[writing] glad hands

With the Winnipeg International Writer's Festival happening all around me, I thought that it behooved me to take advantage of some of the opportunities that it brought with it. I met with one of the guest writers yesterday in what the Manitoba Writer's Guild is calling (somewhat lamely) Access 2 Writers. Yeah.

But the meeting actually went quite well. Gillian Chan didn't have a lot of time to look at my writing sample, but that was alright, since what I really wanted to pick her brain about was research. She's written several historically based novels, some with a fantasy flavour, and since my latest greatest idea is for a historical-influenced fantasy novel, Ithought she might have some good solid tips on the research and development stage of the process.

We had a great time - we like the same authors, are interested in the same things, and she liked my sample quite a bit. She invited me to email her about writing, about research, or even just about how I like the latest George R.R. Martin when it hits the shelves. She also mentioned that her agent is being bombarded with queries from publishing houses about fantasy authors. Fantasy is, apparently, hot.

So there you go. A wonderful 30+ minutes however you look at it.

I feel as though the world has been kicking me repeated in the ass with messages that all say "get writing, you idiot!" We're doing well enough that I can cut back at work, I've had this great idea for a novel, this meeting with Gillian, the opportunity for a writing retreat... how much more obvious does it have to get? It is Time.