• Transcripts-flatDue to technical issues, tonight’s transcript had to be pulled off twitter and thus appears in reverse chronological order. Please read from the bottom up.

  3. Now I must go put the hens to bed. Good night, everyone! #sffwrtcht

  4. A transcript for this chat will be up at the website soon.http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht/  #sffwrtcht

  6. I didn’t want to interrupt the chat, but I did want to share this:http://haikujaguar.livejournal.com/1208235.html  #sffwrtcht

  7. @ShelleyAdina Well good. So did we. Thanks for being part of the learning cycle# #sffwrtcht

  8. I did have fun. And I learned a giant lot of stuff I didn’t know before (twitter). #sffwrtcht

  10. @ShelleyAdina Sounds like you’re good to go for quite a while yet! Thanks for joining us! #sffwrtcht

  11. .@ShelleyAdina My pleasure. You did great! Hope you had fun! And we wish you continued success! #sffwrtcht

  13. Thanks for coming, everyone! #sffwrtcht

  14. Fear is the mind killer. Thank you, Bryan, for talking me off the ledge :)  #sffwrtcht

  15. Next week, we talk #writing #scifi #jumpers #sequels #Sfwa and more with @torbooks author @stevengould Join us live! #sffwrtcht

  16. Next week, we talk #writing #scifi #jumpers #sequels #Sfwa and more with @torbooks author @stevengould Join us live! #sffwrtcht

  17. Write what you’re passionate about and let your own voice tell your own unique story. #sffwrtcht

  18. Thanks all for joining us. The transcript will be posted shortly.#sffwrtcht

  19. Thanks all for joining us. The transcript will be posted shortly.#sffwrtcht

  20. .@ShelleyAdina Good for you. Thanks for facing your fear & chatting. Any advice for fellow writers you’d offer before we go? #sffwrtcht

  21. I used to worry about never having another idea. Guess I was in the wrong genre! #sffwrtcht

  22. We have all the transcripts, extra interviews, giveaways, and more at:http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht/  #sffwrtcht

  23. We have all the transcripts, extra interviews, giveaways, and more at:http://bryanthomasschmidt.net/sffwrtcht/  #sffwrtcht

  29. And don’t forget, Lady of Devices is free until Sunday 2/10 on Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks! #sffwrtcht #steampunk #free

  30. After the Fire trilogy (Amish post-apoc, Shelley Adina) #sffwrtcht

  31. 2 more Moonshell Bay romances (Shelley Adina) #sffwrtcht

  34. 3 more Magnificent Devices books (Shelley Adina) #sffwrtcht

  35. The Tempted Soul comes out 3/5 (Adina Senft) #sffwrtcht

  38. Brilliant Devices comes out 2/28 (Shelley Adina) #sffwrtcht

  40. .@ShelleyAdina What future projects are you working on that we can look forward to? #sffwrtcht

  41. The series was entirely new. They bought 3 books, then came back months later asking for 3 more. Good thing I had lots of chars.#sffwrtcht

  42. @ShelleyAdina So did you spin off that character or create something entirely new? #sffwrtcht

  43. There is all kinds of free promotion. I buy the occasional ad, and I adore bookmarks so I do those. Not much else tho. #sffwrtcht

  44. @ShelleyAdina What kind of marketing things do you like do?#sffwrtcht

  45. I wrote a contemp WF with a teen secondary char. It must’ve been convincing because Warner asked me to do a series. #sffwrtcht

  46. @ShelleyAdina I spend more than 10% on promotion probably. Do you think it should be less? #sffwrtcht

  47. .@ShelleyAdina What got you startd writing #ya as opposed to adult? A change frm romances? How hard is the transition between thm#sffwrtcht

  48. Worst advice: Spend 10% of your income on promotion. What?#sffwrtcht

  49. Best advice: Protect the work. And don’t quit your day job. #sffwrtcht

  50. .@ShelleyAdina What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever gotten? #sffwrtcht

  51. They wouldn’t need to adapt at all. They have no use for the grid.#sffwrtcht And yes, I go down to PA every summer to research :)

  52. @ShelleyAdina LOL The Amish because they would have to adapt less? #sffwrtcht

  53. There’s a post-apocalyptic cooking on the back burner. Who’s best equipped to survive total grid failure? Ja. The Amish. #sffwrtcht

  54. .@ShelleyAdina Do you have any plans to write science fiction or fantasy novels? #sffwrtcht

  55. @ShelleyAdina heh. I tuckerize my dogs and I write out on my deck while they play sometimes. #sffwrtcht

  56. @ShelleyAdina I love that you write outside! I try to do that too when the weather is good! #sffwrtcht

