Author Archives:

X-Con Review

David Belt Copyright 2013

I awoke late this Monday morning, following an exhausting weekend at X-Con in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. My back is complaining, my head is a bit fuzzy, and the morning caffeine just isn’t cutting it. But, oh, what a weekend!

The trip was a little under seven hours each way, a bit outside our comfort zone for travel to cons, however, we had received a special invite from Myst3ry, Inc. That’s right! Fred and Daphne were there with Scooby-Doo in the Mystery Machine. In addition to the invite was a commission for chainmail versions of the traditional scarves worn by the pair, so we happily accepted their invitation.

Myst3ry Inc

We chose to take a step outside of our normal comfort zone, and join the crew at X-Con… and what a crew! The staff at X-Con was amazing. I have become accustomed to what I considered the typical hectic-ness of con life. Very often, the people that are “in the know” are running around trying to get it done, and people who aren’t “in the know” are running around trying to find someone who is. It seems ridiculous from the outside looking in, but I’m used to it. Plus, I usually have a program that I stole from someone, because I didn’t one at registration. So, figuring out what is happening at most cons really isn’t that hard.

I never did get a program at X-Con, but I didn’t need one, nor did I ever have to track anyone down to find out what was happening. Two things kept me comfortably “in the know.” First was the attentive and knowledgeable staff. Every staff member, every volunteer, every person wearing a red shirt (that didn’t die in the first five minutes) knew exactly what was going at all times, and one such person would stop by our booth every few hours, just check up on us. I have never seen a staff for any con so well organized. The second innovative idea utilized at X-Con is one I realize, logistically, can’t be done everywhere, but they made excellent use of the resources at their disposal. They had an intercom system piped throughout the convention center that relayed current information on upcoming events. The very excited announcer would emphatically list the event, location, time, and name(s) of special guest(s) preceding each event at least twice (usually 30 and 15 minutes prior to each event). This was fantastic. I never had to leave my booth, never needed a program, yet I felt I was “in the know” at all times. This made a welcoming and secure feeling throughout the weekend.

While much of the content of the convention wasn’t entirely to my likely, there was certainly something there everyone, and I mean everyone…

There were more than 20 celebrity guests from TV and movies ranging from the original Star Wars Episode IV to the current TV show “Walking Dead,” a whole host of artists, writers, photographers, and post production specialists, games for all ages, including card, miniature, roleplaying and video gaming, and one of the best varieties of vendor wares I have seen.

Oh and did I mention things for all ages? The National Children’s Museum turned out with toys and activities for the littlest ones, two bounce houses kept primary school ages happy, and all gaming and activities were appropriate for all ages (I must confess, I did play with the Legos). Most importantly, all of these events ran throughout the entire duration of the con. There was never a time that there wasn’t something going on for every age.

All of the above was available to attendees for only $20 for the whole weekend. While day passes were not available, children 12 and under were free with a paying adult, and there was plenty for them to do.

A great variety of affordable fun, who could ask for more? Well, I can.

While X-Con was very well put together it was not without its own problems, the biggest of which occurred Thursday night during early setup. There was no one directing or coordinating the variety of vendors and other stage hands setting up booths and displays. It was quite amazing there were only a few problems due to miscommunication, which were all settled Friday morning before the show opened.

Another problem was logistical in nature. There was a large stage setup in the center of the main hall that doubled as the vendor’s room. My booth faced the stage, which gave me front row viewing of all the stage events. Sounds great, right? Wrong! The stage events included hours of wrestling, live steel medieval fighting (I did get to repair the fighter’s chainmail for these events), costume contests, and the Nerd Dating Game. All of which were quite loud and distracting, making interacting with customers rather difficult.

All in all, X-Con was great, and I would like to extend a hearty “Job well done” to director Robin Roberts and his wonderful staff. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

My Least Favorite Day of the Year

Copyright 2013 David Belt

As of 12 May, 2013, my mother will have been dead for 17 years 3 months and 3 days.

As you might imagine, Mother’s Day is not one I spend in celebration, but rather, reflection and mourning. I write this to remind us all to be mindful of our neighbors and the tragedies that become their lives. Holidays are special days, but just because one does not celebrate on a holiday, that doesn’t make it any less special to them or to us.

