[identity profile] blogfloggery.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] lkh_lashouts
Link: Writing at DragonCon 2015
Disclaimer: This blog entry is verbatim, as originally posted on LKH's blog. Copyright belongs to Ma Petite Enterprises.

Dawn came in with pink, cotton candy clouds here in Atlanta today. The book I’m currently writing was too loud in my head for me to sleep in, so I took everything out to a less crowded part of the rooms, opened the drapes for the view and wrote. We’re here for DragonCon again, and for those who don’t know what it is, well . . . DragonCon is Geek Carnival, Stan Lee called it Geek Mardi Gras, but my husband, Jonathon, said later, “Any town can have Mardi Gras, but there’s only one Carnival.” He’s right, and for anyone that loves Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, whether it’s short stories, books, television, or movies, this is the place to get your geek on. They’re expecting 65,000 attendees, but it may run higher. Normally this is a break from the everyday routine for me, but this year it feels more like an interruption than a vacation



Me at my Q & A panel

We went to Ireland and Britain for a month, we got home two weeks ago, and now we’re at DragonCon. The research trip was fabulous and absolutely necessary to the new book I’m writing, because at least half the book is set in Ireland, which I’d never visited. I’ve had this book idea for a few years, but kept putting it off because of the amount of travel and research that was needed, and there was another book set in England that I kept putting off because I needed a second research trip for it. Two books that I kept shoving back down the creative que, because I didn’t want to take time out of my actual writing schedule to travel for the research, but finally my imagination said, “The Irish book is next. Get your ass to Ireland, its time.”

I’ve tried to argue with my muse in the past, and I’ve won. I have successfully talked my muse and myself out of writing books in a certain order, not this plot, but that plot. I’ve done it and the books themselves are good, but after I’d forced my muse to write a book that it wasn’t ready for my writing process would be fucked up for months. The closest to true writers block I’ve ever had is when I don’t write the book, or short story, that my muse says is next in the creative pipeline. I can force my muse into harness and make her help me write the book that is due, the book I think should be next, but once that book is in New York then she turns on me, or I turn on myself, or my imagination does. Whatever you want to call it, that thing that makes me a happy, working writer balks like a huge draft horse that you need to pull your wagon. The horse holds up its hoof and says, “I’m hurt, can’t you see that? I’m lame. You’ve forced me to work when I wasn’t ready, on a road that I wasn’t ready to walk on, and I hurt myself. See?”

No, my muse doesn’t come to me like a horse, or talk that directly to me, but the metaphore is accurate. Sometimes my muse pushes me from behind like the hand on a swing sending me higher and higher into the cloudless blue sky – those are days of gold and joy when the words flow like magic. But most often the muse pulls me along, or we work together picking our way through the rocky field of a book, while the plow blade catches on rocks, old tree roots, and other nameless debris. When it works well my muse and I are a great team. We work well together she and I, or he and I, though muses in mythology are traditionally female, so I usually say, she. I am not referring to real life muses, as in a person that inspires an artist to create, that’s an entirely different topic, and not the kind of muse I’m referencing. When I say, muse here, I mean that spark inside an artist that helps them create and finish a work. Lots of people get good ideas for stories, even great ideas, but very few actually write the story down, finish it, rewrite it until its ready to send to a publishing house and an editor, and then send it off. My muse doesn’t just inspire me, she helps me work, or maybe helps me be inspired day after day. Now, there are days when she doesn’t show up at work on time, but I’m still at my desk typing and eventually she hears the activity and comes to look over my shoulder. Sometimes she thinks, “Good enough, and sometimes she thinks, we can do better.” Ray Bradbury once said, “The muse cannot resist a working writer.” He’s right.