  57. She deserves the fame. She is the Queen of Everything. #sffwrtcht

  59. In spring/summer I write outside on the “creative” side of the house, with the chickens for company. #sffwrtcht

  60. It’s hard to watch the movie in my head with music. In feng shui there’s a “creative” part of the house so I gravitate there. #sffwrtcht

  61. I forgot to mention the most important part: chickens. They keep me grounded. Rosie the chicken in the Devices books is real. #sffwrtcht

  62. @ShelleyAdina We have the opposite problem, then! I can’t seem to handle the thicker brushes at all! haha #sffwrtcht

  63. .@ShelleyAdina Do you have any writing rituals or tools? Scrivener? Word? Something else? Do you write to music or silence? #sffwrtcht

  64. .@ShelleyAdina We talked about your writing time, so now…related question: #sffwrtcht

  66. @ShelleyAdina And that was with a mainstream publisher, right?#sffwrtcht Contemporary YA, not speculative

  67. It was fun to write. I learned more about designer labels than I ever did before or since. #sffwrtcht

  68. AAU: 6-book YA series I did from 2008-2010. It was “the clean version of Gossip Girl” set in a San Francisco boarding school. #sffwrtcht

  69. Looking up words is good for you, as my mother always used to tell me. #sffwrtcht

  70. .@ShelleyAdina Well, it feels very authentic. Even had to look up some words ;) Tell us about the All About Us series please.#sffwrtcht

  71. Anthony, no short stories except one that I put on my blog. I’m not skilled enough to paint with that small a brush! #sffwrtcht @talekyn

  72. I research as I need to know something, but don’t let it stall me. Therein lies madness. #sffwrtcht

  73. Reviews have said how good the research is, so I’m pleased about that—even if I’m making the other bits up! #sffwrtcht

  74. @ShelleyAdina Do you write short stories? And if you do, does your writing process differ? (as in “tent pole” vs. ???) #sffwrtcht

  75. @ShelleyAdina Love your use of “cooked”! I cook my stories too!#sffwrtcht

  77. @ShelleyAdina Wow. SERIOUS dedication to research. Good for you ;)  #sffwrtcht

  78. In Sept 2012 I went to London and walked my locations, photographing and making notes. #sffwrtcht

  79. @ShelleyAdina I think shorter books with cliffhangers more often is better than massive books once every 5 years. #sffwrtcht

  81. Google Earth is amazingly useful. I used lots of Victorian resources, costuming, engineering, etc. #sffwrtcht

  82. .@ShelleyAdina How much and how did you go about researching for these novels, and did you do it as you wrote or mostly before?#sffwrtcht

  84. @ShelleyAdina If you wrote epic fantasy it would be called “about right.” ;)  #sffwrtcht #irony

  85. They’ll feature some of the secondary chars, 5 years on. The Mopsies, my twin pickpockets, will get their own book. #sffwrtcht

  86. The next 3 will be more standaloneish. I think. They haven’t cooked enough to tell me, yet. #sffwrtcht

  87. Some readers hate this, preferring standalones, but 250,000 words is just too much for one book, imo. #sffwrtcht

  88. They’re true sequels, picking up where the previous book left off. The quartet is like one big story. #sffwrtcht

  89. Beth, not dumb. I’m just restricted by 140 chars is all! #sffwrtcht

  90. .@ShelleyAdina Give us a quick plot breakdown on those please.#sffwrtcht

  91. .@ShelleyAdina …true sequels with sequential storylines or more set with the same characters and world? #sffwrtcht 2/2

  92. @ShelleyAdina Okay! I get it! I hadn’t heard that explanation bfr. Feel dumb that I don’t get the tent connection. LOL Thx! #sffwrtcht

  93. When I hit #1 on the free list with Lady of Devices, I danced a jig in the kitchen. My DH thought I was having a seizure. #sffwrtcht

  94. You’ve kind of answered this in a round about sort of way but…#sffwrtcht 1/2 Are Her Own Devices and Magnificent Devices…

  95. The big scenes are the poles. #sffwrtcht

  97. @ShelleyAdina Congrats on hitting the Historical Fantasy bestseller list!!!! #sffwrtcht

  98. Beth, it was in my 2nd tweet on that subject. 3-4 major scenes, and working up to and out of them. #sffwrtcht

  100. @ShelleyAdina What is the “tent pole” method? #sffwrtcht

  101. @ShelleyAdina Wow. Really? #sffwrtcht And if Jennifer Jackson couldn’t sell it… That’s too bad yet at the same time you pulled it off.