During one such period of mourning and reflection, I wrote this song, defining my mother’s life and death:

What I Am Gonna Do Mama
By David Belt

The first day of school, I held my mama’s hand
Looked at the teacher, a big old scary man
I told my mama, “I don’t wanna go.”
“It’s awful scary here. Please don’t leave me alone.”

What am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
You have always been there for me, to see me on through
What am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
How am I gonna get by here, alone without you?

The last day of school, I held my mama’s hand
Told her I would join the service, gonna be like Dad
Through her tears she said, “I don’t want you to go.”
“It’s awful scary for me. Please don’t leave me alone.”

Well, what am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
You have always been there for me, to see me on through
What am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
How am I gonna get by there, alone without you?

I was overseas when I got the call.
Dad said, “I’m sorry, Son. Mama ain’t got long.”
Three flights and fourteen hours till I got to her bed.
She had already left this world when I held her hand and said…

What am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
You have always been there for me, to see me on through
What am I gonna do Mama? What am I gonna do?
How am I gonna get by here, alone without you?
How am I gonna get by here… alone… without you ?

Dialect Over Language

I have been reading a number of different SciFi/Fantasy stories lately, and one thing I have noticed is that I can place the dialect of the characters, which in most cases shouldn’t be possible. How does an alien starship captain sound like he is from North London or a medieval knight speak like a New Englander? The answer is found in the writer’s background. Writers will more often than not pen their works in dialects most familiar. This has the unfortunate side effect of causing characters to speak in a manner familiar to the writer but foreign to the context of the story.

By far, I would say the greatest champion of dialect usage was J.R.R Tolkien. He not only created entire languages for the different races in his books, but he also created dialects unique to different regions within each language. For me, the acceptance of an entire language is a bit taxing on the reader. I am fully comfortable with every race speaking English for the sake of story progress. Suspension of disbelief will allow me to assume that the story occurred in a faraway land and has been translated into English for me to read. With this acceptance, the language is not important, but the dialect still is.

When I read about a foreign culture, particularly a unique culture that has only ever previously existed in the writer’s mind, I want feel and experience this culture as completely as possible. One of the key factors for this lies within the dialects spoken by the characters. Tolkien was a linguistics professor, but you don’t have to be to write a unique dialect. Simple things, such refraining from the use of contractions, reversing subject-object order (“Do this, you must”), and creation of unique slang words (“Frack!”) will add enough flavor to make an English speaking alien sound alien. The key component in dialect is consistency. One of my favorite aspects of dialect done well is when half way through a book I can tell who is saying what based on how the characters are speaking. That level of difference is a great use of dialect, but does require a great deal of work on the part of the writer to keep those dialects distinct. According to modern linguists, there are 66 dialects of English spoken in the US alone. A minimal amount of research will allow the writer to contrive a unique dialect for that unique culture.

In addition to Tolkien’s works, other great examples of dialect done well in SciFi/Fantasy:

Aliette de Bodard, Servant of the Underworld
Mike Flynn, The January Dancer
Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross, Darkover Series

Under the Looking Glass: War of the Microscopic Worlds

The Spring season is upon us, and for many, the primary concern is allergies. I, myself, have already had one near death experience due to food allergy this season. Thus, like many others, I am taking steps to prevent future hospital trips.

As I reflect on how allergens dramatically influence many of our lives, I was struck with the thought of how rarely we see allergens addressed in science fiction. With characters visiting strange new worlds, often by accident, it is rare that characters ever have any allergic reactions to any of the new flora and fauna their immune systems have never previously encountered. This suspension of disbelief is commonly accepted for the sake of story progression, but I enjoy those little aspects of reality that add flavor to an otherwise unrealistic world.

The pinnacle of unexpected allergens affecting characters would have to be Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds. The aliens’ invasion is thwarted through deadly reaction to an Earth micro-organism. Not all stories have such a grandiose approach, but address the issue in order to bring home that realism. Many futuristic story lines, like Star Trek, give credit to advances in medical technology, but every once in a while something gets through.

Then, there are all the stories in which the characters find themselves on foreign worlds by accident or other unintentional design, such as John Carter in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Princess of Mars. I have been reading a number of stories lately in which characters have been thrown into strange lands, but never seem to have any problems. While fortunate for the protagonist, it can break the illusion for me, the reader. I find minor realistic details complete the story and bring to life the otherwise impossible. This is just one of those details that happens to be at the forefront of my mind. It’s certainly not necessary all the time, but it is refreshing when done well.

