World Fantasy Convention
7:30 AM PST, November 11, 2008
I have just returned from World Fantasy Convention in Calgary, Canada. Much work done including the potential for a new anthology, but more if that becomes a reality. I am currently working on two separate novels, one mainstream literary, and one future detective. More on these also as things take shape. Since last I posted, I have been in a number of countries, including China, Philippines, India, Australia, Japan, Greece, Spain, Canada, France, Netherlands and a couple more. All of this provides more material for the writing spark. Never underestimate the value of travel for writing.
The In-Between Times
4:48 AM PST, February 6, 2007
It has been a while since I posted here, but again, a thought on writing and the writing process. There's a long time between when a book is finished and when it hits the stands, but there are many processes that go between. Generally, though, it can be in the order of nine to twelve months. What happens during that period? Ideally, we should be writing. The reality is that the mind is strangely stuck between two camps. One the one hand, there's worrying about the process with the book that's been handed in, and on the other, thinking about the next work. Often, short stories can fill that void, because they are less of a time investment and don't break up the continuity. Actually, for me at least, there's a kind of perceptual break needed. The 'knowledge' that your current book is finished sometimes takes some time to filter through. In my process, I do a lot of pre-work on a novel in my head. There's nothing substantial on paper, and bits and pieces tumble through the backbrain, falling into respective places, finding a home in some sort of order of which I am barely conscious. Then, intuitively, I seem to know when that process is done, and I sit down and I write and when I start, then all of those half-obscured words or phrases come right into the awareness and start to flow--in the shower, on the bus, in a plane, walking down the supermarket aisle. That's when I really know I'm writing again.
The Industry Convention
1:02 AM PST, November 1, 2006, updated at 9:41 AM PST, November 8, 2006
Every year, at least in science fiction and fantasy, the industry and the fan base get together to host conventions. These have been variously parodied in films and even in CSI. The reality is that there is a very strong network and community that uses these events as a place to network, catch up on old friends and do business. I am just about to head off to Austin, Texas, for World Fantasy Convention. There I will see fellow writers, meet up with editors and agents and perhaps do some business. Generally, the convention is the place where you set things up or close things that have been set up in advance. Multiple breakfast meetings, dinners, lunches, take place where deals are struck or proposed and you get to know pretty quickly, that even if you recognise the people in a huddle, you do not break up their little group; they are working. Don't get the impression that aspiring and working writers go to these things armed with manuscripts or large lumps of paper. No agent or editor is going to lug a bag full of manuscripts back and forth to these events. Normally, it ends up with the agent or editor taking details of the person's name and saying, "Send it to me." Months later, there might be a response. Even if I don't manage to do business in Austin, I will have had the chance to meet with people I know and respect and discuss the ins and outs of the industry long into the night.
A New Anthology
2:32 PM PDT, August 23, 2006
I'm pleased to announce that I have a story forthcoming in a new anthology from Bantam called Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories due out next year and themed around the national spelling bee contests. The story's titled "Eudaemonic" and is a bit on the fantastic side. The anthology itself is edited by John Klima, well known in the small press genre literary circles. In other news, page proofs for Wall of Mirrors have been sent back and so we draw closer to publication of the final Jack Stein book. You'd be surprised by how many passes a book goes through before it hits the shelves.
Different Writing Muscles
6:52 AM PDT, April 21, 2006
Recently I have been working on a number of different short stories for various forthcoming anthologies. These, though dark, tend more to the literary end of the spectrum and thematically touch on the human condition, isolation and compartmentalisation--the place of the individual within the broader populated landcape. They are similar in tone and style to others of my tales which have appeared in places such as Polyphony, The Third Alternative, Aurealis and other such venues. When writing a short story, the mechanics are slightly different. Within short fiction, there is nowhere to hide, and you are open and exposed upon the page. Lots of people discount short fiction, or miss it altogether, but as a writer, I find it immensely valuable, not only to experiment, but also to develop and hone those writing muscles that deal with the craft and give a different immediacy to the ways I might affect my readers. I'll be having two such pieces appearing shortly in the magazine The Book of Dark Wisdom, along with an interview, and I'll probably touch on some of that process there. Novel-length fiction is all about building worlds and characters, and in some ways, the concept and idea can become hidden within those worlds. Short stories give a great way to explore the idea, with the character and world underpinning the idea, instead of the other way around.
Wall of Mirrors now available for pre-order
1:01 AM PST, March 22, 2006
For all Jack Stein readers, I'm pleased to see that Wall of Mirrors, the final book in the Jack Stein quartet is already available for pre-order here on Amazon. The ISBN is 0451461193.
Welcome Everyone
4:17 AM PST, March 3, 2006
To all readers and general interested viewers, a warm welcome. I hope you're enjoying the Jack Stein series. I'm currently finishing the fourth which is due out this December. In the meantime, don't forget to check out some of my short fiction in various anthologies available on Amazon and in upcoming magazines. I've tagged a few different anthos with my name to help find them.
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Bio
Jay Caselberg was born in a country town in Australia and then traveled extensively while growing up. His first expedition was to Istanbul in 1969, where he lived for two years, and then later, in 1973 to Cambridge for a year. During both these trips, the family traveled throughout the world. In the early 90's he transferred for work from Sydney to London.
From that time on, he traveled extensively, spending time with clients throughout Western, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Towards the end of that time, already a champion historical wargamer, he retired from competition and decided to focus on his love of writing. In 1996, he started writing with a passion. For nearly the next two years, he wrote full time and garnered his first few publications writing as James A. Hartley. In 1998, he rejoined the workforce. His next job involved even more travel, having initial responsibility for 54 countries, dealing with internal management systems for a major accounting firm. This role eventually grew to encompass a number of different global projects. During the constant travel, he wrote, and continued to write. In mid 2002, the global firm for which he worked ceased to exist. Since then, he has continued to write and publish, both as Jay Caselberg and James A. Hartley. He currently still works in the IT consulting industry on international projects. He writes across many genres, both at short story and novel length, crossing the boundaries of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, and the Literary, generally with a dark edge. He is currently based in Germany. You can find his blog at livejournal.com as agamisu.
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