2014 Williamson Lectureship

 This speech was given in part at the Williamson Lectureship in 2014. Darynda was a Guest of Honor that year and will be forever grateful for that honor.

Thank you so much for having me. I am so honored to be here in this prestigious capacity. I’d written Patrice [Dr. Patrice Caldwell] a while back to let her know that Craig and Jessica had offered to do Puppet Theater in place of my giving a speech, but she told me she felt confident I could deliver a speech on my own just fine. She is about to regret that decision.

So, to start out, I wanted to address any aspiring writers who might be in the audience who have questions about writing and publishing and everything that conglomerate entails, so I asked a few guests to write down their questions. I hope my fellow writers will bear with me as I answer these questions for all of us, and I hope that these aspiring writers will leave here today having learned something and feeling inspired to write the next great American novel.

#1

Okay, the first question is from Daryl and he wants to know, “Where do writers get their ideas from?” That’s an excellent question. I actually get most of mine from Sears. They offer a pretty good variety of ideas slash concepts. I prefer the softer side of Sears, but they have the more manly side too. They have the “power tools” department, the Craftsman stuff. For science fiction writers they have the electronics department. They do use alien technology in some of their appliances, so that’s a big plus. They have the children’s department. Then you have the department where a size 8 foot tries to fit into a size 6 shoe. That’s called the fantasy section. The trick is to keep a lookout for sales. Ideas at 50% off are always a win.

Just off the top of my head, I can give a few examples of where writers have gotten their ideas from and, hopefully, give you an idea of what really goes into the creation of a novel and the lengths that authors go to.

STEVEN GOULD got the idea for Jumper from a little shop in Italy. He and his wife were on vacation and it was just sitting there on a shelf between two curios.

I’ve heard that PHILLIPA BORNIKOVA [Melinda Snodgrass] is actually an assassin for the Russian mafia. That is unconfirmed, but we writers hear things. She got the idea for Box Office Poison off the streets. Now, let me just say, if you’re going to buy ideas off the street, please be aware of the fact that it can be a pretty dangerous place to shop. So be careful.

IAN TREGILLIS got the idea for Bitter Seeds in the produce section at Whole Foods, which makes sense.

ED BRYANT actually won Cinnabar in a card game. I’m not going to comment on that. I’m not sure how legal that transaction was.

I’ve heard stories of how WALTER JON WILLIAMS came into possession of The Rift. Let’s just say it involves his stripper days and a deposit into a G-string.

STEFAN KIESBYE got Your House is on Fire from a late night infomercial. We’ve all been there, Stefan. It’s okay.

FRED SABERHAGEN got his idea for Berserker at Discount Tires. So that’s a great lesson. Keep a lookout for great ideas no matter where you are.

CONNIE WILLIS? Bellwether? Target, right? Ugh, I knew it! I saw it on the rack. I came THIS close to buying it but they didn't have it in my size. Gawd, I need to lose weight.

GEORGE RR MARTIN and the Game of Thrones? I think we all know this one. That’s right. eBay.

But, you know, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on your ideas. Think outside the box. There are bargains all around us. I happen to know for a fact that GENE RODDENBURY got the idea for Star Trek at a yard sale.

And don’t just take the first idea you see hanging on a rack. Shop around. Look for a good deal. Try a few on. Make sure the fit is right. Don’t let a salesperson pressure you into buying something you’re not comfortable with. I’m not saying that I’ve ever bought an idea for an erotic romance at Victoria’s Secret, but just take my word for it. Make sure it’s really what you want to write.

Now, you can go the opposite direction and buy from high-end designers. I’ll just say that if you go the designer route, just think about all those designer dresses on the red carpet on Oscar night. They may be designer, they may have cost more than my house, but that doesn’t mean they are going to look good on you. That doesn’t mean they’re going to work. Three syllables: Waterworld.

Okay, I loved Waterworld. Who else? Show of hands. It’s okay. You can admit it. We’re in a safe place.

Also, you can buy them in bulk at Sam’s Club and Costco. Just keep in mind the packaging may vary, but the quality is just as good.

#2

Okay, on to question number two. This is from Crystal. “You have several explicit scenes in your books. Do you draw from personal experience to write them?”

Yes, Crystal. Yes, I do. Why else would I keep my husband around? All authors do everything in their books in the name of research. I’m actually shelved under mystery and most, if not all, mystery authors have committed murder. It’s not like we can just ask someone. It’s not like we can go to some magical place where they have lots of books and find the answers to our questions. It’s not like we can do research on some shiny box with a keyboard. We have to experience this stuff first hand to be able to write about it.

#3

Okay, next question is from Bob. “I don’t really like your books but I love George RR Martin’s. Can I get his phone number from you?”

