To Con and Back

T minus three hours, and I am galloping out of Omaha for five days of a working vacation at Octopodicon. Meaning I get to dress up in steampunk costumes, talk to people, stay up way too late, and spend time with a good friend who lives with her husband in Oklahoma City. And hopefully bellydance - last year I was at Nebraskon and found myself in a room crammed with over 100 cosplayers in various garb and all of us undergoing a bellydancing lesson. Nothing says "surreal amusement" like watching people dressed as anything from Naruto to Evil Little Red Riding Hood trying to shimmy in time to Middle Eastern music. Generally what happens is a lot of bumbling around, various weapons and costume appendages smacking into each other, inane giggling, and a passel of men realizing that they had never consciously thought about moving their hips before. Needless to say, it was tremendous fun, and I hope that there is a steampunk-themed bellydance class somewhere at Octopodicon. 

Breaking news - I've hit $1000 on my Kickstarter project and counting! One of my campaign outreaches has been this amusing video of some of the bloopers that happened when my friend was helping me shoot some video footage for the main steampunk promotion video she helped me put together. 

The good airship Horizon is currently sailing around the Black Sea with a cargo full of armament and searching for a British marine fleet that is anxiously awaiting the supplies. I was doing some research the other day about how 19th century ships managed to find each other out on the water. The general consensus was that most ships made use of trade routes and the same winds, so a ship searching for another had a general idea of where that other ship might be. Also, a lookout standing on the top of the mast could see for several miles on a clear day. The Horizon has the advantage of height and clearly would have a much easier time finding a marine ship than a marine ship would have of finding another water-going vessel. I imagine that there is some sort of nautical formula that calculates how far someone can see into the distance depending on how high up he is. Most unfortunately for me, navigation relies heavily upon math, a skill I only possess in limited quantities. In order to make certain parts of Steam on the Horizon intellectual and correct, I will require the assistance of those far smarter than I am, particularly where math or engineering is concerned. 

Well, it is packing time! Generally I go with the backpacker's mentality which states if you can't carry it, you don't need it. However, steampunk costumes take up an inordinate amount of space in one's suitcase, so I am actually bringing two suitcases for a five day trip. Luckily I am driving and don't have to check all that baggage!

    

Adventures in Steampunk Fiction

Yesterday I received an Amazon recommendation via email to try out a new steampunk book The Sauder Diaries: By Any Other Name which is available via Kindle for just $4.99. I tried a sample and after just a page or two, bought the thing and devoured it over Sunday. What impressed me most about the book was its meticulous attention to technical details. Many of the steampunk books I have read gloss over the very pressing issue of "Okay, so just how exactly does that work?" but author Michel Vaillancourt did an excellent job describing his airship, The Bloody Rose, in great detail so that you ended up with an intimate understanding of just what went on to keep the airship in the air and flying forward (and at 80 knots at top speed - here I thought I was clever making the Horizon go 35 knots tops).

So yes, buy The Sauder Diaries and read it - this is a great steampunk book and Book Two in the series is soon to come out. Oh joy!

Today's agenda is to finish Chapter 15. I left Victoria and Roberts to their monkey problems as the Horizon makes its way to the Black Sea to do acts of derring-do and impressive flying right in the heart of the Crimean War. However, I am hindered by the fact that I have still not figured out if there is a way to sail a watership into the Black Sea - it looks like it is completely bordered by lands all around, so my question is how the heck did the English get their ships up there to fight in the Crimean War? One assumes that they had ships built and commissioned in countries bordering the Black Sea. Currently, I am having The Morning Star merchant marine sail to Istanbul, then the Horizon will take over from there. One of my revision exercises will be to find a history buff and ask him/her a million questions so I can get my details about the Crimean War down correctly. I was gratified to find out that The Sauder Diaries also dealt with the Crimean War also - thanks to this book, I have a lot of ideas and information to chew on. 

Today marks 40 days left to the end of my Kickstarter fundraiser  Funding has gone slow, and I am casting about for further ways of getting my name out there and charming money out of people's wallets. I know Octopodicon and Emerald City Steampunk Expo will be great places for me to get my name out there, and I am really looking forward to going. I've sent emails to many steampunk groups, posted posters, contacted some reporters, and sent a lot of emails. Granted, the fundraiser has been ongoing for just two weeks now, so patience is necessary. But I'm only at 3% funding, so I clearly need to do more promotion!

Also for today is decided which steampunk costumes to take to Octopodicon. I am thinking my airship officer costume, the steampunk cowgirl costume, and the one I wore for my pictures. My friend Marlene is coming over tomorrow to help me bustle the overskirt since I did a botch job last time. I now know I will be asking for an adjustable dressmaker dummy for Christmas; this will make costuming much easier. 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more
http://www.facebook.com/steamygirlpublishing   
Twitter @Melissa_Conroy

Eradicate Foul Moods with Steampunk!

