Oh. Sorry. Did I not mention? I've just booked tickets to my first Unconvention. This is run by Fortean Times and it's a collection of the weird and the wonderful (which is me), mad stuff and peculiarities (still me, I'm afraid) and a lot of intelligent discussion about the esoteric and inexplicable (definitely me).
So, I hear you ask, in your cute, yet shrill voices, what has any of this to do with writing and books and stuff? Well, I shall tell you, if you let me get a word in edgeways... it is research. Yes, indeedy. Far be it from me to attend such a gathering purely for my own interest, no. We writers (or should that be wee writers, for I am not very tall...) collect experiences like we collect...um... what are those things called that crawl all over you? Children? Lice? No, writers collect experiences like picnics collect ants. I am collecting convention experiences for my novel Starstruck, which comes out in September. And Uncon is in November.
For, in the spirit of weird and intrigue, I am conducting retro-research. 'Aha!' I shall be able to say, for there will be no-one there to stop me, 'Aha! This is precisely how it happened in my book (Starstruck, £7.99 from all good bookshops)!' I may have to force some of these occasions, because Starstruck is set in Nevada and Uncon is set in Camden and there are likely to be very few other similarities between them, but I am prepared for this. In fact, to this end, I shall be taking a pink convertible cadillac, some Valium, two bottles of Jack Daniels and a cylinder of oxy-acetyline gas with me. 'Aha! An explosion! This is precisely how it happened in my book (.....)'
It has just been pointed out to me that my voyage of discovery to Uncon is actually fact verification. But I prefer the term 'retro-research'. Sounds more 'sciencey'. So, if anyone fancies a couple of days of weirdness and the highly strange...e mail me your address and I shall come and stay with you for the weekend. That should put you off.
5 comments:
'Retro-research'. I'm envious! It sounds really 'hip' (do I mean that??). Like the sort of thing I do (archaeology), but I realise you probably mean something like 'backronym' (inventing the meaning of an abbreviation after the abbreviation is in common use - 'chav' is th best eg of this (now I'm waaay off course). I'm all for Louis Theroux weird weekends myself, priding myself on being 'uncon' (in most meanings that could be interpreted for that)! We all wait with baited breath to hear how it goes. If it's not good retro research it should certainly give you some ideas for a future .. what ..?
None of this said in a cute, shrill voice by the way (deep, sultry and interesting ... I hope ...).
A couple days of weirdness and the highly strange...that sounds promising! Hope you have a great time!
Wow, you make it sound so... appealing. I think I'm busy that weekend. :)
Liz - I will let you know. With photographs, probably! And I'm sure that, should you see Bigfoot in the meantime, you will inform me so that I have something to talk about when I'm there.
Ranae Rose - Thank you, I'm sure the weirdness and I will get along just fine.
Talli - Ah, have you no spirit of enquiry? You are another one I have lined up to show ALL my photographs to...
Look forward to hearing all about THAT weekend!
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