Michael Slade
 Welcome to the first installment of our BRAND NEW blog feature.
From time to time, we'll be bringing you writing tidbits, suggestions, advice, and ideas from past and present presenters and other friends of the conference.
We'd love to hear your thoughts as we go along. Add your comments, and feel free to start writing-related conversations with other commenters right here in the blog comments.
Our first tip comes from Michael Slade:
SLADE'S RULE: LIVE YOUR FICTION. With a handheld recorder and a notebook, get out in the real world and act out your story. You'll gather many more details than your imagination will conceive, and your story will "suspend disbelief" because it's grounded in reality. For RED SNOW, Slade acted out the plot at Whistler. For EVIL EYE, he chased himself across Zimbabwe and Botswana. For BED OF NAILS, he hacked his way into the jungle and crawled through overgrown cannibal caves littered with hundreds of orange skeletons in the Cook Islands. Plot in a room and you might as we'll be serving life in prison.
Thanks, Slade! Sounds like a great excuse to set our books in places we'd really like to see, though there is that pesky matter of budget to consider. But as someone who's spent way too much time locked in my house in front of the computer this week, I say getting out in the world is great advice, not only to grond our stories in reality, but also to let us see and be inspired by what's out there, whether it's in Botswana or just down the street from where we live.
We can't help but wonder, though, whether there's a youtube video of you acting out RED SNOW in Whistler....
One of the really wonderful things for me about the SiWC is getting the chance to witness, hear about, and share in turning points for the writers who attend. For some, it's meeting their agent or getting that book deal. If you've been following our blog, you've seen some of those good news stories here. For others, it's that moment when they are finally able to say "I'm a writer" and believe it.
Over at the Prairie Chicks blog, writer Pamela Callow describes her own turning points, including a chance meeting across a SiWC banquet table with the very editor she was hoping to meet: http://prairiechickswriteromance.blogspot.com/2010/01/welcome-pamela-callow.html
If you're a Vancouver local, chances are you've spent some time in Duthie Books over the years. Sadly, the last remaining location will be closing at the end of February after half a century as part of the Vancouver landscape. http://www.vancouversun.com/Vancouver+Duthie+books+shut+down+after+years/2459603/story.html
Every time I think of Duthie Books, I think of one of my favourite turning point stories: Michael Slade's tale of the gift Bill Duthie gave him as a young teen. He shared the story for us in a video interview with kc dyer, posted here in'08: http://www.siwc.ca/blogs/siwcadmin/michael-slade-video-interview
Do you have your own turning point story to share? We'd love to hear about it in the comments.
We have an incredible line-up of presenters this year, and I'd like to introduce you to two [possibly familiar] faces who are both having standout years.
 We last spied author Robert J. Sawyer reading from his new book WAKE [via Blackberry!] at Vancouver's White Dwarf books earlier this year.
Well, Rob's been busy since then, finishing his book tour, taking a stint as Writer-in-Residence in a Saskatchewan Particle Accelerator, and oh, yeah... being creative consultant on a television series based on his book FlashForward.
The program premieres tonight on ABC in the United States and Canada -- and has already received glowing reviews from Time magazine and the New York Times. An interview with Rob can also be found on the pages of Time.Com
An incredible year for this wonderful author. And for three days in October...he's all ours!
Who knows what glimpses into the future he'll be bringing with him this time?
And speaking of glimpses into the future, we have another familiar face
returning to grace the halls [and bar!] of the conference.
Most often known for his horrific offerings, this year, Michael Slade
comes bearing blood-Red Snow ....and little green men.
Lots going on these days at SiWC central. While the rest of you are sweltering, basking (or freezing...this is a Canadian summer, after all) out there, we are hard at work behind the scenes getting things ready for the conference.
A quick note -- the school district (who answers our phones) is down to a pretty skeleton staff over the summer, so if you want to register and can't get through to someone who can help you, just drop me an email at kcdyer@siwc.ca and I'll see what I can do.
On to the news:
Long time presenter and friend of the conference Don McQuinn has a wonderful new endeavour on the go. His new site is here: http://www.wiredwriters.net/ and Don and his team aim to make it the best go-to source for writers on the net.
In Don's words...
Wired Writers will serve three purposes. Foremost, of course, is providing
the best information, instruction, and inspiration for our subscribers. Our
writers group/writers course is our anchor program. Beyond that, however, is our
frequent and specifics-oriented webinars, open to all our subscribers;
we'll be bringing authors and other authorities on board from all genres and
writing venues.
Sounds pretty cool, eh? So go check it out, already!
In other news, 
Libraries Unlimited in the States just published
this, and guess whose name is on it ? Our own Michael Slade, of course!
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
tweeting sweetly @kcdyer
 Lovers of all things Slade rejoice!
Long time-presenter and friend of the conference (yep -- that's he and his lovely daughter Rebecca standing with Board members on our front web-page...) has a brand spanking new website.
Check it out HERE: Slade's New Website.
It's chock full of tall tales and pictures -- sites from where his stories take place to a Very Worried Looking Alice Cooper.
Enjoy!
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
A special video podcast with best selling author Michael Slade.
Michael Slade talks with kc dyer about how his first novel was published. Not Headerhunter, but a special edition of one, titled 13 Tombs - Volume 1, written when he was in grade 7. An expert storyteller, Slade describes how his summer school classmates and well known Vancouverite Bill Duthie created an experience and talisman that helped him through writing Headhunter.
Michael Slade's Website: www.specialx.net
Direct video link: http://blip.tv/file/1350858
As usual, my buddy Michael Slade is up to No Good.
This time, he's planning a Most Eventful evening for all Night Owls after 9 pm on the Friday night of the conference. He's recruited some pretty amazing cast members to help him stage two very special...very creepy radio plays.
The cast?
Slade himself, along with fellow best-selling authors
Diana Gabaldon
Jack Whyte, and
Anne Perry
Using all his devilish charm and wit, he's also managed to wrangle myself and his daughter (and go-writer) Rebecca Clarke to act as sound effects personnel.
The production?
THREE SKELETON KEY and THE THING ON THE FOURBLE BOARD.
Prepare to be thrilled and chilled!
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
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