That’s it for this week’s anachronistic aspect of modern literature. I’ll keep writing. You keep reading.

Social Media: A Necessary Evil

Copyright 2013 by David Belt

If you had asked me three years ago about social media, I probably would have given you a dumbfounded look and said something like, “I used to have a Myspace account.”

As I mentioned in my Ravencon article last week, there were a few trusted friends and professionals that helped me to reach out into the wide world of social media. I now have two facebook accounts, one personal and one business, a twitter account, and linkedin account. I’m on wordpress, weebly, etsy, fanstory, and various other sites around the web.

Breaking out of my introverted shell was one of the best things I could do for myself and my business. I have met a huge number of social contacts, further developed my writing skills, advanced my business and marketing model, attracted new customers, and ventured into areas I would have never considered before.

Most recently, I’ve been offered a writing position at Crave Handmade, writing technical pieces for their website and magazine. No, I’m not leaving darkcargo, and that is the beauty of social media. It all works together. Visitors of one site are linked to another, and so on and so forth. Social networks help each other by connecting people that otherwise would never have met, for opportunities that otherwise would never have been available.

The downside: Social media is a massive time suck. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve lost reading countless pages on various sites, because I really don’t know. I’ll log off of a social media site, look at the time, and wonder where it has all gone. Time, as I have said before, is precious commodity we don’t often have in surplus. So, despite how immensely useful social media is, it must be tempered with real work.

Social media is a tremendous tool. I wouldn’t be here on darkcargo, if I hadn’t joined the social network. If you are alive, think about being an active member of one or more social media networks. It will expand your world and enrich your connection to the world you live in.

The Working Dead: A Review of Ravencon 2013

Copyright 2013 David Belt

I have just spent 52 of the last 56 hours working (I did manage 4 hours sleep Friday night) at a small local convention in Richmond, Virginia called Ravencon. Located around the corner from the Edgar Allen Poe museum, it is no surprise that a large portion of this science fiction and fantasy convention is dedicated to writing with a variety of workshops and panels, covering the entire scope of the writing process, from concept to art to publishing to sales. For my part, this was a working convention. I had a table in the dealer’s room which I manned for 22 hours, spending the remaining time attending panels, workshops and social networking, while attempting to fill orders placed during the day.

The work is grueling. In order to keep up with customer demand, I take my work with me everywhere throughout the convention. I’ll be the one in the back of a panel or workshop, furiously mailing away, while answering questions about storm trooper armor or some other interest. This is how Elizabeth (Darkcargo) discovered me at this very convention, just last year. Throughout the entire convention, I escort Mr. Bunny, allowing him to get out and meet people in order to establish and maintain those social networking contacts so important to successful business practice, a skill which I learned years earlier, under the tutelage of Leona Wisoker and other helpful companions at Ravencons past.

For those of you who do not know, I am actually rather agoraphobic. I don’t do well in most social situations, so the societal complexities of a large scale public gathering, such as a convention, are really quite daunting to me. I fight my inner desire for flight and engage people as best I can, often occupying a small corner of the room with my chainmail bag on one arm and Mr. Bunny on the other.

I haven’t yet counted the weekend’s receipts, but already I know the weekend was a worthwhile success, despite the otherwise unconscionable hardships. Ravencon is much more than just another show to me. It is a home away from home where I feel welcomed and loved with no shortage of family, whom I care for dearly. The events of the convention, while wonderful in content, are merely background; the work, a labor of love. It is the people of Ravencon that make the experience life changing. To that end, I wish extend heartfelt thanks to Chairman Mike Pederson and the entire Ravencon staff. You truly are the very best.

 

photo (1)

After Easter Hunt

Copyright 2013 David Belt

 

My favorite part of the Easter holiday is the hunting, the finding of things lost or hidden.  We hunt for candies and eggs and even jewelry, on rare occasion.  Less often, but more importantly, we hunt for ourselves and search for deeper meanings within our own lives.  For most, the hunting is at an end.  With the holiday’s abatement, it is time for some serious work, and by “serious work” I, of course, mean shopping.

 

For me, the day after Easter is just as big a hunt, as I scour department stores for rare treasures, mostly bunnies.  I’m not sure how Peter Cottontail became the commercial spokesbunny for the Easter holiday, but for my business, it does me good that he has.  Every year, millions of stuffies are made in the pursuit of the Cottontail industry, and every year I snatch the remnants before they are discarded, and repurpose them for my own business.