Normally DragonCon is something that refreshes me and my muse. We come to play, but this year the trip to Europe was so long and full of so much information that I haven’t finished processing all of it in my mind. I have a stack of research books that I found in Ireland that is probably taller than me if we could safely stack them atop each other. I need time in my office to write the front end of the book set here in America, as I read and go over my research notes and pictures from Ireland. I’ve never tried to do this much research at the same time I’m writing the book, but it seems to be working for this particular book. I have a process for each book and most of that is the same for each project, but every book is a little bit different, too. It’s like dating, people can take you to the same restaurant, but the experience is totally unique, because the person beside you is totally unique. From dinner table conversation to whether you’re both comfortable holding hands, or if there will be sex afterwards, or not. Books are like that, too, each one unique, though it all has to be researched, written, rewritten, edited, and published, so the process is the same, but different. Again, like dating, because if all dates were the same you’d sleep with them all, or marry them all, and you don’t. The difference with writing books as opposed to dating is that you have to cross the finish line with each book, so you have to come across, or get engaged, or walk down the aisle, or whatever you feel is “finished”. On a real life date you can have dinner, shake hands, and go home alone, because that’s all you want to do, but with a book – I have to find a way to like my own book enough to want to do a hell of a lot more than just shake hands at the end.

For me, even a day off from a book when it’s going well can derail me for a week, or more. I was so tired when we all finally went to sleep last night here at DragonCon, but I woke early with the book demanding to be written. I wanted to finish the scene I’d been working on yesterday, which I did. It is the first time I’ve ever worked successfully at DragonCon, because like I said, it’s usually a welcome break, but not this year. This year my head is full of Ireland and everything we saw, did, and learned there. I keep thinking about all the research books. Some I absolutely need to read before I get to the second part of the book, but others maybe useful, or may just be more information that doesn’t directly impact the book I’m writing. There is even a third kind of research that never makes it visibly onto the page, but is important to have in my head, because it helps me write this book better. I can’t explain the difference in the types of reading, or research, but I know it is different, and I know that sometimes the difference is slim, but incredibly important to me as a writer.

Now I’m in the room alone with all my loves out doing different things. They are enjoying being in costume, getting their pictures taken, or visiting with friends that involves panels, parties, LARPing, and other things that I don’t really do, or understand. I’m in something cool and bed worthy with the lights down low so I can look out at the spectacular view of nighttime Atlanta from the room’s desk. Its a great view to write to, and that’s what I’m doing. I’ve got headphones in listening to the same music that I’ve been listening to at home as I write the book. (I always pick music for a book and listen to it until I burn myself out on it. It can take me years to be able to listen to an album, or artist again, and sometimes the music is so wedded to a particular book that I’m never able to listen to it for simple enjoyment again.) The moment that music comes on my muse and I are ready to go, because that is the music for this book. Some writers work better to silence, but for me, I need music most of the time. One thing I am doing differently is writing on my iPad. I wrote most of Dead Ice, the last Anita Blake novel, on my iPad because we weren’t home for the winter last year, so my main desk top wasn’t with me. It was the first book mostly written on the iPad, and now this book is also being written mostly on it, because I knew I would be traveling a lot while I wrote it, and I thought that keeping the same computer would help. It has, and its reminded me that I wrote most of my early books on some of the first portable computers. It was how I could write at restaurants, or playgrounds, when my daughter was little. It’s helping me a great deal to write on the same instrument on planes, in hotels, everywhere. Same music, same computer, same book, the continuity is helping me a lot.

I tried to go down and play with my people tonight, but the crowds got to me. Too many moving parts, too many things to keep track of, its just too much chaos tonight, so I kissed them good-bye and went back to the room. My security has me tucked in for the night, and I am content with that. I got plenty of attention today at the signing and panel. It was great seeing everyone, and thanks for everyone who stood in line for hours for the signing. You guys rock!