Yesterday was one of those days that presented an endless panoply of irritants, beginning with Erasmus throwing up at 6:45 am. Let me tell you, nothing rockets me out of bed faster than the sound of the dog horking wetly, as I know I have eight seconds to get him outside. I threw my bedroom door back and Erasmus raced for his doggie door....and then stopped and stood directly in front of it preparing to vomit. I have to literally push him out the dog door, then go back to my room and clean up some barf he had let fly loose. The day went downhill from there; quite frankly it was a fairly normal day but I was in such a lavishly foul mood that the slightest of irritants seemed like a major catastrophe.

In my dark mood, I grudgingly laced myself into my corset and donned my "officer of the Horizon" costume for the steampunk military ball, all the while grumbling to myself about why I had chosen a career that required me to play dress up like a four year old and ratchet myself into a bloody corset on regular occasions. Not thinking properly, I forgot that shoes go on before the corset, and had to unlace myself to get my boots on, snarling all the while.

However, the Steampunk Society of Nebraska outdid itself at the Military Ball. Special kudos go to Erica and her amazing decoration skills; she well deserved the medals that were pinned to her jacket at the awards ceremony for all the hard work she puts into steampunk. We had a grand night out last night, and one particular fun event was the session on 19th century dancing we learned. Two uniformed officers lead us through the Grand Waltz and the Virginia Reel on a dance floor that was a tad too small for the number of people we had trotting around on the floor, so the officers had to act as traffic cops and redirect the swarms of dancing couples in the right direction. Boots kicked, medals jingled, sheathed swords banged into shins, hats tumbled to the floor, sleeves caught in various steampunk accessories, beads went rolling away, bustles bumped, toes were trodden upon. At one point, Nick and I were holding our arms up to help form the human bridge, and my additions to the proceedings were limited by the fact that I am short, my corset was holding me back, and my jacket is too tight across the shoulders, requiring the people ducking under my section of the bridge to practically crawl.

I think I speak for the group when I saw a very good time was had by all. What a ball!

On the home front, I have spent the past two days running around Omaha putting up my posters. If any Omaha people have venues for posting and want to hang a few posters for me, just give me a call! I've also been contacting steampunk groups around the world to introduce myself and ask if they would be willing to post my Kickstarter link on their group pages, but I have yet to hear back from anyone. I have a contact at the Iowa Nonpareil and I am hoping I can get a news article out of him. Yesterday I met a student working for UNO TV and I told her about my project, and she might do a feature. Octopodicon and Emerald City Steampunk Expo will be great marketing opportunities. However, I know there is more I can do to get my project out there. Anybody have any idea or suggestions?

So far, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more is standing at $712 pledged with 42 days to go, so if you feel lead to contribute, you are more than welcome! Kickstarter takes any pledge amount of at least $1, so you can give as you feel inclined.

Captain Roberts is currently dealing with a monkey situation on board the Horizon. When I last left Chapter 15, he and Miss Victoria Pickens were having an argument about said monkey, and Miss Pickens was in danger of winning it, much to Roberts' better judgement. Captain and crew are heading to Istanbul, and I am in a bother trying to discover if there are any Google-map type programs out there that plot courses for marine ships. I honestly don't know how long it would take a 19th century steamer ship to get from Gibraltar to Istanbul, and thus I am not sure how much time to allot for the journey. They will need to stop more than once from coal or otherwise obtain needed fuel, so that is another consideration. The Horizon can take the birds-eye path if it chooses, but it is currently sailing with the merchant marine Morning Star and the two need to remain in eyesight of each other.

Well, I need to figure out what costumes I am bringing to Octopodicon next weekend and make any further adjustments. Quick, to the craft room!

www.facebook.com/steamygirlpublishing
Twitter @Melissa_Conroy

Spotlight Time!

I write this with numb fingers and eyes at half-mask courtesy of a poor night sleep which itself was courtesy of the insomnia I inherited courtesy of my mother. I had let my Basset Hound Erasmus up on my bed last night which I rarely do, and he had quickly claimed about 7/8th of my queen-sized mattress as his territory. Perched on the edge of the mattress he grudgingly allotted to me, I twitched and turned restlessly for hours and I could practically hear him think, "Geeze, Mom, would you stop wriggling?" Eventually due to back pain and desperate, I ended up falling asleep on the floor. As I finally fell into slumber, I realized the humor of the situation: I was on the floor with just a blanket and Erasmus was the one on the bed.

However, despite fatigue, today is a momentous day for I now have my posters!

Starting tomorrow, I will be descending upon every coffee shop, costume store, and relevant mercantile to beg permission to post these babies. My plan is to actually go in steampunk costume to help draw more attention to my plight. Right now, I stand at 3% funding on http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more so it is chugging along nicely.