  102. Smartest thing I ever did. The last 2 books hit the Historical Fantasy bestseller list – 1st time I ever hit a list! #sffwrtcht

  103. I really believed in the series, so decided to take the advice of my friend @BellaAndre and self publish it. #sffwrtcht

  104. 10 publishers turned the Lady down. :(  #sffwrtcht

  105. Anthony LOL! I get that a lot. #sffwrtcht

  106. .@ShelleyAdina You self-published this, whereas several of your previous YA books were traditionally published. Why that choice?#sffwrtcht

  107. @ShelleyAdina That approach sounds kind of appropriate the period and Claire’s circumstances though ;)  #sffwrtcht

  108. @ShelleyAdina I only hate them if I don’t have the “I want the next installment RIGHTNOWPLEASE” reaction. #sffwrtcht

  109. Doing it this way is a bit reckless and scary to my orderly mind. It feels like an adventure, though! #sffwrtcht

  110. I have 3-4 big scenes in mind, and write my way up to and out of them, layering in character change on the way. #sffwrtcht

  111. I’m an outliner usually, but w/this series I seem to be doing the “tent pole” method. #sffwrtcht

  113. .@ShelleyAdina Are you an outliner or a pantser? Did you follow the surprising ride or have it planned? #sffwrtcht

  114. @ShelleyAdina I was definitely wanting to know what happened next though. Not a bad thing #sffwrtcht & I enjoyed reading it very much.

  115. I always meant it to be part of an ongoing serial. People do hate cliffies, though. #sffwrtcht

  116. .@ShelleyAdina I finished the 1st book today. It doesn’t really feel ended. Did you write it that way or break up a larger piece?#sffwrtcht

  117. He wants to be Claire’s hero but she keeps dashing off and saving others and herself, which makes this difficult. #sffwrtcht

  118. Andrew is driven to improve society with tech. He’s not very good w/women and is too diffident to express himself. #sffwrtcht

  119. He is Claire’s boss in the lab. Some readers want him and Claire to get engaged already. Some say no, don’t do it! #sffwrtcht

  120. .@ShelleyAdina Tell us a bit about Andrew Malvern, the scientist/inventor. #sffwrtcht

  121. The Devices books are like Saturday afternoon serials, with underlying social commentary on women & minorities. #sffwrtcht

  122. Steampunk entertains a lot and makes you think a little. It often criticizes the status quo. #sffwrtcht

  123. Intelligent characters, imaginative devices, cracking good adventure, & a little subversion. #sffwrtcht

  124. .@ShelleyAdina What are the key elements of good steampunk?#sffwrtcht

  125. I used to work in a building that sent its memos that way. Such fun to watch the tube suck them away! #sffwrtcht

  126. @ShelleyAdina See I love the tube mail system. A bit like those drive through lanes at the bank, I suppose. #sffwrtcht

  128. Books 5 thru 7 will be back in London, with stops in the Prussian Empire, whose capital is Munich (it’s more fun than Berlin).#sffwrtcht

  129. Books 1 & 2 take place in London, 3 & 4 in the Texican Territories and the Canadas, specifically Esquimaux diamond country.#sffwrtcht

  130. Airships, trains, & steam vehicles are used for travel, and the Royal Mail is an underground pneumatic delivery system. #sffwrtcht

  131. She wants to go to Uni & become an engineer. Her mother wants her to get married and stop embarrassing her. #sffwrtcht

  132. Claire is born a Blood but has the mind & heart of a Wit, which causes problems in school and social life. #sffwrtcht

  134. Society is divided into 2 factions: Bloods, who inherit, and Wits, who make their own way & drive science & technology. #sffwrtcht

  137. Beth, day job in a.m., writing in p.m., teaching in evening. #sffwrtcht

  138. @ShelleyAdina Don’t know if you saw my earlier Q: What is your daily writing routine like? #sffwrtcht

  139. With her mother and brother off at the country estate, Claire is determined to be more than a proper Victorian society lady.#sffwrtcht

  140. When Claire Trevelyan’s father commits suicide after bankrupting the family, she finds herself struggling to survive on her own #sffwrtcht

  141. Love this! “Chars experience environments, thus building world.” RT@ShelleyAdina #sffwrtcht

  143. Beth, it depends. Sometimes a year. Sometimes a couple of weeks.#sffwrtcht

  144. I before E, except after, er, D. #sffwrtcht

  145. @ShelleyAdina How long do you ruminate on a book before you sit down to write? #sffwrtcht

  146. @ShelleyAdina See, you’re doing great! You even spelled my name right. #sffwrtcht

  147. ::oops, writing teacher moment:: #sffwrtcht

  148. Always character :) Chars make decisions, which drive plot. Chars experience environments, thus building world. #sffwrtcht