So at one of the biggest geek parties of the year I’m sitting in a darkened room by myself typing. The book is thunderous in my head, and I’m hoping to get another chapter done tonight, before my people get back from their panels, parties, and costume fun. I’m just not in the mindset to play, I need to work – I want to work. But then if I didn’t actually enjoy being alone in a room with just my imaginary friends and me, I wouldn’t be a writer, and I certainly wouldn’t be a Best Selling novelist with over forty books to my credit. I’ve been trying to learn to play, and I’m better at it than I was when I started, but in the end writing is my play. I think I forgot that for awhile, and I got confused with deadlines that were punishing, so that I began to see the writing as a punishment and not a reward. If you do anything too long and too hard, you can take the joy of it, and I did that to myself and my muse. We worked in harness far past our ability to plow a straight line and take care of ourselves. Now, I’m remembering that books are my play, whether its reading them, or writing them. My muse and I sit in the darkened room together, we are writing, and we are content.

Date: 2015-09-10 07:00 am (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
Translation: "Stan Lee is wrong. Jon, my husband Jon, is right. See, my husband is better than Stan Lee." Of course, Jon's wrong.

I wrote a dorky, awkward, self-involved post on my journal about how my "muse" was a mule a long time ago. Now I want to delete it because of LKH's horse-muse thing. I thought her muse was a bored rape victim anyway?

"Now I’m in the room alone with all my loves out doing different things." Ruh-roh. And if she's supposed to be working on her book, shouldn't she be working on her book? Not writing an incredibly long, pointless blog post?

"My muse and I sit in the darkened room together, we are writing, and we are content." Keep telling yourself that, Laurell.
Edited Date: 2015-09-10 07:02 am (UTC)

Date: 2015-09-10 10:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suzycat.livejournal.com
You forgot to bite at "my security has me tucked in for the night". Because the polywog is not security enough clearly. She needs protection! From crazed fans! Just in case there are any!

Date: 2015-09-10 08:35 pm (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
Oh yeah, her "security." I didn't even know she had a bodyguard again. Maybe that's what Spike does (or pretends to do.)

Date: 2015-09-10 11:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suzycat.livejournal.com
And yeah, the only one carnival thing is... dude, there are carnivals everywhere you inane woman.

Date: 2015-09-10 09:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dagonista.livejournal.com
Never heard "brevity is the soul of wit", no? I could edit this blog down to about three paragraphs and nothing of value would be lost.

Date: 2015-09-11 12:26 am (UTC)
nialla: (Justified - Grin)
From: [personal profile] nialla
There was something of value in it?

Date: 2015-09-11 01:52 am (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
"Look, new editor/publisher, I'm writing! Even when most writers wouldn't, like at night during DragonCon! See what a hard worker I am!"

Date: 2015-09-11 08:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dagonista.livejournal.com
Um...I liked the Stan Lee quote?

Date: 2015-09-11 03:02 pm (UTC)
nialla: (Default)
From: [personal profile] nialla
I'm not sure if the "Geek Mardi Gras" originated with him though. I've been hearing D*C referred to as that for years now. Though LKH probably heard him say it, so she's assuming it originated with him.

But Stan Lee is awesome, no doubt.

Date: 2015-09-10 09:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suzycat.livejournal.com
"This year my head is full of Ireland and everything we saw, did, and learned there." And yet, none of this has been discussed at all in Laurell's blog posts.

Also this blog post is rambling and long and boring and long and boring and rambling.

Date: 2015-09-10 11:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebootfromstart.livejournal.com
Rambling and long and boring and full of spelling and grammatical errors.

Date: 2015-09-10 11:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] suzycat.livejournal.com
LKH's muse rises above such mainstream concerns. She and her muse are too edgy to care about clear communication! *sneer*

Date: 2015-09-10 10:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mocha-latta.livejournal.com
"Tweaked my knee. I'm hoping that RICE will help me feel better by tomorrow, but no play outside room for me tonight.:-(. @DragonCon"

Ah yes. The call of the muse.

Date: 2015-09-10 01:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilisonna.livejournal.com
Knowing that DragonCon has a BDSM track made me crane my head at the "play outside" bit, and now I can not shake the idea of LKH and her quartet going to the BDSM party and telling everyone that they're Doing Kink Wrong.

Date: 2015-09-10 09:49 pm (UTC)
northernwalker: (Naamah's Curse cover- prayer hands)
From: [personal profile] northernwalker
Oh God, I didn't need that picture in my head and it WILL NOT leave.