Currently I am trying to work out an "elevator pitch" for my project and book, but that is a challenge because I first have to explain steampunk, which is not easily defined in a few seconds, then explain my trilogy which is also complex. I suppose I could simply parse it down to, "Gimme some money and I will write a totally kick-butt trilogy with airships, explosions, dogfights, love triangles, and death warrants."

Tomorrow's project is working on the military bustle I am creating for the Military Ball - pictures forthcoming!

Okay, now time for a nap!

Screwing and Yawning

Funding is at $312 pledged! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more/backers I should be getting my media tomorrow and then I can start scampering around town hanging up the posters. My plan is to go in full steampunk gear when I do so in order to further solidify the impression that I am indeed strange and hopefully cause people to think, “Gaa, she's weird! Maybe if we throw some money at her, she'll go away!”

Interestingly enough, I am starting to attract an international crowd. Yesterday my Facebook page www.facebook.com/steamygirlpublishing had its first Portugal user “like” it, and I think this person was also the first non-US resident to like the page. I was just looking at my Kickstarter backers and saw a person from Canada as well as a few souls that have never met me before but are generous enough to give me money! Technology truly is incredible; I have been very much struck by how the internet can draw people together from different countries. Yesterday looking at the list of steampunk groups around the world https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=212089941502354349204.0004a9e370eac1ae33f77 I was astounded by how many they are and where they are located: Spain, Ireland, Morocco, New Zealand.

Yesterday I was doing some research on the HMS Beagle, a steamship commissioned during the Crimean War. The ship was a screw steamer, a term I had encountered before and which conjured up an image of a giant tapered drill bill attached to the end of a ship. I had been curious about that concept as a giant, whirling screw did not seem like a logical choice for nautical propulsion. It was only until yesterday that I realized “screw” was just a baffling word for “propeller” to distinguish it from earlier paddle-driven steamships.

On a less-confused note, here is an interesting article about the possible future of airships http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120921-lighter-than-air-craft-rises Reading it, I discovered a new aviation term “yaw” which is defined as “the angle of the plane's longitudinal axis relative to its direction of motion.” See http://vankata.be/aviationbg/Bg/Info/Gloss/Basic_gloss.htm for more terms. “Yaw” is simply a funny-sounding term and it will be appearing at least once in Steam on the Horizon, despite the fact that even with that explanation, I really have no idea what it is. However, I better find out because I plan on having a glossary of terms in the back of the book.

One order of the week is to finish a military bustle for the Military Ball Friday. I had an airship officer costume put together that consisted of tall boots, pants, a knee-length jacket, a military shirt, and a hat. After some pondering, I decided that a bustle would look interesting, so I found the perfect olive-colored fabric and some red ribbon for trim. In my head, the entire combo will look quite dashing, but we shall have to see. Bustles, after all, are made to be hidden under dresses, not worn on the outside of pants like a half-formed miniskirt.

Another order of the week is to get my stupid leg and back issues resolved. As much as I love my chiropractor, I think we see way too much of each other. I need to start introducing myself as, “Hi, I'm Melissa. My hobbies are steampunk and injuring myself.” If I spent as much time getting into shape as I did rehabilitating myself after trying to get into shape, I would be a candidate for the Olympics in six months.

And, with a rant to close, let me say here how much I passionately detest Google Chrome. It crashes constantly and is the most fickle, nonsensical navigation system I have ever had the misfortune to use. I think I will create an antagonist airship and name it the Chrome in revenge.

Full Steam Ahead!

Okay, so the funding is chugging forward on http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more    $287 dollars pledged and 47 days to go. Clearly, I have my work cut out for me. However, today Airship Ambassador posted this link on Twitter https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=212089941502354349204.0004a9e370eac1ae33f77   It's a world map showing steampunk groups around the world. I plan to contact every single one that has English as their group language and ask them to post my link/get the word out to their group. What I could offer in return is publicity: Steam on the Horizon will have a section in the back that explains the Kickstarter project and thanks everyone who contributed. I can list all the steampunk groups that helped me out and post their links on my social networking in thanks.

I start work on Chapter 14 today - Roberts and crew are still in Gibraltar but I think the plan is that they will play a small role in the Crimean War which was raging at the time of the story's setting. Which means more research for me: a brief perusal of a few Wikipedia entries will not cut it.

