinnSpec Reading: 2:00pm – Sunday July 3rd -- Vista Suites / Lit Lounge
MinnSpec Reading
Panelists: Eli Effinger-Weintraub and other MinnSpec members.

Careswen’s Schedule

I'm Your GM, Not Your Therapist: 10:00pm – Thursday June 30th -- Atrium 3
When personal issues spill over into your gaming group.
Panelists: Beth Kinderman, Sherry L.M. Merriam, James Turnbull, Rachel Kronick.

Do Superheroes Need Therapy? 11:00am – Saturday July 2nd – Atrium 2
Let's face it; Bruce Wayne would not be Batman if someone had sent him to therapy when he was a kid. Would Superman be the man of steel if he wasn't dealing with parental rejection issues? Super Heroism as a means of dodging what's really bugging you.
Panelists: Daniel Wallace, Jonathan Palmer, Sherry L.M. Merriam, Daren Johnson, Kevin Horner.