After three very intense days, the con is over. As predicted, it was the perfect forum for catching up with friends, networking, listening to the experts, and then discussing the key ideas that came up. We ate. We drank. We talked . . . We are now exhausted.
I am going to list all the panels I attended over the three days, but will limit descriptions to certain key points that I personally responded to -- plus a few "epiphany moments". It is always so interesting to hear how other writers go about developing characters, worlds, plots, since it reinforces the fact that all writers approach writing differently. "The important thing is not how we do it, but that we do it." (I think I quote Pamela Freeman there.)
So here are the panels:
What are the big cliches of fantasy?Many cliches (or "recurring elements" as Richard Harland liked to put it) were listed. It all boiled down to the idea that these can be used selectively in fantasy, but need to be treated well. Jane
Routley suggested that each cliche could be subverted. Pamela Freeman said that big cliches (of a plot nature) are more acceptable than small cliches (of an everyday life nature). Richard Harland said writers needed to find the emotion at the core of the recurring element. All panellists agreed that "writing within a tradition" was acceptable.
The panel also included a lengthy discussion on how female sexuality and intellect were treated in fantasy, with Jane
Routley in particular dark on the virginal heroine. It led to a Margaret Atwood essay,
In praise of stupid women, to be suggested.
Where are the new dangerous visions?This panel focused on what topics were edgy (e.g. terrorism). Someone quoted "Entertainment leads to comfortable lies, while art leads to uncomfortable truths", but not everyone agreed with the statement. Gillian
Polack said fiction made uncomfortable truths comfortable; Glenda
Larke said she tried to pack edgy material into comfortable surroundings.
Isobelle Carmody Guest of Honour SpeechIsobelle's talk was really her life story, with some anecdotal information about some of her books thrown in. She was an extremely good speaker, no doubt deriving from her background as a storyteller, which is how she became a writer. Some interesting insights:
- when she writes it's all about the "thrill of the game" and control of the environment
- she believes a "real writer" is someone who writes to understand the world, to figure things out (I'm not convinced all writers do this.)
- fantasy brings "more" to an otherwise mundane life
- you shouldn't write feeling bound by genre; write what you want to write. it's an inward journey, so don't think of it as a communication. (I should add that this contradicts what I've always believed.)
- the place where (or the terms by which) you enter a career defines the shape of that career
- she cannot write to order, and cannot write books in a series one after the other. she needs to go away and come back again, taking the time to grow again.
Is fantasy really about good versus evil?The panellists defined evil in a number of different ways, ranging from the "ultimate evil" (such as the dark lord), through to morally dubious people, through to anyone who happened to be the antagonist to the main character. So obviously, the answer became yes.
Richard Harland did point out that one takes very strong sides in fantasy, and Kate
Forsyth suggested that fantasy was often an exploration of what is good and what is evil. Pamela Freeman's view was that fantasy presents the main character with moral choices. Tansy Roberts said chaos versus order was an alternative. Glenda
Larke maintained her interest was in the moderate versus the extreme. She said everyone should read the
Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman.
Eating ancient food: historical foodways for writers, readers, fans and chocolate loversWith this panel, Gillian
Polack's main point seemed to be how writers could use food more to propel plot and portray cultural detail (not just for adding colour and flavour - ha!). For example, food can be used to show class and social status, generate conflict. She also said that there is nothing generic about the middle ages, that cultural habit was very specific according to region and situation.
Teen AngstThis panel was about why YA fiction is often dark and depressing. The discussion revealed that maybe not all teens want such stuff, that many enjoyed material that offered hope. An interesting point made was that publishers consider YA to target 15-20 year
olds, whereas most agreed many kids that age were reading adult fiction. Therefore YA is being read by 10-14 year
olds.
I wish I'd thought of that!This was Keith Stevenson's personal take on the story development process. His epiphany: that the desire to be creative is a mindset.
Slippage on the liminalA panel about how horror evolves from the cusp of transition from one thing into another; the familiar slipping into something else . . . Robert Hood talked about the slip between objective and subjective, where the internal becomes external. Much of the discussion compared Japanese and Western horror, focusing on how Westerners like to provide answers and rationalisations, which somehow defeat the whole purpose of the horror in many cases. One thing that struck me was the fact that some people actually like stories that don't make sense! (e.g. David Lynch films). The key is to make it 99% real and tweak it.
How to promote your bookIan Irvine generously gave this panel on self-promotion. His main tips: don't rely on the publisher; market yourself widely, including to your publisher. The reality is that you have 3 to 6 months only to make sure people buy it!
Lay down your mystical amulet and grab hold of this!About swords and
swordfighting. Very handy. Interesting points:
- women could wield swords effectively, since many swords were less than 1kg
- however, strength and reach, with all else equal, will always win
- swords got bigger to penetrate armour
- it's important to always counterattack after a defensive move
- wrestling was a big part of hand-to-hand combat (e.g. run through the attack)
Approaching the craftIn this panel, writers shared their thoughts about where ideas come from. In summary, the source of ideas are many and varied. Those ideas germinate into stories in different ways -- whether starting with characters that need to speak, or finding ideas that fit together and resonate. Some writers mull over ideas in the head for ages, others need to free write or write pages and pages of background to crystallise their thoughts. For most of them, characters were most important, and they suggested putting characters in dramatic situations to see what they do.
Isobelle Carmody said a writer's first novel is a tapestry of everything they've ever read, and so they find their own unique voice with time.
An interesting topic was which authors the panellists found inspirational. These included Ursula Le
Guin (especially
Steering the Craft), Roger
Zelazny, Jane
Yolen (including
Touch Magic and
Take Joy). Another book mentioned was
Writing Hannah, by Libby
Gleeson.
A talk with Isobelle CarmodyThis was an informal chat. A highlight was
Isobelle's performance as Sassy Cat during a reading.
Looking for the hook?The role of the hook and how deliberate its placement should be was discussed. Pamela Freeman felt strongly that the hook should include a promise to the reader about what is going to be delivered. Joel Shepherd, on the other hand, felt that readers needed to be drawn in gradually, or dropped in the middle of something they need to work out. The best hook is when the reader doesn't recognise it for such.
A good point was raised about fantasy series, and whether the first book needed to end on a hook for a second. The
consensus seemed to be that all books needed to stand alone as a story, but that if they were part of a series, the opening for a sequel needed to be obvious. Pamela Freeman made an excellent point about
worldbuilding: that the author should keep introducing new aspects of the world, and make it clear that there are new parts of the world to be discovered in sequels. (Never thought about this before, but it's great advice.) Joel said that many readers read on in series just to spend more time with characters (me included).
BlacksmithingSteve
Gleeson gave us some excellent history, practical tips and theory about
blacksmithing. One of his major points was that a smith had to be creative and inventive in order to make whatever was needed. This often included the tools needed to make a specific object. He listed a heap of everyday objects that would have been made by a smith: nails, kitchen implements, cutlery, tools, hinges & locks, chains etc.
Subvert the dominant paradigmThe discussion centred partly on whether or not fantasy needed to be set in a world reminiscent of medieval Europe, and partly on the subversion of cliches. It led to discussions of cultural appropriation, which everybody agreed was usually not such a good idea. The panel agreed there are many alternatives in fantasy already.
Phew -- that's it! 15 panels over three days is pretty good going. The other event was the preview screening of Claire
McKenna's film
Liminal, starring many people from
SuperNOVA and others at the con.
Out of all that there is much to think about.
PS - For another perspective, see Tracey's blog for
Saturday,
Sunday and
Monday.