On Friday, the Steampunk Society of Nebraska has their annual Military Ball. I pondered about what to wear and toyed with a few outfit ideas - my initial thought was to have some spectacular ball gown to wear. But I realized that would take time and money: two elements that I have a decided paucity of, so I next hit upon going as an officer on board the Horizon. This meant I could put together a costume for cheap since I had most of the parts and could indulge in a bit of project promotion. Although to be fair, that is somewhat false advertising since as of writing, I have no female officers on board. But, that could change - I do have three books to complete after all! Here is the officer's cap I finished yesterday:

The letters were embroidered via a tricky method of printing out the text I wanted, carefully cutting out the letters, gluing them on the blue fabric, and using the letters as a stencil for my needle. I am sure there were much better ways of going about this than the method I chose, but hey, it worked! For this week, my plans are to add some officer stripes to my jacket and make a bustle out of military-looking fabric. I have a wacky idea that wearing a bustle over a pair of pants would look good. If it doesn't, hey, I have a bustle for skirts! I also want to see if someone has a saber I could borrow - at one point there were two Marine sabers in my house, but my brother sold them. I am not about to bring my katana with me, although I do have a small tanto (Japanese knife) I could carry in my belt.

By Wednesday, I expect to have my business cards and posters printed - yippee! Bad news - I heard from my video editor yesterday and apparently her mother has a habit of erasing files off their shared computer and she erased my video the editor was putting together. We still have the original files, but she needs to redo my video. Dearier, that is what flash drives are for! Also, anyone know if there is a way to password protect files/folders so she could keep her mom from erasing her stuff?

Well, the Horizon is churning out steam and impatient for us to be underway, so I'd best run!

The Race Starts!

My Kickstarter project is off and running - with 49 days left to go and 2 backers already pledged! Please show your support for steampunk and visit my link to learn more!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melissaconroy/steampunk-trilogy-gears-airships-and-more

Yesterday I went to the printers to see paper copies of my business cards and posters, and they are so splendid I nearly exploded from happiness right there on the spot. It is, however, a trifle odd to see oneself in glossy print - very official and authory-looking. After years of seeing such media presenting other writers, it is indeed strange to put yourself in that position. Mostly it is a strangeness born out of a slight panic that there are now people who expect quality writing from you. After all, it is you who is on the poster, so you clearly know what this writing stuff is all about and better deliver the goods.

Such is what I am attempting to do with all my might. I finished the draft of Chapter 13 yesterday and by my estimates, I am half-way through Draft 1. Someone asked me the other day if the storyline is progressing as I expected and my response was, "More or less." The basic plot has stayed consistent, but there have been an abundance of delicious surprises scattered liberally throughout the chapters. My characters have an amazing ability to take on a life of their own and go striding blithely off into their own direction while I stumble behind bleating out, "Wait! Where are you going? The plot's THAT way!

What I have found particularly fun is embedding snippets of my travels into the book. I have tramped through ten countries throughout my life, and some of them will make cameos in the trilogy. Gibraltar was one of them, and the Horizon was just there in Chapter 13. Tangier, Morocco is slated to make an appearance, and I would love to work in Oxford if I can, but we shall have to see.

Speaking of travels, Captain Robert of Abney Park posted on Facebook yesterday that he and Kristina will be on the first-ever steampunk cruise http://steampunkcruise.com/   It leave New Orleans March 16th and sails to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Cozumel. Without seriously thinking this through, I called up and paid a non-refundable $100 deposit to attend. My train of logic (such as it was) went like this. "Oooohhh! A week hanging out with Abney Park! Hey, my book should be published by then; what a great promotion opportunity! A week to spend in steampunk garb hanging around with other steampunk people! It's a business trip; I can write it off!" Not exactly featured in the train of thought were things such as 1) Overall cost factor, not including getting to New Orleans 2) Cruises involve tons of people jammed on a ship and herded around like cattle, not exactly my idea of fun 3) I burn like a turkey in a blast furnace whenever there is the slightest ray of sun falling on my delicate skin 4) I have no money 6) According to experienced cruise goers, it is common to gain a pound a day on a cruise. However, I reasoned that if I cannot go, I am just out $100 which is a significant chunk of money and the deposit will ensure that rooms won't sell out while I am toying with whether to go or not. So, plans are to find $1,800 or so lying around and spend seven days sailing the high seas with steampunks!

On a non-steampunk note, I implore you: do not, for the love of all that is holy, buy Cascade with Gain action tabs for your dishwasher. The pods are heavily overscented and leave soap residue on your dishes. My brother and I had diarrhea for two days until we tracked down the source. I don't know why American culture insists that all cleaning products must reek of flowers and be oversaturated with perfume - what is wrong with a faint clean smell of soap? Why in God's name do dishes need to smell like flowers? I was burping up perfume all day yesterday, and I had to rinse all of our dishes in hot water laced with vinegar and run several rinse loads with vinegar to make the dishwasher lose its perfume scent. That and I have a game leg that has forced me to limp around the house and which sends shooting pains constantly up my leg and also have a twitchy eyebrow from too much caffeine. Then my brother is congested and still feeling icky from the dish soap - it is now a quarantine zone at my house!

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Twitter@ Melissa_Conroy