 

I’m off now to do some serious hunting… “Sssshhhh, I’m hunting wabbits!”

 

Bunnies

 

Spring Cleaning

Copyright 2013 David Belt

It’s that time of year ago, time to go through junk collected in ritually ignored corners of our respective abodes. For some of us those corners consume entire rooms, yet even the tidiest of us have those disregarded areas of closets and drawers, wistfully forgotten.

Spring cleaning carries with it ancient traditions. In Persian cultures, the new year starts in the spring, and the week prior to the new year is spent in preparation to include a thorough cleaning of the house. In Hebrew cultures, the week prior to Passover is spent in preparation, again including a thorough cleaning of the house. In other cultures, prior to the invention of the vacuum cleaner, households were encouraged to dust in the month of March, because it was warm enough to open the house to sweep out the dirt, but not so warm as to let bugs in the house while doing so. Whatever the reason, it is a tradition best kept.

Aside from the obvious results of a cleaner home, there are deeper, personal reasons for engaging in this thorough cleansing of the home. As we deep clean in put off areas, we rediscover ourselves. We find lost treasures, vaccinate our present from closed events of the past, and re-remember our history. Every folded paper, every broken article has a story, our story. We put them in their proper place and somehow order ourselves in the process.

I am still battling myself, as I continue to clean for a new spring. If you haven’t started, yet, it’s not too late to discover where your battle will lead you. And all it will cost you is a cleaner home.

McDonalds: The Neighborhood Coffee Shop

Copyright 2013 David Belt

Some weeks ago, I posted an article called 10,000 Words a Day, in which I mentioned some of Rachel Aaron’s techniques for writing more efficiently. One of those techniques is finding an isolated place, away from home, to concentrate solely on writing. For many writer’s, this office away from home is the neighborhood coffee shop.

I live in a small rural town. We don’t have a Starbucks or a Panera Bread or a major bookstore or coffee shop of any kind. We don’t even have a library until July.

So what do the citizens of King George, Virginia, do in lieu of such places? McDonalds

The local McDonalds has wifi, available power outlets, food, and an assortment of caffeinated beverages, everything a hopeful writer needs. A number of local writers use this location as our neighborhood coffee shop. We have formed a loose weaved writing club. We support each other and work in relative harmony.

On a personal note, I have managed to increase my writing speed using Rachel’s techniques. I write twice week, 4-5 hours a day, yielding as much as 10,000 words a week. At this rate, I’ll be finished with my book, by late April or early May.

Until then, I’ll be somewhere, typing away, under a pile of McNuggets.

P.S. If you missed it before, here is Rachel Aaron’s article.

How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words A Day to 10,000 Words A Day by Rachel Aaron

Embracing Failure

Copyright 2013 David Belt

“I never failed. I simply discovered 10,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”
-Thomas Edison

While the veracity of the Edison quote is in doubt, the logic is not. We too often quibble over the results of a process, but do not take fully the account of the experience. It is this experience in which we live the bulk of our lives. It is failure in which we should choose to embrace, rather than only congratulating success. If we succeed, we may only learn one thing. If we succeed by accident, it is possible that nothing is learned. But when we fail, as we do so often, we learn a multitude of lessons.

For example: Option A Fails

We learn option A didn’t work under the specified conditions.
We learn option A might work under different conditions.
We learn option B might work under option A’s conditions.
We learn whether or not conditions justify continuing toward intended result.

This is only a short plausible list, but even in cases of pure accident, in which failure is caused solely by factors beyond our control, no less than four things are learned. A failure is only a failure if nothing is learned. True success is the result of learned failures. Everything that we know how to do today is the result of failures on the parts of ourselves or those who have failed before us.

All failures have consequences.

One of the quintessential realities of failure is that it bears with it the burden of consequence. We never get to fail for free. Even if the failure costs us nothing more than time, the debt is irrefutable. Some consequences are catastrophic in their toll, but so long as you learn and carry forward, all is not lost. The greatest consequence of life is death, anything short of that is survivable.

On the matter of life and death, it is the natural result for every lifeform to die. If the ultimate success of life is death, then I intend to fail every day and bear whatever consequences life has for me. I challenge you to do the same. Embrace life and learn every day from its failures.