That was the prompt we received from Guild Works Publishing. The answers collected in the book Worst Case Scenario: Outbreak were as varied as the writers and the characters they created. A baseball game. On vacation. Fishing. At work. At a strip club. Hospitals. Trying to leave home. Trying to get home. Trying to hide some more literal skeletons in the closet. Seeking vengeance. Struggling to simply survive.
I thought I'd prefer to be on the road with the family, getting as far away from the danger as possible. But then what? Would we passively hole up in some cabin and hope the zombies don't get in a la Night of the Living Dead? Or would we come prepared to take a more active role in our survival? And would it even be feasible for us to prepare?
Yes, absolutely, and I needed to look no further for proof than my own local culture. Stockpiling nonperishable food and other essentials isn't considered the purview of religious or political fanatics, but a practice that is encouraged across religious and political lines as a proven life saver. Basic outdoor survival skills are also considered de rigeur for anyone who wants to have any real fun out here, too.
But since I knew from the outset that the title was "Worst Case Scenario," I had to think of just how things could go wrong even for those best prepared. Specifically what would this kind of worst case scenario entail? What painful choices would it necessitate? To answer those questions, I investigated the worst, most primal fears of every member of my family. My husband and I both mentioned any failure of ours causing the children harm. The kids talked about Leatherface and acromantulas, but decided the idea of being left entirely alone in an extremely dangerous world without even the family pets for company was worse.
The short story that resulted, "A Girl and Her Dog," can be described as a coming-of-age tale, but more than that it is a story of the sacrifices a family has to make when confronting those fears.
And you have to read the book to see if the dog makes it.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Pirhanas, Pariahs, and Me, Oh My! Part 2
Yes, apparently there is need for a part 2.
It all began when I signed a contract to appear at what I'll call the Nowheresville Comic Festival. Before I'd done so, however, I went through the contract with a fine-toothed comb and discussed the details with a friend who'd been in the comic book industry since I was a kid. The contract met our high standards, barring a couple of typos. I also looked up the name of the organizer,a person I'll call Tripp Nolan. I was horrified by what I found on line- accusations of mistreatment and non-payment so horribly presented that my conscience constrained me to doubt. Forum threads devoted to years-old accusations- closed and started up again, and again, and again- by some of the same people made me worry a little that they might be harboring a vendetta. The persistent name-dropping of people who may have signed one letter of complaint, but who otherwise remained quiet from then out made me wonder how these people felt about being so repeatedly trotted out. And with the childish taunts, bullying tactics, even the baseless character aspersions against people I know that so heavily interspersed what passed for discussion, why should I believe anything posted by people who resort to them so frequently?
But on the other hand, what if there was something to those accusations? I didn't want to believe completely that anyone was actually lying. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding. Suppose what they were saying was true, or at least a part of the truth? Keeping all that in mind, I sought Mr. Nolan's side of the story.
It seemed benign enough. He confirmed that judgments had been issued against him for non-payment, but it was all a misunderstanding. I advised him that it would be best to either appeal the decisions or pay the judgments and get it over with. He reassured me that he would deal with it. The one thing that raised a red flag was that he made a disparaging remark about another writer I'll call Ginny Simons. She was on my FB friend list, was a willing member of a group I'd started, and expressed a willingness to work on a benefit project I was helping write. I can think of a few things I tolerate less than talking smack about people, but it's a pretty short and vile list. I told him to keep his remarks about her or anyone else civil.
It didn't even raise a red flag when he delayed booking my travel arrangements for the convention, but then, this was very early on. I tried to make things as easy as possible. Flying me anywhere from where I live can be a little difficult and quite expensive. I urged that he book my husband and me to fly out of Salt Lake City instead of our hometown airport and fly us to New York City- where we'd have to stop anyway- instead of the smaller and much more expensive airport closer to the convention. We could handle the drive and/or the train ride. I felt limousine transportation was a little much, and I refused to fly first class. The only special request I had was that I be allowed a few extra days in New York City, because I wished to meet in person some of the beneficiaries of this benefit book- some of New York's Bravest and Finest. But the one thing I stressed most was that our tickets needed to be booked soon, because fares from Utah to New York were already high and bound only to get worse. He said I would hear from a travel manager closer to the date.
I figured if the convention really wanted to and could afford to shell out as much as a couple thousand to fly a fairly new writer and her spouse across the country, that was their business. But if they didn't or couldn't, and they didn't book promptly, I wouldn't go. I most certainly would not shell out any money up front to go, since that was not in the contract, and I didn't have the means to put any money out anyway. And I did all that before anyone told me to google Tripp Nolan.