Date: 2015-09-10 10:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] desert-vixen.livejournal.com

You are not alone.

Date: 2015-09-11 01:53 am (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
My picture is of them walking in, saying something about how gags take away safewords or something, and being quickly ushered out and banned forever.

Date: 2015-09-11 10:20 pm (UTC)
northernwalker: (Naamah's Curse cover- prayer hands)
From: [personal profile] northernwalker
*laughs hysterically*

Date: 2015-09-10 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fangedsekhmet.livejournal.com
Epic tl;dr.

Saying that, though, I'm seriously curious about this 'Irish' book because it has to be full of clichés, right?

Begorra begorra.

Date: 2015-09-10 06:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jessica collett (from livejournal.com)
I pre-emptively call the leprechaun and wee people drinking game.

Date: 2015-09-10 09:48 pm (UTC)
northernwalker: (Naamah's Curse cover- prayer hands)
From: [personal profile] northernwalker
I'm calling shamrocks, four leaf clovers and someone named Bran.

Date: 2015-09-10 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fangedsekhmet.livejournal.com
Maybe we could make up a bingo chart in advance. (Calling mention of Irish luck and the Blarney stone)

Date: 2015-09-10 11:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lilisonna.livejournal.com
There will be a red-head whose hair is both curly and goes down past his waist.

Date: 2015-09-11 07:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] plastraa.livejournal.com
"...and goes down past his waist." Why so short? ;)

Date: 2015-09-11 09:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] openidwouldwork.livejournal.com
Because it's such a bitch to take care of and the Irish have some sense? ;)

Date: 2015-09-11 09:23 am (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
LKH is a thoroughgoing imperialist who thinks might makes right, both on the personal and international levels. How that will influence how she deals with Irish history, I don't know, but I know it's going to be disgusting.

Date: 2015-09-10 07:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dreamstrifer.livejournal.com
I was at Dragoncon this year and didn't even know she was there (see how much I pay attention). There were over 70,000 attendees, in case anyone was curious.

how can she make DC sound so boring, I ask you? oh yeah because she wrote an endless comparison of research and dating (wtf leave it to her to lead research back to 'dating').

Date: 2015-09-10 08:34 pm (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
And to go on a long ramble about how every date isn't the same. Because no one in the world has ever dated but her, so it is her duty to inform us of these things.

Date: 2015-09-10 11:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elialshadowpine.livejournal.com
*nearly falls off chair*

LKH? FINALLY admitting that her "muse" is actually the spark that gets you wanting to write instead of carrying on ridiculous metaphors for days on end? Okay, while continuing the metaphors, but this is the first time I've seen her outright state it. I probably owe someone a drink, because I'm pretty sure I bet at some point that'd never happen. Now if I can remember who I owe that drink... oh well. It's buried in the middle of blah-blah-whine-complain-whine-whine-blah, and around the usual ridiculous metaphors, but still. That's not something I expected to ever see.

I'm going to assume she's writing this blog post on her iPad, along with the new book, in which case, I wince at the editing that's going to need to happen. There are many SPAG errors in this blog post alone. Ow. I'd say it's her problem, but it's probably going to get foisted off onto her poor editor. Maybe I should offer the drink to whomever that is. Or the whole bottle.

Date: 2015-09-11 04:58 pm (UTC)
northernwalker: (Naamah's Curse cover- prayer hands)
From: [personal profile] northernwalker
Does she have an editor? I thought she'd decided that they cramp the muse or something.

Date: 2015-09-11 09:45 pm (UTC)
lliira: Fang from FF13 (Fang2)
From: [personal profile] lliira (from livejournal.com)
Her former editor (I don't know what her exact position was) retired recently, at about the same time LKH was shuffled to Penguin's romance division. I do not think romance editors are nearly as likely to put up with LKH's crap, especially when she's not selling like she used to. Romance is the biggest pond in publishing, and LKH might be finding out she's a much smaller fish than she thought.

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