Absolutely, Bob. I will give you any author’s phone number that I have so you can call your favorites and bombard them with questions mano a mano.

#4

This is from Vanessa. “How long does it take to write a book?” 17 weeks. It takes all authors exactly 17 weeks to write a book and if they tell you any different, Vanessa, just remember, we get paid to lie for a living. Just sayin’.

#5

Okay, this one is from Delores. She asks, “How do you come up with your characters?”

I usually go to CharactersAreUs.com. It’s an online service that will help you with anything character related from names and careers to clothing and hairstyles. They are especially good at rooting out your character’s motivation. He’s not just going on a mass killing spree for shits and giggles. He needs motivation. An inciting incident. A horrible childhood where his mother baked sugar cookies, and ONLY sugar cookies, all day, everyday. That’d do it.

And sometimes I hire a psychic. No idea why.

JACK WILLIAMSON

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, let’s move on to the reason we’re here: to talk about speculative fiction and the immortal Jack Williamson.

The term Speculative fiction most often refers to an umbrellaencompassing fantastical fiction of all genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal, superhero, utopian, dystopian, apocalyptic, and alternate history.   That's why I really like that definition because then I get to be here with all of these incredible Science Fiction and Fantasy writers and feel like I belong.

Using that definition, speculative fiction has been around in written form since ancient Greece, but storytellers were speculating about our origins, the meaning of our existence, and the vast possibilities of our futures long before that. The oral tradition of storytelling goes back to the beginning of language where it is believed stories were used to calm the fears and doubts of family. If any of you have seen the movie Epic? It’s like that.

It’s come a long way.

In the second century, a man named Lucian wrote about traveling to outer space, alien life forms and interplanetary warfare that some people believe was not fiction at all. A few centuries later came a work by Johannes Kepler called SOMNIUM and Science Fiction began to solidify as a form of literature.

From the moment Kepler described what the earth looked like from the moon, imaginations took flight. To help shape Science Fiction into what it is today came works by Mary Shelley, Edgar Rice Burrows, HG Wells, and Jules Vern, just to name a few. Some even argue that Shakespeare wrote a science fiction piece, a little story called The Tempest. That’s partly because the definition of Science Fiction has been hard to pin down. It was author Mark C. Glassy who argued that the definition of science fiction is like the definition of pornography: you don’t know what it is, but you know it when you see it. Personally, I love Rod Sterling’s definition: Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible. And that is exactly what the incomparable Jack Williamson did. He made the improbable not only seem possible, but everyday, as though we could take a step back from our world, scratch our heads and say, yeah, that’s completely possible. Why didn’t we think of that?

The first time I almost met Jack Williamson was at a book signing. There were three authors signing that day and I was so nervous I went to the two romance authors first. Just when I was about to step over to Jack, he stood up. He’d been sitting for a while and just needed to stand, but I took that as a sign that surely he couldn't possibly want to meet me. So I left with lots of romance novels and not a single one from Jack.

The second time I almost met Jack Williamson was at Tastee Freez, which is appropriate for me since I almost wrote my first manuscript there. I wanted so bad to tell him how much I loved his work and how awesome he was, but the time he made it to the counter to order, I’d chickened out.

The third time I almost met Jack Williamson was when I saw him walking down the street with his nurse. Again, I wanted more than anything to pull a Uie, screech to a halt beside him, jump out of my car, and fangirl all over him. But I didn’t. I didn’t want to scare him.

So, after all those years, I still didn’t know Jack.

But that was about to change. After marriage, kids, college, and career, I was fortunate enough to take a class form Jack in 2004. It was one of the last classes he taught and let me tell you a little about what that was like. We started our class every Saturday in the classroom with Patrice and that in itself was such a treat. It was like being entertained for an hour by this witty, beautiful, intelligent goddess. It was fun and unforgettable.

We broke half way through the class, and the graduate students would drive over to Jack’s house, sit around his table and talk about writing. You cannot imagine how amazingly cool that was. When I look back on my life, that is in the top five coolest things I’ve ever done. Sitting in his presence and talking about writing was such an incredible honor. I have met and am good friends with some huge authors, but nothing compares to that experience. My love and respect for him is never-ending.

And we did exactly the same thing. We sat around his table and bombarded him with questions like how do you come up with your characters, how long does it take to write a book, and where do you get your ideas from. And he was so gracious and so patient and so sincere. I doubt I’ll ever meet his equal. As for his ideas, I’m pretty sure just about everything Jack wrote came straight out of that brilliant, beautiful mind of his. Except Terraforming Earth. That was a Kmart Blue Light Special.

Thank you.