It all began when I signed a contract to appear at what I'll call the Nowheresville Comic Festival. Before I'd done so, however, I went through the contract with a fine-toothed comb and discussed the details with a friend who'd been in the comic book industry since I was a kid. The contract met our high standards, barring a couple of typos. I also looked up the name of the organizer,a person I'll call Tripp Nolan. I was horrified by what I found on line- accusations of mistreatment and non-payment so horribly presented that my conscience constrained me to doubt. Forum threads devoted to years-old accusations- closed and started up again, and again, and again- by some of the same people made me worry a little that they might be harboring a vendetta. The persistent name-dropping of people who may have signed one letter of complaint, but who otherwise remained quiet from then out made me wonder how these people felt about being so repeatedly trotted out. And with the childish taunts, bullying tactics, even the baseless character aspersions against people I know that so heavily interspersed what passed for discussion, why should I believe anything posted by people who resort to them so frequently?
But on the other hand, what if there was something to those accusations? I didn't want to believe completely that anyone was actually lying. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding. Suppose what they were saying was true, or at least a part of the truth? Keeping all that in mind, I sought Mr. Nolan's side of the story.
It seemed benign enough. He confirmed that judgments had been issued against him for non-payment, but it was all a misunderstanding. I advised him that it would be best to either appeal the decisions or pay the judgments and get it over with. He reassured me that he would deal with it. The one thing that raised a red flag was that he made a disparaging remark about another writer I'll call Ginny Simons. She was on my FB friend list, was a willing member of a group I'd started, and expressed a willingness to work on a benefit project I was helping write. I can think of a few things I tolerate less than talking smack about people, but it's a pretty short and vile list. I told him to keep his remarks about her or anyone else civil.
It didn't even raise a red flag when he delayed booking my travel arrangements for the convention, but then, this was very early on. I tried to make things as easy as possible. Flying me anywhere from where I live can be a little difficult and quite expensive. I urged that he book my husband and me to fly out of Salt Lake City instead of our hometown airport and fly us to New York City- where we'd have to stop anyway- instead of the smaller and much more expensive airport closer to the convention. We could handle the drive and/or the train ride. I felt limousine transportation was a little much, and I refused to fly first class. The only special request I had was that I be allowed a few extra days in New York City, because I wished to meet in person some of the beneficiaries of this benefit book- some of New York's Bravest and Finest. But the one thing I stressed most was that our tickets needed to be booked soon, because fares from Utah to New York were already high and bound only to get worse. He said I would hear from a travel manager closer to the date.
I figured if the convention really wanted to and could afford to shell out as much as a couple thousand to fly a fairly new writer and her spouse across the country, that was their business. But if they didn't or couldn't, and they didn't book promptly, I wouldn't go. I most certainly would not shell out any money up front to go, since that was not in the contract, and I didn't have the means to put any money out anyway. And I did all that before anyone told me to google Tripp Nolan.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Smart Alex Says: Comics for Causes: Untold Stories from Ground Zero...
Smart Alex Says: Comics for Causes: Untold Stories from Ground Zero...: September 11, 2001 tested American mettle like nothing since the bombing of Pearl Harbor or even since the Civil War. Everyone with a televi...
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Pirhanas, Pariahs, and Me, Oh My! pt. 1
When I first got started writing comics, I held no starry-eyed illusions of fame, riches, or even a chance to make myself somehow worthy of a smidgen of the admiration I have for the likes of Larry Hama or the late, great Dave Cockrum. For one thing, I know I'm no superstar. I don't want to be a superstar. I just want to write, do some good with that, have some fun with it, and, yes, land some good paying contracts. For another, I've gone in already knowing a little too much about the industry.
I don't mind a little bit of fanfare as long as it's along the line of positive buzz. Even at that, I prefer it be about my projects and not about me at all. If there's any drama, any controversy, I prefer to just do my job and stay far away from it.
So when I signed a contract to appear at a Veterans' Day convention in upstate New York to promote Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan, that was all I wanted to do. And if anything went wrong that would preclude me from attending- as they did, I wanted to deal with that without any fuss. There are numerous reasons for that.
First of all, to paraphrase Joan Jett, I don't give a damn about anyone's bad reputation. Big names are good for marketing purposes only. While I am new to the comic book industry, I've been in long enough to know some of the human beings behind those names. Even the very best aren't perfect. And I've observed in the general population as well as within the comic book industry that the nicest people come from all over, even from among the unknowns and the pariahs. I was once myself a pariah, shunned, slandered, and mistreated by nearly all my peers. I know how easy it can be to acquire a bad reputation that is completely undeserved. So I don't mean it as a personal affront to anyone when I take any negative comment about anyone else with a grain or several of salt. I simply relate a little too well to those on the receiving end of such treatment.
I am also a freelancer,quite aware that I work in an industry rife with predators. This is why I am generally picky about the contracts I sign- and another reason why I wish to steer clear of internet feeding frenzies, as I don't see predatory behavior coming from just publishers or convention organizers, but tragically sometimes from fellow comic book creators.
And it's because of how I feel for everyone involved that I also won't take it personally if readers do not believe what I have to say about anyone. None of the grievances I'll air here are about individuals or reputations, but about behaviors.
