The Journal of Michael Merriam

2013. Yeah. That was a thing that happened.

On some levels it was a tough year. My raw writing metrics were the lowest since about 2005. I had the lowest raw word count for the year since I got serious about writing in 2002. On some levels it was a down year for writing.

The numbers, however, tell a tale of a great year as a writer and storyteller:

I was Guest of Honor at CoreCon V. Blog reports here:
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Sold 2 novels and 4 reprint short stories for publication. Published 1 novel, 1 short story collection, and 4 short stories (all in anthologies.)

Gave 7 public literary readings. Gave 3 writing-related interviews. Participated on 11 panels at conventions and gave 6 presentations for various organizations. Did a little publishing consulting. Appeared at 9 conventions and festivals.

Appeared in 2 music videos. Competed in Story Slam MN! Grand Slam and told multiple times at local story slam events. Hosted the Ghost Stories track and told 3 stories as part of Storyfest Minnesota. Performed 3 stories for KFAI radio.

Helped judge the Geek Partnership Society Writing Contest. Participated in photo shoots for Tim Cooper's War for the Oaks Reader's Series. Was active in the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers, Volunteered for MN Fringe Festival, and was active in my Writers Group.

The thing I'm the most proud of is getting my process as an artist smoothed out and working again. I'd been struggling for the last year or so, and in the last 6 months of 2013 I felt like I found my footing. I finished the first draft of a couple of things I'm pretty pleased with, especially since some of the stuff from earlier in the year as Not Up To Standards.

I wrote sparingly and sporadically in my blog this year, focusing more on steering the fiction writing back on track while working on improving as a storyteller. I did make a post about the changing writing process, which I'm pretty pleased with, An Ever Evolving Process and a post about finding my way back to being the writer I want to be in The Power of Story

What's in store for 2014? I'm not sure. I'm working on a scriptwriting project for a local theatre company. I've got more novellas in my Gaslight and Grimoires series ready to go. I'm working on a one-man show for either Minnesota Fringe Festival or to produce myself. I have finished novels to polish and market. I've got a long list of ideas and partial works-in-progress. I'm trying to pick the next novel project, with an eye toward something that might get me back into the Big Publishing Houses as an author.

What are your plans for 2014?
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Originally posted at michaelmerriam.net. You can comment here or there.

My venerable (for a computer) HP Pavilion kicked the bucket after 8 good years of service. Considering the lifespan of most electronics, I really can’t complain. I didn’t lose anything, since we keep all of our doc, pics, and music on the network drive and back it all up regularly to the laptop. That said, I’m thinking about signing up for DropBox. I will working on the laptop for the time being, though we are considering buying a laptop with a docking station so that I can work at my more ergonomically correct desk and use my huge (seriously huge) monitor.

In happier news, I sold my short story “Steadfast” to Flagship. This is a space opera retelling of The Steadfast Tin Soldier. I’m pleased to have sold it.

And a reminder that I will be at Paganicon (http://tcpaganpride.org/paganicon/) this weekend. I will be doing a reading/storytelling event on Sunday, where I plan to present “Four Minnesota Fantasy Tales.” There are also some other author events that I will probably see attending on Saturday and Sunday.

Just a reminder that MarsCon (http://marscon.org/2011/index.php) is coming up this weekend.

This is my schedule:

Fiction Reading: Michael Merriam – Krushenko’s Lounge (13th Floor) — Friday 06:00 pm

The Woods Are Lovely – Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Saturday 06:00 pm
How do we create modern fairytales and myths? How do we tap into the primal emotions of fairytales in a modern era? With: Michael Merriam, mod.; Eleanor Arnason, PMF Johnson, Naomi Kritzer

Ask a Writer – Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Sunday 11:00 am
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!
With: Michael Merriam, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Catherine Lundoff, Anna Waltz

The Western as Fantasy – Krushenko’s Lounge (13th Floor) — Sunday 01:00 pm
Myths about the Old West began before the West was old, making it one of the first shared fantasy worlds in American culture. We’ll discuss the rise and fall of the Old West mythology, and how it has influenced and lent its energy to current genres including fantasy and science fiction. With: David Christenson, mod.; Eric M. Heideman, Michael Merriam Sponsored by Con-Sarnit, a Western convention

Writing in a Series: Harmonies and Discords – Krushenko’s Lounge (13th Floor) — Sunday 02:00 pm
Writers who have done multiple novels or stories about continuing characters and/or a linked world share their experiences, positive and negative, and their advice to aspiring series writers.
With: Lois McMaster Bujold, Michael Merriam, mod.; Naomi Kritzer

I'm not quite sure how I ended up moderating three panels, but there you have it.