  149. .@ShelleyAdina Which came first: world, plot, character? #sffwrtchtFrom what you said sounds like the character…

  150. I have to balance these with the 6 months it takes to write my longer Amish books as Adina Senft for Hachette. So 3 a year. #sffwrtcht

  151. Each book takes about 3 months, but they cook in my head for a long time before the writing starts. #sffwrtcht

  152. Deirdre, it’s so difficult to build an audience. That’s why I’m down to 2. Shelley Adina does spec/YA; Adina Senft does Amish. #sffwrtcht

  153. I live in 1889 London in my mind. :)  #sffwrtcht

  155. @ShelleyAdina I’m impressed that you knew what Whitechapel was…#sffwrtcht #notme

  157. @ShelleyAdina How do you build an audience publishing each book under a different name? #sffwrtcht

  158. Hi Shelley! What is your daily writing routine? (If you have one! LOL)#sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht

  159. Then I had to know who she was and what she was doing in Whitechapel in the middle of the night. #sffwrtcht

  160. For me, a book begins with a “flash” or image. I saw a titled girl set upon by street kids and robbed. #sffwrtcht

  161. .@ShelleyAdina So where’d the idea for your Magnificent Devices series come from? #sffwrtcht

  162. I’m doing my best to consolidate to two names. #sffwrtcht

  163. Yes, YA only. 7 romances, 11 women’s fiction, all under different names #sffwrtcht

  164. @ShelleyAdina Here I thought number 12 came out. Is that just your YA count? #sffwrtcht

  166. @ShelleyAdina Welcome! You’ll do great. @BryanThomasS only bites on alternating Wednesdays. #sffwrtcht

  167. .@ShelleyAdina What’s Caught You Looking about? #sffwrtchtSince you mentioned it…

  170. Recently got the rights back to that first one and self-pubbed it as Caught You Looking, a Moonshell Bay contemp romance. #sffwrtcht

  172. 1st pro sale was my MA creative thesis (a romance) sold to Harlequin in 2002. That was 24 books ago. #sffwrtcht

  173. I’ve never got the hang of short stories. I admire authors who can condense so much meaning in so small a space! #sffwrtcht

  174. .@ShelleyAdina Did you start with shorts stories, novels? When was your first pro-sale? #sffwrtcht

  175. All the above. Before MFA, took Uni extension classes, writing org workshops, went to conferences. And wrote 5 before #6 sold#sffwrtcht

  176. How’d you learn craft? Trial and error? Formal study? Workshops?#sffwrtcht

  177. I started in 3rd grade with a ghost story! Progressed to Nancy Drew MarySues at 13, then to romance in my 20s. #sffwrtcht

  178. When did you decide to become a storyteller and how did you get your start? #sffwrtcht

  179. Welcome Paul, Deirdre! Willis’s Doomsday Book is one of my all-time favs, followed by Westerfeld’s Leviathan. #sffwrtcht

  180. Hello and welcome to #sffwrtcht, @shelleyadina. I’m out of my depth, so I will be politely quiet and lurk. :)

  181. Current fav is Louise Penny for depth of character and beauty. Connie Willis, Cherie Priest, and Maria Snyder are autobuys.#sffwrtcht

  182. Who are some of your favorite authors and books that inspire you?#sffwrtcht

  184. A tendency to speculate :) I’m fascinated by the imaginations of others, from Twilight Zone in the 60s to #steampunk today.#sffwrtcht

  185. First things first, where’d your interest in speculative fiction come from? #sffwrtcht

  186. Thank you! It’s very kind of you to invite me. I’m a total newbie at this so pls forgive mistakes. #sffwrtcht

  188. Between #writing #reading, @ShelleyAdina loves traveling, playing piano, Celtic harp and spoiling her chickens #sffwrtcht

  190. and an MFA in Writing Pop Fict #sffwrtcht

  191. And The Moonshell Bay series of contemp rom. An Award-winning author who wrote her 1st book at 13, she has a BA in Lit #sffwrtcht

  192. .@ShelleyAdina is also the author of the All About Us cont YA series, Immortal Faith, a PNR YA, Peep, The 100 Decibel Hummer#sffwrtcht

  193. The previous books, Lady Of Devices and Her Own Devices, released in 2011. Magnificent Devices released in 2012. #sffwrtcht

  194. Tonight’s guest’s 12th novel Brilliant Devices,comes out Feb 28, cncldng the quartet Magnificent Devices #steampunk #ya series.#sffwrtcht

  195. We may hold questions at times to allow our guest to answer and catch up. #sffwrtcht

  196. Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments.

  197. Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht

  198. Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht

  199. Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer’s Chat. #sffwrtcht