Now I must admit to being a little naive in thinking that the comic book industry might be a haven for people who'd remember too well what it's like to be the grade school outcaste and would know better than to treat anyone like that. I was very disappointed to find out how that's not the case, and various lies circulated about me on the internet. Normally, I wouldn't dignify any of that with a response, but these run the gamut from too egregious to too silly to not address.
The silly lies are easiest to address. I was not banned from IMWAN or Byrnerobotics. I may or may not be welcome back, but leaving those sites was my idea. I requested my account be deleted at IMWAN. I think I just stopped posting at Byrnerobotics. Yet people seem to state as fact that I was banned.
I don't go crazy when people say bad things about my favorite characters. I will, however, admit to having a certain intolerance for trolling fan sites. If you don't like the X-Men, The Walking Dead, Dr. Who, Star Wars, or anything I happen to like, that's fine. Viva la difference! But if you go to a fan site clearly intending to cause trouble, don't blame anyone other than yourself when that's exactly what you get.
There's the matter of my alleged lack of empathy for freelancers. The fact that I am a freelancer was completely lost on the person making such a claim, though the truth that I'm not a superstar wasn't, as this person saw fit to repeatedly point out. The absurdity of it all would amuse me to no end if I hadn't at one point wanted to work with that person.
I was never anyone's evil sidekick. At worst, I'm a rogue-ish chaotic good. I'm ethically opposed to fraud. I'm also ethically opposed to creepy, stalkerish, bullying behavior. So when one group uses creepy, stalkerish bullying tactics in opposition to fraud, the ethical thing for me to do is to want nothing to do with either side.
Will there be a part 2 to this long and rambling rant? Only if I'm provided more material, so I hope not!
I don't mind a little bit of fanfare as long as it's along the line of positive buzz. Even at that, I prefer it be about my projects and not about me at all. If there's any drama, any controversy, I prefer to just do my job and stay far away from it.
So when I signed a contract to appear at a Veterans' Day convention in upstate New York to promote Untold Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan, that was all I wanted to do. And if anything went wrong that would preclude me from attending- as they did, I wanted to deal with that without any fuss. There are numerous reasons for that.
First of all, to paraphrase Joan Jett, I don't give a damn about anyone's bad reputation. Big names are good for marketing purposes only. While I am new to the comic book industry, I've been in long enough to know some of the human beings behind those names. Even the very best aren't perfect. And I've observed in the general population as well as within the comic book industry that the nicest people come from all over, even from among the unknowns and the pariahs. I was once myself a pariah, shunned, slandered, and mistreated by nearly all my peers. I know how easy it can be to acquire a bad reputation that is completely undeserved. So I don't mean it as a personal affront to anyone when I take any negative comment about anyone else with a grain or several of salt. I simply relate a little too well to those on the receiving end of such treatment.
I am also a freelancer,quite aware that I work in an industry rife with predators. This is why I am generally picky about the contracts I sign- and another reason why I wish to steer clear of internet feeding frenzies, as I don't see predatory behavior coming from just publishers or convention organizers, but tragically sometimes from fellow comic book creators.
And it's because of how I feel for everyone involved that I also won't take it personally if readers do not believe what I have to say about anyone. None of the grievances I'll air here are about individuals or reputations, but about behaviors.
Now I must admit to being a little naive in thinking that the comic book industry might be a haven for people who'd remember too well what it's like to be the grade school outcaste and would know better than to treat anyone like that. I was very disappointed to find out how that's not the case, and various lies circulated about me on the internet. Normally, I wouldn't dignify any of that with a response, but these run the gamut from too egregious to too silly to not address.
The silly lies are easiest to address. I was not banned from IMWAN or Byrnerobotics. I may or may not be welcome back, but leaving those sites was my idea. I requested my account be deleted at IMWAN. I think I just stopped posting at Byrnerobotics. Yet people seem to state as fact that I was banned.
I don't go crazy when people say bad things about my favorite characters. I will, however, admit to having a certain intolerance for trolling fan sites. If you don't like the X-Men, The Walking Dead, Dr. Who, Star Wars, or anything I happen to like, that's fine. Viva la difference! But if you go to a fan site clearly intending to cause trouble, don't blame anyone other than yourself when that's exactly what you get.
There's the matter of my alleged lack of empathy for freelancers. The fact that I am a freelancer was completely lost on the person making such a claim, though the truth that I'm not a superstar wasn't, as this person saw fit to repeatedly point out. The absurdity of it all would amuse me to no end if I hadn't at one point wanted to work with that person.
I was never anyone's evil sidekick. At worst, I'm a rogue-ish chaotic good. I'm ethically opposed to fraud. I'm also ethically opposed to creepy, stalkerish, bullying behavior. So when one group uses creepy, stalkerish bullying tactics in opposition to fraud, the ethical thing for me to do is to want nothing to do with either side.
Will there be a part 2 to this long and rambling rant? Only if I'm provided more material, so I hope not!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)