If you see me, please come up and say hello. I'm the 6'2" guy with the 56" white mobility cane. It makes me pretty easy to spot.

My space opera story "Memory" will be broadcast on WRFR 93.3 in Rockland, Maine and archived as a podcast at Beam Me Up.

I have just found out through mariness that my novella, Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep has been nominated for the Nebula Award.

This is me, boggled: o.O

Whether it makes the short list or not, I am both honored and tickled to have even been nominated.

My understanding is that there is a place in either the SFWA or Nebula forums where nominees can, if the piece is not available for free to read on the web, place a copy of their nominated piece for the voting SFWA membership to read. I think this is a grand idea, and would love to put Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep in front of the voting members, except…

Except I am not a member of SFWA, and do not have access to these forums.

So I am asking, most politely, if one of my friends who is a SFWA member would be willing to put a copy of Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep in the correct forum. I can email someone a copy in .pdf, if they would we willing to help me. Thank you samhenderson for offering to post my novella to the boards! If you are a voting member of SFWA and would like to read the novella, I would be willing to send you a .pdf as well. You can message me through Live Journal or email me at mmerriamATgmailDOTcom.

Oh, and this is still me, boggled: o.O

Speculations Reading with Michael Merriam
Friday, February 4, 2011 6:30 PM
DreamHaven Books
2301 E 38th St
Minneapolis MN 55406

The reading will be at DreamHaven Books, 2301 E 38th St, Minneapolis, MN. Speculations Reading is accompanied by a reception with free soda pop and cookies. We will also bring baked goods and there will be prizes! Michael plans to read from his novellas, The Horror at cold Springs and Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep, and from his forthcoming novel, Last Car to Annwn Station.

Copies of The Horror at Cold Springs, Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales and Shimmers and Shadows will be for sale and available for signing.

After the reading, we will probably adjourn to Parkway Pizza (4457 42nd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55406) for pizza, drinks, and conversation.

I am plugging away on the developmental edits. I should be done with this first pass by this weekend. I've hit a string of scenes that are on the chopping block. Some of them are going to be condensed and rolled together, a couple might get cut completely because neither I nor the editor are sure how they advance the story, and a couple look to be made obsolete during the next pass.

I sold a short story, "Memory," to Ray Gun Revival. It's another bit of space opera, something I write from time-to-time. I'm always pleased to find a home for these stories. For any of my stories, actually. I am always a bit amazed that when someone wants to pay me money for the things I write.

Though it was a tough day, with a household member being terribly sick, we all got through it. The snow outside was just enough to make everything pretty again, covering up the dirty muck. I have brownies in the oven and coffee at hand. I'm recording the BCS Championship game, and plan to start watching it in an hour or so. For the record, I will be cheering for the Oregon Ducks.

What: Speculations Reading with Michael Merriam

When: Friday, February 4, 2011 6:30 PM

Where: DreamHaven Books
2301 E 38th St
Minneapolis MN 55406
612-823-6161

I will have copies of The Horror at Cold Springs, Shimmers & Shadows, and Northern Lights: 20 MinnSpec Tales for sale. I hope to have postcards for Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep to give away. We will be giving away prizes, and there will be homemade baked goods for the audience.

As always, the group will convene after the reading at a local eatery for food and great conversation, probably Parkway Pizza at 4457 42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406.

I am pleased to announce that Last Car to Annwn Station, aka the Dark Urban Fantasy Relationship Driven Paranormal Romance Revenge and Redemption Supernatural Horror Novel with Fairy Tale and Mythological Overtones and Lesbian Protagonists, has been acquired by Carina Press, an eBook first publisher and imprint of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. It is tentatively scheduled to be released in the Summer of 2011.


Ohmygod ya'll! I sold a novel!

Sold "Fourth Dimensional Pony in the Concourse of the Lost" to Golden Visions Magazine.

Sold a reprint of "And A Song In Her Hair" to Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Best of Fantasy 2 anthology, to be released at WorldCon this year.